Gospel singer Joshua Mike-Bamiloye, son of renowned evangelist Mike Bamiloye, has responded to claims that his father’s ministry, Mount Zion Films, portrays Yoruba culture and spirituality in a negative light.
The controversy arose after Mount Zion announced that Agbara Nla, one of its most acclaimed productions, would return to cinemas on October 1, 2026, more than three decades after its initial release.
Following the announcement, an X user identified as Ifeṣọlá criticised the film ministry, alleging that its movies have consistently depicted Yoruba spirituality as evil while elevating Christianity above other belief systems.
The user argued that audiences are now questioning those portrayals.
Responding to the criticism, Joshua rejected the claims as a misrepresentation of Mount Zion’s work.
He said the ministry does not demonise Yoruba culture but celebrates elements such as language, proverbs, colors, traditions, and royal heritage, which frequently appear in its films.
He cited the character Abejoye as an example, noting that the character maintained Yoruba customs, language, and respect for traditional authority even after converting to Christianity.
“Here we go again” and yet you couldn’t get through one paragraph without misrepresenting what Mount Zion actually does. Let me help.
“MZ doesn’t demonize Yoruba culture. It celebrates it; the colors, the language, the proverbs, the royalty. Eg. 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”, he wrote.
Gospel just took the throne in his heart”, he wrote.
Joshua said the ministry’s focus is spiritual transformation, not cultural erasure.
He also disputed the framing of the issue as Yoruba spirituality versus a foreign religion.
He stated that Mount Zion frames its narratives as light versus darkness, which he described as having no nationality.
“You framed this as “Yoruba spirituality vs foreign religion.” We never did. We frame it as Light vs Darkness and Darkness has no nationality. We’ve called it out in boardrooms, cities, and yes, in the villages. Location doesn’t exempt it”, he added.
Addressing claims of profiting from such portrayals, Joshua said fewer than 30 percent of Mount Zion’s more than 200 films are set in traditional contexts.
“Profiting from portrayals” MZ has 200+ films. Less than 30% are traditional settings. Your entire argument is built on a minority of the catalog, filtered through a lens of cultural grievance. That’s not analysis, that’s a feeling dressed up as a fact”.
He argued that the criticism is based on a minority of the catalog and urged viewers to watch the full films before drawing conclusions.
“People are asking questions? Good. Watch the films. The full ones. From start to finish”, he concluded.
The remastered Agbara Nla is scheduled for theatrical release on October 1, 2026.