Meet the Nigerian Pastor with 3 wives

Does Christianity allow polygamy? For Pastor Joseph Apata, a well-known Lagos prophet with three wives, the answer is a resounding yes. Pastor Joseph Apata, a self-proclaimed prophet and the General Overseer of the Vineyard of Deliverance Ministry (popularly known as The Rock Church) in Ibeju Lekki, openly lives in Nigeria with his three wives.

Apata defends his lifestyle with conviction, biblical references, and bold claims about divine instructions. But first, who is Apata, and how did he become a prophet?

Early Life

Apata was born into an Ebira Christian family in Kogi State that later embraced Islam. His father had five wives, and his mother, wife number three, gave birth to seven sons, most of whom tragically died young. Apata, too, reportedly died at the age of two along with his twin brother. However, he claims he was resurrected five days later by a prophet who declared he would be a mouthpiece of God. That prophecy, Apata believes, shaped the course of his life. After his father died in 1986, Apata struggled with loneliness and nearly joined a cult. But in 1988, a friend led him to a Baptist church in Ibadan, where he gave his life to Christ. From there, his spiritual journey began.

Ministry

In 1995, Apata moved to Lagos, where he briefly worked with a church in Somolu. However, he exited the church when the pastor wanted to monetise his spiritual gifts. In an interview with Punch, he said:

I operated as a prophet there and when I prayed for people who didn’t have a child, they would become pregnant. At one point, the pastor wanted to turn it into a business, stating that we should collect N1m for males and N500,000 for females. I did not agree with him. He then sent me out of the church and collected all that he gave me. I left the church and I became stranded in Lagos.

He later began preaching under a tree in Bariga in 1998. The church experienced a long period of instability until 2009, when Apata relocated it to its current base in Lekki. According to Apata, a divine directive in 2010 instructed him to stop identifying as a pastor and embrace his calling as a prophet. He also began a one-year fast, which has extended for over 14 years, fasting daily and breaking at 6 p.m. The ministry has since grown, with members showing loyalty and generosity, often donating millions without being asked for tithes or offerings.

How He Married His Three Wives

Apata’s first wife, Pastor Margaret Tani, met him while he was still ministering under a tree. They married in 1999 and weathered several years of financial hardship. In 2011, Apata said he received a divine instruction to marry a widow in his church, Omowunmi. In 2011, I told God that I needed help. God told me that what a woman destroyed in my hand, it was another woman who would repair it. God instructed me to marry a widow in my church then.

Their union, he claims, marked a turnaround in his fortunes. He acquired a car and began enjoying financial stability. In 2020, following another spiritual prompting, he married a third wife from Benin City. Each of his wives plays a key role in the ministry: Margaret is a Computer Science graduate from UNILAG and serves as Assistant General Overseer; Omowunmi coordinates the women’s ministry; and the third wife leads the choir.

He claims they all live in harmony and receive monthly salaries, with none lacking emotional, spiritual, or even sexual support. If I’m not fasting, they would be the ones running. I can do 20 or 70 rounds in a day. Apata attributes his financial success solely to his church members. “My members are my source of wealth,” he said. He receives spontaneous gifts in millions of naira from devoted followers, and insists that the church doesn’t preach tithing or offering. Instead, members give as led by the Spirit, a practice he believes sustains him and the church.

Biblical Views on Polygamy

Pastor Apata is vocal in his rejection of monogamy as a biblical mandate. On his church’s Facebook page, he questions the scriptural basis of wearing wedding rings and insists that prophets are not restricted to having only one wife. He frequently refers to Old Testament figures like Abraham, Jacob, and David, men who had multiple wives and were still regarded as righteous by God.

He argues that being a polygamist requires a large heart, spiritual insight, and fairness. He cautions men not to enter polygamy unless divinely called and encourages aspiring polygamists to marry “high-value” women and treat each one equally.

Prophet Joseph Apata’s unapologetic stance on polygamy raises eyebrows and ignites conversations. It provokes one central question: Where does personal revelation end and religious accountability begin?