Controversial Nigerian evangelist and founder of Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries, Helen Ukpabio, has ignited fierce debate after condemning the popular phrase “happy birthday” as a language of the devil. The 64-year-old preacher made the statement during a church service in Calabar, Cross River State, a clip of which surfaced online and has since gone viral.
Preaching with fiery conviction before her congregation, Ukpabio stated she has never been one to celebrate birthdays annually, branding such celebrations as spiritually misguided. “I don’t sell out my soul to the devil like that. I am not somebody that does birthday every year like zombie,” she told the church, urging her followers to abandon what she called “modern-day idolatry.”
Instead of marking her birthday with fanfare, the evangelist revealed she refers to her celebration as “Thanking God at 60,” rejecting traditional birthday culture. “You won’t see birthday there. You will only see ‘thanking God at 60’. I don’t use the language of the devil. Don’t wish me happy birthday,” she warned.
Ukpabio further explained that common birthday greetings carry hidden spiritual implications, claiming they are a form of satanic energy transfer. “You see Christians singing happy birthday on the pulpit. Then they say, ‘it doesn’t mean anything.’ It means! Energy you don’t vest spiritually, don’t speak it,” she declared.
Her remarks have triggered widespread reactions across social media, with many Nigerians questioning the biblical basis for such claims. Critics argue that while birthdays are not mandated by scripture, calling them satanic lacks doctrinal support. Supporters, however, praised her courage to challenge mainstream Christian practices.
The Calabar-based evangelist is no stranger to controversy. She first gained national attention in the early 2000s for her aggressive campaigns against witchcraft and her strongly worded books like Unveiling the Mysteries of Witchcraft. Over the years, she has been criticized by human rights activists for her rhetoric, but she remains influential in certain Pentecostal circles.
As her statement continues to trend across X, Threads, and Facebook, religious scholars and church leaders are now weighing in on what many see as a growing culture of spiritual misinformation. Meanwhile, Ukpabio remains unmoved, boldly standing by her statement as “revelation from God, not from the world.”
🎥 Watch the viral sermon here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1C5KwN16NZ
