The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sunday magazine

  • Baptist churches for summit

    The New Estate Baptist Church Surulere Lagos has concluded arrangements to host the annual Kingdom Life Summit, which brings together all that churches and individuals which had roots in the mission-minded assembly.

    The summit holds with theme wonders of the word from February 13-15.

    The gathering, according to the convener, Rev. Julius Omomola, is for edification, education, empowerment, fellowship and ministerial networking.

    Omomola, who addressed newsmen in Lagos, noted that the choice of the theme for this year was chosen to challenge and remind Christians that their existence is charged out of the need to living out the word of God before professing it.

    He said the summit is geared towards bringing Christians back to the basic of faith through wonders of the word.

    According to him: “Changing the society and the country require changing the individual life and the family unit.

    “The areas of focus during the summit will be

    to rejuvenate the love for the bible, build a loving family, help the young ones be focused and directional as well as an opportunity to raising ambassadors for Christ in all areas of life.”

    Speakers at the summit include: Bro Gbile Akanni; Rev Chika Ossai-Ugbah; Rev Mike Babatunde and Rev Samson Adedokun.

  • Cleric warns Jonathan against cabals 

    The General Overseer of God’s Mercy Revival Ministries Lagos, Pastor James Akanbi, has warned President Goodluck Jonathan to shun unhealthy advice from politicians that could work against the overall interest of Nigerians.

    Akanbi made this appeal in an interview with The Nation at the first anointing service of the church.

    The service with the theme I shall weep no more attracted thousands of worshippers and featured song rendition, bible teaching, prayers and prophetic ministration.

    He urged Jonathan to work in the best interest of Nigerians in every situation and stop being a puppet of some cabals whose interest could throw back the nation from the annals of history.

    These cabals, he said, have been in control of the leadership of the country for decades and always want to protect their own interest by every means.

    He opined that the development of Nigeria lies solely on firm, honest, forthright and committed leadership.

    Such leadership, he added, must strive to provide essential services directed at making life suitable for the rural poor.

    God, he claimed, told him that the president will be a spokesman to the few cabals, if he gives in to the pressure from them.

    Should this happen, Akanbi stated that the masses will be in for trouble as they won’t be able to access quality health care, potable water and other essential services.

  • Be bold to declare God’s mind, says prophetess

    Be bold to declare God’s mind, says prophetess

    The founder of Christ Glory Breakthrough Covenant Mission Akure, Ondo State, Prophetess Dupe Oluwayemi, aka (Ayaba Jesu), has challenged preachers not to be afraid to declare the mind of God on national issues.

    She said most of the tragedies and disasters in the nation would have been averted had servants of God quickly revealed them to Nigerians.

    Oluwayemi ,however, urged them to be sure they declare nothing but the mind of God every time.

    The popular prophetess spoke with newsmen last week in Lagos.

    She said: “We must be bold and courageous to speak whatever God shows us.

    “We should not be afraid or mind if they come to pass or not. Ours is to declare and it is up to God to bring them to pass.”

    The preacher, who was called in 1984 but started the ministry in 1997 with only seven people, said those who avoid politicians in the name of being careful are doing the nation a great disservice.

    According to her: “We should be approachable and accessible to people irrespective of their various professions and careers.

    “Our doors should always be open to anyone who needs prophetic and spiritual counselling, so politicians are no exception.

    “We should seize the opportunity to tell them the mind of God and show them God’s way forward.”

    On the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election, Oluwayemi said: “There will be problems to the point of killing one another through hired killers. This is the result of the election says the Lord: “Fayemi will win the coming election but if prayer is not thoroughly observed, the election will be run twice.

    “The government should ask for the hand of God for help.”

    In Osun State, she said: “This is how the result of the election will be: Someone will rise up as a new aspirant that will shake Aregbesola’s administration and there will be election manipulation but at last Aregbesola’s will emerge winner.”

    He solicited prayers for Ekiti, saying “the government should invite various ministers of the gospel from diverse denominations to be part of the prayers and all ambitious politicians should be warned to be careful and stop planning evil against each other.”

    On how she came across the name Ayaba Jesu, she said: “The name is not just a formulated one, neither is it a product of emulation and appellation but it has a divine backing.

    “This came into existence when I was taken into seven heavens in a revelation during the inception of my calling in 1987.

    “I received a very befitting reception and send forth and the Almighty God named me Jesus Queen which is translated as Ayaba Jesu in Yoruba.”

  • CAN decries persecution of Christians in the north

    Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South West Zone, Archbishop Magnus Atilade, has decried the growing threat to lives and property of Christians in the northern parts of the country.

    He spoke at a media conference by the body in conjunction with Christian Welfare Initiative (CWI) in Lagos.

    According to him: “The brutality, cruelty and inhuman manner in which Christians in the north are being systematically and consistently slaughtered by Islamic fundamentalists has reached an alarming proportion that we are compelled to speak out. This is inhuman.”

    He cited the 2013 World Watch List report, which states that 66% of Christians killed globally were Nigerians.

    Atilade said: “We are, however, disturbed and very alarmed at the rate and consistency with which Christians are being slaughtered in northern Nigeria, in a manner similar to the genocide in Rwanda.

    “As a result of these crises, thousands of Christian men, women and children have been murdered, children have become orphans, women are widowed, children are fatherless, while innumerable Christian men and women have been maimed and mutilated.

    “It is unbelievable that in this age and period, human beings could descend to such level of inhuman barbarity and cruelty while claiming a divine mandate.”

    Atilade continued: “Nigeria belongs to every Nigerian and we advocate peaceful coexistence of all the various groups in the nation.

    “Whoever wishes to be a Muslim should remain a Muslim and whoever wishes to remain a Christian should remain a Christian.

    “Each man should live according to the convictions of his heart without intimidation or oppression from any other group.”

    The cleric noted that it is equally disheartening that even moderate Muslims that do not seem to support these agents of death and destruction are also targeted and killed by members of the Boko Haram group.

  • ‘Running a church is heart-breaking’

    ‘Running a church is heart-breaking’

    The President of Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Bishop Wale Oke, is one of the pioneering Pentecostal preachers in the country. He spoke with Sunday Oguntola on his proposed Precious Cornerstone University (PCU) as well as the 25th anniversary of the church arm of his ministry. Excerpts:  

    By February, Christ Life Church will be 25. But there is a nagging question you can’t run away from. People said you

    should have remained a field evangelist and not start a church. How do you react to this?

    No. It is not people that determine my call; it is God that determines my call. I have not stopped being a field evangelist and church-planting has not hindered my evangelistic works. Our evangelistic works started in 1976 and we never planted a church until 13 years later. We only held crusades and conferences.

    My friends and colleagues told me to start a church and I said no. My senior colleagues also said the same and I said no. My friend, Bishop David Oyedepo, came to me to start a church, I said no. Baba Adeboye said so and I insisted. The late Archbishop Benson Idahosa also approached me and I said no…

    … So, what made you change your mind?

    I didn’t change my mind but I simply listened to God. I am a servant of God and in ministry works when you listen to a man and run into troubles, you will only be able to count on the support of that man. But early February 1989, I was preaching for somebody in Lagos and he lodged me in SMA Guest house in Yaba. I was praying in the morning when the Lord spoke to me very clearly from the last verse of 2 Chronicles 6 that the time to start a church had come.

    And because God spoke, I had to move. I mean I can argue with Oyedepo, Baba Adeboye and the late Idahosa but who am I to argue with God? When He said that was the way to go, I gave in. The following Sunday we started and it was like wildfire. Under one year, we were over 1,000. Under one year, we had bought this Victory Garden and God has been with us.

    But people still say you are no more on the fields like you used to be

    I am still on the fields. I am still going tomorrow. You see, if that is your calling, nothing can tie you down. You can never be fulfilled until you go. I am still so much on the fields. Last year, we held so many crusades that ended in Ibadan with one that brought all the churches together. I ministered with Morris Cerrulo.

    Lately, not much has been heard about you. Are you hiding or something?

    (Laughs) Bishop Wale Oke is alive. It is amazing that people say they have not heard from me that much. We have been everywhere, but the only thing is I don’t do much of media talks and evangelism. I have come to realize that we must do much of that these days. Other than that, I am still well and alive, kicking in the Lord.

    25 years, what lessons has church work taught you?

    It has taught me patience. The job of the evangelist is back-breaking but the work of a pastor is heart-breaking. One stretches your back and the other breaks your heart. I have come to understand and appreciate pastors better. I have over 500 of them under me across the world. We are ordaining about 200 of them in February.

    So, I have learnt to be patient. The evangelistic work is combative but pastoral work is all about endurance and being gentle. That does not come easy for an evangelist like me.

    During the Obasanjo’s years, you prophesied seven years of abundance to be followed by another seven of scarcity. What is the update?

    I should be asking you (laughs). You know, the seven years of abundance came. As soon as that word came, the prices of crude oil shot up. But when God gives prophecies, they are not cast in stones. He told Hezekiah to set his house in order, that he was going to die and the man prayed. God reversed it. I led a prayer chain across the 36 states of the federation that ended in Abuja against famine.

    I thank God that he answered the prayers. Our economy is still one of the fastest-growing in the world. But the truth is there is no day that lasts forever. When we are in the midst of abundance, we should prepare for the future. We should invest in infrastructure, education, power and build up our reserves so that when shaky times come like it has hit them in Europe, we would have something to fall back on. That is my counsel.

    In 2007, you did the stone-laying for Precious Cornerstone University (PCU). Six years after, what is the update on the project?

    The update is that we are taking off finally in September this year. NUC has come and we are at the final stage of approval. You see, a university project takes time and consumes money. It is not a quick-fix. For the past six years, we have gone through all manners of processes.

    We have already submitted the final papers for licence. They have been here to see what we have on grounds. They told us what to do and we have reported back to them. We are waiting for the final nod and ready to take-off. We are using Victory Garden as a take-off point and we have another five years to complete our permanent site on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. We have fenced the land, did the gate house, constructed a borehole and did parts of the campus roads. NUC has been there to see what we are doing and they are happy. After five years, we can move there.

    Nigerians still have issues with the involvement of the church in university education…

    The church brought education to the country. The best years were when churches were in charge of the education sector. Government took over and messed them up. Our university is also in shambles and we are here to rescue the situation. We don’t want strike for even a week. If you go abroad, you find out that Harvard University was started by a church; Yale was by a church.

    So, the experiment of university involvement by the church in Nigeria has been good. Go and check and you can always see the difference. Besides, I am someone who will never do anything in ministry except God ordained it. So, I have his word to do a university…

    God told you to start a university?

    I can assure you He did.

    But the impression out there is that starting a university has become a contest among churches…

    It is good. If it is a contest, it is a good one because the Bible said we should provoke one another to good works. But PCU is not a matter of contest but a product of divine instruction.

    So what will be different with PCU?

    Well, here we are producing entrepreneurs, job creators, not job seekers. Two, it will be a bilingual university. Instructions and classes will be in English and French. That is because that is the way the world is going. If you are proficient in English and French as an undergraduate, the world is under your feet. There was a candidate for a United Nations job sometime ago from Nigeria that lost out just because he wasn’t bilingual.

    I said to myself then, ‘if I have an opportunity, I will make every graduate in Nigeria bilingual.’ It is a good thing. It opens you up to the English and French worlds. It gives one a competitive edge. So, our students will catch it naturally.

    But what about those who don’t want to be bilingual?

    It is fine if they don’t want. But you must know that this university will not be for everybody. Law is good, but not everybody is interested in it; as good as medicine is, not everyone is doing it.

    Will PCU also observe strict regulations and rules for students considering that many argue most universities run by churches are advanced secondary schools, more or less?

    All those places where there are rules, go and check. Are there results? Do students do better? Of course, they do because the students are not distracted. There are no sugar daddies to chase the girls. No blackberry to chat nonsense. So, we are going to have strict rules and that must be stated from the word go. We don’t want a situation whereby sugar daddies can have access to our students and be telling them some sweet rubbish.

    We want graduates with good morals, not intelligent crooks who will squander our resources.

    Good, but the exorbitant fees charged by these universities are rather a put-off for many Nigerians…

    Okay, look at PCU now. We started over six years ago and we have been pumping money into it. By our estimation, our break-even point is five-seven years. Sustaining a project like this is massive. Whatever we charge cannot be enough. We have to keep pumping money. Besides, good, quality education is expensive everywhere in the world, whether it is run by the church or otherwise.

    What has God told you about 2014?

    God has told us that He is in charge of the nation. There will be challenges and troubles but everything will end well. He said we should not be afraid.

  • Commanding Supernatural Victory! (4)

    Since the month began, I have showed you why you need supernatural victory, what it takes to subdue the enemy and how to process the Word of God for the desired victory.

    This week, I will be teaching on how to walk in supernatural victory. Every supernatural victory is rooted in God’s Word and your tongue holds the key to your life.

    Bridle Your Tongue: In every battle, your mouth ultimately determines the result.

    Until your tongue is taught how to function, supernatural victory may never come your way! In Luke 21:15, Jesus said: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. To walk in supernatural victory, your tongue must be Word-bridled – it must be scripturally disciplined, because it decides the end of every battle. I’d like to provide a background for this subject.

    Confidence: Confidence is the greatest asset of every conqueror. It’s a known fact that most battles are lost to fear, because it takes confidence to become a conqueror. The fearful don’t have a future of victory. That is why the enemy aims at your confidence in every battle. If he can get at it, he has made a victim of you. You must be armed with confidence when going to war. Don’t be afraid of the opposition; instead, be conscious of God’s presence (Deuteronomy 1:1-3,8). The depth of your confidence, determines the strength of your voice, and the strength of your voice determines the response from God.

    Many are too feminine to walk in supernatural victory. In Mark 1:27, we read concerning Jesus: … For with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. Friend, it takes spiritual bravery to command supernatural victory! You need spiritual violence, to walk in supernatural victory. You can’t be beggarly and operate in victory; you have to be confrontational, daring, disregarding the comments of those around you!

    Refuse To Be Terrified: It is not everything you say that comes to pass. It is the things you say boldly in the Lord that get accomplished. You have to speak loud against sickness, poverty, and all satanic harassments. The louder your voice, the greater your victory. Therefore, go ahead and declare it! It is not just talking, but speaking with authority, refusing to be terrified by the adversary (Philippians 1:28). When fear steps in, victory is lost!

    Building Inner Strength: Proverbs 24:5 says: A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. The knowledge of the truth reinforces your inner strength. Psalm 125:1 says: They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. The word “trust” implies total abandon – no alternatives. Psalm 23:4-6 says: Yea, though I walk t hrough the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me… A consciousness of God’s ever-abiding presence builds inner strength in you.

    The Word of God says: That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16). The Spirit of God in a person strengthens his inner man. It is clear in the Book of Acts, how unusual confidence exploded in the apostles, after the Holy Ghost came upon them. On that day called pentecost, one of the apostles called Peter made his first long sermon to a large crowd of people. At the end of it, about 3,000 people repented and were baptised (Acts 2:1-41). It was the unusual confidence which exploded in Peter that gave him the victory he had over the people who gave their lives to Christ.

    These are the ways to build your confidence and then put strength in your voice, so you can command supernatural victory as a way of life. But you need help from God as His child, to access supernatural victory. When a person is born of God, he automatically has the Spirit of God in him. It is this Spirit of God in him that will make boldness, inner strength and confidence become his birthright. Being born of God (redeemed or born again) entails confessing your sins and confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

    If you are not yet born again, you can do so right away, as you say this prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. I cannot help myself. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious blood. Deliver me from sin and satan, to serve the Living God. Today, Lord Jesus Christ, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”

    I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:35 a.m., 9:10 a.m. and 10.45 a.m. respectively.

    I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

  • RCCG renovates technical workshop with N2.5m

    The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Holiness Model Parish Magodo has renovated the technical workshop block of Isheri Senior Grammar School, Lagos.

    The workshop, which cost about N2.5million, was dedicated and presented to the school by the Pastor-in-Charge of Province 37, Pastor Bankole Ajayeoba, last Sunday at the school premises.

    The renovation covered complete re-roofing with PVC ceiling, sliding aluminium frame glass windows, modern security doors, tiling and painting, among others.

    At the presentation ceremony were church leaders, students, teachers, community heads, and representatives of the Ministry of Education.

    Ajayeoba said that the project is in line with the church’s corporate social responsibility geared towards developmental projects in the neighbourhood.

    “In the education sector in Nigeria, RCCG has endowed professional chairs worth millions in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Lagos, Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University apart from the amount spent on annual scholarship awards to indigent students in tertiary intuitions all over the country,” he noted.

    He asserted that the decay in the sector is obvious and cannot be shouldered alone by government.

    While urging members of the church to engage in individual social responsibility by feeding the poor and helping the needy around them, he promised that the province will join hands with the parish in equipping the workshop with modern equipment.

    The Principal, Mrs. Aluko Mojisola, said: “God is faithful and in our faithfulness, He is always there. When we are in any situation that seems hopeless, God will stand up to help us.

    “We are grateful for this kind gesture and I bless God because Christianity is all about caring and putting smiles on the faces of those weeping, giving food to the needy and giving hope to the hopeless.”

  • Nine steps to effective prayer

    Prayer is a spiritual exercise which when faithfully done will yield rewarding breakthrough in the spirit which manifest physically to change unfavourable circumstances.

    Today, I will continue with Confession of who you are in the Lord and begin the third step which is Supplication.

    Who are you?

    If you can answer this question carefully and righteously, it will bring absolute deliverance to every area of your life. Let me remind you of who you are, in case you don’t know. You are the redeemed of the Lord, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and from the hand of the enemy (Psalm 107:2). Your confession of who you are in Him will bring immediate deliverance from the hand of the devil. For instance, I usually say “Lord, You bought me with your blood, shed it for me, and died on the cross of Calvary. I am seated at the right hand with you in heavenly places, far above principality, power, might and dominion (Ephesians 2:6). Lord, my life is hidden in you” (Colossians 3:3).

    Do you know what it means to be crucified with Christ? (Galatians 2:20). It means personal attachment to and reliance upon Him. Those who have faith in Christ live their lives in intimate union with Him both in His death and resurrection.

    Now, after confession and declaration of who you are as believers, you begin to confess your needs to God. We are not supposed to be anxious and worry but to confess our need to Him. This is Supplication.

    Step Three – Supplication:

    Supplication means petition (Philippians 4:6). God knows our petitions before we even ask. He is waiting patiently to hear the cry of our heart and if we are patient enough, (not rushing out after presenting your petition to Him), He will speak or be silent. His silence does not mean disapproval. His silence could mean, “I have heard and it is well with you”. Unfortunately, many people do not understand that. After their “give me” and “bless me” list of requests is over, they rush out of God’s presence back to either the television for news, reading the newspaper or browsing on the internet without realizing that the Almighty God is still waiting. Remember God is a person and not an iron. He sees, hears, feels and speaks. Thus He is expecting you to relate with him like a person, He wants you to have a long lasting relationship with Him so as to guarantee the answer to your requests.

    Total freedom can only come if you are connected to God. You get connected to God as you give your life to Christ. You can be born again today by saying this prayer:

    Lord Jesus, I confess to you that I am a sinner. Forgive my sins and wash me with your blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan. I invite you into my heart. I accept you as my Lord and personal savior. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus for saving me. Write my name in the Book of Life. I am born again in Jesus name, Amen.

    Write and share your testimony with me through: Pastor Amanda Ogunro, Rivers of Living Water Ministries, 540 Ikorodu Road, Maryland, Lagos. P.M.B 2854, Surulere Lagos, Nigeria. Or Call any of these numbers 08023180141,07064733154. Email: info@rlwm.org.

  • E-Church: The double-edged sword

    E-Church: The double-edged sword

    Buoyed by the army of waiting, distant members, churches are embracing e- services, a development that comes with positive and negative consequences, reports Sunday Oguntola

    FELIX Chukwuma works overnight every Saturday. He returns early Sunday mornings, exhausted and tired. A committed Christian from childhood, he misses being in church for fellowship. For years, he battled with his inability to attend Sunday services.

    But not anymore; he hit on the way out some six months ago. Once he catches a little sleep on arrival every Sunday morning, he logs on to the website of Daystar Christian Centre Lagos for live streaming of services.

    “I attend the third and fourth services at the comfort of my home. And I bet I do not miss out on anything at all. It is as good as being there,” he explains. He is one of the growing vast army of e-church (electronic church) members in Nigeria. These are invisible, committed members who attend church services right in their bedrooms. Their smart phones, Ipad and other electronic gadgets allow them to be so far away, yet so close by.

    The tyranny of time and busy schedules has turned most of them into distant, e-members. But what they miss in physical presence, they make up for online. Philip Olawale works mostly offshore in the oil sector. Attending church is totally out of the question for him, he stated. Most Sundays, he is either on the sea or berthing after a tedious work.

    Like Chukwuma, he simply joins the online service of The Wisdom Place, a new, thriving assembly in oil-rich Port-Harcourt. “The online service is just perfect for me,” he said. “As soon as I can squeeze time out, I just join the people of God on my smartphone and I have always been blessed.”

     

    The rise of electronic worship

    Olawale even participates in the offering session. “All I do is to log on with my visa card and pay whatever I have to as offering and tithes through quick teller,” he reveals. That way, he says he partakes of the blessings attached to paying tithes. Whether he is abroad or away, he says he attends services even much more than those in the church auditorium.

    Investigations revealed that most churches with e-services rake in more tithes and offering from e-members than those in the auditorium. A source in the IT department of a leading Pentecostal church in Lagos said: “The truth is most e-members have more money to pay. They are always the upwardly mobile members with no time to show up in church. So, they make money and pay more tithes.

    “Also, some members who attend services physically feel safer and more protected paying tithes online. Their identities are only known to core IT staff and they don’t feel under pressure or exposed to those who will be pestering them for assistance.”

     

    On how it has been as an e-church member, Chukwuma says it’s being enthralling. “All the guilt and bitterness I used to have for missing services have disappeared. I get as much blessed as those in the auditorium.”

    Mindful of the goldmines available in e-services, investigations revealed many churches have gone online. They now stream live proceeding for members who, for one reason or the other, cannot make it physically. Wisdom Osiri, the senior pastor of The Wisdom Place Church Port-Harcourt, said e-services is a contemporary way of taking the gospel to those outside the four walls of the church.

    “Jesus went where people were. Since there are members online, a church that wants to remain at the cutting edge must go there. We stream online and it’s been incredible the results we have recorded,” he shares. Aside from swelling membership, the opportunity to rake in more revenues is also one many churches are not willing to let pass them.

    Olawale and Chukwuma said the platform to be part of a church while many kilometers away are such an incredible plus. Without such opportunity, they are convinced they would have lost their faith and become lukewarm. Some churches also have facilities to record services that members can access later online for viewing. There is also podcast, which enables short broadcasts to be shared with online and Blackberry contacts.

    Most church leaders have functional Twitter handles where they share upcoming events and update members with spiritual insights. These handles boost mass followership, with many of them having to be verified to fight off fake accounts. There are also e-devotionals where daily spiritual nuggets are posted for the nourishment of members.

    Copies of sermon notes are shared online for members to have a grasp of messages they probably miss. With these online presence, many churches are becoming more IT-compliant, a development that exposes them to unintended challenges.

     

    The pains

    But not all that glitters is gold. E-church comes with a lot of baggage. In an era of scammers and cyber hackers, many churches are getting more and more vulnerable. Recently, some scammers created Facebook pages for senior pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi. They started using the pages to solicit for donation, a development that the church quickly arrested by issuing a disclaimer.

    Most church IT workers, who spoke with our correspondent, lamented that many hacking activities have been recorded in their official websites and social media platforms. Most people have fallen victim to the devices of scammers, further denting the image of the church. Besides, many church leaders believe the resort to e-church might breed an army of lazy Christians, who stay away from services at the slightest opportunity.

    Church Growth consultant, Dr Francis Akin-John, believes technology can be a blessing as well as a distraction to churches and Christians. “Yes, they boost membership but we must be careful otherwise our churches will soon be empty in the name of e-service. You cannot compare the physical assembly of believers with online platforms.

    “When we meet physically, there is a kind of warmth we generate. We can truly know ourselves and minister better. How do you know what challenges an e-member is going through? Can you even vouch for such a member you probably have never met? Nothing, not even technology, such take the place of meeting together as Christians,” he argues.

    He also frowns at the tendency of members to stay away from church because they can connect online. “I know we want everything delivered to our doorsteps but I am at a loss as to how an e-member can truly grow. When you don’t mix with others, how can you know who you are? We are breeding loners in the faith and this could boomerang.”

    There is also the increasing cost of maintaining functional streaming sites. Investigations revealed that churches spend a good fortune on software that enables them transmit live videos. Maintaining the IT department, it was also gathered, is coming at a huge cost, considering the expertise involved. Even then, the low rate internet penetration in the country makes viewing more of a nightmare for many e-members. Those who spoke with our correspondent admitted streamed videos fluctuate much to their discomfort.

    Because the online world is full of the good, bad and the ugly, churches are also becoming increasingly vulnerable. Recently, members of the IT department of a church were scandalised to find that the website had been bombarded with nude pictures. Thoroughly embarrassed, the church had no choice but to shut down the website despite its popularity.

    But for now, the trend keeps catching on with churches battling the challenges. While the church keeps marching on, scammers and con artists are also struggling to catch up. It is a double-edged sword that saves and also bites.

  • Bukky Osunkeye shift focus

    Bukky Osunkeye shift focus

    FUN-LOVING Bukky Osunkeye is the daughter of astute businessman, Chief Segun Osunkeye. She runs Azaria since 2003 when she launched her label churning out leather accessories,few years later,she added the long awaited Buki de l’Azaria clothing collections .The fun-loving lady has given socials a wide berth and now focuses on her business.