A spiritual contradiction besieges the hallowed chambers of the Church for ages. Altars once flaming with apostolic unity are more than ever smouldering under the ash of rivalry. The voices meant to echo heaven are clashing like cymbals of discord, and the priests of the sanctuary have turned their incense against one another. Instead of raising intercession, many now raise indictments. The body that should edify itself in love is hemorrhaging from internal warfare. The trumpet we should sound against hell is now blown in egoistic battles. Why have God’s ministers become adversaries within the very Body of Christ?
This schism is not a doctrinal one—it is deeply spiritual. The spirit of vainglory has infiltrated priestly offices. The mantle is now worn as a medal of status, not a yoke of consecration. It is no longer about the Shepherd but the spotlight. We are witnessing the tragic defilement of sacred callings, as prophetic mantles are traded for carnal applause. “Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16). The fivefold ministry has turned into a fivefold melee. Apostles hurl veiled shots at bishops, prophets accuse pastors, evangelists demean teachers—and the devil laughs.
Dr. Paul Enenche warned, “You may carry anointing, but without character and brokenness, your impact is an accident waiting to happen.” And alas, we are living in that accident. Social media, once a tool for evangelism, has become the amphitheater for ministerial mudslinging. Pulpits now ripples passive-aggressive sermons. Is this a true character of a genuine leader ordained by God? Painfully, Conferences are no longer like in the days of our fathers but are choreographed competitions. Altars are divided not by doctrine, but by ambition. Oh Zion, what has bewitched your watchmen?
Did Christ divide Himself into factions? Was Peter crucified for you? (1 Corinthians 1:13). The Body of Christ was never meant to be a stage for self-glory. The Church is not a political party where influence is sought at the expense of integrity. When the priesthood becomes polluted by pride, the sanctuary becomes a theater. The sacred is desecrated. Revival becomes rivalry. Revelation is weaponized. And God’s people are scattered like sheep without shepherds. This is battle of the ages that must be stopped.
There is an ancient error revived in modern garments—the sin of Diotrephes, who “loveth to have the preeminence” (3 John 1:9). Ministries are no longer patterned after the Master but modeled after men. Celebrity status now overshadows servant-hood. What we now call “ministries” are often nothing more than empires of flesh built on fragile egos. And when two empires collide, peace cannot dwell.
The early Church flourished because they “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship” (Acts 2:42). Today’s ministers barely sit at the same table. Fellowship has become suspicion. Communion has become competition. Instead of iron sharpening iron, envy dulls discernment. The wounds inflicted by fellow labourers now hurt more than the arrows of the enemy.
Apostle Ayo Babalola lamented in his day, “Revival tarries because the watchmen fight themselves rather than contend with the enemy.” Even now, the prophetic stream is polluted. Many who once bore burdens now trade in branding. The prophetic oil is tainted and spiritually conterminated by ‘Mr Self’ and jealousy. Kingdom soldiers have turned their swords inward. We must ask: who benefits from this warfare within the sanctuary? Hell.
Let this be heard from the rooftops of Zion: no man is the custodian of God’s total counsel. The hand cannot say to the foot, “I have no need of you” (1 Corinthians 12:21). Diversity in the Body is divine strategy, not an excuse for division. One minister may roar like a lion, another may weep like a lamb—yet both are reflections of the multifaceted Christ. Unity is not uniformity, but harmony under the Holy Spirit’s orchestration.
We need repentance—not just in the pews, but in the pulpits. Let bishops weep between the porch and the altar (Joel 2:17). Let prophets rend their hearts, not their garments. Let apostles fall prostrate and ask for the fire of unity again. The Body must be healed before it can heal the nations. A divided priesthood cannot deliver a bound people.
The Spirit cries for restoration. The altar must be rebuilt. Elijah did not call down fire until he first repaired the broken altar (1 Kings 18:30). Likewise, ministers must repair broken relationships, heal schisms, and crucify ambition. The oil will not flow where there is rancor. The anointing cannot abide where strife dwells. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
Prophet T.B. Joshua once declared, “Your enemy is not the other man of God—it is the darkness blinding your heart from seeing your own assignment.” We must return to our sacred mandate. Preach the Gospel. Heal the sick. Raise the dead. Deliver the oppressed. Equip the saints. The battle is not against each other—it is against the gates of hell.
And to you, dear reader, if you have not yet surrendered your life to Christ, do not be discouraged by the imperfections of men. The Church is still the bride of Christ. She may be wounded, but she is still beloved. Jesus is calling you, not into a perfect gathering, but into a perfect grace. Come to Him who said, “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
Let us rise, not as rivals, but as remnants. Not as factions, but as a family. For we are not many bodies—we are one. One Lord. One Faith. One Baptism. One Spirit. One Church.
Let brotherly love continue. Let every altar burn again—not with pride, but with holy fire.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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