Why I wear dreadlocks, earrings – Pastor Jimmy Odukoya

Jimmy Odukoya, the new lead pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, has dismissed critics of his physical appearance.

According to the actor and preacher, the Bible supports a man wearing dreadlocks and earrings.

Jimmy was named head of the Lagos-based church on Sunday, September 17, one week after the burial of his father Pastor Taiwo Odukoya.

Aside from those who argued that leadership of the church appears hereditary, others have questioned the new leader’s appearance.

But speaking in an interview with BBC News Pidgin, Jimmy said he was called by God and was ordained a pastor in 2009.

“I was ordained as a minister in 2009 and became a pastor in the church in 2012. I was the lead pastor of the youth church until 2020 or 2021,” he said.

He also cited examples from the Bible to justify wearing dreadlocks and earrings.

Hear him: “If you say I’m wrong to keep my hair as a pastor, I can tell you that God told Samson not to cut his hair in the Bible. That means long hair is not a bad thing. Also, if you say the pastor is keeping a beard, I can tell you that the Bible says that when Jesus was tortured, they pulled hair from his face.

“If you say this pastor is putting on earrings, I can tell you that in the book of Exodus, when the children of Israel got out of Egypt and wanted to do golden calf, they collected jewelry, rings, and earrings from their sons and daughters.

“Anybody can do what they want. A personal opinion is different from saying something is sinful. You should not use your own personal opinion to judge me.”

Jimmy, who has played major roles in a number of Nollywood movies and the 2022 Hollywood blockbuster The Woman King alongside Viola Davis and John Boyega added that God will continue to direct his acting career now that he is leader of The Fountain of Life Church.