Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church Worldwide has said he's not a bastard, hence the reason he's able to speak Yoruba.

Delivering a sermon during the rounding up session of the Third Service of Covenant Day Of Exemption Service, Oyedepo admonished the congregation on how to effectively minister God's word to the challenged in slum areas (lungus).

He advised them against going to such places to speak grammar or polished English, but rather to speak the language the residents can understand.

He said: “We are going practically after the challenged! Don't speak big grammar; they won't understand what you're saying. Speak broken English. Speak your local dialect if they're from your place. Sit down with them and talk with them.

"Somebody heard me blowing Yoruba heavily, one pastor. He said: 'Ah! I didn't even know he speaks Yoruba!' I said: 'Am I a bastard? How can you say you don't know that I can speak my mother's tongue? What are you talking about?'

"Will I ever wear a coat to go outside for outreach? No! They won't hear me. They will think I'm a sanitary inspector. You can wear a coat in district business centres, but when you come to this lungus, don't wear a coat, you will scare them.

"Wear your natural dress that they can identify with, and speak the language they can hear. I speak English and I interpret it because they must hear me. Not that they want to see how much I can speak, they must hear what I'm saying. What they can't hear, they can't believe."

ASA