I won’t stop acting even as lead pastor, says Jimmy Odukoya

Jimmy Odukoya, the new lead pastor of the Fountain of Life Church, says he will not stop acting — despite taking on his latest role.

The actor, who is the son of Taiwo Odukoya, the church’s late founder, was named the new senior pastor and chairman of the board of trustees on September 17.

In a recent interview with BBC Pidgin, Odukoya expressed his commitment to his acting career despite his new role as the lead pastor of the church.

He said initially, many people doubted his ability to balance both roles. He, however, revealed how God moved him from Nollywood to Hollywood in six years, adding that “with Him, nothing is impossible”.

He said while he is currently focused on his pastoral duties, he believes that acting can still be a means to teach important life lessons.

“When I started, people said I could not be a pastor and an actor together. They said the church and the world would not accept me,” he said.

“I was there for six years in an industry that is hard to break into. From Nollywood, I moved to Hollywood. God has shown that with him, nothing is impossible.

“Although I am focused on the church now, that does not mean I cannot act. Once an actor, always an actor.

“The question I ask myself is: What will people learn when I act like this character? The idea people have is that as a pastor, I should only play good roles, but good and bad exist. It does not matter if it is a good or bad role; the motive is to teach people lessons.”

Odukoya passed away on August 7 in the United States at the age of 67. He was buried in Lagos on September 9.