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Nollywood actress and filmmaker Mary Njoku has called on pastors and other religious leaders to take responsibility for their public statements and actions instead of using the biblical phrase, “Touch not my anointed,” as a response to criticism.
Njoku made her position known in a social media post while discussing how some religious leaders react when their publicly expressed opinions or actions become the subject of scrutiny.
The actress argued that criticism should not automatically be treated as an attack on a pastor, particularly when the comments are based on something the religious leader said or did publicly.
According to Njoku, the biblical warning about touching God’s anointed should not be interpreted as a blanket protection from accountability or honest criticism.
She explained that the phrase is relevant in situations where someone deliberately makes false accusations, tells lies about a pastor or intentionally attempts to cause harm.
“Touch not my anointed applies when someone is falsely accusing you, lying against you, or deliberately trying to harm you,” she wrote.
‘The Problem Isn’t The Storyteller’
Njoku further argued that religious leaders should distinguish between malicious attacks and people simply recounting events or statements that occurred publicly.
She noted that when someone accurately reports what a pastor has said or done in public and the account attracts criticism, the religious leader should examine the original action or statement rather than blame the person who brought it to wider attention.
“When someone gives an accurate account of what you said or did publicly, and it is causing you harm, Brethren, the problem isn’t the storyteller. The problem is what you said or did,” Njoku said.
Her comments focused on the importance of accountability, particularly for individuals who occupy influential positions within religious communities.
Pastors often command significant followings, and their statements and actions can attract public attention. For Njoku, such visibility also means that religious leaders should be prepared to answer questions or respond to concerns when their public conduct is challenged.
She encouraged pastors to look inward when faced with criticism and consider whether their own words or actions contributed to the reaction.
Njoku Urges Pastors To Own Their Actions
The filmmaker advised religious leaders not to shift responsibility to people who discuss their publicly made statements or actions.
Instead, she encouraged them to acknowledge mistakes where necessary and provide explanations when there is additional context surrounding an issue.
“Take responsibility for it. Own your words. Own your actions. Reflect on them, apologise if necessary, explain yourself if there is context, and move on,” she added.
For Njoku, taking responsibility does not necessarily mean accepting every accusation made against a person. Rather, she distinguished between false claims intended to cause harm and accurate accounts of things that have happened publicly.
Her comments therefore placed emphasis on the need for honesty when dealing with public criticism.
‘Nobody Is Perfect’
Njoku also reminded religious leaders that they are human beings who, like everyone else, can make mistakes.
She stressed that holding a position of religious authority does not make anyone incapable of making errors or deserving of unquestioned acceptance.
“Nobody is perfect. We are all human,” she said.
The actress’s comments have highlighted the broader conversation around accountability and criticism within religious spaces.
Her argument centres on the idea that public figures, including pastors, should be able to distinguish between deliberate attacks and legitimate criticism arising from their own public conduct.
She also suggested that responding constructively to criticism could involve acknowledging a mistake, apologising when necessary or providing context to help people better understand a controversial statement or action.
Rather than immediately blaming those who discuss their words or actions, Njoku urged pastors to reflect on what may have prompted the criticism in the first place.
The actress has continued to use her social media platforms to express views on issues beyond the entertainment industry, and her latest comments focus on the relationship between religious leadership, public statements and accountability.
Her message ultimately calls for a more responsible approach to criticism, where false accusations and deliberate attempts to cause harm are separated from accurate accounts of publicly expressed views or actions.
For Njoku, being a pastor or religious leader does not remove the possibility of making mistakes, and acknowledging those mistakes should be part of taking responsibility.
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