Apostle Wale Owodunni, President of Hope of Glory Missions Network, is arguably the Saint Paul of our days. He has been reaching out to nations and cultures with the gospel in the last 25 years. He spoke with Sunday Oguntola on some of his trials, triumphs and difficulties on the mission field
How did you start mission works?
It started sometimes in 1987. I visited a mission field in the North and was touched. I realised what we were doing back here in the south is just church while many people are dying. My heart went out to them and I made up my mind I was going into mission. I had a friend then, now in the US. We met and prayed and started something. Indeed, we started but after sometimes, we hit the brick wall. We had no proper training and funding. We were stranded. He left me and relocated to the US. Then, I started again and kept struggling until 1990 when I began to see light again.
By 1992-1993, I went through training with Christian Missionary Foundation (CMF) and became a career missionary. I was already ordained a Reverend before then but needed mission training.
Were you ever into secular work?
Yes, I am an engineer by training. I worked in several companies and financial institutions.
Where are some of the mission fields where you have worked?
By the grace of God, we have worked in several nations in Africa and outside. We worked in Congo Brazzaville, Republic of Benin, Mali, Gambia, Senegal, Togo, Ghana, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Central Africa Republic (CAR), Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. We have done crusades in Cameroon, Sam Tome and others.
How do you get funding for all of these?
When I believe God wants me to do something, I put all my heart into it. Many times, I have sold personal effects and property. I have sold cars, houses and stuffs. Then, some friends that believe in us support us. There are three people that have been really helpful. Pastors Taiwo Odukoya, Sam Adeyemi and Rev Kunle Adesina in Abeokuta. They have been very strong and courageous supporters.
Would you share some of your field experiences working with people from different cultures?
Every country we get to, our focus is to learn the local dialects for easier communication. I have learnt some of these dialects because we stay for about three, four years with them. In Gambia, they speak walof. In East Africa, everyone is heavy on Swahili. You got to learn all of them or else, you cannot communicate with these people at all.
Where have you enjoyed working most?
I have enjoyed working most in Sierra Leone because the Lord gave me an opening I have never enjoyed elsewhere. When I was leaving Nigeria, I had only $200 despite the fact that I had no contact. I came in but the friend that was supposed to receive me disappointed me. I waited in the airport for more than eight hours but at the end of the day, a woman picked me up to a prayer summit for West Africa. Fortunately, when I got there I met a friend coordinating the session, Rev. Austin Ukachi. He saw me and things began to happen. Doors were opening for me. By the time I spent two weeks, I had enough money to do the work. God was working through me to the extent that I was connected to the presidency. God used me to bless many government officials.
And your most difficult field?
I can say it is Gambia and Mali. These countries are basically Islamic so I get reported to the police and arrested many times. I was taken to the stations and quizzed. They wanted to know why I was disturbing the people. Mali was really a tough ground for me, I must be honest. In Congo Brazzaville, it was also tough. When I got there, I did not have money. My permit was only for three months. Policemen were coming to check my papers every day. It was so challenging I didn’t know what to do. The plan was to arrest me after three months that I was living illegally in the country. But then I met a general whose daughter was sick without solution. I prayed a simple prayer and God healed the lady. From there, God began to perform miracles. By the time the police came for me after the three months, the general had helped to formalise my papers. So, they could not arrest me. They came but were surprised. I will never forget that nation. The first day I got there, my money was stolen at the airport by police officers.
What has kept you going?
God has been my strength. He has been so faithful. There were times I felt like quitting but He kept encouraging me. But when I look around me, I see men that keep disappointing me. Many churches have failed us but God has been good.
Which salvation stories on the field touched you most?
There is a woman in Gambia who is very powerful and rich. Somehow, we got connected and I started preaching to her. She would only laugh because her interest was to marry me. She told me to forget about Jesus. One day, she invited me to her room, opened her wardrobe and I saw a lot of things. She showed me one soap and said if she wanted to see President Yahiya Jammie, she would just bath with it. She wondered why she needed Jesus despite her powers. I left there, praying to God to do something that will make her come to Him. One day, she had a headache but it refused to go. She was in the hospital and used several drugs without effect. I led her to Christ and the headache disappeared.
A couple came to one of my meetings in Kenya. I led them to Christ and they said they had a challenge. Their son had been in prison for three years and was not even charged to court. We prayed and the son was released miraculously. The testimony bought a lot of people to Christ. So, God has been helping us and visiting people. In Nigeria here, we met a lady who was 47 years but had backslidden. She rededicated her life but was wondering who will marry her at that age. I prophesied she would be married in the next one year. As God would have it, when she celebrated her 48th birthday, she got married.
Is this what you are doing to do for the rest of your life?
Yes, this is all I will be doing. I mean there is no greater call or commitment after 25 years of doing this. The only thing we want to do now is to start a mission-based church in Nigeria where we can mobilise prayers and support. I am not going to pastor it because I will remain a missionary for the rest of my life.
Do you really need a church, having suffered for 25 years without one?
I believe we need one because I am getting older. The strength is not much again. Two, the attitude of many pastors towards mission is appalling. They only encourage members to support their activities and not mission. We need prayers too because we are involved in real warfare.
How committed are churches in Nigeria to missions and missionaries?
A lot of them are not committed at all. They are only committed to themselves. When they tell you they are doing mission, they are only planting churches in places where they are not needed. A lot of them prefer to go to Canada, US, UK and other western nations. They neglect where missions are really needed. We have so much works to do in Africa. In Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, you find many mission works. People are really yearning for the gospel yet we revel in mega churches and structures over here.
