Biography & Career Of Christopher Okotie

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Biography & Career Of Christopher Okotie

Christopher Oghenebrorie Okotie is a Nigerian televangelist and the pastor of the Household of God Church International Ministries, a Pentecostal congregation in Lagos since February 1987.

Biography

Christopher Oghenebrorie Okotie was born on 16th of June 1958 to the family of Francis Idje and Cecilia Okotie in Ethiope West Local Government area of Delta State, South-South Nigeria. He is the pastor of the Household of God Church International Ministries, in Lagos

As a growing child, he always loved to sing. While in secondary school at Edo College, Benin City, he belonged to the school’s Music Club and usually entertained groups of people.

Education

He had his primary school education between 1964 and 1970 at Kirikiri Primary School, Lagos, as his father, who was a civil servant, was stationed in Lagos at the time. He proceeded to Edo College in Benin for his secondary education between 1971 and 1977. He had his ‘A’ Level certificate in 1978 and in 1984, he graduated with a degree in law from the University of Nigeria at Nsukka. After he returned to school to complete his education and graduated with a law degree. Whilst undergoing law school he interrupted his schooling again to begin his religious ministries. Okotie attended the Grace Fellowship Bible School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and, soon after, established the Household of God Ministry mercialising his talent until his first year at university, when his father died.

Early life

He started his music career when he was in secondary school at Benin city and his multi-talented nature was evident from his childhood and became more apparent when he became the lead singer of the Edo College school band. Occasionally, he would entertain his young high school audience as a member of the school’s music club. The turning point for his music career came after his father’s death in his maiden year at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

He laid his deceased father to rest and promised his school to return soon and had to venture into music full time which made him popular and notable as one of the most fascinating pop stars of the Nigerian Music Industry in the 80’s. When he recalled his promise, he fulfilled and wrapped up his law degree. He had a robust career in music prior to receiving the call to full time music

Personal life

He had been married twice and you might want to think that’s controversial enough until he announced on 24th of June 2012 that he had called it quits with his second conjugal union with Stephanie Henshaw.

Lifestyle

He is flamboyant. He has a soft spot for luxury cars and this is evident on his exotic fleet of cars. Obviously, ministry has paid him in full and his assets are a reflection of his success in ministry.

Philanthropism

Pastor Chris loves to give out to the society; he is an ardent believer of the principle of giving.

His philanthropic lifestyle can be summed up in one single entity “GRACE”. The Grace program is an annual charity event where his church performs random acts of giving to the needy and less privileged.

The Karis Award also tags along with the Grace outreach where eminent Nigerians who have been outstanding in their various fields of endeavors are being honored dead or alive.

It is also being organized by the Household of God Church, Lagos.

Grace programme/Karis Award

In 1990, Okotie established the annual Karis Awards, hosted by his church, to recognize and financially reward Nigerian citizens and since then has been an annual event hosted at the church where he pastors; The HouseHold of God International Ministries, Lagos. The guiding philosophy being that greatness does not consist in being great but in the ability to make others great. The Karis Award gives recognition to, while financially rewarding Nigerians who had offered distinguished service to the nation, but are not compensated for their contributions to the nation building. Some recipients are:

Chike Obi, the mathematician (1996)
I.G. Chris Omeben, a retired policeman (1997),
Taiwo Akinwunmi who designed the national flag (1998)
Hogan Bassey, former Commonwealth and World boxing champion (1999)
Chief Michael Imodou, the Labour leader (2000),
Chief Margaret Ekpo (2001), nationalist and woman activist
Mallam Aminu Kano, nationalist (2004)
Isaac Adaka Boro, human rights activist (2005).

The GRACE Program also makes regular cash and material contributions to charity organizations such as the

SOS Children Village
The Sunshine Foundation,
Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted an
Little Saints Orphanage, Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria,
The Childcare Trust.

Politics

The first time he contested for the post of the president was under the banner of the Justice Party (JP), led by Ralph Obiorah after he was schemed out of the National Democratic Party (NDP) primaries elections; he lost to Olusegun Obasanjo in the May 2003 elections. He ran again in 2007 on the platform of a party he founded, Fresh Democratic party, FRESH and lost to Umaru Yar’Adua in the May 2007 elections. Then in 2011, he ran and lost to the President Goodluck Jonathan.