With its headquarters in Lagos and branches across Africa, Europe, and North America, Christ’s Healing Evangelical Church has grown into a truly global ministry. Founded 54 years ago, the church now has a presence in countries such as South Africa, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, the United States, and Canada. In this exclusive interview with ADEOLA OGUNLADE, ahead of the church’s international convention holding in Lagos from February 18 to 22, themed “The Praying Church,” the church’s General Overseer, Pastor Samuel B. Ogunfowokan, speaks on the ministry’s origins, his dramatic personal journey of faith, the changing face of Christianity, his emergence as leader, the urgent need for doctrinal revival, and why missions must return to biblical foundations.
While researching, I noticed that churches are bearing the same name in America and other parts of the world. Are they part of the same ministry?
Yes, they are part of the same Christ’s Healing Evangelical Church. The ministry started here in Nigeria over 50 years ago. This year, we are marking 54 years of existence. From here, the church spread to Europe, America, and other parts of Africa.
Today, we have over 30 branches in Nigeria. We also have branches in Rwanda, Congo, Burundi, South Africa, and in the United Kingdom—Scotland, Gloucester, and London. We are in Germany, and in Ireland—Dublin. In the United States, we have branches in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, and Dallas, as well as in Canada.
Are you the founder of Christ’s Healing Evangelical Church, and how did you come to join the ministry?
No, I am not the founder. I am the second General Overseer of the church. The founder was the late Apostle Micheal A. Bamidele, who hailed from Ayede Ekiti. We are not biologically related, but I am a product of his ministry and divine calling.
I joined the church through my eldest sister, who is now deceased. She lost her first pregnancy, and when she became pregnant again, an elder advised her to come here for prayers. She was accommodated and began attending services here.
I came to visit her, and during that visit—about 46 years ago—I heard the gospel in a way I had never heard it before. I was formerly a member of the Methodist Church, Palm Avenue Mushin, along with my parents. But that day, the word of God touched me deeply, and I surrendered my life to Christ. Since then, I have remained here.
Was it your sister’s healing that touched you, or was it something else—and what stage of life were you in at the time?
It was not the healing that touched me; it was the preaching. The Word of God pierced my heart. I suddenly realised that I was a sinner and that I needed to turn a new leaf. That day, I surrendered my life to Jesus.
At that time, I was not in school. I had dropped out of secondary school. Academically, I was a total failure. I never passed properly from primary to secondary school; I was always promoted on trial. Eventually, I dropped out in 1978 and went into upholstery and furniture making. That was what I was doing when I came to visit my sister—and that was when Jesus found me.
How did your encounter with Christ transform your educational journey?
In 1980, after a Sunday service, I heard a voice call my name. It sounded like my father’s voice, but when I turned, nobody was there. Then the voice spoke again and said, “I have saved your heart, and I have saved your brain. Go back to school.”
I told my parents, and we began searching for a school. In 1981, I was admitted into Baptist Academy, Obanikoro, to restart my education. Since then, I have never left school. Today, I am currently pursuing my PhD after two Masters.
How did you emerge as the General Overseer of the church? Was it by succession, prophecy, or election?
My emergence as the General Overseer was by divine providence and by election. It is important to understand that God does not always choose leaders based on human standards such as charisma, achievements, or popularity.
Let me say this clearly: my emergence as General Overseer 17 years ago does not mean I am the best pastor. No. Some ministers are more charismatic, more talented, more experienced, and more accomplished than I am. But God does not go by human qualifications. He does not choose based on certificates, years of service, or public appeal. God chooses based on purpose.
Years before the founder passed on, another minister went to pray on the mountain for a programme we used to have, which we called Jacob’s Night. While we were praying, the other minister—who is prophetic by calling—received a word from the Lord. He said God was about to call the founder home. He then declared that I would be the next General Overseer.
At that time, the founder was still alive. In fact, he was about 73 years old then and would later pass away at 78, five years after that prophecy. I did not announce it to anyone. God instructed me to keep quiet, and I obeyed.
When the founder eventually passed on, I was already in London, pioneering the UK branch of the church. The minister who gave the prophecy had relocated to Houston, Texas, pastoring one of our churches there. Yet, unknown to me, consultations were ongoing among the elders, youths, and various leaders of the church. They began a voting process, considering several qualified candidates.
Eventually, through that democratic process, I emerged. That is why I say it was both divine and by election.
So your emergence followed a biblical pattern?
Exactly. Both divine selection and election are biblical. Let me give you an example from Scripture. In 1 Samuel, Chapters 9 and 10, Saul was divinely chosen by God before he was ever elected by the people. God revealed him to Prophet Samuel privately. Samuel anointed him secretly. Saul himself did not announce it. Later, the whole nation gathered, and through a public process, Saul was elected king. So God confirmed His choice in two ways: divine instruction and public affirmation.
That same principle applied in my case. God had spoken privately, but the church later confirmed it through a democratic process. That is how God works—He establishes His will both spiritually and practically.
What lesson should young people and leaders learn from this process?
The greatest lesson is that we must live by purpose, not by material gain or public pressure. Today, parents force their children into professions they were never called into—medicine, law, engineering—just because they think those careers guarantee security.
But if God did not call that child into that profession, he or she may struggle for life. I know people who trained as doctors but later discovered their true calling was in the arts, ministry, or leadership. Once they are aligned with purpose, they find peace and fulfilment.
When God chooses you, He will make a way for you. When you choose yourself, you will struggle. So leadership—whether in the church, government, or any institution—must be based on divine direction and collective wisdom, not ambition.
With Christianity at 2.3 billion, Islam at 2 billion, and with spiritual decline in Europe, what are the implications if the church continues on its current path?
When I look at the Bible, I will not claim to have a perfect understanding of it, but one thing is clear: the Bible is full of prophecies, and many of them have already been fulfilled.
Before Jesus Christ was born, several prophecies were given concerning His life, ministry, death, and resurrection—and they all came to pass. In fact, Jesus Himself was the fulfilment of many of those prophecies. You will notice that in the book of Matthew, the writer often says, “This was done to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet…” Whether from Isaiah, Psalms, or other prophetic books, everything aligned with what God had already spoken.
Now, before Jesus left this world, He also made certain predictions about the end times. My question is: can we pray against what Jesus Himself predicted?
For instance, He asked a very deep question: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). He did not say, “Will I find churches?” Churches will still exist. But will I find genuine faith? Will I find Christians like Daniel, Joseph, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—people who refuse to compromise no matter the pressure? Honestly, looking at what is happening today, I personally cannot confidently answer that question in the positive. Jesus also gave the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. All ten were waiting for the bridegroom. All ten were virgins—meaning they represented believers. But the Bible says something very striking: all of them slept. Spiritually speaking, sleep represents lukewarmness, inactivity, prayerlessness, compromise, and spiritual negligence. That parable is not about the world; it is about the church. The bridegroom is Jesus. The virgins are the church—believers who are supposed to be waiting for Him. Yet Jesus said all of them slept. When I read that, fear gripped my heart. I don’t want to be asleep spiritually. I want to be on fire. I want to be active. I want to remain fervent. But Scripture says that when the bridegroom finally came, only five had enough oil. Oil represents the Spirit, spiritual preparedness, depth, and consistency. The others had run dry. That parable speaks about the end-time church. It tells us clearly that not everyone who calls themselves a Christian will be ready. Jesus also said in Matthew 24 that when the rapture happens, two will be in the field—one will be taken, and the other will be left. So no, I do not foresee the world getting better spiritually before Jesus returns. According to the Bible, things will get worse. Moral decay will increase. Compromise will increase. Deception will increase. If I start praying that the world should get better in contradiction to what Scripture says, then I am praying against the Word of God. What we should be praying for is not a comfortable world, but a prepared church—a church that is awake, rooted, uncompromising, and full of genuine faith.
What should the church do urgently at this time?
The church must return to its true assignment. We must preach righteousness. We must preach purity. We must remind people that Jesus is coming again. We must take the hearts of believers away from excessive materialism and bring them back to the Scriptures. It is time to preach sound doctrine. Enough of this obsession with material prosperity. We don’t need it as the foundation of our message. Who teaches birds how to feed themselves? Who teaches them how to clothe themselves, reproduce, or give birth? They do all these naturally because God has built it into their system. The same applies to animals—they multiply and survive without attending seminars on prosperity. That is not the primary assignment of the church. The purpose of the church is to address humanity’s real problems: Satan, sin, and sickness. These are the true enemies of mankind. The devil is not playing games—he has come to steal, kill, and destroy. The church must teach people how to overcome him. We must teach people how to live righteously, how to resist sin, and how to walk uprightly before God. If I live a righteous life, if I conduct my business with integrity, God will bless me. I don’t need to manipulate God with prosperity prayers before He blesses me. Righteousness naturally attracts God’s favour.
Let me give a simple example. If I give a tailor a fabric and he promises to finish it in two weeks, but calls me on the tenth day and says, “Sir, it is ready,” that is righteousness. That is integrity. That kind of person does not need special prayers for prosperity—God will bless him.
But if someone is very skilled, yet constantly breaks promises, disappoints customers, and lacks integrity, I may admire his work, but I will never recommend him. Skill without character is not enough. The church must stop raising skilled people without values. We must raise righteous people. That is our true calling.
Can you share with us about the upcoming convention?
The theme of the convention is ‘The Praying Church’, inspired by Acts 12:5, which says, “And Peter was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” We chose this theme because we see that prayer is declining in the church, and we want to reignite the ember of prayer among believers.
Prayer is dynamic and powerful. When done rightly, it brings healing, deliverance, and breakthrough. In Genesis 20, Abraham prayed for Abimelech, and the Lord healed him. Similarly, the early church prayed fervently for Peter, and he was miraculously delivered. Prayer works when it aligns with God’s will, and it has the power to change circumstances. The convention will run for five days, from Wednesday to Sunday, February 18–22, at our campground along Kilometre 45, Mowe. We are privileged to host several ministers, includin
Many people say Christianity today is different from what it used to be. What, in your view, has changed?
The major difference is in the focus. In the past, the focus of Christianity was heaven. Today, the focus has shifted to earthly things. The emphasis now is on materialism.
In those days, messages centred on heaven, hell, the coming of Christ, repentance, and readiness for eternity.
You would hear sermons like: “Jesus is calling. Are you prepared? Are you ready for the rapture? If Christ comes today, will you go with Him?” These messages stirred the heart. They reminded people that this world is temporary and that one day we will all leave it. The question then was, where are we going after this life?
