Agbara Nla: Mike Bamiloye’s Son Fires Back at Critic Who Accused Mount Zion of Cultural Warfare
- Joshua Bamiloye has responded to critics who accused Mount Zion Films of portraying Yoruba spirituality negatively
- The debate resurfaced after the announcement that Agbara Nla will return to cinemas 34 years after its original release
- The gospel filmmaker insists Mount Zion celebrates Yoruba culture and has never positioned it as the enemy
- A public affairs commentator, Ayo Adeleke, stated the criticism raised concerns about religion
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The announcement that iconic gospel film Agbara Nla will return to cinemas more than three decades after its original release has created controversy.
At the centre of the debate is gospel filmmaker Joshua Bamiloye, son of veteran evangelist and filmmaker Mike Bamiloye.
Shortly after news of the film's return broke online, an X user identified as Ìfẹ́ṣọlá questioned the themes often portrayed in Mount Zion productions.
Source: Instagram
He argued that the ministry has spent years depicting Yoruba spirituality as evil while promoting Christianity as the preferred alternative.
Reacting to the post, Joshua rejected the claims and accused critics of misunderstanding Mount Zion's message.
According to him, the ministry has never sought to attack Yoruba culture.
"Here we go again, and yet you couldn't get through one paragraph without misrepresenting what Mount Zion actually does," he wrote.
Joshua explained that Mount Zion Productions regularly celebrates Yoruba identity through language, proverbs, traditional attire, royalty, and cultural values.
"MZ doesn't demonize Yoruba culture. It celebrates it; the colors, the language, the proverbs, and the royalty," he stated.
He argued that there is a difference between cultural heritage and spiritual beliefs, insisting that the ministry's focus has always been on promoting its Christian convictions rather than attacking ethnic traditions.
To further support his argument, Joshua referenced one of Mount Zion's most popular characters, Abejoye.
According to him, the character remained deeply connected to Yoruba culture even after embracing Christianity.
He explained:
"Abejoye became a born-again Christian while still speaking deep Yoruba, bowing before his king, and dropping proverbs that'll make your grandfather nod. Nobody took his culture. The Gospel just took the throne in his heart."
Joshua also challenged the notion that Mount Zion portrays Yoruba spirituality as inferior to foreign religions.
According to him, the ministry's films are built around spiritual themes rather than ethnic or cultural conflicts.
He wrote:
"You framed this as 'Yoruba spirituality versus foreign religion.' We never did. We frame it as Light versus Darkness, and Darkness has no nationality."
He added that the ministry has addressed moral and spiritual issues across different settings, including urban centres, corporate environments, and rural communities.
Another point Joshua addressed was the claim that Mount Zion built its success primarily on stories involving traditional religion.
He argued that critics often focus on a small fraction of the ministry's work while ignoring its broader catalogue.
According to him, Mount Zion has produced more than 200 films, with less than 30 percent set within traditional spiritual contexts.
Read the post here:
Source: Instagram
The criticism raises broader concern - Analyst
A public affairs commentator, Ayo Adeleke, stated the criticism raised concerns about religion.
He stated:
"The criticism raises a legitimate conversation about how faith-based films portray indigenous beliefs, but it becomes unfair when it ignores the broader body of Mount Zion's work. Joshua Bamiloye's response rightly distinguishes between condemning spiritual practices from a Christian perspective and attacking Yoruba culture itself. In a plural society, both religious conviction and cultural identity deserve room to coexist without being wrongly conflated."
Mike Bamiloye warns about social media usage
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Mike Bamiloye cautioned internet users about their conduct on various social media platforms.
The veteran actor warned that believers will stand before the judgment throne to explain how they used their accounts.
His teachings sparked diverse online reactions as some netizens noted how people use platforms to tear down religious leaders.
Source: Legit.ng
