Most influential religious leaders of 2017

It's that time of the year when Pulse Religion acknowledges the notable people in our religious lives during the course of this year. 

We have had a very interesting year with conversations about our faith debated on every side, from the altar to social media, to little gatherings on the streets and in our homes all around.

In no particular order, here are the most religious leaders of this year.

1. Pastor Paul Adefarasin

Paul Adefarasin is the senior pastor of House on the Rock, one of the biggest churches in Lagos state.

Pastor Adefarasin is very influential
(houseontherockng)

This year, the church by extension, Pastor Adefarasin, managed to get even bigger by hosting the Emerge Conference. This conference brought T.D Jakes, other important people from and outside Nigeria.

Pastor Adefarasin made this happen
(naijagospelradio)

The just concluded 12th edition of The experience with headliners like Don Moen, Donnie McClurkin, Travis Greene and others is also attributed to this Man of God and his church. All of these show just proves how influential he really is.

 

2. Bishop David Oyedepo

It is safe to say that everyone knows the founder and General Overseer of Living Faith Church also known as Winners’ Chapel. Over the years, he is grown from a young pastor to an extremely influential religious leader whose word is the law for a lot of people.

Bishop Oyedepo preaching at Shiloh 2017
(facebook/DavidOyedepoMin)

This explains why people paid attention when he weighed in on the ongoing tithing debate. Love or hate him, no one can deny his influence on Christians worldwide.

3. Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye

Pastor Adeboye, fondly known as Daddy G.O, has definitely captured the hearts of many Nigerians and people around the world.

Pastor Adeboye at RCCG Holy Ghost Congress
(twitter/PastorEAAdeboye)

The General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is one of those people who holds the attention of everyone whenever he speaks.

When he speaks, everyone including world leaders listen. His influence is certainly undeniable.

4. Prophet T.B Joshua

The leader of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) is one beloved prophet. So beloved that people were heartbroken when he announced his intention to leave Nigeria for Israel.

Prophet T.B Joshua holds a lot of influence
(Press)

Immediately, the news broke, everyone from regular people to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed started appealing the prophet to change his mind. In fact, it was one of the top controversial religious moments of the year.

Pulse readers say they will miss T.B Joshua
(snip)

It does not hurt that his prophecies always manage to come to pass. All of them, except for the one about Hillary Clinton becoming the president of the United States.

Hillary Clinton prophecy reappears on TB Joshua's Facebook page
(pulse)

5. Sultan of Sokoto

This list would be incomplete without the Sultan, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar IV who wields a lot of influence over Muslims. He is number 16 on the list of World’s most influential Muslim leaders.

He announces all the important dates for major events like the Ramadan. Hence, he is regarded as the spiritual leader of all Nigerian Muslims. He is also the chairman of Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs.

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III
(bellanaija)

Honourable Mention:

Daddy Freeze - This year, he went from being just a Cool FM OAP to becoming a well respected/criticised voice in the religious scene.

Daddy Freeze has become a force to be reckoned with
(olisatv)

His anti-tithing campaign, regular shots at preachers and #FreeTheSheeple movement, in general, has certainly made him an extremely influential person to many Nigerian Christians.

 

He is definitely one to be reckoned with when it comes to religious issues.