Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries church East Providence RI

The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) is a

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestantism, Protestant Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christian movementdenomination founded in Yaba,

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

Lagos State Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 states, it is both the most populous and smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

in 1989, now with churches in several countries. It was founded by Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya ("DKO"). Many publications on

deliverance ''Deliverance'' is a 1972 American survival thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman, and starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox, with the latter two making their feature film debuts. The screenplay was adapt ...

have been credited to Olukoya, such as the popular prayer book known as ''The Prayer Rain''. Unlike a few popular

charismatic Charisma () is a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects. Scholars in sociology, political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership seen as extraordinary; in these fields, the term "ch ...

and

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestantism, Protestant Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christian movementprosperity gospel, MFM's leadership and its sub-ministry, Battle Cry Ministries, place emphasis on

deliverance ministry In Christianity, deliverance ministry refers to groups that perform practices and rituals to cleanse people of demons and evil spirits. This is done in order to address problems in their life deemed to be manifesting as a result of demonic presenc ...

and prayers against the works of demonic forces. It teaches members about dealing with ancestral spirits and the existence of hidden evil and spiritual forces against progress toward the fulfilment of one's "destiny", resulting in a

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

that promotes practices dominated by prayer points to free individuals from hidden bondages. The Mountain of Fire is also known for its optimum dedication in Music (e.g. orchestras, guitar choir) and sports. The General Overseer of Mountain of Fire & Miracles Ministries, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, made the call at the opening ceremony of the Mountain Top Conservatory of Music TCMand the launching of Mountain Top Conservatory Choir and Philharmonic

Orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

(MCCPO) at MFM headquarters, Onike, Lagos. *Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries was founded by Daniel Kolawole Olukoya at a prayer meeting in 1989 in his living room. *The prayer group purchased a large site at an abandoned slum near the

University of Lagos The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in th ...

, and converted it into the International Headquarters of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, of which Olukoya is the General Overseer. The first service there was on 24 April 1994. *At the new location, worshippers and those seeking help kept coming, leading to a very large congregation. This situation posed a challenge of crowd, growth and expansion management to the leadership of the church. Thus, MFM created a network of branches in every state capital, local government headquarters, senatorial district and locality. *According to the group's literature, it is committed to "the Revival of Apostolic Signs, Holy Ghost fireworks and the unlimited demonstration of the power of God to deliver to the uttermost". As the name would imply, the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries places a great emphasis on wonders,

miracles A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...

and other

Apostolic Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles *Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Churc ...

acts. From humble beginnings in the home of Olukoya, MFM has grown to over 300 churches within Nigeria and branches in African and Western countries. Those branches located outside the African continent mainly cater to African immigrant population.

Distinctive practices

Visible among book sellers on the street of the church's headquarters is MFM's leadership litany of publications on prayer points against demonic and hidden forces opposed to personal fulfillment and growth. MFM describes itself as "a do-it-yourself gospel ministry, where your hands are trained to wage war and your fingers to do battle" (see also Psalm 144:1). This militant tone against spiritual wickedness is reflected throughout the teachings of MFM, where it calls upon members to become spiritually aggressive Christians, and some of the groups founded by MFM call themselves names such as the ''Prayer Warriors,'' the ''Territorial Intercessors'' and the ''God's Violent Army''. This does not mean physical violence by MFM theology, as the battles take place in spiritual realms only. As with many

Plain dress Plain dress is a practice among some religious groups, primarily some Christianity, Christian churches in which people dress in clothes of traditional modest design, sturdy fabric, and conservative cut. It is intended to show acceptance of trad ...

churches, all women are required to wear skirts and headcovers when attending MFM services in any location. Prayers tend to be repetitions of faith-based claims, spiritual decrees and commanding prayers often directly from Scriptures and proclaim that safety lies within

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

Christ. Although prayers are loud and believed to be "spiritually violent", it is noteworthy that the church preaches against physical violence, typically alluding to Paul's teachings on Christian warfare (, ). Olukoya teaches that "The Bible refers to homosexuals and lesbians as dogs". Its "deliverance" events have been viewed as code for "pray the gay away". An undercover reporter in Liverpool was urged by an assistant pastor to cure himself of homosexuality by fasting for 3 days; however, MFM said that this was not sanctioned by the movement, and denied that it promoted

conversion therapy Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. In contrast to evidence-based medicine and clin ...

. In 2019, Pastor Daniel said at the church Headquarters in

that it is "unbiblical" to celebrate Christmas as there is no such word in the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...

and neither did the Bible state that

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

was born on December 25. He said "If you really study the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, there is no word like

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

. The bible only recorded that the Shepherds were taking care of their flocks during a very cold season when they sighted the star that announced the birth of Jesus Christ. This cold period could be around April or May".

Leadership

MFM is headed by a General Overseer, who is also the main theologian of the church. He is assisted by Assistant General Overseers, helming specific departments.

Properties

MFM owns a large expanse of land along

Lagos–Ibadan Expressway The Lagos–Ibadan Expressway is a expressway connecting Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State and Lagos, Nigeria's largest city. It is also the major route to the northern, southern and eastern parts of Nigeria. The expressway is the oldest in Niger ...

called Prayer City, located close to the international camp of the

Redeemed Christian Church of God The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is a Pentecostal megachurch and denomination founded in Lagos, Nigeria. The General overseer (most senior pastor) is Enoch Adeboye, ordained in 1981. The church in Lagos had an average church atten ...

. Among structures located within the camp is an auditorium capable of holding 100,000 members during special occasions. In

Enugu Enugu ( ; ) is the capital city of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in southeastern part of Nigeria. The city had a population of 820,000 according to the 2022 Nigerian census. The name ''Enugu'' is derived from the two Igbo words ''Én ...

, MFM's worship centre was judged to have been constructed illegally, and despite its popularity it was demolished in 2013 by the state government.

Lawsuit in United States

In 2017, the church had some legal battles with former pastors who separated from MFM and claimed a church building in the United States. The former pastors alleged that Olukoya engaged in fraud including evasion of US import duties. The property dispute was ultimately settled in favour of MFM by a United States court.

Investigation in United Kingdom

The UK

Charity Commission , type = Non-ministerial government department , seal = , seal_caption = , logo = Charity Commission for England and Wales logo.svg , logo_caption = , formed = , preceding1 = , ...

(which regulates registered charities in the UK) opened an official investigation into the church in 2018, citing concerns about administrative and financial weaknesses, including failure to submit the required accounts. In August 2019, the Commission appointed an interim manager for the MFM charity.{{cite web , title=Commission appoints interim manager to Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries International , url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/commission-appoints-interim-manager-to-mountain-of-fire-and-miracles-ministries-international , website=Charity Commission

References

External links

MFM Official WebsiteThe website of a Houston, Texas strip mall ministry
Christianity in Lagos Pentecostal denominations Christian organizations established in 1989 1989 establishments in Nigeria Religious organizations based in Lagos Pentecostalism in Africa Evangelical megachurches in Nigeria Pentecostal denominations established in the 20th century