Pastors are not activists – Juliana Oloyede defends pastors criticised over silence

Nollywood actress Juliana Olayode has spoken on behalf of Nigerian pastors getting criticised for their silence amid the recent attacks and abductions in the country.

The actress, via her Instagram page, argued that pastors are not activists and should not be criticised for not responding to national crises.

Juliana stated that the actions expected of pastors should also be expected of Islamic leaders.

”I know I might get dragged for saying this and not to deviate from the issue at hand, but I don’t know if it’s just my Tiktok and Instagram algorithm, I’ve been seeing a lot of videos of people calling out pastors. There’s something I think we should also take into consideration. Yes, I believe pastors should speak up more. So should Imams, Sheikhs, and everyone with a voice and influence. But we should not automatically assume that those who are not speaking publicly on social media are doing nothing or are unconcerned about what is happening in the country. Not all meaningful action is visible online,” she stated.

Juliana also noted that although religious leaders can weigh in on political issues, it is not their major responsibility.

“Pastors are not activists, though they certainly can speak on political and societal issues when they feel led to do so. I understand that some people have no regard for pastors. We have seen and heard painful stories of what some have done in the name of God. But, while false pastors exist, so do genuine ones, men and women who serve faithfully, walk in integrity and carry their spiritual responsibility with sincerity. Yes, pastors are human beings like the rest of us, but they are under divine authority and also carry a spiritual responsibility before God. Throughout the scriptures, God’s servants didn’t always respond to national crises with public statements. Sometimes their assignment was to pray, intercede, offer counsel, and personally engage those in authority as God directed,” she added.