The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) Guitar Choir has marked 20 years of ministry, standing out as one of Nigeria’s most innovative gospel music groups. The group reflects the influence of MFM General Overseer, Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, a music aficionado, teacher and composer, whose works range from highlife to classical and traditional music, and his wife, Dr. Folashade Elizabeth Olukoya.
With their ‘unbridled love and intense passion’ for music as a spiritual tool, the Olukoyas view it as a means to engage young people, help them fulfill their God-given purpose, and keep them from idleness. Their backing in resources, training structures, and platforms has made the group’s growth possible, leaders say.
Olukoya and his wife see music as ‘carrying spiritual power, soothing power, healing power, and emotional power’. That passion is evident in the high-quality performances of several MFM choirs, which have won local and international awards.
Journey of the Guitar Choir
Speaking on the Guitar Choir’s 20-year journey, the group’s leader, Dr. Joseph Olubukola, a doctorate degree holder in Music, said the vision has been “nurtured and watered by God using the General Overseer, Olukoya, and his wife.” Olubukola explained that the group started in 2006 with 13 teenagers he trained. Dr. Olukoya endorsed the group in his office on Monday night, July 3, 2006. The choir received a boost that same year when Dr. Olukoya bought 30 guitars for its first official ministration held on September 3, 2006.
“The concept of Guitar Choir has to do with a conglomeration of guitars at various levels, acoustic, bass and lead, codified into various music genres for the purpose of evangelism,” Olubukola said.
Over the years, the group has ministered in South Africa, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, Cotonou in Benin Republic, Togo, Cameroon, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, and Ghana. Countries in transit for music evangelism include Brazil, Barbados, and Panama City.
The scope of the concept extends to diverse genres for guitar accompaniment, including guitar reggae, guitar highlife, guitar jazz, guitar orchestra, classical guitar, guitar percussion, guitar praise, bluegrass, ukulele orchestra, and mandolin orchestra. Various artistic concepts and performance arts are incorporated for dynamic and vibrant ministrations.
Olubukola’s Story
Olubukola, 47, who hails from Osun State, said he was led to MFM by a revelation in 1997 when he saw himself in the MFM International Headquarters as a teenager, though he had never been to Lagos nor heard of the church. He came to Lagos in 1998, found the church, and joined the choir as a member. Through selfless service and commitment, Olukoya noticed him in 2001 and he became a staff of the music ministry. He was endorsed as overall head of Guitar Choir by the General Overseer in 2006 and currently serves as overall chairman of MFM Music Ministry worldwide.
“If God could bring people who have not heard about the church through revelations and make them prosper in the place, God is truly here in MFM,” Olubukola said.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, Olubukola who is also a composer said he has composed and produced about 100 songs for Guitar Choir in which majority are his compositions while some are by the members and few are cover songs.
“Our wonderful Daddy, Dr. Olukoya and Our Mother Dr. Folashade Olukoya, have mentored a lot us ,many teenagers in the choir who are now successful academically, doing well in their careers, maritally settled with their families, and fulfilling God’s given purposes and destinies on earth are product of Dr Daniel Kolawole Olukoya and his wife.”
“Some who joined as members are also climbing up to leadership cadre in the ministry. As director of the Guitar Choir, with the mentorship of Daddy GO, this group has have mentored children from age seven for about 18 years. Some of them are now getting married and doing well,” he added.
Platforms for Growth
Through Dr. Olukoya’s support, the choir has established platforms for growth, including the annual ‘New Song Challenge.’ The 5th edition will hold in the last quarter of 2026. Olubukola said the choir’s uniqueness lies in its instrumentation: “We use only guitars for the accompaniment of our music without keyboards, drums or horns in our ministrations for 20 years to the glory of God. We generate our percussive sounds from the strings of the guitar and from beating the box of the guitar.”
He noted that the MFM Guitar Choir combines children, teenagers, youth, adults, and the aged, from four years to 82 years old, in mass ministrations, concerts, prayer meetings, and other programmes.
The objectives of the Guitar Choir include using guitar music as a channel for soul winning, taking children, teenagers, and youth off the street to engage them with skills in guitar, singing, playing, and dance, edifying the body of Christ, and using guitar music with biblical messages to inculcate morals.
