Handsome, audacious, educated, and articulate, endowed with uncommon oratorical grace and prophetic depth, Apostle Divine C. Okafor embodied a generation of ministers whose emergence was both striking and instructive.
Though brief in duration, his work exerted notable influence within the Pentecostal expression of the Cameroonian Church. From its inception, his ministry developed with unusual visibility and speed, placing him prominently within national religious discourse.
Apostle Divine belonged to a cohort of young Pentecostal ministers whose rise unfolded fully in the public eye. His voice carried conviction and certainty, and his ministry attracted both devoted followership and determined resistance.
His earthly course came to an end on 27 November 2018, closing a chapter that calls for sober reflection rather than emotional interpretation.
Born on 13 February 1987 in Kumba, Cameroon, he was Nigerian by nationality, yet Cameroonian-born and formed within a cultural and spiritual environment that later became the principal theatre of his ministry. He was born to Mr Boniface Okafor and Mrs Stella Okafor, the third child in a family of seven.
His formative years were spent in Kumba before he relocated to Buea in 2011. His academic pursuits culminated in the award of a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from the University of Buea.
In 2014, following the completion of his university education, he founded Life Transformers Ministries. From its earliest stages, the ministry demonstrated organisational clarity, strategic ambition, and expansionary intent.
Apostle Divine functioned across multiple ministerial expressions, including apostolic leadership, healing ministry, televangelism, authorship, and philanthropy. Under his administration, the ministry expanded into media operations through the establishment of Transformers TV, a satellite Christian television platform that extended his reach beyond physical congregations.
His public meetings and crusades reportedly drew crowds exceeding fourteen thousand in a single night, accompanied by testimonies of healings and miracles documented by the ministry. His commitment to the work was total, marked by substantial personal investment and relentless labour.
As his prominence increased, scrutiny followed. His speech, personal life, financial declarations, ministry model, and public posture became subjects of sustained examination and debate.
He faced allegations and legal controversies, including accusations of sexual misconduct, which circulated widely within public and social media spaces. These developments placed his ministry under intense public tension and polarised opinion within the Christian community.
Notwithstanding controversy, certain records remain established. Within a short ministerial span and at the age of 30, Apostle Divine stood among the earliest Cameroonian Pentecostal ministers to pioneer satellite television ministry.
His brother, Mr Chidi Okafor, affirmed ownership of close to two hundred million francs CFA as personal income. The ministry hosted international gospel artist such as Frank Edwards, and acquired seventy-seater buses for its operations.
These actions reflected significant administrative capacity, strategic confidence, and organisational boldness. The ministry he founded continues through individuals trained under his leadership.
However, his personal journey ended abruptly, scarcely four years after the formal launch of the ministry. His death triggered a succession of family tragedies that deepened the loss. Upon receiving news of his passing, his father suffered a cardiac arrest and died. Subsequently, the wife of his senior brother also passed away.
A family that had begun to experience economic upliftment descended into hardship. Today, the once-operational shop of his elder brother in Kumba Market remains empty, a silent testimony to sustained familial distress.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain unresolved and are not entered into here. What stands instead are the lessons arising from his life and departure.
Some observers attributed his fall to pride and overstatement. Others, including members of his family, pointed to deficiencies in inner-circle discernment and the dangers of unrestricted proximity.
Among the contributing realities, his unmarried status while operating within a morally volatile environment such as Buea must be soberly acknowledged. Scripture affirms that two are better than one, and biblical precedent establishes the preserving role of a godly spouse.
Zipporah preserved Moses. Abigail restrained destruction in Nabal’s house. Rebekah safeguarded covenantal transmission in Isaac’s lineage. A wife functions as balance, counsel, and protective shield to a servant of God.
This record therefore stands as instruction to a rising generation of ministers: grace does not override discernment, and anointing does not exempt order. Those with the means to marry should do so, establish stability, and finish their course with honour before God and before men.
Let this generation learn that speed without safeguards is dangerous, and that public anointing must be matched by private discipline.
Finally, to the sons and daughters of Apostle Divine C. Okafor across the world: remember his family. Let mercy complete what history cannot repair. In doing so, you redeem legacy through love and turn memory into responsibility.
Rev. Bobbs Lyonga Elive
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