“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11, NIV)
I understand that this title may come across as offensive to some—especially those who are guilty of the things I’m about to highlight. But please hear me: this is not about condemnation, but confrontation. We are instructed by Scripture not only to separate ourselves from works of darkness, but also to reprove—that is, expose—them.
This article is not written from a pedestal of perfection. I am not claiming to be a flawless minister. None of us are. However, there is a significant difference between falling into error and deliberately practicing wickedness while claiming to represent the Kingdom of God.
When a pastor errs and repents, God’s grace abounds. But when someone engages in sinful practices without even seeing them as wrong—and worse, leads others down the same path—that person becomes a danger not only to themselves but to the souls under their influence.
So let us examine ten categories of dangerous pastors that every believer should beware of.
1. Oppressive Senior Pastors
These are some General Overseers or senior pastors who actively suppress and persecute younger ministers under them. They often feel threatened by the grace and potential they see in others. After asking a young pastor to pioneer a new work and grow it, they suddenly uproot them to a rural area and withdraw all support.
When these young ministers quietly leave to start their own work, they are falsely accused, blackmailed, arrested, and publicly disgraced—all in an attempt to destroy their credibility.
In extreme cases, some even resort to violent or deadly plots. While appearing humble and godly before their congregations, they are spiritually manipulative behind closed doors.
Unless they repent, such pastors will not escape God’s judgment. They will not even “smell the gates of heaven.”
2. Greedy Pastors
These pastors exploit gullible followers through manipulative teachings and false promises. They demand payment for miracles, deliverance, or “special prayers”—contradicting the words of Jesus:
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:
Salvation and healing are not commodities. Any pastor who sells what Jesus gave freely is dangerous.
3. Business-Minded Pastors
These pastors turn the church into a commercial centre. They sell all kinds of “anointed” oils, waters, soaps, and handkerchiefs, promising healing or prosperity. Some have even sold fake “Blood of Jesus” in bottles.
One pastor in Nigeria reportedly built a swimming pool and charged N50,000 for people to bathe in it for healing. It’s astonishing how easily people are deceived when they fail to study the Scriptures for themselves.
4. Deceptive Pastors
These are con artists in clerical collars. They use fake prophecies and planted informants to extract money, property, and loyalty from unsuspecting members. Even the so-called “miracle money” or “credit alerts” in services are often stage-managed.
Behind the scenes, they have access to people’s bank details and use it to orchestrate the appearance of divine intervention. These are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
5. Ritualist Pastors
These are perhaps the most terrifying of all. They engage in diabolical practices—burying charms under altars, using human sacrifices, and invoking dark powers to grow their congregations.
There are verified reports of children being buried alive under church foundations and horrifying rituals performed under the guise of ministry.
Many of these so-called pastors also indulge in occult-driven sexual perversion, which ties into the next category.
6. Sexually Immoral Pastors
There is a difference between a minister who falls into sin and one who habitually lives in it. Some pastors today are serial adulterers and fornicators, even abusing minors or engaging in incest—often as part of dark covenants.
Shockingly, their churches continue to grow, not because of the Spirit, but because of demonic reinforcement. Many of their followers appear hypnotized, blindly loyal despite all the evidence.
7. Heretical Pastors
These are pastors who twist Scripture to justify sinful lifestyles or strange doctrines. They ignore centuries of biblical truth and redefine righteousness according to their flesh.
“…which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:16).
One such pastor even claimed that premarital sex is now permitted. This is not progressive Christianity—it is apostasy.
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” (1 Timothy 4:1)
8. Compromising Pastors
These are crowd-pleasers who preach only what people want to hear. They avoid topics like holiness, repentance, and the judgment of God.
“For the time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine… they will gather around them teachers to suit their own desires.” (2 Timothy 4:3).
Paul, however, made it clear:
“For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).
Sound doctrine includes teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Pastors who fail to provide this balance endanger the souls of their congregation.
9. Hyper-Grace Pastors
These pastors teach eternal security without responsibility. They claim that once you’re saved, you can never lose your salvation—regardless of how you live.
While it’s true that salvation is by grace (Ephesians 2:, the very next verse says:
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works…” (Ephesians 2:10)
Grace is not a license to sin. Scripture repeatedly warns that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21).
10. Loveless Pastors
These are pastors who teach prosperity and enjoy its fruits, but lack compassion for their struggling members. While constantly raising offerings for projects, they neglect the poor, the sick, and the needy within the church.
Jesus warned:
“Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me… and these shall go away into everlasting punishment.” (Matthew 25:45-46)
Love is the greatest Christian virtue (1 Corinthians 13:13), yet it is often ignored in most churches today.
This article is not intended to attack, but to warn and awaken. Many believers have been misled by these dangerous pastors and may be on the path to eternal separation from God. But remember: you will not be excused because your pastor misled you.
God expects every believer to study the Word personally, like the Berean Christians who:
“…received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
Don’t swallow every sermon blindly. Test everything with the Word of God. But first, ensure you are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, for only then can you rightly discern truth from error.
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)