FOR more than 11 years I lived in Abuja before Tribune management moved me to Lagos, I was a devoted member of the Living Faith Church a.k.a, Winners Chapel. I was also a worker in the Sanctuary Unit, of the main Abuja church then in Durumi, before the relocation to present-day Faith Academy.
With joy, early Saturday mornings, men and women, some with enviable social standings, resumed to scrub toilets, creatively dubbed the White House, clean. The cars, dotting the parking lot, spoke to the calibre of men and women, who would be singing praises to God as they energetically peeled of every noticeable faecal stain on the toilet seats, floor and walls, especially in the children section.
It was God’s work and nobody paid anyone, a shekel. During prayers to round off every cleaning session, which would include sweeping the main auditorium, overflow platforms and the massive premises, we would make supplications to God, to clean up our lives as He has helped us to clean up His house. Looking back, I believe God honoured the yester-year’s (pro-bono) service.
In the last 12 years of living in Lagos, I have fellowshipped as a member of the RCCG. Why I switched, is a story for another day.
In 2004, a major crisis broke out in Abuja Living Faith. The apex leadership, defined by Pastor David Oyedepo, had caused his then-high-flying Bishop and leader of the Abuja church, DayoOlutayo, now the presiding pastor of Good Tidings Bible Church, Abuja, to be transferred to Port-Harcourt as the Bishop-in-charge. Of course, Dayo, is sibling of Faith Oyedepo, the wife of the founding Bishop. For days and weeks, parishioners weighed options, when it became clear Dayo would not bow to the order of his then-boss, spiritual father and big sister’s husband. The younger generation in Living Faith Abuja was particularly restive. When Dayo eventually resigned his pastoral duties in Winners and launched his own ‘ministry’, eventually confirming the initial rumour he would not be moved outside of ‘lucrative’ Abuja, he practically halved the Durumi assembly. Ironically, his ‘church’ wasn’t also faraway from where he was rebelling from. After a lot of pressure from a friend who would likely read this, it took me just one curious Sunday service at the ‘new’ church to conclude that like China products, it won’t ‘last’.
No, I’m not talking about the structure or name, enduring. I’m talking about ecclesiastical integrity, spiritual discipline and congregational ethos. I’m talking about not just jumping out of fatherly spiritual cover. I’m talking about not becoming assumptive of one’s spiritual strength, stability and even grace.
1 Corinthians 10:12, says “let him that thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall”. When one decides to become a vine when he should remain a branch, a fall, isn’t far off.
I once interviewed Pastor Ituah Ighodalo. His ‘ministry’ appears to be doing well today, but his hurt was obvious when we discussed walking away from RCCG over discipline issues. Rebelling over correction can also be dangerous.
No, I’m not saying God can’t call a lieutenant, but Bible is replete with allowing ‘Daddy’ ministry to end somehow, before starting with the ‘son’. Eli/Samuel, Moses/Joshua, Elijah/Elisha, et al. Even David had to wait for years after being anointed king, for Saul to expire, before he could take the throne.
Suspended RCCG celebrity pastor, Idowu Iluyomade is rumoured to have resigned his pastoral duties with the church. He is also being tipped to start his ‘own’ church. Of course, like Olutayo in Abuja, the former City of David leader, is likely to go ‘mega’ in Lagos, especially on the Island, supported by his billionaire flock in RCCG, who are also likely to exit with him. I hesitate to put mouth when a man says he is doing God’s work or has been called by God for a particular assignment. It is between him and Him and if he has called His name in vain, it is still between him and Him. But the Iluyomade script bears too many disturbing similarities, to Olutayo’s. Maybe the Lagos RCCG man should pause and take a second look at where his Abuja Winners’ brother is today, 20 years after his rebellion and ask God again, if it is truly time to move.
Agbala Gabriel
Their Ibadan-based colleague and social media sensation, Pastor Gabriel Ademola Amusan, known as Agbala Gabriel, can also learn a thing or two, from the embattled duo, in handling storm and stardom.
Like Olutayo’s ministry of rehabilitation of the poor and the needy in Abuja, known as Lifegate Care Centres, the young Ibadan realtor, has obviously made a name for himself with crowd-funding philanthropy, employing a reality-show style, to pump his audiences into giving.
As expected, he has been in and out of controversies, with the latest being his involvement with a trending revolting devotee, a certain Muyideen. Back and forth on social media isn’t my thing, but since the saga has seeped into online media, it is important to point out the salient facts to parties, especially the man-of-God who is gapingly missing it by trying to be god-of-man and in this instance, god of Muyideen, in his quest to win souls.
No doubt, one can be sincerely wrong, even in God’s name and work. Making an adult to live within the church premises and restricting his access to the outside world (in the house built for him through crowdfunding spearheaded by Gabriel) as well as compelling church attendance, all, against his will, is textbook definition of abduction under the Nigerian legal system, regardless of his wife’s awawi (unhelpful explanation) and the allegation the fellow was a gambler, wasting his money on Baba Ijebu.
Then, beating him, with corroborating laceration on his back, is pure crime of assault, torture and causing him grievous bodily harm. And to think this Agbala fellow has travelled the world, even if not well-lettered. Isn’t travelling a major part of education?
In America, where he must have severally been to, by now, he would not be granting interviews with softball questions from PR guys masquerading as independent journalists, he would be in orange jumpsuit, with a mugshot to boot, attending his trial which government would open against him, whether Muyideen presses charges or not.
Reverend King once operated the way Gabriel is doing now and he is now a condemned criminal, awaiting execution, because authorities waited until he murdered a young lady. But for death, authorities, obviously in bed with controversial men of God, would have tolerated a lot from T.B Joshua and his Rev. King’s spiritual leadership style.
Police should raid Agbala Gabriel’s church and free those in ‘captivity’ whose financial misfortune is being used to limit their choices.
Salvation is a gift from God. Gabriel can only help the poor and the needy, sow a seed of salvation into them by preaching the good news of Christ and leave the rest to Holy Spirit, who can convict and convince. Pastors who struggle with God for attention in soul-winning always end with the kind of mess Gabriel has found himself.
If anyone dies in his custody in the name of being ‘Daddy’ to him or her, the blood will be on those in authority in Oyo State.
Muyideen even preferred to be homeless again, rejecting the house and the ownership documents, despite being built for him from public donation, simply because of proximity to Daddy Gabriel.
What manner of ‘archangel’ is this for God’s sake?
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