Something is going wrong in the Church today, and it does not begin in the pulpit. It begins much earlier, when a man is brought forward to be ordained and those who should ask hard questions decide not to.
Pastor David Ogbueli, President of Dominion City Church, raised this concern during the ordination of a new Apostle at Encounter Jesus Ministries International, founded by Apostle Michael Orokpo. Asked to lay hands on the candidate, Ogbueli used the moment to remind the Church that ordination standards must never be lowered. His words were not casual—they were a warning born of decades in ministry.
Ogbueli is not a voice from the sidelines. He has been in ministry for over thirty years, beginning in 1991 with The New Covenant Family fellowship at the University of Nigeria, which later spread to other campuses. Today, he leads Dominion City Church, is an author, a TV and radio host through Expand Your World, and heads the Golden Heart Foundation, which mentors young leaders for national impact. His crusades, including the Abuja Night of Glory at Moshood Abiola Stadium in December 2025, have drawn thousands. A man who has built institutions and raised leaders knows the cost of weak foundations. When he says ordination has become careless, he is speaking from experience.
He asked that every detail of a candidate’s life be checked before hands are laid. He asked whether the man has girlfriends outside his marriage, whether his wife agrees with the ministry, and whether his private life is in order. These are not trivial matters. An Apostle is entrusted with people’s secrets, families, finances, and faith. To give such power to someone whose life has not been examined is not kindness—it is carelessness dressed as faith.
The truth is that many churches no longer check. Today, a person can attend a Bible course for a few months and soon after be called into full-time ministry. Ordination is often decided by friendship, loyalty, or fear of uncomfortable conversations. A gifted preacher with a crowd is assumed to have a stable home, while his wife—who often bears the heavier cost of ministry—is rarely asked if she is at peace with the calling. The result is predictable: scandals repeat year after year, and each time the warning signs prove they were there all along.
Ogbueli pointed to the Catholic and Anglican churches as examples. Whatever one thinks of their doctrines, they understand that ministry must not be rushed. Candidates are trained for years, their character tested, and only then ordained. Many newer ministries do the opposite, turning a student of a few months into a full-time minister or even an Apostle. Speed is celebrated, while checking is dismissed as my unbelief. But three to six months is not enough to know a man’s heart, his marriage, or his habits. Proper checking is what the Church owes the people who will sit under that minister.
He also warned that the words spoken during ordination must not be taken lightly. Those words are promises before God and the people. A promise treated as a show is easily forgotten, even by the man who made it. When prayers are said and charges given, everyone present takes on a duty—the candidate and those ordaining him. A church that lays hands carelessly cannot escape the harm that follows.
Some argue that only God sees the heart, and the Church has no right to examine private lives. But ordination is a public declaration that a man is fit to lead. That claim must withstand honest scrutiny. If a man cannot bear to have his marriage, behavior, and past examined, then he is not ready, and no7s amount of anointing will change that.
The way forward is clear. Churches must write down their ordination standards and apply them to everyone, including the gifted and well connected. A short Bible course should never be the only road into ministry. Candidates should be trained longer, observed over time, and properly checked. Leaders must speak with the candidate’s wife, ask about his past and present, and be willing to say “not yet” without guilt. The Church can survive delayed ordination. It will struggle to survive another scandal that the right questions could have prevented.
Pastor David Ogbueli said what needed to be said, and he said it at the right time—before hands were laid, when the standard could still be kept. The question now is whether those who ordain will listen, or whether the Church will wait for the next scandal to learn what it has already been taught.
This warning is not new, but it is urgent. Across Nigeria and beyond, scandals involving ministers have shaken congregations. From financial mismanagement to moral failures, the stories are often the same: leaders were elevated too quickly, without proper vetting, and the cracks in their private lives eventually became public disasters. Each scandal damages not only the reputation of the individual but also the credibility of the Church. Members lose trust, outsiders mock, and the witness of the gospel is weakened. Ogbueli’s insistence on thorough checks is therefore not about control—it is about protecting the integrity of the faith.
Globally, churches that have stood the test of time have always emphasized rigorous preparation. In the Catholic Church, seminarians undergo years of theological study, spiritual formation, and pastoral training before ordination. Their lives are scrutinized, their character tested, and their readiness confirmed. The Anglican tradition follows a similar path, requiring candidates to prove themselves over years of service and study. These processes may seem slow, but they ensure that those ordained are not only gifted but also grounded. In contrast, many modern Pentecostal and charismatic ministries have embraced speed, equating rapid growth with divine favor. Yet history shows that unchecked speed often leads to collapse.
The family dimension is another area Ogbueli highlighted. Ministry is not a solo calling; it involves the spouse and children. A wife who is unwilling or unprepared for the demands of ministry can suffer silently, and her struggles often spill into the public life of the church. By asking whether the wife agrees with the calling, Ogbueli was not being intrusive—he was being responsible. A man whose home is in disarray cannot lead a congregation effectively. Scripture itself teaches that a bishop must be “the husband of one wife” and must manage his household well. Ignoring this principle is not faith—it is negligence.
The ordination process must therefore be reimagined. It should not be a ceremony rushed through to please crowds or reward loyalty. It should be a sober, deliberate act that reflects the gravity of spiritual leadership. Churches must establish clear criteria: years of proven service, evidence of moral integrity, confirmation of family support, and thorough background checks. These standards must apply to everyone, regardless of popularity or gifting. To ordain without such checks is to gamble with the souls of the people.
The consequences of careless ordination are severe. When leaders fall, congregations scatter, faith is shaken, and the name of Christ is dragged through the mud. The damage is not easily repaired. Restoring trust takes years, and some wounds never fully heal. This is why Ogbueli’s warning must be taken seriously. It is not about slowing down the work of God—it is about ensuring that the work is built on solid foundations.
In the end, ordination is both a privilege and a responsibility. It is a declaration that a man is ready to shepherd God’s people. That declaration must be backed by evidence, not assumption. The Church must be willing to ask hard questions, to delay when necessary, and to prioritize integrity over speed. Pastor David Ogbueli has sounded the alarm. The choice now lies with the leaders: will they uphold the standard, or will they lower the bar and face the inevitable consequences?
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