Founder and Senior Pastor of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry (MFM), Pastor Daniel Olukoya, has disputed December 25 as date of the birth of Jesus Christ.
The pastor, whose church does not celebrate Christmas, said the birth of Jesus Christ could be in April or May according to biblical accounts.
He said there was nowhere in the bible where Christmas was mentioned or that says Jesus was born on December 25.
He said, “If you really study the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, there is no word like Christmas. The bible only recorded that the Shepherds were taking care of their flocks during a very cold season when they sighted the star that announced the birth of Jesus Christ.
“This cold period could be around April or May.”
According to the MFM Senior Pastor, December 25 is a date originally set aside by the ancient Romans for Mars festival among worshippers of the sun.
Pastor Olukoya said the birth of Christ was subsequently co-opted into the same date to give the Mars festival more popularity and then renamed ‘Christmas’.