Founder of Grace Nation International, also known as Liberation City, Pastor Chris Okafor, has announced a temporary break from his ministerial duties.
Okafor made the announcement during the church’s New Year service on Thursday, stating that four pastors under his leadership will take charge of Sunday services throughout January 2026.
According to him, Pastors Sylvester, Kelvin, Oliver, and Shadrach will minister to congregants during the four Sundays in January, which he described as “prophetic Sundays.”
“We have four Sundays in January, so, in the whole of these four Sundays, we would be having Pastor Sylvester, Pastor Kelvin, Pastor Oliver, and Shadrach minister to you and anoint you every Sunday because it’s going to be prophetic Sundays,” Okafor said.
He explained that the period would allow him to rest and embark on a personal retreat with God, as well as spend time with his wife.
“While they are here, I will be resting, and it will be time for a personal retreat with God and time for me and my wife to rest because since our wedding we have not rested, we’ve not had time, we have not even done honeymoon,” he added.
The development comes amid public calls for the pastor to step aside following reports of alleged sexual misconduct from some former church members, as well as a relationship scandal involving actress Doris Ogala. However, it remains unclear whether his decision to take a break is connected to the allegations.
The controversy surrounding Okafor intensified after a video of his engagement to his wife surfaced online, sparking widespread reactions on social media.