Televangelist and founder of the Mount Zion Film Ministries, Mike Bamiloye, has explained how he started Nigerian Christian films in the wake of secular local films promoting and preaching witches and wizards powers in the 80s.
Bamiloye is a household name in faith-based movies on television and cinema through his gospel brand.
Going memory lane with a write-up on his social media page with the title: WHEN THE POWER CHANGED HANDS, he said he got his first intuition towards Christian film ministry after watching a secular Indian film in 1985 at the age of 25.
While disclosing that his envy and jealousy to make movies for Jesus and the gospel increased and got hotter when the magnification of the powers of witches and wizards continued unabated, he urged the youth not to allow their visions die, but they should birth and nurture them.
Bamiloye also chronicled the huge impression films of late Hubert Ogunde like: Aiye, Jayesinmi, Aropin-Nteniyan, Ayanmo, had on people in the 80s, stating that his thoughts was just to do a counter-movie that will glorify Jesus as opposed to the message they were preaching.
He wrote: “In 1985, I was 25 years old then, burning with vision and passion to serve God. The Ministry, Mount Zion, had just been birthed, very young, and had just began to hold prayer meetings. I had a small black and white television placed on the cupboard of my single room.
“And one night, I happened to watch an Indian Film on the television, a secular Indian movie that captivated me completely from beginning to the end. I was engulfed with the story and towards the end of the movie I burst into tears, ran out of the room to the passage and began to cry aloud: “Jesus! Use me! Jesus! I want to make movies for you! Lay Your hand on me and use me! Help me to make Movies for You!”
“I couldn’t understand how I would watch a secular Indian Movie and it would spark a revival in my spirit.
“I was so envious and jealous for Jesus Christ to make Nigerian Christian movies available for us to watch. I became angry at the secular movies that were existing then.”
While stating that Nollywood had not berthed when he started gospel movies, he said the few popular movies at the time were films of Hubert Ogunde like: Aiye, Jayesinmi, Aropin-Nteniyan, Ayanmo. And there were films of Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala) like: Mosebolatan, Orun Mooru, Diamond, and the earlier movies from Ade Afolayan (ADE Love) like Taxi Driver, Iyaniwura, etc.
“In one of those days, I was burning with zeal in me to do films for Jesus Christ. I was angry at those secular movies and I was angry at the foreign Christian movies they show in churches and crusades that we would not hear what the Oyinbos were saying and the interpreters would be saying something else. Those were my anger, jealousy and envy in those days. I wanted Nigerian Christian movies for Jesus.
“So, I went to watch Hubert Ogunde’s “AIYE” at Oduduwa Hall, University of Ife, then. The movie finished at about 11p.m. I got out of the hall, and my heart was full of the thought of doing something for Jesus.
“I was sad. I was sad that there was no single Nigerian Christian film that could preach on the power of Jesus Christ, the way the movie AIYE had preached on the powers of the witches and wizards. I was sad.
“So, I got out of the hall at 11p.m. and began to think on how I could do movies for Jesus that would counter what I had just seen in the theatre. I was thinking and walking back home. And I trekked from Obafemi Awolowo University (then, University of Ife) to Urban Day in Ile Ife in the city, that would be several kilometres.”
The Mount Zion Films President stated further that: “I was engulfed in the thoughts of doing a counter movie. And I trekked that long distance in the midnight back to my house alone.
“Few months later, in 1986, in Ilesa, the same thing repeated itself. I had gone to watch Hubert Ogunde’s “JAYESINMI”, a sequel to AIYE. The movie show held in Ilesa Town Hall at the centre of the city called Roundabout. I was teaching then and the ministry had just began.
“The magnification of the powers and witches and wizards continued in an advanced stage. I shivered throughout the film show. I was more sad and angry. I came out of the hall about 10:15p.m. And, like a mad man began to walk home on feet from Roundabout Ilesa, to Oke-Omi Iru. It is a lot of kilometres too.
“Along the way, I saw an open air crusade, where the church was showing a foreign Christian movie to the people and the interpreter was talking along with the characters. I shook my head in more sadness. I wanted our own.”
Bamiloye said his desire was to see Christian movies done by believers either in English or local language which the people would hear without an interpreter.
“I got back home and crumbled beside my bed in prayers to God to launch us out to do something for him.
“That was 1986. Seven years later, 1993, the Lord came out with
AGBARA-NLA (Ultimate Power) that shook multitude of people to their very foundation, as the Telemovie serial projected the Power and the Glory of Jesus Christ to high Heaven,” he said.
Mike Bamiloye was born on April 13, 1960 in Ilesa, a town in Osun State. He is married to Gloria Bamiloye, a film actress and evangelist. He founded Mount Zion on August 5, 1985. His debut drama, titled “Hell in Conference” was staged at the National Christian Teachers Conference in 1986 at Ilesa in Osun State.
The filmmaker, actor, dramatist, and director has featured, produced and directed several Christian films over the years in Yoruba and English themes.
His catalogue of movie productions include ‘Agbara Nla’, ‘Apoti Eri’, ‘Abejoye’, ‘Shackles’, ‘Captive of the Mighty’, ‘One Careless Night’, and ‘The Hunting Shadows’ 1-3.
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