Nollywood actor Jimmy Odukoya has been named the senior pastor of the Fountain of Life Church. It comes after his father, Taiwo Odukoya, the church’s founder, died at 67 in the United States on August 7 and was buried in Lagos two weeks ago.

The announcement was made during the church service on Sunday.

Addressing the congregation, Rotimi Okpaise, a pastor at the church, said the late Pastor Odukoya confided in the Board of Trustees (BoT) members about the succession plan before his demise.

Okpaise said the BoT unanimously elected Jimmy as the senior pastor and chairperson of the board. “The board has chosen Saturday, September 30, 2023, as the date of Jimmy’s installation.”

The ‘Woman King’ actor is the first son of the late cleric and his deceased first wife, Bimbo Odukoya.

Jimmy’s journey from the silver screen to the pulpit marks a significant transition. The actor-now-turned-pastor has been featured in recent movies ‘I am Nazzy’, ‘Mambam’s Diamond’, ‘Crazy Grannies’, and ‘The Wait’.

Jimmy married Kemi Odukoya in 2013, and their union is blessed with two children.

His father, Taiwo, founded Fountain of Life Church in 1992. His passing occurred less than two years after his wife, Nomthi, a South African, succumbed to a two-year battle with cancer on November 9, 2021. His marriage to Nomthi lasted 11 years and produced two boys. Before Nomthi, Pastor Odukoya was married to Bimbo for 21 years.