Controversy on Christmas: Our position, clarification - MFM

The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, MFM, have cleared the air on a controversial sermon which disputed December 25th (Christmas Day) as the date of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The sermon which was delivered by Pastor Dr. D.K Olukoya on December 25th saw the Clergyman reveal why the church doesn't celebrate the festival.

This led to controversy and mixed reactions from Nigerians with many of them referring to the church's stance as fallacy.

In reaction to the controversy that trailed the sermon, the Church’s Public Relations Officer, Collins Edomaruse, issued a statement to clarify the misconception on the church's stance.

The statement reads in part:

“Though the foundation of Christmas is idolatry and God hates idolatry with perfect hatred, we will not throw away the baby and the birth water. We do not condemn those who celebrate.

“Jesus is born in us at MFM every day. His death is our birth certificate. We will bring out the positive out of the negatives by using all holidays for prayers, conferences seminars and activities.

“We will hold seminars, conventions, camp meetings or special teaching services to pray, examine the scriptures and draw positives from the wrong, negative and idolatry practises of the two events: Easter and Christmas.

“We will hold special meetings to re-teach, re-emphasise and reappraise the significance of Jesus’ birth, death, cross and resurrection.”

On December and the visitation of Shepherds that came on the occasion of Jesus’ birth, the report noted: “Strange but true! Remember those shepherds who were “keeping watch over their flocks by night”? (Luke 2:8). December weather around Bethlehem is often miserably cold, wet and rainy. No shepherd in his right mind would have kept his flocks outside at night at that time of year!

“The passage argues against the December 25th birth of Jesus Christ since the weather would not have permitted shepherds to be out in the fields with their flocks then.

“Also, Luke 2:1-4 tells us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem because his parents came to that town to register in a Roman census. The Romans were well known as highly efficient administrators. It would have made no sense to have conducted a census in the dead of winter when temperatures often dropped below freezing and travelling was difficult due to poor road conditions. Taking a census under such conditions would have been pointless.

“The Bible nowhere tells us to observe a holiday celebrating Jesus Christ’s birth —but it clearly does tell us to do ‘communion’ in remembrance of him.”