Friday, November 27, 2009

Gospel Music Spotlight: Tolu Okeowo


I just happened to read about Tolu Okeowo in passing in this interview, so I decided to check him out. I was astonished that I had never heard of him because what I heard was some of the most beautiful, thoughtful and deep music that I have heard come out of Nigeria. This is music set for worship y'all. It just blew my mind. Of course, I wasted no time making a purchase and you should too. Its beautiful music!!



Here is an overview of his album "A perfect progression":




And the reasoning behind the music? As explained on his website:

In his latest album - 'A Perfect Progression',
Tolu takes you through a journey describing
the search for God and the discovery of His
love. He lends his creative abilities to songs
written by various international recording
Artists by fusing remarkable orchestral
arrangements with contemporary R&B,
maintaining an appeal to all age groups with
an inclusion of Soul and Jazz. This Album
features Mike Aremu, Revolution,
Michelle Marbie Davies, Edwin Bezuidenhoudt
and a few other Gospel Artists.


I have never heard of most of the artistes featured on this album either, and they are all amazing!! Dang!! Honestly, I am listening to this album as I write and I am totally blown away! TOTALLY!! What beautiful, beautiful, tender music! Arrgh, words are not sufficient to describe how totally impressed I am with the quality of this recording.

Where can you find it? Its on itunes. I bought mine from Amazon here. Its also available on a bunch of other online stores as specified on the video above. You can also get it on his online store.

Absolutely stellar stuff!! So happy I gave myself this Thanksgiving gift. I am just loving it.

Enjoy!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Music spotlight: Jeremiah Gyang

Another dude whose music I love sooo much. In fact, when I heard "Na ba ka" the song that shot him to national prominence, I did not rest until I had purchased the album - and I was not disappointed. Looks though like he is moving away from gospellike and inspirational music to love songs. However, his new music is really beautiful too, especially the song "comforter" that features Asa.

Hear for yourself:

Na ba ka


Comforter (one of my very favorite Naija love songs)


An interesting interview on that song and his newer stuff here. Sounds like dude is planning an album on love. That explains the comforter song and this one:



Awww - I'm falling in love with him - beautiful!!

More about Jeremiah:
Jeremiah Gyang was born in Jos, Plateau State to a musically inclined family and wrote his first song at the age of 7. By observing his father who was an accomplished vocalist as well as an instrumentalist, he learned how to play both the guitar and keyboard proficiently by the age of eleven. Jeremiah worked in the Sheraton Hotels and Towers in Abuja for 3 years as a keyboardist, percussionist and vocalist. He left thereafter to join Quest Media Studios in 2002, where he worked for two years as a songwriter and producer. It was while he was at Quest media that he embarked on his own album project in 2004. That result is ‘NA BA KA’- a groundbreaking 11-track album that brilliantly fuses beats reminiscent of congo-kwaito rhythms with melodious Hausa laced R& B rhythms – a sound that has been dubbed Hausa Rock fusion. Jeremiah calls his genre of music the ‘newsbeat’ i.e. the inspiration for his music is drawn from the North, East West and South of the Planet Earth.
source


The new album is not out yet, but you can find the "Na ba ka" album here. Really looking forward to the "love album".

Enjoy.

Gospel music spotlight: Kefee


This madam is one of my very favorite Naija gospel singers. Her voice is so beautiful, and she fully represents her native Delta state in her music and her costuming - the perfect blend of the traditional and the modern.Before I tell you more about this very gifted lady, first my favorite music from Kefee:

Kokoroko (dang, I love this song!!)



Branama (ft Paul Play).




What can I say? I am a Kefee lover!!


A little about her from the blurb on her myspace page



Born to Deacon and Mrs. Andrew Obareki in Sapele, Delta State. Her music carrier started at the age of eight in the children’s choir. She moved on to the adult choir when she was fifteen and when she was eighteen she was made the choir Director because, she could teach the three parts namely Soprano, Alto & Tenor. The choir released a couple of albums where she took lead vocals and backup vocals as well. Unknown to her parents at that time that it would later lead to stardom. In 2000, she playfully composed and released an album titled “TRIP” with a friend; the album was a success and got them shows alongside artiste likes Tony Tetuila, Plantation boys and a long list of others. In December 2003 she signed on with Alec Music and released her first solo album as a female artiste. Kefee’s “BRANAMA” sold nine thousand audio cassettes in just three weeks of the albums release and over two million copies of CDs/VCDs in a month. Kefee was asked to perform in Aso Rock for the presidency, governors and also at many social events. She became the hottest Nigerian female artiste and won a number of awards including kORA'S BEST AFRICAN TRADITIONAL AWARD in South Africa, 2 TODAYS MUSIC AWARDS [TOMA], NIGERIAN ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS, YOUTH EXCELLENCE AWARDS and the NIGER DELTA ADVANCEMENT AWARDS [NDAA] Kefee's fan base increased all over Africa and also on the international scene, she was invited to perform in London for charity and also in other parts of Europe and America.


You can find out more about her and listen to her music on her website. Where can you get her stuff? Well there is an online store on her website here. I have not tried it though as I find it a little cumbersome. I cannot seem to find her stuff anywhere else unfortunately.

But her voice is just amazing, kai!!

Enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Its thanksgiving!! Yay, time for Turkey and thankfulness.

You know, my turkey is already seasoned, ready to go in the oven in the morning. As I worked on it, it occurred to me that I have a lot to be thankful for. And a message was dropped in my spirit that I feel the need to pass on to you:

No matter what is going on in your life, no matter the loss or the gain, the joy or the pain, the fear or the courage, the dreams realized or dashed, be thankful. You have life, which means you have hope, which means that all kinds of things can still happen for you. So whether you live in the US or not, just take time out to thank Baba GOD for the gift of life and associated hope. This is a difficult time for a lot of people, with the world wide recession and associated wahalas, but as the preacher says: Life is hard, but GOD is good.


So therefore, why not join me in getting my praise on?








Have a fabulous thanksgiving.

GOD bless!!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Pastor Tunde Bakare on politics and the church

Pastor Tunde Bakare was one of my favorite pastors when I was in Nigeria. I found his straightforward and uncompromising style very refreshing and different. I also found his teaching deep and focused on issues of character and holiness, rather than prosperity. So I was a huge fan. Did I agree with everything he said? Nope. But more often than not, he spoke my mind.

Well, he is all the news right now - literally. He gave an interview to THE NEWS magazine that has set the online community on fire.


Why I Quit Redeemed Church
November 20, 2009 10:50,

Q: Many Nigerians are worried that the country is adrift. What are your fears about our nation?
A: I have no fears about our nation. What I have are concerns because fear itself is the antithesis of faith. And it is not that I’m trying to be super-spiritual or over-religious, but because I have faith in God that Nigeria will flourish again. I don’t entertain fears. But I have deep concerns because it appears that the worst set of people are often thrown up to steer the ship of the nation. They are either uncooked, untrained or just don’t care. So you have the worst of us leading the best of us. The problems that we have are not peculiar to Nigeria. But it appears the brightest in other nations have the frame of mind, the intellectual capacity, the energy, the resolve and the will to get results. They attack their problems and they begin to solve them. We have ours compounded and often, we just leave the substance and chase the shadow. That is my concern.

Q: How did we get to this sorry state?
A: It’s a combination of many factors. You are from Kogi State and your colleague is from Ekiti State. Brilliant people. If I ask why you are not in politics, you could say ‘that’s not my calling.’ You could say ‘politics is dirty and I don’t want to get sullied.’ And you know that as long as good people stay away from that terrain, it is like saying let the bad people continue. That’s one aspect. Another thing is that those who are benefiting from such a system are not ready to relinquish power and they would do all within their power to ensure that they do not only discourage the brilliant and the brightest, but also discourage good quality people from coming in. They could use anything from assassination, whether of character or actual termination of life, to terrify the people who might want to come in there. As the good book says, a strong man who keeps his palace would deploy everything he has to ensure nobody can invade his territory, except the stronger than he who comes and binds him. Then he can do exploits and redistribute what he has accumulated over the years. So, you have many factors. I’ve heard people say you cannot put the cart before the horse; that there’ll be no motion. That’s not true. If you put the cart before the horse, there’ll be motion, but you’re going backwards. But mainly, as far as I’m concerned, the fundamental issues in Nigeria are never dealt with. We have an identity crisis. We don’t know who we are. Are we a republic? Are we a federation? What exactly are we? These are issues for me, as a person, because I need to know whether I am a male before I can ask a female to marry me. If I don’t know whether I am a male or female, I’ll be confused. The corporate Nigeria persona is a confused entity. It’s not just the amalgamation of 1914, it’s an amalgam of political tendencies that you don’t even know. When it stands there, you don’t know what it is. And those who know how to hijack and take advantage of that just keep on driving on and the rest of us look hopeless and helpless.

Q: Our electoral system discourages good people from putting themselves forward. What is the way out of that?
A: Of all the elections I’ve been privileged to be alive to witness in Nigeria, probably the freest and fairest election was the 1993 election that resulted in the June 12 crisis. It employed Option A4, brought by probably the most hated leader in Nigeria, Ibrahim Babangida. I recently read that he is advocating the same thing as part of the solution to our many problems. I have participated in several elections. I didn’t vote in the 1964 elections, but I was alive and active. I saw all the campaigns. M.I Okpara and H.I.D Awolowo were in my hometown, Abeokuta. We did not belong to any party, but we sang for them because at the end of the whole campaign, we knew we would get something.
I remember the songs well. There is insincerity in all the attempts to reform our electoral system. What is difficult in having a sound electoral system? Ghana is a nation next door. They’ve built that institution that it can now function on its own. A system in which a sitting president appoints you and you owe your allegiance to him is not good. He who pays the piper calls the tune. For as long as we continue to dance and swim in the whirlpool of insincerity and hypocrisy and we don’t mean well for this nation, it would remain the same. That’s why you and I ought to rise. Regardless of the toga we wear or our occupational identity, we’re first and foremost Nigerians. Until we rise and say enough is enough, it’s going to continue. Because freedom is never granted to the oppressed. It must be demanded from the oppressor by the oppressed. So, if there’s going to be change in that area, it would be something that will permeate the entire atmosphere and the whole nation would say this is the way forward. But it would have to be championed by people of goodwill who desire change in this country, not those who want to maintain the status quo. I was talking to a friend of mine a few minutes before I came here and he asked what I think of the situation of the church? I said the church is as polarised as the world because there’s no difference. In Nigeria, I don’t see the difference between the man who goes to church and the man who doesn’t. I don’t see the difference between the one who calls the name of God and the one who doesn’t anymore. Why? Because immediately there’s crisis or corruption, you find area pastors and senior leaders participating in it. So you have status quo churches and churches who are asking for change and neither is exclusive to any denomination. I’ve seen Anglican priests and bishops who are very forthright. I’ve seen Catholic priests who are very forthright. I’ve seen Penterascals, who call themselves Pentecostals. I’ve seen Pentecostals who are upright. So you cannot really say who is where. But if that is going to change, all hands will have to be on deck.

Q: President Umaru Yar’Adua is into his third year in office. How would you rate his performance?
A: That’s a question I wouldn’t even want to touch or answer because for the first time in my life as an adult, looking at his antecedents: his late brother, his father–a First Republic minister– and his level of education, I was so excited. But I must admit my humanity here that I was fooled. This is the first man I said I am willing to call my own president, looking at what he left behind in the treasury and his attitude to life. This is the first Nigerian graduate, not to mention a lecturer as head of state. Now, I’ve found out that the hood does not make the monk. Because if you ask me to rate him, I have only one rating: Umaru Yar’Adua, go home. You’re a round peg in a square hole; totally unfit in this day to lead this nation.

Q: What exactly is he doing wrong?
A: Too many things.

Q: Mention some of them.
A: I’m yet to see what promise out of his Seven-point agenda he has kept. And if there are circumstances hindering him from fulfilling them, an honest man would come and say ‘fellow countrymen and women, before I came to power’–I hate the term ‘come to power’ but that’s what we’re used to in the military environment. ‘Before I came to this office, these were my thoughts. Now, I’ve seen that it cannot work that way. I’m explaining to you the situation, the factors militating against it and these are things I am trying to do.’ Here’s a man who is battling with his own health. And he couldn’t care less whether Nigeria is sick or healthy. An honest man would have thought that he owes his nation the duty to say that he does not have the mental capacity or the energy to continue to lead. I wonder if he is able to even read through any memo presented before him or people just read for him. Because if we take electricity for example, what have we got? The things that were imported by Obasanjo were left at the ports to either acquire demurrage or to waste away with unnecessary lies told that he spent so much. The man who said he didn’t spend up to that was fired, only to find out that was exactly what was spent. It’s a lot of propaganda. It is after all these things that I sat down and said, wait a minute, if the reason I was excited and I was jumping and calling this man my president and singing for him was because he left money in the treasury, I think he fooled me successfully. Money was not meant to be left in the treasury. While he left billions in the treasury, Katsina people were busy selling firewood for survival. The man who squanders resources and the man who is stingy with it and does not touch it are two sides of the same coin. I think he is happy as he sees money rising up without being deployed to provide what they call democracy dividends to the poor people of our nation. My personal regret is that I expected too much and I am totally disappointed. This government diverted money meant for education and health towards building a five-lane road into Abuja that was not in the budget. Diverting funds of education and health into that kind of project when it is not that there’s so much traffic or there are no existing roads shows what the government’s priority is. Of what use is the money he left in the treasury of the state he served?
We have now found out that the greatest smuggler in the North is his best friend. And all the looters of our treasury before he became president are all round him. Show me your friend and I will tell who you are. You can’t lie down with dogs and not get up with fleas.

Q: How would you rate government’s efforts at fighting corruption?
A: Government’s crusade against corruption or government’s efforts at establishing corruption as a culture? When the likes of Ibori walk free in this nation and no one can touch them and Aondoakaa will not cooperate with anything that will touch Ibori? As we read, except we’re being misinformed by the press, they put Aondoakaa there. You should just say campaign for corruption.

Q: Many Nigerians feel that the Obasanjo administration was corrupt and rudderless and that the Yar’Adua administration should, at least, probe him. Are you not disappointed that it has not happened?
A: Did you expect this man to probe Obasanjo? He gave him power just to watch his back. Did he qualify? Was there any election? Would you expect the governor of Lagos, with all his zeal in the right direction and all the wonderful things he appears to be doing for the benefit of the people in Lagos, to probe Asiwaju Bola Tinubu? I’m not assuming or saying there’s something to probe, but if you ride to power on my back, you’ll be careful what you do because I could remove my back. So, I am not disappointed that Yar’Adua is not probing. It’s obvious why he cannot. It’s unlike a military regime that comes with ruthlessness to discredit the outgoing one and then performs worse until another one will come. Nigeria has been bedevilled by these prodigals. If Obasanjo was blatantly corrupt, I think Obasanjo administration is the type that calls the thief to come and steal and calls the owner to come and see. That is if he’s not interested in the thief anymore. I think Obasanjo just passed the baton to a man who cannot do anything about corruption and is even protecting those who have been accused of corruption.

Q: Was that why he had to treat Nuhu Ribadu the way he did?
A: Perhaps so. They have their own allegations against Ribadu, but Ribadu as a human being could have made some mistakes. He made some efforts at bringing sanity into public sector. For once, he touched the untouchables. And for once, he displayed a level of fearlessness and fairness to the best of his ability until they found out that they needed to nip this man in the bud. They thought that at the rate at which he was going, he might jolly well become the head of state. And they did all in their power to frustrate him until he fled the country. But our loss is the international community’s gain because I don’t think Ribadu is eating from hand to mouth. He’s being consulted by those who want probity in their public life. And I am still watching and waiting to see where this tree of Ibori will fall. Whether his people are brought back to face the law here or one day, he is taken out to face the law. If the likes of Anthony Enahoro were extradited, based on an agreement between us and Britain, anything is possible. Until those daylight robbers who have stolen this nation to a bleeding point, a profusely bleeding point, are dealt with, don’t listen to anyone who says there’s a campaign against corruption. There’s campaign for corruption and they’re all benefiting from it. And that’s why legislators are now looking for immunity.

Q: But the President does not appear to be in favour of immunity and has said it is not necessary….
A: Why didn’t he do something about it. He only said it. If you are serious, take action. Remove that immunity if you’re serious about it; don’t talk about it. Did he do anything about it? Don’t believe them. Integrity is the best immunity anybody can have. No law can give it to you and no law can take it away from you.

Q: What is your assessment of the National Assembly?
A: What do they assemble there? Completely knocked down vehicles or what? Just tell me.

Q: Laws.
A: What law? What law have they made in recent times that they can say this is one law they’ve made that is not retrogressive; that is in the interest of the people of this country in the area of education, for instance. Maybe I live in my own cocoon and don’t have understanding. Why would nothing be done about the most important things? Look at electoral reforms. Instead of doing something about that, they are busy with who will or who will not be the chairman. These are men who are only interested in themselves.

Q: The federal government has been congratulating itself on the amnesty programme in the Niger Delta. What will you suggest for the post-amnesty period?
A: What is amnesty? They use phrases that we just take from their mouths and dance. By definition, amnesty is a legislative act to pardon political prisoners. So, where are the political prisoners that they have pardoned? If you’re saying amnesty, it means they have found them guilty, they are in prison and are now pardoned. That’s the definition of amnesty. When I played football or table tennis as a young child, I would run away if I saw my parents or elderly people, who would think I should be studying. Children would see older people and run. Amnesty is older people seeing children and running. It’s because all the military might and all the exploitation and oppression have failed and the men had taken to arms to defend what is legitimately theirs. That is the why the government is now saying amnesty. If they put $50 million dollars there, it would disappear as it did in OMPADEC (the defunct Oil Minerals Producing Areas Development Commission) or Niger Delta Development Commission or whatever was established. The reason we are probably paying attention to them and looking for peace at all costs is because of the international pressure, our partners in development and trade, the oil companies and above all, the fact that these guys are ready to blow everything. And this is what the North, East, West and South depend upon. So, it’s like saying let us appeal to them. I’m not against peace. But peace is not the absence of tension. It’s the presence of justice. There could be criminals among these people. There could be those who are hiding under the guise of freedom to do all kinds of criminal things. But what is the cause?
Have you been to that area? I’ve been to Opobo Kingdom. After Opobo, the next place is the Atlantic Ocean. What is there? Let’s hope that the peace that we have now will produce some progress in the environment. We’ll be able to distinguish the governor who has been hiding under militancy from the one who really means well for the people. OMPADEC made billionaires out of ruthless people in this country, without any concrete development on ground. It is the same way they will share any money that is provided for the development of the place.
The fact is that the government has robbed the people of what is legitimately theirs. In the days of groundnut pyramids, nobody piped groundnut. In the days of cocoa boom, nobody piped cocoa to Kaduna. Now, we are not only piping what is their own natural resource to other parts of the country, which is good enough, but we are not developing the source that is producing that. Rather, we maim, kill and silence the people and we think we can continue forever. When you meet daredevils, you would backtrack and retrace your steps. This President is helpless and the amnesty is just an attempt to buy time. The money you’ve introduced into the environment will buy more arms. If there’s no further development, it’s all talk and no action. You must know the people who released the arms did not release everything. They are not stupid. You think they submitted all? Would you do that?
There is a worry over the lack of credible opposition to the Peoples Democratic Party, which seems like an unstoppable train as we approach 2011.
Many years ago, the British administration wanted to come to Abeokuta for taxation. The means of getting there was train. The Egba warriors removed the rail! You can check in history. We were the first people granted independence in Nigeria. Long before then, there was the Oyo rule and the Ajeles of Oyo (tax collectors) came to Abeokuta. Until Lisabi started the Egbe Aaro, a sort of a cooperative, which demanded that all the men should take turns to help themselves on their respective farms. So, about 200-250 strong men would visit your farm and help you cultivate. Then you would also visit other people’s farms and cultivate. Lisabi was their leader and they asked him when they were going to his farm. He said he could take care of his farm. He said he had only one land to till. The farm, he told them, was the visit of the Ajeles. He said any Ajele that showed up should be killed. That was what they did. From that day, no Ajele tax collector from Oyo ever visited Abeokuta again. And as a matter of fact, the present Alaafin of Oyo was raised in the palace of Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, a former Alake of Egbaland. What am I trying to say? A time is coming when a people will say enough is enough. Go to biblical history. Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, King of Israel came to the throne and he said: ‘My small finger is thicker than the loin of my father. If my father beat you with whips, I’ll beat you with scorpion.’ And they rose up and said: ‘To your tents, oh Israel!’ Rehoboam wanted to go and fight, but God sent a prophet to him. The bible says when you see oppression and violent perversion of justice and judgment in a province, do not marvel. Higher officials are set over higher officials and higher officials are set over them. There’s a syndicate.
But they are not going to have it forever. You’ll see the people rising up and saying wait a minute, let’s unblock the minds of our people, let them know that these things are theirs; that it’s the tail that is wagging the dog and not the dog wagging the tail.
Sovereignty is not in the hand of Yar’Adua. It’s not in the parliament. It’s in the people of this country. But because they have monopoly of violence and they have ganged up to continue to hold Nigeria in their grip, they think it will continue endlessly. It’s not going to be forever. Don’t underestimate the resolve of a people who have been oppressed for too long. So PDP is not an unstoppable train. And if it is, it cannot remain from East to West, North to South, on the rail permanently. Even if its a moving train and the rail is removed, it’s going to derail. The attempt to start a mega- party is also an exercise in futility because there is no difference between PDP and the other parties.

Q: In an interview published a few months ago, you were unflattering in your assessment of today’s church, describing it as a theatre. Why did you do this?
A: You go to the theatre for amusement or relaxation. You want to be entertained. But the Church of Jesus Christ was not designed to be a theatre where one celebrity performs and the others are just spectators. In most churches today, one lone star rises and others come to watch him perform. That is not church the way Jesus established it. The purpose of the five-fold ministry that he handed over to the apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry so that they should only come here (church) to refuel and go out to actually carry out what they have learnt. If you run a church where on Sunday, people come for service; on Monday, they come for special meeting; on Tuesday, they come for another thing; on Wednesday, they have Bible study; on Friday, they have special prayer and on Saturday, they have house fellowship, where are they going to live the life? Everything is tied around the building. You know a good church if the building does not exist and the church continues. And I’m not trying to say one church is better than another. When they mention Latter Rain Assembly, what name comes to your mind? Tunde Bakare. When they mention the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, it is Adeboye. If they say Deeper Life, it is Kumuyi. That is not church. That is superstardom.

Q: That sounds like celebrity Christianity.
A: It is. What should happen is when they mention the Redeemed Christian Church of God, you should think of a people that believe in what God has given as a vision to that place and are willing to defend it with their lives. We have many churches, but a negligible amount of righteousness in our land. The recent banking crisis revealed that some prominent Christians were among those who caused it.
And so you wonder what is the benefit of holiness, of sanctification and righteousness. We are supposed to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
Why would this happen? Because pastors don’t even care where their people get the money. Just bring it and let life continue. How many pastors ask for the source of the money followers give? Most of these treasury looters and robbers sit in the front row of our churches and donate the largest amounts and pastors don’t care. They’ll even be praying for them like some people pray for armed robbers. That’s why I said the church has become a theatre: a place where people come to amuse themselves. Because they don’t know that the church is a war zone, where soldiers of the cross are trained. It’s where the standard of discipleship is raised; where you become an agent for change in a nation. I’m not talking of rascality. I’m not saying let’s go on the streets and be displaying rascality. I’m talking of constructive engagement and constructive dismantling of the oppressive forces over our nation. It is not only about praying, but having a head-on collision with them and calling a spade a spade. If that’s the role the church had been playing in Nigeria, we wouldn’t be in this mess. But we’ll rather take them to a side and tell them to come to a particular location once a week or once a month to get special prayer and lay empty hands on empty heads. That’s not Christ, that’s not church.
The once-a-month special prayer you mentioned brings to memory your criticism of the Lekki 98 programme of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. You’ve also criticised the yearly Shiloh programme organised by Bishop Oyedepo’s Winners’ Chapel.
How did I criticise that? You have to remind me because I will not even dignify that (Shiloh) by a comment. I’m not criticising them. For the Redeemed Church, the theme was the visitation of God or something to that effect; so that you don’t miss the day of your visitation.
And I said this is how you know if people are backward. Is He visiting us now or does He want habitation after He had died and He has risen from the dead and He’s now in heaven and the Holy Ghost is here? It’s no longer time of visitation that you might be built up a habitation of God. A visitor is different from one who is inhabiting. Because He’s a visitor, He comes and goes. That’s why people don’t have His presence to carry Him in their hearts. It’s not an empty criticism, it’s just that you know how we as a people are. That’s all.

Q: Why are you saying Oyedepo’s Shiloh does not merit a comment?
A: I’m not dignifying it with a comment because there’s no difference between him or whoever is perpetrating the things they are doing and the man they’re trying to crucify called T.B Joshua. What’s the difference in their practices? Very little. The Christianity of chattels, of oil, of mantle, of washing of feet? Where are those things? They should show it to me in the Bible. And I can tell you where it is from. ‘Is any among you sick, let him call for the elders of the church.’ Do you know it was written to Jews in Diaspora. Besides that, ‘is any among you sick, having called the elders of the church, let them anoint the sick with oil and pray over the sick.’ You want me to read it?

Q: Yes.
A: Okay. At least we’re beginning to learn little by little so that you don’t think we’re hotheads, just not seeing anything good in other people.

Q: That’s the impression people have.
A: Well, anybody who criticises others just for criticising sake is sick because the critical spirit itself is evidence of false ministry. I’m not a town crier. In the course of life, Oyedepo and I had been in the same hotel suite–he and his wife in one room, myself and my wife in another. We were meeting and praying until during the Gulf War, I said you’re departing from the faith; you’re bringing in substitutes. This is not Christianity that we received and some people must rise in the defence of the Gospel and contend for the faith that was once given to the saints. That’s what the Bible says. It says contend, fight for it. Because they’re one generation away from paganism. The pre-conversion disposition of these people from ‘Aladura’ churches and those who were raised in such environments have now being carried in so that people now go to work with mantle in their pocket and they take photographs to hit the mantle. I know how many converts from them have left because they are now seeing the truth. These are my friends, we took sweet counsel together. Let God be God and let every man be a man whether I’m a critical person that has no brain or just pulling down every man’s house. How can you pull other people’s house down and yours will stand if that is the agenda? But let me read this to you because I want to first and foremost show you something. ‘James, a born servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes, which are scattered abroad.’ Are you part of the twelve tribes?

Q: No.
A: Okay. It’s because it’s their culture. You see it in Mark Chapter 6 that they were the ones that took oil. It’s part of their culture because they lived in open space and if you rub yourself with oil, mosquitoes and things like that would not bite you. That’s the medicine they had in their day. Now, in Chapter 5, the Bible says: ‘Is anyone among you suffering, let him pray; is anyone cheerful, let him sing Psalms. Is anyone among you sick (from verse 13), let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.’ Now, would that heal him? Let’s read further. ‘And the prayer of faith will save (not heal) the sick.’ It’s like a wounded soldier that is taken from the firing range.
That prayer of faith would stop the attack that is coming, but only one thing will heal him. Not the oil, not just the prayer of faith. ‘The prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, makes available tremendous power of God.’ Now, are all the people that you give oil to carry about elders? The truth is you sell the oil to them. At the point that I really got beside myself, so to say, was when Oyedepo said that the anointing oil is not the symbol of the Holy Spirit, but the life of God in the bottle. I tore the book openly that this is heresy, this is error, this is taking advantage of people. And after that we met; we met abroad and Oyedepo said: ‘Look, what I didn’t like, really, was my book that you tore.” I said David, I didn’t tear your book. I bought it; it is mine. You wrote it. I tore the book I bought because it contained an error.
If the Holy Spirit is oil, then Jesus is a Lamb of God on four legs. He was never human. These are metaphors and symbols until the real thing would come. You don’t get the substance and pursue shadow. The Holy Spirit has come in person and He is dwelling with us today. Tell people to live right, to eat right and to drink clean water. Tell them to take advantage of medicine when it is necessary. Jesus said they that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. Here I am, and you can ask him also and all these men who will tell you fast and pray, if they don’t use vitamins, eat good food and live in clean environments. Why are you fooling people that all things are in prayer, prayer, prayer, prayer, prayer. I pray, I believe in God and I believe in miracles. I’ve seen miracles happen. But I will not take advantage of a person.

Q: What was Oyedepo’s reaction when you made your observations known to him about this perceived heresy? Was there a debate of some sort?
A: No, I will tell you how it happened. I really do not want to be dragged into this because it’s in the past. But for the benefit of the public, I will tell you what happened. Between 1994-1996, I was not physically present on a daily basis in Nigeria. I was in England. I was travelling with my mentor, Dr. Lester Sumral of blessed memory now. Sumral and I were travelling, to Europe and the rest of the world to do mission work. And in 1996, to be precise, I organised a global mission conference here, when we brought all missionaries on the West African coast to nurture, encourage and strengthen them so that they could re-equip and have materials to go back to the field. They were not necessarily Nigerians. Many of them were from abroad, many from West Africa. Oyedepo, being my friend, sent his books here and the books were being sold in our bookshop. This is how I got to know this. And God is witness, and he knows too. The missionaries bought some of the books. The day they brought the books to me, I just told the bookshop to take them and pay whatever it had to pay and then, the bookshop could sell them.

Q: These people carried the materials away. And the head of their organisation, Living Word Missions, called me on phone after the conference and I was in Britain. He said: ‘Why did you allow occultic books to be sold in your church?’
A: I said occultic books? Impossible. He said there were two books that people bought and had been complaining about. One is written by one David Oyedepo, the other by his wife. And they were on communion and oil. I asked what was wrong about communion. I said it’s one of the things that Jesus left for the saints and that oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. He said I had not read the book. I asked him to send me the relevant pages of the books by fax or by e-mail. I thought it could be some people doing mischief. I believed the mistakes must have been made by those who edited the books. That was my thought. These are men we pray together. We didn’t get born-again because we wanted money. I didn’t come into ministry because I wanted money. God blessed me before I came into the ministry. So, the pages were sent to me. I said no, this cannot be. When I read the one that says oil is not the symbol of the Holy Spirit, but the life of God in the bottle, I said this cannot be. I also read the portion that says you can take communion and fly like a bird. I said wait a minute, this is extending truth beyond its limits. So, on my next visit to Nigeria, I requested for the books to match them with the copies I had so I could be sure that nobody was playing a cruel joke on me. Immediately I saw it, the first thing I did was to call Oyedepo. They said he was not available, but that his wife was available. I asked to speak with the wife on the phone. And they said oh, she just stepped out.
I said no problem. In handwritten form, I sent him a fax. Those were not the days you leave messages for people. Phones were not common. So, I sent a fax saying I thought those editing his books were adding garbage in them. I said we needed to meet. There was no response. There is a pastor in his organisation, his name is now Dr. Robert Johnson. We called him Abdullahi. That was his name. He came here. I spoke into two tapes to do a critique and I gave to Abdullahi, who is now Dr. Johnson. He has left his organisation now. I said ‘could you give this to him so that we can meet to talk’. And response came to me that he said these were revelations given to him by God, as God gave revelation to Paul. At that point, I took a step further. I was in America and I was in the house of Wale Oke.
I’m mentioning names because if you want to lie, you don’t have anyone to mention. I said Wale Oke, this is what I’ve seen. Wale Oke and I were in the university together. He said he had also seen it. He said he had gone to him but this was the response. I said if he is teaching heresy to his people, it doesn’t matter to me. But the moment he put it in print form, on radio or television, he is poisoning the public water. Some of us will have to rise up. So, I started a series called the Synagogue of Satan. And I began to deal with those issues, bringing truth.
Because you don’t just shout that piece of stick is crooked. Lay the stick on its side, all eyes will see it. That was what began. And Bishop Mike Okonkwo now met me in Ghana and said don’t let us wash our dirty linen in public. I asked what he had done about it. He said he had gone to Oyedepo, who insisted that it was the revelation that he received from God. I said Mike, if you see me on top of my secretary, not my wife, and I said I’ve just got a revelation from God, will you leave me to die in sin?
When it got hot, he began to curse and swear that my television ministry will go off-air in Nigeria; that I will not have money. There was no curse he didn’t place. Whether that’s the truth or not, time will tell.
Why do I mention names? I’m not doing to so to be a critic. I have a clear agenda and I have a clear mind. If you teach and say to your wife that while you are eating, your wife should not eat and sit down, it’s your home. But don’t extend it to me and raise my children that way. Then you’re looking for trouble. If you teach your people error and they believe in it, it’s between you and them.
But don’t put it in the public arena. I have responsibility over those that look up to me, over those that I pastor and over those that benefit from knowing the truth. It is going to create conflict. There is only one faith, one Lord, one baptism, one God, father of all, who is in you all, through you all. When I was a Muslim, on Juma’at day, when they said Allah U Akbar, we all bowed. You don’t know who is Ansar-Ud-Deen or Nawar-Ud-Deen or Islamiyat. But here we are talking one Christ and seven different ideologies about one thing. So, we must know what is the truth. That is our passion; that is the reason to warn people that these are the apostates and they are only interested in the gospel of wealth.

Q: We’ve seen churches setting up universities with contributions from members, most of whom are unable to afford fees charged by these institutions. What do you make of this?
A: A good leader does not make unnecessary comments. And I’m not trying to say amongst thieves there must be honour. That’s not what I’m saying. I do not know where they got their resources from. It could be bank loans. They could have sourced funds to do it. I am not aware. If you have proof, let me know.
However, I was asked this same question by Newswatch. And I said it is not a new thing. Emory University was set up by the Methodist Church. Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, were all established through Christian initiatives, to raise the standard of education and create an environment that would not be permeated by occultism. That’s the reason for Christian initiative in education. If the government cannot deliver in that sector properly, private initiatives must place. And these universities don’t charge pittance.
But if these universities are missionary endeavours, they should have a human face to the extent that even pastors labouring in such ministries should enjoy some benefit and scholarship for their children. Because they labour side by side with you, I would think that’s what a normal, rational person would do. But these, if you examine them, are not missionary endeavours to raise the standard of education and to benefit people. I think they are just a business venture. And every man in business wants to maximise profit.

Q: What is the position of Christianity on tithing because some argue that it doesn’t have a place in Christianity?
A: I don’t have an opinion. I live by the book. I’ll tell you what is in the book. The first man to pay tithe was Abraham, when he met Melchizedek. And when he gave that tithe, the book of Hebrews says even Levi, who became a priest later, paid tithe while he was still in the loins of his father, Abraham. So, there was tithe before the law. There was tithe during the law. And Christ Jesus now came and said, this you ought to do, but you neglect the weightier matters of the law. This you ought to do and the other you do not neglect. If you are asking what is the agreed position in the New Testament, listen to Paul in I Corinthians Chapter 16, verse 1. At least I’m not reading from the Old Testament. I can tell you by the grace of God that at the Latter Rain Assembly, you can come and watch us, stay for about five or six weeks, you will not hear such a thing mentioned. You will know a church by the time you worship there for six or seven weeks.
We encourage our people because even the running of the place requires support of those who are worshipping there. Do you belong to any club or organisation? To join Ikoyi Club 1938, there are fees. It is the abuse that is the problem because it must come from your heart. Melchizedek did not demand tithe from Abraham. It was what Abraham did willingly. My opinion is that let every man be persuaded in his own heart. If it is not honour, then it is robbery. What the Bible says is honour the Lord with your susbstance and the first fruits of your increase so that your barns may be full. It has to be honour. It is the same word you use for your parents. The first time I gave my mother an allowance was when I was a Youth Corper. I gave her N50 out of my N200 monthly allowance because I was the only one she depended on. And from that year till today, my mother’s monthly allowance has increased, although I won’t tell you how much she gets now. She was 100 in October. I lost my father when I was two years old. So God allowed my mother to stay to see me through. Would I neglect my mother? So also will I not neglect the God who is the source of everything I have. But it has to be a matter of honour. There are three priesthoods in the Bible. The priesthood of Midian, the Levitical priesthood and the Melchizedek priesthood.
This is what is causing the problem. The priesthood of Midian is that of Jethro, the father in-law of Moses. It deals with strategies, administration and dedication of duties. It teaches you how to delegate so that you are not overworked. It does not raise sons, it raises workers. So in such ministries where Jethro principle is what they’re following, you’ll be hearing workers, workers, workers, instead of raising sons of God. Leviticus priesthood is mainly about offering. And remember they were in the wilderness; no supermarket, no work and they didn’t go anywhere. There was nowhere to spend all the money they took from Egypt. So, it’s offering in the morning, offering at night and offering in the evening. When you find a ministry whose major emphasis is bring, bring, give, give, its the Levitical priesthood. They are still in the wilderness. But we have moved out of the wilderness. The priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ Christ, according to Hebrew 6, 7 up to 8, is after the order of Melchizedek who was already a king before he met Abraham. He did not need the offering of Abraham to be king. So those who are practising Melchizedek priesthood do not depend on their congregation. They don’t wait because they are lazy for them to go and work and bring resources to them. They also labour with their own hands to have resources and when the church contributes, they probably contribute more. You can find out these things. So it depends on which priesthood is being practised.
Tithes are to be used to take care of widows, the helpless, and services in the house of God. Why should they come to you to say we want to pay NEPA bills, we want to pay church staff? People that are working in the ministry have to be paid and the organisation has to be run. But it’s never compulsory. If anybody tells you if you don’t pay tithe you will remain tight, greed in his heart is influencing that because Christ has become the cross for us. For it is written: ‘Cursed is anyone that hangs on the tree that the blessing of Abraham now come upon the Gentile’ If it is from your heart, like it was with Abraham, it will bring blessings. But if it is teleguided, it is no longer spirit-led and does not activate anything in heaven. I think what is causing it is that we embark on projects God did not give to us and put ourselves under financial pressure, which we transmit to people. Do I pay tithe? Definitely. But I don’t make it a law for everybody. I do from my earnings because I don’t depend on church offerings. My hands, like Paul’s, provided for my necessities. I pay my tax like any other citizen of this country. I pay from my legitimate earnings. If I have to wait for them to give on Sundays before I send my children to school and eat, then something is wrong. If this church folds up, I cannot live anymore. And in a depressed economy, so many churches have opened up that are not at the instance of the Holy Spirit.

Q: You were once with the Redeemed Christian Church of God and you were among the youths who started the model parishes. Why did you leave?
A: I had kept quite hitherto. And because if you don’t let sleeping dogs lie and you don’t allow lying dogs to sleep, they will continue to bark. Let’s back-track. I got born-again on 24 September 1974 in the Baptist Church. I remained in the Baptist Church until I became a youth pastor. And if you go to Yaba Baptist Church, you will see my name on their plaque. While I was in there, I started attending Monday Bible study at Deeper Life, just to deepen my knowledge. Deeper Life was not a church then. And I stayed in Deeper Life for five years. While I was in the University of Lagos, I was attending Foursquare, being mentored by Dr. Odunaike. I knew him at close range, up to his bedroom. When Deeper Life started as a church, I was invited to be among the core leadership and I stayed there as national legal adviser for five years before I left for the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG. My first visit to the Redeemed Church was on the first Sunday of March, 1984. It was my photographer who invited me. At that point in time, I had reached the point where I said I was tired of churches. It was as if what they were saying and what they were doing were miles apart. I told myself I would not go to church any longer. I remember Brother Kumuyi sending for me and saying: ‘You left Deeper Life for the Redeemed Christian Church of God. You have just jumped from frying pan to fire.’ This is the first time I’m saying this in the open. I said if the fire burned me, I would warm myself in it because I was tired of what I was seeing here because I didn’t see them in scriptures. I didn’t get born-again in the Redeemed Christian Church of God. I didn’t get baptised in the Holy Ghost in the Redeemed Christian Church of God. I had served in leadership capacity in different churches ever before I came to the Redeemed Church. That’s why I say you can’t say I am one of the youths that started this. That is one.
Two, the first day I got to RCCG, Pastor Adeboye was looking for professionals. And when they said all God’s children should wait, I told my fiancee, now my wife, that they were talking to their members. And she said we should wait till the end. I sat there, at the back. Pastor Adeboye said: ‘That brother in blue white blue.’ I said: ‘Me?’ He said: ‘What’s your profession?’ I said: ‘I’m a lawyer.’ He told me to see him that day.
I was running away from responsibilities in the church and I ran into another one. I went to see him and he said the church had some cases in court. I handled them free of charge. His approach was really gentlemanly and I thought I should give him a chance. That was how I started in that church. The first house I ever built in my life is at the Redemption Camp. I built it in 1986-87. I built it to just live there and serve God. I didn’t want to be a pastor. I’m a trained lawyer. I trained under Gani and trained under Rotimi Williams. I wanted to practise my profession. I had three things at the back of my mind in my life: to be a successful legal practitioner, to get to the peak of my career and to be a successful millionaire. And by 1986/87, I already had seven lawyers in my chambers, working full-time. I won my first Appeal Court case on my 21st day at the bar. I learnt under the masters. That’s why Gani’s death shook me. If you see some of the books Gani wrote, you will see my name in them. He dedicated some of them to me, to our industry while we were with him, before I crossed to Chief Rotimi Williams’ chambers and later to start my own practice. I was doing business. I brought Skoda into Nigeria. I had factories in Nigeria and I was doing well in international trade. I wanted to use both law and business to go into politics. That was my triangle. I feel lazy souls look for ways and means of manipulating people for what they cannot get through their own skills. God blessed what I was doing. And if it’s the other way round, time will tell because the records are there of my giving to the church. I remember my external auditor, Mr. Dupe Adubiaro, who is still in the Redeemed Christian Church of God and who is the chairman of their building committee in Festac. I took him to Redeemed. He’s my external auditor till today. He’s the one preparing my tax papers. He came one day and said at the rate you’re going, you will go bankrupt because every cheque I see is to the church. I said I don’t give people my money; I give it to God, whenever there is need in the house of God. Secondly, the vision for the model parishes was given to me, not to Pastor Adeboye, regardless of all propaganda and lies you have heard. It was on 3rd of May 1988 that God gave me the vision. There was no other person in the place where God gave it to me. I went to Ladipo Oluwole Street. And I have witnesses. One of them is dead, two are alive. Babalola, who was electrician in the church; Olufunlayo, who was the builder that built my house at the camp; and Olugbemi, a painter in that church, who has left now to start his own church. They were the three people I took to this building and we started. It was the fourth day and I said, wait a minute, I’ve not told Pastor Adeboye what God told me. And they took me in their car and we rushed to the camp and Pastor Adeboye came the following day. And when he saw what I was doing, he said: ‘What would you call this?’ God is witness and let God be the judge of every man in life. I said: ‘Sir, I have no desire to be a pastor. I received this vision that what you are doing can never catapult the gospel to the nations of the earth. Because everything is marooned in Ebutte Metta among the old (what they called classical). And it’s like reading the Bible upside down.’
I asked how we could reach the next generation and suggested that we should call this Model Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The concept then was to have one Model Parish in every city. So, we did one in Lagos and we did one in Ibadan until 1 October 1988, when God said my time was up. And I told only two people that day. Tony Rapu and Niyi Adefowope, who were MC’s at my annual El-Shaddai Day for my chambers. And we do that El-Shaddai feast once a year. Instead of giving bribes to civil servants, I’ll call them together once a year, give them a feast and bless them. I’m writing my memoirs and one of the chapters is titled The Model Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God: Fiction and Facts. If you have heard all kinds of lies and propaganda that were issued out, falsehood may go for years, when the arrow of truth shoots, there will be no trace of falsehood. That’s why I will mention persons and names so that these things can be verified at the right time. I left them when God said it was time to move. And I went to Adeboye to tell him. And what he said to me, which we call the 14 points, are all written. He had a copy, I have a copy. That’s why when I publish my memoirs, you will not find me saying ‘I think God said’ and ‘I think this is it.’ I would tell you what happened.
I am a student of history and I am a lawyer by discipline. I’m not trying to expose anyone, but we better leave lying dogs to sleep or allow sleeping dogs to lie or else when they begin to bark, they will bite. I remember immediately I left, they quickly groomed Tony to take my position. One professional has gone, then another.

Q: Where’s Tony? Is he still there? Or are the two of us imbeciles?
A: Your wife is not visible unlike the wives of other pastors. Is this deliberate or is she just a reclusive person?
I would want you to ask her directly, but she is not in the country. We have five children. You look in the Bible and you see Eli. Have you ever heard Mrs. Eli? Did you see Mrs. Samuel? I’m not saying women should not be in the ministry. Those who are called by God to serve in pastoral capacity in churches side by side with their wife should receive that call and fulfil it. But my wife does not become a pastor because I’m a pastor. It’s the same mentality that the head of state’s wife must be first lady and must have an office. No. The call of God can be upon a family, can be upon an individual. My wife supports me absolutely. Did she play roles when she was here? Yes. But we have five children. Who wants to save the world and lose his own children? So, we decided that she would hold the home front. I don’t think I’ll be what I am without a solid wife behind me. She’s not a nuisance or somebody that can be silenced. She functions in the areas that she has received grace.
Any animal with two heads is a monster. Your wife does not become a co-pastor because you are a pastor. There’s no such thing in the Bible. If not, Peter’s wife should have been a pastor. So should have been the wives of others who were married. It’s just a mess that is in the world.

Q: And when the man dies the woman steps in…
A: Because it is a family business.


Source


The full interview is not online, so if you are in Naija, grab a copy of the magazine for the full koko. For those of us who cannot do that though, even this excerpt gives food for thought as to the role of government and the power of the church.

I don't want to make this too long, so I may come back later and post my thoughts on this interview. Even if I don't, I still think its a powerful piece all by itself. If you are interested though, you can follow some of the discussion here .

Enjoy.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Nigeria qualifies for 2010 world cup

Against all odds! Qualified by a hair on the very day, on the very last match, on the very last goal!!

I totally refused to watch it because I had totally lost all hope. But those boys surprised me dang!!

Na real wah o.

From the BBC

Obafemi Martins was the two-goal hero as Nigeria defeated Kenya 3-2 in Nairobi on Saturday 14 November to snatch a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa.

Trailing at half-time in a match they had to win, the Super Eagles hit back with two goals inside five minutes through Martins, currently at German champions Wolfsburg, and Everton striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu.

Kenya levelled 12 minutes from full-time as they battled to finish third in Group B and clinch a place at the 2010 CAF African Cup of Nations only for Martins to score the winner on 83 minutes.

The Harambee Stars failed to clear a cross and the former Newcastle United striker spun before hooking the ball past goalkeeper Willis Ochieng to earn Nigeria a fourth FIFA World Cup appearance.

Tunisia, who held a two-point advantage over Nigeria for five rounds in Group B, were too cautious in Mozambique and an 83rd-minute Dario goal gave the Mambas a 1-0 victory.

Nigeria finished with 12 points, Tunisia 11, Mozambique seven and Kenya three, the Super Eagles becaming the fourth country to qualify from the African Zone after South Africa (hosts), Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.

Back in Nigeria, there was joy unrestrained. In the south-western city of Abeokuta, Nigeria fan Rasheed Sule said: "I saw fans crying tears of joy after Nigeria qualified. I never thought Nigerians love their country this much. It was simply amazing."

Another fan, Ahmed Shugaba said thousands of Nigerians defied pouring rain in Benin City to celebrate the Eagles' qualification. "It was a miracle. We still don't believe we have some how qualified for the World Cup. Not even the heavy rain could stop our celebrations."

"This has shown that there is a lot of talent in the team and we will see this at next year's World Cup," said former African Footballer of the Year Victor Ikpeba. "Mozambique also deserve our gratitude. They are a decent side and they will do very well at the Nations Cup in Angola."



It has been a great day indeed. I am so happy. I hope they can now go and restructure the team before next year so that they will not go and disgrace us in SA.

Some video from the match:



I think this is the strongest African delegation to the World Cup ever.
Its South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Cote D'Ivoire and either Egypt or Algeria. Congrats to all the qualifiers. Now let the real work begin!!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

An Open Letter to the Nigerian Church

Hi everyone,
I just had to post this open letter. Its loooong, but very important. Take some time to read and digest it. It raises issues all Christians and Christian leaders need to think about. Thanks to the author for giving me permission to post this.

Enjoy.

An Open Letter to the Nigerian Church

by Ahmed Olayinka Sule, CFA (source)
As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence. Benjamin Franklin

You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say - Martin Luther

Oppression can only survive through silence.-Carmen de Monteflores


Dear Pastor, Reverend, Bishop, Archbishop, Cardinal, General Overseer, Elder, Minister, Deacon, Deaconess, Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist and my beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Calvary greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour JESUS Christ. I hope this letter meets you all in good health; I pray that all may go well with you and your souls are getting along well.

One thousand, nine hundred and fifty-two years ago, Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Christians at Corinth to address his concerns regarding the activities occurring at the Corinth church. In 1517 AD, nearly one thousand, four hundred and sixty years later, a thirty-four year old Reverend called Martin Luther wrote his famous 'Ninety-Five Theses' letter, expressing his dissatisfaction with the abuses of the Roman Catholic clergy.

Coincidentally, in 1963, a thirty-four year old Baptist Minister from Atlanta called Martin Luther King Jnr wrote a letter from a Birmingham jail to eight clergymen in response to the latter’s request for the African American community to suspend their civil disobedience demonstrations. He also highlighted the white church’s apathy towards the plight of the African Americans’ struggle.

I do not consider myself worthy to step into the shoes of these great men of God; nor do I consider myself worthy even to eat the crumbs from the tables of these giants, however, I feel compelled to follow their path and write about some issues that have been a burden to me for the past couple of years.

What is this burden? What has made me follow the pathway of Apostle Paul, Martin Luther and Martin Luther King? I am disturbed about the state of the Nigerian church and I am burdened by the consequence this is having on the effective ministration of the Word of God in Nigeria.

Before I go any further, I would like to introduce myself by answering the following question, which you may want to ask. Who is this person with a Muslim name? Is he still a Muslim? Has he converted to Christianity? Has he accepted JESUS into his life? If he is addressing the church, why have we not heard of him within the church circuit? Is he a minister of God? If he is not a Minister, why is he addressing Anointed Men and Women of God (see Appendix A for a list of some of the clergies copied)?

By way of introduction, my name is Ahmed Olayinka Sule. I am a sinner (in fact the chief of all sinners) who has been saved by Grace in JESUS. I was born into a Muslim family and had my Damascus Road conversion experience during my high school years. However, shortly after my conversion, I rejected Christ and did not turn back to God until 2000. Though I am not a clergyman, I regard myself as part of the Royal Priesthood, who has been called out of the darkness of sin into the glorious light of my Lord JESUS Christ.

I agree that I may not be the right person to write this open letter, especially as I am not a perfect person. I also know that I am not worthy to even tie the shoelace of the one hundred and fifty clergy copied into this letter. I also agree that I do not have the moral justification to pen this article. This is especially true as there is nothing good in my sinful nature. When I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong, and when I don’t want to do what is wrong, I do it anyway.

However, in the words of King Solomon, there is a time to be silent and there is a time to speak. The time to speak up is now. I have been silent for the past eleven years, and the burden in my heart is bringing to light Martin Luther King’s comment that '”Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”.

This letter is written out of my love for the church and is no way meant to cause division within it. I also have the utmost respect for the church leadership and I appreciate the efforts of millions of Christians working towards taking the message of the cross throughout the nation.

You may ask what I mean by the Nigerian Church? After all, the church belongs to Christ and it is not defined by geographical parameters. Agreed. The audience of this letter, which I have described as the Nigerian Church, falls into four categories. The first comprises of the Christian community based in Nigeria, which includes all the church denominations. The second category comprises of the churches outside of Nigeria, which are affiliated to the church based in Nigeria. This includes branches and parishes of churches headquartered in Nigeria. The third category relates to churches based outside of Nigeria, which are either shepherded by Nigerian pastors or which have a predominately Nigerian congregation. The fourth category comprise of my non-Christian brothers and sisters, some of whom are eager to accept Christ but have been reluctant to make that commitment due to the attitude of the Nigerian Church. There is also a separate section in this letter specifically addressed to my non-Christian brothers and sisters. It is my prayer that by reading this letter they will appreciate that JESUS is the standard by which Christianity should be measured, rather than the fallible nature of man.

In the last twenty years, the Nigerian church movement has experienced significant growth. It has impacted the country positively, as millions of people have been transformed by the life-changing message of our Lord JESUS. There was a time when Christians could not openly share and declare their faith due to the ridicule and persecution they faced. However, thanks to the leadership of the church, this stigma towards Christianity has been greatly reduced. Furthermore, Christianity has a growing influence in Nigeria, which has resulted in the proliferation of filled-up churches. Nigeria has become one of the fastest growing church movements in the world. The influence of Christ is not only felt inside the church, but also outside of it. Politicians seek the audience of a number of church leaders for prayers, and Christians are at the helm of numerous corporate entities. The church has also played a role in education, with the establishment of church-run schools providing high quality education.

Despite this progress, all is not well with the Nigerian Church. How do I know that all is not well with the Nigerian Church? What is my benchmark ? The benchmark I have used is based on the life of our Lord JESUS and the Word of God. I have also had the opportunity to attend and observe churches run by both Nigerian and non-Nigerian ministers; churches with predominately Nigerian congregation and churches with a small number of Nigerians; churches within Nigeria and churches elsewhere. This variation has provided me the opportunity to evaluate the activities of these churches.

There are four reasons for writing this letter. First, as explained earlier, I am compelled to write out of my love for the Church. I hope that the issues raised in this letter will result in a reassessment of some of our activities in church and will eventually lead to a change in attitude.

Second, I know a number of Christians have been disillusioned with the Nigerian Church. I also know some Christians who do not feel the need to go to church and prefer to worship alone, due to what they observe in the church. Paul urges us not to put any stumbling block in a fellow believer’s way. He also states that “If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died“. I am compelled to highlight what ‘food’ we as Christians are 'eating' that is causing our brothers to stumble.

Third, I have a sense of responsibility to educate my non-Christian brothers and sisters not to use the activities and attitudes of a few people in the body of Christ as a justification to deny the power of Christ. They also need to know that Christ is our benchmark, even if we often fall short of that standard due to our fallible nature.

Finally, I am writing on behalf of the thousands of believers who have not been able to speak up on these issues due to time constraints, apathy, fear, or a general belief that things will remain the same.

Having introduced myself and explained the basis my writing to you, I would like to discuss five issues that have compelled me to write this letter - namely:

* The Sheep and the Shepherd
* Accountability & Responsibility
* Unity In the Church
* Teaching/Doctrines/Activities
* Social Justice

1. The Sheep and the Shepherd

The activities of some of the spiritual leaders in the Nigerian church have come under a lot of scrutiny in recent years. On the whole, church leaders are doing a good job in line with the word of God, however, there are a few outliers that buck the trend. As the scripture says, a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough, and this is a fitting metaphor for the ridicule brought to the church as a result of the activities of some of the clergy.

One area of concern is the excessive grip that a number of clergy have over the congregation. In some instances, the clergy (who are just human and messengers of Christ) are feared and respected more than our Lord JESUS Christ. I strongly believe that the messenger cannot be greater than the message, but this does apply to most sections of the Nigerian church.

Scripture tells us that when JESUS died on the cross at Calvary, the veil was split in two. As a result of his death, we were granted access into the Holy of Holies through the redemptive power in the blood of JESUS. The bible makes it very clear that we should boldly enter the throne of God [Hebrew 4:16]. Due to JESUS’ sacrificial death, we can now confidently approach God through our Lord JESUS without having to go through any other intermediary. JESUS also says that He is the Way and the light and that no one can approach the Father except through Him.

However, a large number of us are not confident enough to approach God directly through JESUS. Instead, we prefer to go through the clergy in order to access God. Some of us even believe that our prayers will not be answered until it is agreed with or backed by a man or woman of God. It is well documented that people spend hundreds of thousands of Naira, and sometimes thousands of pounds, to travel the length and breadth of the world to chase one man of God or other in order to receive spiritual blessing. It is not unusual for a seventy five year old man to call a pastor of thirty years of age ‘daddy’, ‘mummy’, ‘papa’ or ‘mama’.

I agree that it is sometimes necessary to approach the clergy to agree with us in prayers on a certain issue or to seek their counsel. However, this should be the exception rather than the rule. By chasing the clergy all the time, we are putting unnecessary pressure on them. We, the congregation, need to realise that the work of the clergy is not an easy job. They spend a lot of time fasting, praying and seeking the face of God. They also have to prepare for their sermons and once they have finished the service they end up spending hours attending to a lengthy queue of people gathered outside their office seeking counsel or prayers. We also need to be considerate and realise that they also have families to cater for. Furthermore, the Psalmist tells us that it is better to put your confidence in God rather than in man.

There are two contributory factors that have led to this issue. The cultural influence and the lack of a proper understanding of the reconciliatory power in the Blood of JESUS. I will address the first factor.

A positive aspect of the African society is the respect granted to elders; whether it is our parents, uncles, neighbours, teachers etc. This is also reflected in our history - for instance, the monarchy system in most parts of the country, where the King had absolute authority, and his counsel was sought on all issues. Furthermore, long before the advent of Christianity in Nigeria, the ’Babalawo’ (witch doctor) played an important role in the lives of the people. People would seek his counsel on a range of issues including marriage, children, family problems etc. He was seen as the direct representative of god on earth. In order to hear from their idols, people would approach the ‘Babalawo’ in order to know the mind of their gods. Unfortunately, this tradition has now crept into the church, whereby the clergy have now assumed the role of the ‘Babalawo’.

The Word of God tells us to respect people in authority. I also understand that the clergy has been placed by God to shepherd his people. However, we need to be aware that there is a thin line between respect and hero-worship. What constitutes respect? What constitutes hero-worship? Respect is when one approaches a Minister to agree with him in prayer on a specific issue, while hero-worship is when one thinks that without the minister’s agreement, God will not answer his prayers. Respect is when a family seeks spiritual guidance from a minister, while hero-worship is when the wife or husband thinks that the minister is the spiritual head of the home. Respect is when you seek a minister’s advice on a particular decision, while hero worship is when you cannot make a decision until the minister has sanctioned it.

In a number of Christian homes, the pastors have become the head of the homes and have usurped the roles of parents and husbands. In most instances, this intrusion is not the fault of the clergy - after all, this would not have happened if the couple had a proper understanding of their authority in Christ. Thankfully, the clergy are men and women of integrity so this unnecessary intrusion is the exception. However, in a few instances, some manipulative characters take advantage of the situation and cause havoc within the family structure. It is well documented that a number of homes have been ruined as a result of these intrusions. For instance, frictions and divisions have been created between parents and children, husband and wives, daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law as a result of the intrusive nature of some of these men of God. The activities of some of these ministers are contrary to the example set by our Lord JESUS who went about restoring rather than breaking relationships.

In some extreme cases, some men of God are known to take advantage of gullible female members of the congregation. Unfortunately, because these people do not know their authority in Christ, they find it difficult to rebuff the sexual advances of these wolves in sheep clothing. Sometimes, these so called men of God tell these vulnerable ladies that it is not against the will of God for them to sleep with a man of God. Although this occurrence is rare, however the church leadership should expose and disgrace any pastor found conducting such activities.

My heart also bleeds whenever I meet people who cannot make informed decisions without the sanction or approval of their pastors. Important, life-changing decisions about marriage, education, career, business etc. have been outsourced to pastors. It is time for the body of Christ to pass through the torn veil left at the foot of the cross of Calvary and boldly approach JESUS on his heavenly throne and make their petition known directly to him.

Another area of concern is that a number of pastors have been giving financial advice to the congregation, even when it is outside the pastor’s area of expertise. For instance, during the Nigerian stock market bubble of the past couple of years, a number of pastors advised their congregation to join the bandwagon and invest in the Nigerian capital market. In giving out this advice, the pastors failed to educate the congregation on the risk factors associated with investing in the capital market. Furthermore, they did not explain the fundamental drivers of these asset prices. Unfortunately, since the clergy’s statements are never questioned (for reasons which I have explained earlier), some members of the congregation took positions in these overinflated asset classes. The result of acting on this advice was sorrow ,tears and financial ruin due to the market correction.

This situation was not only restricted to the Nigerian capital market. In the UK, in spite of an overheated housing market bubble, a number of ministers based in the UK encouraged their congregation to take out mortgages in order to take advantage of the bubble in the real estate sector. Like their Nigerian counterparts, the ministers failed to consider the risk factors and the personal financial circumstances of the congregation. There were instances in which the congregations were advised to remortgage their properties in the UK and use the proceeds to invest in Nigeria. In financial terms, this is what is called a ‘carry trade’ whereby an investor borrows money at a low interest rate in a foreign currency (say Pounds Sterling) and invests the proceeds in assets of a high yielding currency (the Naira). Since this strategy involves excessive use of leverage (debt), an investor can suffer significant loss if the carry trade unwinds. Unfortunately, this risk was not explained to the congregation. As a result of yielding to this advice, a number of people took on mortgages they could not afford and are now facing the twin tragedy of bankruptcy and homelessness.

I suggest that pastors should not give financial advice to the congregation, especially when it is outside the pastor’s area of expertise. If, however, they insist on giving it, they should issue the necessary disclaimers and explain the risks involved. Furthermore, we as the congregation should seek financial advice from professionally qualified financial advisors.

An action that is pervasive in some areas of the Christian community is the issue of ministers placing curses on congregation members who challenge or criticize their decisions. Quite often, the threat of a curse or the fear of a threat is enough to make that member of congregation follow the line of the pastor. This is quite sad and is not in line with Roman 12:14, which tells us to bless and not to curse.

Does what I say regarding the activities of some of the clergy amount to heresy? Am I disobeying the biblical instruction, which says “touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm”? Am I guilty of behaving like the four children who mocked Elisha by calling him “a bald head”?

I do not think so, for several reasons. First, I am not causing harm to the prophets, as what I am doing is out of genuine love and I want the church to be more effective in drawing people to the Kingdom of God. Second, it is not unscriptural for anointed men of God to be rebuked when they stray away from the word of God. From scripture we know that God anointed King Saul. We also know that David obeyed this word when he did not kill Saul, even though he had an opportunity to do so. However, in spite of the anointing upon Saul's life, that did not stop David from speaking against the wrongful deeds of King Saul. Furthermore, in spite of the anointing of King Saul, Samuel still reprimanded Saul for not obeying his instruction. Moreover, even Apostle Paul challenged Peter when he felt that Peter was not acting in accordance with the scriptures. Third, the basis of my observation is the word of God, which is the truth. John Locke put it right when he said “The Bible is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men. It has God for its author; salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture for its matter. It is all pure “

Fourth, the anointed of the Lord is not only restricted to the clergy but to all who have accepted JESUS Christ as their Lord and personal saviour. I John 2: 20 makes it very clear: “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth”. For anyone who may think that I have disobeyed God’s command regarding Psalm 105:15, I would like to ask the three questions: Are we to say touch not my anointed if a man of God curses his congregation? Are we to say touch not my anointed if a woman of God causes a separation between a couple?; Are we to say touch not my anointed if a man of God gives a false prophesy that causes a son to abandon his aged parents?

2. Accountability & Responsibility

A second disturbing factor is the lack of accountability in a number of Nigerian churches. It is not uncommon for churches to be run as the private property of the founders or leaders. If the church does not demonstrate accountability and transparency, how can the church be effective in advocating transparency within the wider Nigerian community?

There needs to be improved transparency and accountability in church especially as a significant source of the cash flow for the church comes from the contribution of the congregation of the church. Because of their contribution, the congregation needs to know, periodically, how their contribution has been put to use. Unlike shareholders that expect a return on their investment in the form of dividend or capital appreciation, congregation members need to be sure of the following: that the church funding has been used to run the church effectively; that resources are going towards growing the kingdom of God; that the church is reaching out to the community.

This issue of accountability is very important, as there have been instances in the past where a lack of accountability has brought shame to the body of Christ. A high profile case was the issue relating to the alleged misappropriation of funds for Pastor Hinn's crusade, which gained worldwide attention and put the Nigerian Christian community in a negative light.

There is also an emerging trend of the church levying the congregation to fund the luxuries of the church leadership. I agree that it necessary for the church to fund the needs of the church leadership, especially pastors working on a full time basis. Furthermore, the bible makes it clear that a worker is worthy of his wages. While funding the church leaders necessities is justified, asking the congregation to fund the luxuries of the leader is not only morally repugnant, but also socially unjust. This levy on the congregation does not make any moral sense, especially as it is levied in a country where, on average, 34% of the population lives on less than $1 per day.

Rather than taxing the congregation to fund the luxuries of the leaders, Christian leaders should follow the example of our Lord JESUS who, despite being the King of kings, chose to ride into Jerusalem on a gentle donkey rather than on an elegant Roman horse. It is time for the clergy to see their calling as a form of servant hood towards the body of Christ and not as a means to fund a flamboyant lifestyle.

Another area that needs improvement is the monitoring of the flow of funds into the church. Since the church is a tax-exempt organisation, it owes the government a responsibility to ensure that anybody who places ill-gotten money through the church system is exposed and reported to the authorities. There have been instances in the past whereby people have stolen funds running into tens of millions of Naira and placed these criminal proceeds in the church to fund church capital expenditures. The church should arise and reject these illegal funds. Furthermore, the church should institute anti-money laundering procedures to mitigate and prevent a recurrence of the placement of criminal proceeds in the church.

The church also has a responsibility to ensure that its activity does not inconvenience the general public. One area that needs further consideration is the traffic bottleneck that occurs at the Lagos–Sagamu Axis of the Lagos Ibadan Express Way resulting from some church events. Admittedly, a number of churches have put some effort towards reducing the traffic bottleneck, however, this is not enough. The churches have the right to organise events and crusades on their property whether along the expressway or on the mainland. However, along with that freedom also comes a responsibility to ensure that its activities do not cause traffic that disrupts other passengers’ journey on the express. A journey between Lagos and Sagamu that should ideally take 45 minutes occasionally sometimes takes eight to twelve hours during these church programmes. The result of the church activities brings untold hardship on the passengers traveling along the expressway. Furthermore, many passengers are not happy with the churches for causing traffic on the expressway and this could hinder the effective ministration of the gospel in the country.

On a personal note, my father, who is over 70 years and is still mourning the loss of my mother, was recently trapped in the traffic for over six hours because a church was having a crusade along the expressway. He was greatly distressed, and as a Christian I found it impossible to justify the attitude of the church towards his plight. I also know of another person who missed her father’s burial due to the traffic caused as a result of a church programme near the expressway. Apart from my personal stories, there are thousands of other people who have miserable stories to tell, such as brides missing their weddings, corpses being trapped in traffic and people developing high blood pressure while in traffic.

As Christians, we need to spare a thought for those people trapped in traffic as a result of our crusades and vigils, and do everything possible to mitigate the hardship faced by travelers. If JESUS was holding a crusade on the expressway and was informed by Peter that there were thousands of people trapped in traffic due to his crusade, JESUS would have compassion for those passengers and would make provision to make sure that no one suffered. Since we are all followers of Christ, let us do what JESUS would do.

3. Unity In the Church

Just like the church in Corinth, a number of Nigerian Churches are divided along the lines of the church leaders and denominations. While some say they are Pentecostal, others say they are Apostolic, some say they are Anglicans , while others say they are Methodist and the list goes on and on. This division is not only between different churches, but also between parishes of the same church, whereby members boast of the spiritual superiority of their church relative to other parishes. I recollect hearing somebody describe another branch of her own church as the ‘funny version’ of her own parish. The division in the church is partly caused by lack of knowledge and also by a number of leaders who want to build personal empires.

Spiritual arrogance is also pervasive in our community, with a number Christians arrogating that their pastors have a monopoly on the knowledge and mystery of the scriptures. It is not unusual to hear them say, “My pastor is ‘worded’” or “come to my church where you will really learn the scriptures”.

‘Evangelism of the converted’ is another evidence of this lack of unity. What do I mean by ‘evangelism of the converted’? It is when born-again Christian ‘A’ goes about preaching to another Christian ‘B’ to leave her or his church and join the church of Christian ‘A’. Evangelism of the converted is not an effective approach to expand the Kingdom of God. The time and effort spent preaching to the converted should be channeled towards those that need to accept JESUS. After all our Lord JESUS made it very clear that he came to seek and save those that were lost.

Paul put it right when he said that we are the body of Christ, and each one of us is a part of it. If Paul is correct, then all the different church denominations are all part of the body of JESUS Christ, who is the true head of the Church. Since we are all one in Christ, then why the division in the church?

It is time for us to put aside this ‘Paul’, ‘Apollos’ and ‘Cephas’ division and work towards unity in Christ. What would Nigeria be like if the churches unite to organise a week of evangelism on the streets of Lagos? What would the country be like if the churches unite to organise a prayer walk round the capital of all the states of Nigeria? What would the country be like if the churches unite to make politicians accountable for their electoral promises? Surely Nigeria will be a better place.

So let us focus less on the things that divide us and concentrate on what unites us.

4. Teaching/Doctrines/Activities

Another area that I would address is the doctrine and activities of our churches.

Speaking generally, most of the doctrines of our churches are in accordance with the word of God. However, some aspects of the churches’ doctrines, teachings and activities need to be more properly aligned with the Word of God. In other instances, the preacher may need to emphasis certain aspects of the gospel more often.

Before discussing these doctrines and activities, I would like to address an attitude that needs to change in our community. I am concerned that we Christians sometimes do not imbibe the attitude of the Berean Christians who not only listened to Paul’s message, but also searched the scriptures to ensure that what he said was in line with the word of God. It is very common for us to say “x, y and z is correct because Pastor said so in church”. I have had conversations with a number of people on certain areas of the scripture and when I ask for the scriptural basis, I am told that the pastor said so in church. This attitude increases the risk of the congregation being misinformed if a pastor’s teaching is wrong. There is also a risk that heretic teachings could go undetected.

Christians should strive to independently search the scriptures to ensure that the pastor’s teachings are in line with scriptures. Furthermore, the congregation should feel free to discuss any concerns regarding a misaligned doctrine or message with the clergy without the fear of being cursed or tagged confrontational. Likewise, the preacher should also be open to constructive criticism regarding any message or doctrine that is not in line with the word of God.

I will now go into specific aspects of the misaligned doctrines, teachings and activities:

a) Gifts and Fruits of The Spirit: While a lot of teaching has been done on the various gifts of the spirit, less teaching has been done on the fruits of the spirit. The gifts of the spirit are very important for the effective functioning of the body of Christ. We are also instructed by Paul to eagerly desire these gifts.

However, one cannot emphasis the gifts without also emphasizing the fruits of the spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22 which include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. If we can exhibit the fruits of the Spirit in addition to the gifts of the Spirit, the church would be more effective in changing attitudes in Nigeria. This is because when a non-Christian sees that we exhibit the fruits of the Spirit, he/she will be convinced and would be willing to listen to us. Our Lord JESUS makes it very clear that it is to God’s glory that we bear many fruits and show ourselves to be his disciples.

b) The Hand of God and the Face of God: One area of teaching that has been overemphasized is the prosperity message. Before going further, I would like to state my stance regarding the prosperity message. First, I believe that it is God’s plan for us to prosper and this is stated throughout scripture from Genesis up to Revelations. Second, I believe that the church has a duty to preach this message of prosperity to world. Third, I believe that God instructs us to tithe and that there are blessings associated with tithing. Fourth, I believe that God is ready to take care not only of our spiritual needs, but he is also ready to take care of our physical needs.

However, the teaching regarding prosperity has been asymmetric. There now appears to be a view that there is a strong correlation between godliness and wealth. I have attended church services where the preachers teach that poverty is a sin. Moreover, in some services, people who make higher contributions towards the church are publicly acknowledged and singled out for blessing by the minister. This act obviously is in contradiction with how JESUS viewed the contribution of the rich people and the poor widow. Our Lord JESUS looked beyond the value contributed by the wealthy, who gave out of their abundance, but rather looked at the heart of the poor widow who gave with a pure heart.

On the area of sowing and reaping, the congregation is taught to sow into the kingdom in order to reap materially. By overemphasizing the sowing and reaping principle, the congregation could be encouraged to give to God in the expectation of material blessings, rather than to give with a pure heart. If, however, God chooses to delay the blessing for a season, there is a risk that the giver becomes disillusioned. In addition, it will encourage people to go to any extent to acquire ill-gotten wealth in order to give to the church, with the expectation that God will reward them for the seeds sown into God’s kingdom.

Furthermore, there is an overemphasis on financial prosperity, while other aspects of prosperity such as health, unity peace etc. are not addressed. It is important to teach the congregation that prosperity does not only exist in financial terms.

We all agree that JESUS spoke about riches, money, talents and coins, however, we need to look at the context in which he used these words. Contrary to the teachings by some pastors that a sizeable part of JESUS’ teaching related to financial matters, an analysis of JESUS’ teaching reveals otherwise. When JESUS mentioned riches, he spoke about people who refused to mature spiritually due to their concern for riches and pleasure. When JESUS mentioned money he said, "you can't worship two gods at once - God and money”. When JESUS mentioned talents he taught us the rewards and consequences for using or not using what he has entrusted to us. When JESUS mentioned coins he gave us an analogy between a lost coin that has been found and a sinner that has been saved.

c) Treatment of the Rich and Poor: As a result of the above, the Church tends to celebrate the success of the wealthy and the influential. The rich and powerful are given undue attention. They have access to the clergy and are allowed to seat on the prominent seats in church. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case for those less well-off in society. The poor are sometimes made to feel that their poverty is the result of their failure to fulfill God’s plan for their lives. When it comes to ordaining ministers, deacons and elders, sometimes wealth, influence and career become determining factors.

Should the rich and powerful get all the attention? Should eloquence, fame, and wealth be a basis for church leadership? In order to answer these questions, let us go to the word of God. When JESUS selected his disciples, he did not use financial weight or influence as a basis for selection. Neither did the eloquence of educational status play an important role. Paul in his letter to Timothy specified several attributes that should be taken into consideration when selecting church leaders. His list did not mention influence, wealth or career, rather he said leaders should be self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, gentle and free from the love of money.

Due to the celebration of the rich in most of our churches, the congregations are often motivated to get rich quickly, at any cost. This has lead to Christians falling into the trap of the love and lust for money. It is not unusual to see Christians preoccupied with the quest of ‘making it big’. One can hardly have a decent conversation with most Christians without them talking about money, contracts, deals or connection most of the time. Some pastors are also known to strike deals and sometimes take the short cuts in order to acquire wealth. Paul puts it right when he say that people who want to get rich could fall into the temptation and traps, which could lead to destruction and ruin. Furthermore, President Obama’s comment that "Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential” is something that we should ponder on.

When preaching about prosperity, teachers need to emphasise the risk of the love of money in order to discourage people from carrying out ungodly activities in order to get rich.

d) Workers in the vineyard: For the church to run effectively, it is important for people to volunteer for the Kingdom of God. As part of that process, the workers need to be adequately equipped to carry out their responsibilities. One important way of equipping volunteers is through training. This training process is carried out regularly in our churches. Sometimes the requirement to become a worker is so stringent that it defeats the whole purpose. For instance, people are required to report to church very early in the morning and if they are late for whatever reason, they are sometimes publicly ridiculed or dismissed from the workforce. This requirement is difficult for married couples who have to get up early, wake up the kids, bathe them, clothe them and prepare their food. All while trying to rush to church to beat the deadline.

The difficulty of the training regime to become a worker has two effects. First, it discourages people that have a desire to serve the Church. This denies the body of Christ a vast resource of willing, talented volunteers. Second, the strict regime often leads to a situation where people no longer view their service as part of the advancement of God’s Kingdom, but rather as a way of complying with man-made laws.

The Church should encourage willing volunteers to use their skills and talents for God’s kingdom by relaxing the drastic volunteer requirement.

e) Ring/No Ring: There is a lot of discrimination in the churches against people who are not married. Just as widows were discriminated against during the time of Paul, the unmarried are now discriminated against in a number of churches. The unmarried are labeled as ‘singles’ in a condescending manner. The unmarried are also made to feel that they are not fulfilling God’s purpose for their lives. The church leadership plays a part in fuelling this form of segregation. It is not unusual to listen to messages, which state implicitly or explicitly that ‘singles’ have problems or ‘singles’ are possessed by an evil spirit or that ‘singles’ are not praying enough.

The unmarried members of the congregation are often isolated within the church and pressured to join the ‘singles’ fellowship; as a result there is often no integration in the church between the unmarried and the married.

This marital apartheid has two effects. The first is to make some of the married people suspicious of the unmarried members of the church. For instance a number of married women in church become very suspicious of unmarried girls, thinking that they want to snatch their husbands. The second effect is that it puts unnecessary pressure on the unmarried to get married at any cost. This often leads to the unmarried entering into unproductive relationships in order to join the ‘elite married’ group in the church. Could this be a contributory factor to the rising divorce rate in the country?

As King Solomon put it, there is a time for everything under the sun. Just as there is a time to get married, there is a time to be single. Rather than degrade the unmarried in the congregation, the Church should work towards making effective use of the unmarried. After all it was the Apostle Paul who said that “An unmarried woman is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband”.

Just as there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, there is no difference between the married and the unmarried, as the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, whether married or not.

Moreover, there is a disturbing trend in which some of the church leaders determine the timing for people to get married. This usually occurs when the pastor instructs unmarried ladies who are committed in the church to wait for years before granting them permission to get married. Sometimes the pastor determines whom these ladies can marry. In other instances, church members are pressured to marry within their congregation and if any member is engaged to someone outside the church, strategies are put in place to frustrate the relationship.

The activities of these pastors’ amounts to an unnecessary intrusion into people’s privacy and the sooner this practice stops, the better.

5. Social Justice

In the area of social justice, the Nigerian Church still has more work to do. Before going further, I would like to provide the scriptural basis on why the Church needs to get more involved in social justice. From the Old to the New Testament, reference is made to the need to maintain justice. For instance, the Psalmist pronounced a blessing on those that maintain justice. Furthermore, scriptures tell us that the righteous should care about justice for the poor. We also learn that our Lord JESUS was a strong advocate for justice. He admonished the teachers of the law for neglecting justice. The book of Isaiah tells us that the Lord loves justice. Since we are children of the Lord, we have no choice but to also fight for and maintain justice. Fighting against injustice is a key ingredient in demonstrating love of Christ and an effective form of witnessing the gospel.

Throughout history, the church has been at the forefront of speaking against injustice. In the 17th century the Quakers played an important role in the campaign against the transatlantic slave trade. In the 1960’s the church played a leadership role in the civil rights movement, which eventually lead to the dismantling of the segregation structures in the United States. Most of the well-known charities such as Oxfam, Amnesty International, and Christian Aid, are heavily influenced by Christian principles. Furthermore, Florence Nightingale was influenced by the teachings of our Lord JESUS to leave behind her wealthy upbringing to take care of the poor and the wounded.

In Nigeria, the churches have done some laudable things such as building of schools, homeless homes, in addition to prison visitation etc. However, more still needs to be done.

There are two areas I would discuss in relation to the Church’s apparent apathy towards social justice, namely: the church’s response to political misgovernance, and its response to the abuse of children accused of witchcraft .

Misgovernance

The church has a role to play in engaging with the political classes on issues relating to the welfare of the country. When the activities of the political classes conflict with those of the citizenry and the Word of God, the church should be the vanguard of fighting for the oppressed. The church should also put pressure on the government to improve its governance. A particular area of misgovernance that the church needs to be more actively engaged is in the fight against corruption. This is because the high level of corruption in Nigeria is not good for the country’s image and it also leads to the redistribution of wealth of the nation from the ‘have’s not to the ‘haves’.

The church can play a crucial role in influencing policies for the betterment of the people, especially since some church leaders have access to the political leadership of Nigeria. A number of politicians attend church programmes and are often allowed to address the congregation. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for politicians to visit some church leaders for ‘spiritual protection’ and prayers. Unfortunately, in spite of this access, the church has been relatively silent on the misuse of power by the political classes.

In the days of the Old Testament, God sent the prophets to relay his messages to kings, especially those who misruled and contravened God’s laws. For instance, Samuel told King Saul that because he had rejected the Word of the Lord, the Lord had rejected Saul as King of Israel. Since God is a just God, he is not happy when the rulers of the land oppress his people and carry out activities contrary to his will. The Church leadership, especially those that have access to politicians, should be more confident in relaying God’s message and judgment. The clergy should emulate John the Baptist, who reproved King Herod for having an affair with his brother’s wife, even though the warning was at the risk of John’s life.

Rather than being consoled by the silence of the Church, the political classes should be disturbed by the Church’s insistence for justice. Now that the Church leadership has unprecedented access to the politicians, now is time for the Church leadership to be bold enough to deliver God’s messages to the rulers of the land.

Now is time for the Church leaders to be as bold as Samuel who was not afraid to tell King Saul “Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king”.

Now is time for the Church leaders to be as bold as Nathan who was not afraid to tell King David “Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes?”.

Now is time for the Church leaders to be as bold as Elijah who was not afraid to tell King Ahab “You've dumped God's ways and commands and run off after the local gods, the Baals”.

Now is time for the Church leaders to be as bold as Daniel who was not afraid to tell King Nebuchadnezzar “You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven”.

Now is time for the Church leaders to be as bold as Jeremiah who was not afraid to tell King Zedekiah “Thus saith the LORD behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon”.

Now is time for the Church leaders to be as bold as JESUS who was not afraid to tell King Herod "You fox, I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal”.

Child Witches

The second issue I would discuss is the abuse of children accused of witchcraft in certain parts of the country. On this issue, most of the churches fall into one of two categories: either as an active participant in the abuse of these children or a passive accessory to the abuse.

Active Participation: A number of churches have been labeling children witches and blaming people’s misfortune on the activities of these innocent children. As a result, these children are beaten up, publicly disgraced, ostracized from their family, and sometimes killed. In other cases, they are bathed with acid, hit with machetes and publicly stoned. Some churches even defile God’s sanctuary by chaining and torturing these kids inside the house of the Lord. According to campaigners against the practice, about 15,000 children have been accused in two of Nigeria’s 36 states over the past decade and 1,000 have been murdered.

Between 1888 and 1915, a Christian Missionary by the name of Mary Slessor worked tirelessly to end the barbaric practice of killing twins in Nigeria, however, almost one hundred years later, Christians (who worship the same God as Mary Slessor) are now involved in the killing and torturing of so called child witches. How depressing.

These abuses have brought shame to the Church. For instance, the website of Stepping Stones (an organization responsible for rehabilitating children accused of witchcraft) states: “Stepping Stones Nigeria does not wish to denounce any faith organisation. However the role of the church, especially some of the new Pentecostals, in spreading the belief in child witches cannot be underestimated. There are numerous so-called pastors in the region who are wrongly branding children as 'witches' mainly for economic self gain and personal recognition.” Some of us may flinch at this statement and accuse Stepping Stones of insulting the Church. However, if we must be honest, what they have stated is the truth.

Here are some other headlines and comments relating to the issue, which I have gathered from the global press:

Churches Denounce African Children as ''witches''

“Nigeria Pastors Deem Children Witches Leading to Death and Carnage”

"Christians" Kill Child "Witches" Don't They?

“'Bishop' who claimed he'd killed 110 child 'witches' is arrested ...”

"It is an outrage what they are allowing to take place in the name of Christianity,"

"Christianity in the Niger Delta is seriously questionable, putting a traditional religion together with Christian religion - and it makes nonsense out of it"

“Evangelical pastors are helping to create a terrible new campaign of violence against young Nigerians”

Passive Participation: The second way in which the Church has participated in this detestable act is through our passive association. The majority of the churches fall into this category. What do I mean by passive participation? We participate passively when we remain silent when this gross injustice is carried out against children. We participate passively when fail to call the perpetrators of this act to order. We participate passively when we fail to show compassion to the abused children.

The church needs to answer these questions:

Where was the church when Nwanaokwo Edet’s Pastor accused him of witchcraft thereby resulting in his father killing him with acid?

Where was the church when Samuel, Esther and Sarah’s parents abandoned them after a prophetess claimed that they were witches?

Where was the church when two sisters named Victoria and Helen accused of witchcraft were left alone in an old shack to survive by eating leaves and grass?

Where was the church when nails were driven into the head of nine-year-old Etido, who was accused of witchcraft?

Where was the church when some villagers nearly severed the arms of twelve-year-old Udo, also accused of witchcraft?

WHERE ON EARTH WAS THE CHURCH WHEN ALL OF THESE ATROCITIES WERE COMMITTED?

Now let’s go back to the scripture and see what our Lord JESUS has to say about children. First of all we are all instructed to have a childlike character. In fact JESUS makes it very clear that unless we change and become like little children, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Secondly, when the disciples tried to prevent children from accessing JESUS, he rebuked the disciples and told them not to hinder the kids. Unfortunately, the activities of the Nigerian Church in this regard has alienated these children from approaching JESUS, and we will be held accountable for this if we do not speak out. Finally JESUS said in Matthew 18 verse 6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea”.

We may argue that we are not guilty of these atrocities since we did not drive the nail into the head of Etido, or severe the arms of Udo or bath Nwanaokwo with acid; however, since we keep silent, we are just as guilty. Martin Luther King once said “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people”. This statement applies to the Church and it is time for us to wake up and fight against injustice in whatever form, because if we keep silent then we are co-operating with it.

So let us pay attention to social justice and avoid being like the Pharisees so that JESUS will not tell us: “You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every Naira and Kobo you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like justice and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it”.

Am I a Radical?

Having read the issues raised in this letter, some may label me as a radical. Though, I would not describe myself as a radical, neither would I like to be tagged as a radical, however upon second thought, I might gain a measure of satisfaction from the label, if it would lead to a reformation in the Nigerian Church. Was Martin Luther King not a radical for justice: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Was David not a radical for the house of the Lord:“ I will dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” Is Obama not a radical for change: “This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change.” Throughout the course of history, there are times when we need radicals for change.

Message to my Non-Christian Brother and Sisters

Thanks for having the patience to reach this part of my letter. Before I round up, I feel that I should devote this section of the letter to you. You may wonder why I have copied you in this letter, especially as you are not born-again Christians. It is a valid question to ask, but I think I would be doing a great injustice in not copying you in.

I know that some of you may be disillusioned with the activities of what I will call a minute segment of the church. However, that cannot be used as a basis to reject Christ or to disregard Christianity. For instance, just as we cannot use the activities of a few corrupt bankers as basis to describe every Nigerian banker or Nigerian as corrupt; similarly we can’t use what is going on in our churches to describe Christianity.

I would like to explain what Christianity is about from two perspectives, namely our paradigm and religion.

Paradigm: We are called Christian because we are followers of JESUS Christ our Lord and Saviour. I repeat again, we are FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST. JESUS Christ is our paradigm and as Christians, we aspire to emulate his behavior. However, because JESUS is perfect and committed no sin, it is impossible for us to emulate him. Fortunately, because JESUS knew of our fallibility, he came to earth and took on our sins. Though Christ never sinned, God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.

You may observe that certain things may not be right with the Church. You may even question the validity of Christianity. However, remember that JESUS is our standard and model. We may not always meet up to this high standard, but this still does not deny the power of our Lord. As we the Church strive to be more Christ-like, remember what JESUS stands for. JESUS stands for justice, JESUS stands for righteousness, JESUS stands for compassion, JESUS stands for hope and JESUS stands for Love.

Religion: Christianity in its true form is more than a religion. It is more than the magnificent church buildings; it is more than the lifestyle of the pastor. Christianity is about a personal relationship with our Lord JESUS. When evaluating Christianity, look at JESUS Christ. When JESUS was here on earth, he also had an issue with religion, which is often burdened with man-made rules and doctrines that drive people away from God instead of drawing them near.

I will give you an example from JESUS’ time on earth. There was a woman who was caught in the act of adultery and at the time she was supposed to be sentenced to death, according to the religious law. The religious people brought the woman to JESUS and wanted to know his opinion on the matter. However, rather than condemn the woman and judge her with the religious law, he challenged the religious people by telling them that if they had committed no sin , then they should throw a stone at the woman. Since the religious people were not clean, they left the woman alone. JESUS then told the woman that he does not condemn her and he forgave her sins. From this story, you can learn what Christianity is all about, it is about restoration of our relationship with JESUS and our justification through JESUS resurrection and it not about man-made rules.

If there is one thing that you should remember, sorry I mean two things to remember, they are: First what you see going on in some of our churches is not a reflection of what Christianity is all about, and second and more important: JESUS loves you.

Conclusion

Never in my life have I written such a lengthy letter. If you have been able to reach this part of the letter, please accept my apology if it has taken much of your precious and valuable time. It should have been shorter, but I have been carrying this burden for almost eleven years and I have reached a stage that has left me with no choice but to express my concerns through this medium.

I would like to reiterate that I have no intention whatsoever to cause division or confusion within the Church. I have come to the point of writing this letter because my conscience leaves me with no other choice. This letter is borne out of my love for JESUS Christ and for the Church for which he gave his precious life .

As I have earlier explained to my non-Christian brothers and sisters, we as Christians are the followers of Christ. As a result, we have a responsibility to ensure that the Church is effective in witnessing to the non-Christians. Effective witnessing can only be achieved if the people we are preaching to can see the fruits of JESUS in our lives.

So when we do things, let’s pause for a second and ask ourselves the question, ‘What would JESUS do in a similar circumstances?’ For instance, would JESUS remain silent when a nail is pieced through Etido’s head? Would JESUS discriminate against the unmarried in his church? Would JESUS accept criminal proceeds as tithe and offerings? Would JESUS give undue attention to the rich in his midst, while ignoring the poor? Would JESUS ignore the plight of passengers caught in traffic due to a crusade organized by JESUS? Would JESUS enjoy the luxuries of life, while his congregation wallow in abject poverty? Would JESUS wine and dine with corrupt political leaders without pronouncing the judgment of God upon them? Would JESUS publicly ridicule a mother for coming late to church? Would JESUS curse any of his disciples or congregation who disagrees with his viewpoint? Answering these questions should guide us on our Christian journey.

I would like to close by imagining what Paul would have said if he decided to write to the Nigerian church rather than the church at Corinth. I guess it may go along these lines: If I have fifty thousand church branches scattered all over the world, but no love, then I am like an ant colony; If I have twenty million people attending my crusades, but no love, then I am like a mega pop star; If I make the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the lame to walk, but have no love, then I am like an amalgamation of an Ophthalmologist, Otolaryngologist and an Orthopedic surgeon; If I can quote the scriptures from beginning to the end and from the end to the beginning, but I have no love, then I am like an IBM Roadrunner Supercomputer.

SO LET US ALL DEMONSTRATE THE LOVE OF CHRIST.

If I have written anything in this letter that overstates the truth of what is going on in the Nigerian church, I plead for your forgiveness. If, however, I have written anything that understates the truth of what is going on in the Nigerian church, I plead for the Lord’s forgiveness.

Keep the faith.

Your fellow citizen of the Household of God

Ahmed Olayinka Sule, CFA

suleaos@gmail.com

PS: If you would like to discuss any of the issues contained in this letter please feel free to contact me on my email listed above ,otherwise , you can go to my blog (link below) and leave your comments.

http://zangodare.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/nigerianchurch/

http://zangodare.wordpress.com

Appendix A- List of Some of the Clergies copied

* Pastor A.T. Williams
* Pastor Adejare Popoola
* Pastor Afolabi Oladele
* Pastor Afolabi Samuel Coker
* Pastor Agu Irukwu
* Rev. Albert Aina
* Rev. Dr Albert Odulele
* Pastor Alloy Okechukwu
* Pastor Amos Babajide Oyetuga
* Pastor Andrew Adeleke
* Pastor Anita Oyakhilome
* Archbishop Anthony Okogie
* Pastor Ayo Oritsejafo
* Rev. B Durosimi-Etti
* Pastor Babatunde Adebiyi
* Pastor (Mrs.) Becky Unoarumhi
* Pastor Ben Adewuyi
* Prof. C. Olowola
* Deaconess Ceceila Ibru
* Pastor Charles Ojei
* Pastor Charles Salako
* Pastor Chiristopher Adetoro
* Pastor Chris Ojigbani
* Pastor Chris Okotie
* Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
* Christian Association of Nigeria
* Christian Council of Nigeria
* Pastor Colin Bruce Starr
* Pastor D. Olowu
* Dr. D.K Olukoya
* Most Rev. Daniel Okoh
* Pastor Daniel Uwaeme
* Pastor David Ojelabi
* Pastor David Olatona
* Bishop David Oyedepo
* Apostle Dele Johnson
* Pastor Dele Oduntan
* Pastor Dupe Afolabi
* Pastor E.A. Adeboye
* Pastor Elijah Oludele Abina
* Evangelist Elishama Ideh
* Pastor Emma Omon
* Evang. (Dr). Emmah Isong
* Pastor Emmanuel Iwuoha
* Pastor Emmanuel John
* Pastor Erastus Akingbola
* Rev. (Dr.) Etukudoh
* Pastor Femi Emmanuel
* Pastor Femi Taiwo
* Pastor Festus Adewole
* Pastor Folarin Akinsola
* The Revd. Canon Foluso Taiwo
* Pastor Francis A. Tella
* Bishop Francis Wale Oke
* Minister Franklin Omoaghe
* Full Gospel Business Mens’ Fellowship International, Nigeria
* Rev. Mrs. Funke Adejumo
* Deaconess Funke Adenuga
* Apostle G.D. Numbere
* Pastor Gbenga Fagbami
* Brother Gbile Akanni
* Rev. George Adegboye
* Pastor Ghandi
* Pastor Gladys Bawo Omamofe
* Pastor Helen Ukpabio
* Pastor Ibiye Iyalla
* Pastor Isaac Temitope Olufoye
* Pastor James Fadele
* Pastor Joel Onyema Uzoma
* Archbishop John O. Onaiyekan
* Journalist For Christ
* Pastor Kayode Adefina
* Pastor Kayode Ijisesan
* Pastor Kayode Owolabi
* Pastor Kemi Ilori
* Pastor Ken Egede
* Pastor Kola Ayeni
* Pastor Kola Ayeni
* Pastor Kola Bamigbade
* Pastor Kola Ewuosho
* Bishop Kola Onaolapo
* Pastor Kolawole Carew
* Pastor Kunle Oladebo
* Pastor Laolu Bamiteko
* Pastor Lawrence Osagie
* Bishop Margaret Idahosa
* Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo
* Pastor Mercy Arinze
* Pastor Mike Dada
* Bishop Mike Okonkwo
* Pastor Mike Tomomewo
* Pastor Modupe Afolabi
* Pastor Niran Fafowora
* Pastor Nkechi Anayo-Iloputaife
* Pastor Nkem Emerald Osuigwe
* Pastor Nma
* Pastor Olatubosun Sowunmi
* Pastor Olubode Olutunda
* Pastor Oludare Akinbo
* Pastor Oludare Ayeni
* Pastor Olufemi Oyelowo
* Pastor Olugbenga Adenuga
* Pastor Olutayo Ojajuni
* Pastor Omawumi Efueye
* Pastor Oyonnude Kure
* Pastor Paul Adefarasin
* Pastor Paul Akazu
* Rev. Paul Emeka
* Pastor Paul F. Usman
* Rev. (Dr.) Paul Jinadu
* Pastor Paul Oloyede
* Maj-General (Pastor) Paul Toun
* Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria
* The Most Reverend Peter .J. Akinola
* Pastor Peter Oludare Oloso
* Pastor Philip Aladesua
* Rev. (Dr.) S. A. O. Oyelade
* Pastor Sam Adeyemi
* Prophet (Dr.) Samson Ayorinde
* Prophet (Dr.) Samuel Abiara
* Pastor Segun Kingsley
* Pastor Segun Olatunde
* Pastor Shola Adeaga
* Dr. Sola Fola-Alade
* Pastor Stella Babalola
* Archbishop Sunday Makinde
* His Eminence, Dr Sunday Mbang
* Pastor Susan Somide
* Pastor Tai Olamigoke
* Pastor Taiwo Odukoya
* Dr. Tayo Adeyemi
* Pastor Tayo Ojajuni
* Mrs. Titi Oluwatudimu
* Pastor Tony Rapu
* Pastor Tope Dosunmu
* Pastor Tunde Bakare
* Pastor Tunde Olorunwunmi
* Pastor Tunji Akinola
* Rev. Ucho Abel
* Dr. Uma Ukpai
* Pastor Victor Erhabor
* Pastor W. Kumuyi
* Pastor Wale Adefarasin
* Pastor Wale Babatunde
* Rev. (Dr.) Wilson Badejo
* Pastor Yemi Balogun
* Rev. (Dr.) Yinka Ojo
* Pastor Yinka Somotun
* Pastor Yomi Adeyemi
* Bishop Yomi Isijola