The Bible says in Malachi 2:16 that God doesn’t like divorce. However, there are a few rare situations where it is allowed.
One of those situations is mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 5:32. He says a man can divorce his wife if she has been unfaithful.
“But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Another reason is found in 1 Corinthians 7:15-16. Here, Paul explains that if a Christian is married to someone who doesn’t believe in Christ, and that person wants to leave the marriage, the Christian is allowed to let them go.
“But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?”
As times change and more cases of domestic violence are reported, divorce is becoming more accepted in such situations. Many churches still advise couples to separate first, but with the growing number of femicide cases in the country, divorce due to abuse is no longer as strongly criticized as before.
Marriage is meant to be a partnership between a man and a woman. Even though pastors are seen as spiritual leaders, they are still human. This means their marriages can face problems just like anyone else’s — including cheating, constant arguments, personal differences, or pressure from outside.
People often expect pastors to have perfect marriages, but the truth is, they go through the same ups and downs. Sometimes, when the problems get too much, some pastors decide to end their marriages. These breakups usually get a lot of attention and start big discussions within the church community.
In Nigeria, a number of well-known pastors have gone through divorce — some even more than once. Here’s a look at a few of these cases and what led to the end of their marriages.
1. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, the founder of LoveWorld Ministry (also known as Christ Embassy), got married to Anita Ebhodaghe on February 2, 1991. They met while in university and had two daughters together, Sharon and Charlene. In April 2014, Anita filed for divorce in London, claiming adultery and bad behavior. Their divorce was finalized on February 8, 2016.
Anita used to lead Christ Embassy’s branches in the UK and was very active in the ministry. But in 2014, members began to notice her absence from church events. Her pictures were also removed from the ministry’s websites.
For a while, there was no explanation from the couple. Eventually, they confirmed that they were no longer together and were going through a divorce. Many people were shocked because Pastor Chris and Anita had been seen as a strong, inspirational couple in the church.
Although Pastor Chris often preached that divorce is not the Christian way, he admitted that if a wife insists on leaving, there isn’t much the husband can do.
“It is no longer in your hands, and you are not at fault anymore.”
There were many rumours about what caused the breakup, but Pastor Chris Oyakhilome later shared a bit of his side. He said that Anita didn’t share his vision for the ministry, and for him, that was a major issue.
Some members of the church also believed that the long-distance nature of their relationship played a big role. Pastor Chris spent most of his time in Nigeria, while Anita lived mainly in the UK.
Since their divorce, neither Pastor Chris nor Anita has remarried.
2. Reverend Chris Okotie
Reverend Chris Okotie, a former pop star turned preacher, is the founder of the Household of God Church in Lagos. His first marriage to Tyna ended in 2001 after 15 years, and they didn’t have any children together. He stayed single for some time before marrying Stephanie Henshaw in 2008. Stephanie, who had been married twice before and had three children from those marriages, became Okotie’s second wife in a beautiful ceremony.
However, in 2012, Pastor Okotie shocked his congregation when he announced on a Sunday that he and Stephanie had separated, citing irreconcilable differences.
“Stephanie and I are no longer married. We have separated. You can see she’s not in church today. It’s due to irreconcilable differences…you should please respect our wishes at this time because there is no going back.”
No further details have been shared about the exact reasons for the split. In 2022, Pastor Chris Okotie stated that marriage was now a closed chapter in his life. During an exclusive interview with BBC Pidgin, he said:
“God told me that He didn’t call me to get married…He called me to be like Paul, but He tried to stop me, and I didn’t listen at the time. The life He called me to live is to be dedicated to Him and the work He called me for. So marriage is not on the menu again.”
3. Pastor Ituah Ighodalo
Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, the founder and senior pastor of Trinity House in Lagos, first married Lucy-Ann Suinner in 1995. After their separation, he married former beauty queen and event planner Ibidun Ajayi in 2007. His remarriage led to a suspension from his duties at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), which then prompted him to start Trinity House.
In an interview with media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo, Pastor Ighodalo explained that the church had given its approval for him to remarry after his split from Suinner. He shared that church elders had advised him to marry again to help him handle the challenges of leading a church.
“You pastor a big church. How are you going to cope? You need a wife. The leaders of the church approached me. I didn’t go to them. People don’t know this… I did what they asked of me and got their approval.”
After the passing of his second wife, Ibidun, in 2020, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo mentioned in an interview with Arise TV that he might consider remarriage once his children are older.
“It is not possible to say I would never remarry, but if I had my way, I am okay. I am happy and my life is not complicated. I am looking after my children, and I am doing well. I might consider it when my children are older. My daughter has also warned me not to remarry.”
4. Prophet Joshua Iginla
In 2019, Prophet Joshua Iginla, the founder and senior pastor of Champions Royal Assembly in Abuja, publicly admitted that both he and his wife, Yemisi, had children outside their marriage. This confession led to their divorce. Later, he married Stella Zimasa, a South African woman, with whom he had an affair that resulted in the birth of a daughter.
The pastor shared the news of his divorce with his congregation, explaining that it happened because of infidelity on both sides. He said that when his wife had an affair and had an “unholy child,” he forgave her. However, when he cheated and had a child outside their marriage, she made life difficult for him, which led to the end of their marriage.
“And somehow she brought an unholy child into the matrimony, I don’t want you to judge my wife or anything, but it led to so many battles, family intervention but we covered it… I also went out and got a child outside of wedlock and then it became a battle in the family… I told her to settle in secret or I will go to the world Confess my sin, receive the insult and end the Marriage. And that is what I am doing now. She has pushed to this point to the extent that I’m confessing my sin to the whole world, I want the world to know. I covered her up during her time and when mine came she threw me to the wall.”
Yemisi however denied the allegations her husband made against her, she said:
“My three children are his, I have never lived a promiscuous life. I am speaking out for my children’s sake and their destiny.”