…quits acting with Mount Zion films as Bamiloye reacts, says seeing secular actors in gospel movies would confuse audience who should be ministered to
Evangelist Mike Bamiloye aka Abejoye is currently under fire for allegedly discriminating against secular actors by barring them from featuring in his gospel films. He is also chided for allegedly fueling division among the gospel actors of Nollywood by being allegedly hostile to other filmmakers and actors who embrace secular actors in their gospel films.
Describing Bamiloye’s alleged discrimination and hostility as unprofessional and responsible for poor patronage of gospel films, a former mount Zion star, Abel Martins , said while he has no personal grudges against Bamiloye, he disagreed with some of his principles on acting in gospel films.
Martins, who has quited acting in mount Zion films, a film firm owned by Bamiloye, alleged that Bamiloye became hostile to him and other colleagues, whose names he declined to mention for personal reasons, when they acted alongside other secular actors in a film produced by Dr. Oreofe Williams, another wave making Nigerian gospel filmmaker, script writer and Director, who produced the highly successful gospel film, “Awo Jesu” and many other films but has now been blacklisted by the pro-Bamiloye fans and Christian film practitioners for always featuring secular actors in his films.
Explaining his grouse with Bamiloye further. Martins said: “l have nothing personal against Evangelist Mike Bamiloye but I disagreed with his myopic principles about acting in gospel or Christian films. Evangelist Bamiloye began to be hostile to some of us working with him when we joined other secular actors to act in one of Dr. Oreofe Williams’ films and since then, I have decided to part ways with him. I have not offended him in any way. My own views about secular actors participating in gospel films are different from his. In my view, most gospel films don’t sell in Nigeria because of this myopic principle and we do not also get good acting that the profession demands.”
Responding to the allegations via many of his posts which he termed Christian Drama ethics, Bamiloye said: “Bringing secular actors to act on gospel movies may confuse the mind and dampen the spirit of the audience you want to minister to, because of various roles they might have seen them act in secular movies. Souls of the audience is of more importance.,”
He also argued that:” lt is an error when a Christian believer uses his acting gift which is meant to glorify God, to satisfy self in secular movies. It is a waste of heavenly investment.
