By Gboyega Alaka

The Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria and Overseas, yesterday celebrated its retired president, Pastor Abraham Olukunle Akinosun.

In a statement signed by the church’s Director of Publicity, Pastor Ademisoye Alawode, the Chairman of the Retirement and Send-off Committee, Pastor Benson Akanmu said the committee left nothing to chance in the celebration of the president who led the church between 2011 and December 31, 2020.

During his tenure, Akinosun was able to push through a lot of reforms in the administration of the Church and the physical developments both at the Ikeji Arakeji Prayer Camp and at the General Secretariat of the Church in Ibadan.

Some of Pastor Akinosun’s lieutenants have also been paying glowing tributes to the man.

Pastor S. O. Oladele, who took over the mantle of leadership, commended Akinosun for his humility and team spirit. He said he never had cause to differ from whatever decision taken: “There was no occasion for disagreement. We made joint decisions. So, I can’t opt out of any decision taken”.

According to the General Secretary of the Church, Pastor E. E. Mapur, Akinosun did his best in improving the church far better than he met it in terms of reformation of the administrative set up and human capital development; as his tenure saw to massive retraining of ministers in the field, through Enhanced Leadership and Administrative Training.

The programme, run with the cooperation of the Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), and which started from the most senior ministers of the Church has percolated down to the rank and file of the ministerial cadre of Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria and Overseas and graduated close to 6000 ministers.

Also speaking, the Finance Director, Pastor Johnson F. Omitinde described Pastor Akinosun as a consensus builder. “He would allow everybody to contribute to debate on issues before decisions would be taken; once taken, the decision became binding on everybody”.

Pastor Akinosun’s tenure was also credited with the rapid development of the camp at Ikeji Arakeji where residential structures have sprung up within the last five years thus reducing the tension prayer tourists and participants at Church programmes used to be exposed to anytime they had programmes in Ikeji Arakeji.

In a recent chat with the Media Team of the Church, Pastor A. O. Akinosun said he was “filled with joy in his heart” that he has “been able to do the little he could to put the Church on the development track.” However, being a team player, he said whatever he was able to achieve during his leadership of the Church, the glory belongs more to his lieutenants than to himself.

By Adeola Ogunlade

The National Secretary of The Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Pastor Yomi Oyinloye, has restated the commitment of the church toward extending the frontiers of the gospel in cities and unreached communities across the country.

Oyinloye said this at the inauguration of Okota District and the installation of Rev Tope Oni as District Overseer.

The event was held at the church premises in Okota, Lagos.

According to him, “the church is in a decade of soaring and with the grace of God; we believe that Nigeria as a country has been chosen by God to bring about the end time revival; Foursquare is poised to be an integral part of this mandate given to Nigeria.”

He noted that the church of God is matching forward and the gate of hell cannot prevail against it. “We have a divine mandate to reach the world for Christ and we are determined to fulfill this mandate no matter the opposition.”

He pointed out that during the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, there were oppositions to Nehemiah and when the temple was being rebuilt, there were oppositions to Ezra, adding that there will be Sanbalat and Tobiah  and Gehson, but God gave his servants victory.

Oyinloye reassured Nigerians that there would be an end to every problem confronting the nation.

He said “Nigerians should be hopeful and be more prayerful because ‘this is the time for us to know God.  Those who don’t know God should run to God, so that He can come and deliver them.”

He cited the Bible saying that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro in the face of the earth, looking for those who are perfect toward him that he may make himself strong on their behalf.

“This is not time to seek powerless power or give yourself to despair or do the wrong things but repent and run to the almighty God and by God’s grace, God will remember every one and turn our adversity to prosperity,” he said.

He charged ministers of the gospel to continue to open themselves to the Holy Spirit that has given them the opportunity to serve so that whatever God has for them in mission and resources, they would be able to access it.

In his words, the newly appointed District Overseers, Pastor Tope Oni said that the appointment came unexpectedly and as a great surprise, stressing that as obedience servants of God, who are completely crucified to the flesh and to the world, “we have no choice than to obey him in absolute surrender.”

He explained that “this is an extremely onerous and demanding job, and God uses us to lead and drive the all-round growth of God’s church in Okota District and as God directs us to meet the multidimensional, spiritual, emotion, material and physical needs of the brethren, and as he works through us to prepare his people for eternity.”

He said the church would build a District and churches that are strong, healthy, vibrant, with brethren living  according to the standards of God’s  of  word and walking in the fruit of the spirit, in holiness, love and unity and with the consciousness of heaven.

Popular and renowned prayer intercessor and General Overseer, Restoration Prophetic Grace Evangelistic Ministry (RPGEM), Prophet Samuel Shittu, has stated prophetically that Nigerians should hold their peace, pointing out that no situation is beyond God, just as he also assured that, God will rise to help Nigeria out of her socio-economic and political problems.

This was stated in a statement issued to The Nation yesterday ahead of the church monthly interdenominational 3-day prayer, fasting, vigils, praises holding on Thursday, June 24 till Saturday June 26, at Idi-Omo, Osengere, Egbeda, along Ife-Ibadan Expressway, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Shittu advised Nigerians in particular Christians to continue to lift the nation’s leadership up to God in prayers, while emphasizing that the prevailing insecurity and leadership crises in the nation would soon be resolved by an act of God.

He noted that prayers would be offered for the nation, states, individual homes, communities and the generalities, noting that God still answers prayers.

Shittu further stressed that it is true that the state of the nation is worrisome, “but my advice to all Nigerians is that we should all continue to pray for our leaders, that, God will give them the wisdom to do things right and take Nigeria out of its present security and economic challenges.”

He added that by the absolute faith in Christ Jesus, those that attend the prayer summit will receive salvation from sins, solution to sicknesses, security for the season, showers of supernatural and lots more, adding that, God will break yokes, lift burdens, prosper destinies and enlivens the spirit, soul and body of those that attend the programme.

He went further to enjoined the Federal Government to henceforth take proactive measures to check the activities of the herdsmen, from further causing havoc to farming activities and to check food insufficiency, inadequacy and shortage, government should consider in the interim, importation of food items, to check the shortfall in domestic food supply.

As the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Youth Province 3, holds its annual conference, ‘Mind Shift 2021’, at the RCCG National Youth Centre, Redemption Camp, the pioneer pastor in charge of RCCG Youth Province 3, covering the youth churches in Ogun and Ondo States, Abioye Olaoluwa, speaks with Adeola Ogunlade on the Mind shift conference, and how youths can fulfill God’s mandate for their lives.

Mindshift’ focuses on the youth: the question now is; do the Nigerian youths really need a mind shift?

The Nigerian youths and everyone require a mind shift. But the reach of the programme has gone beyond those strata. We had a full virtual programme last year and people registered all the way from the U.S., UK, Island, South Africa, and a number of European nations because everyone needs a mind shift. Everyone needs a mind shift; and what that signifies is that ‘your mind is you’ and whatever goes on in your mind determines who the person is.

Let me give you an example: if you take a glass of water and you fill it to the half; if you ask somebody what can they see? Somebody will tell you that what you have is a half empty glass of water. If you ask another person; he will say half full glass of water. The two of them are correct but their mindset is different, and the bible says in Philemon 1:14; “that without your mind will I do nothing”. So, our mind is very crucial. The same scripture says: ‘to him who is able to do exceeding, abundantly above what you can ever ask or imagine according to the power that is working inside of me.’ So, if God wants to do something and our mind cannot handle it; then it becomes a problem. A Nigerian youth environment might look the way it is, but we need to start the correction from the mind. When somebody has a mind of abundance – if you take the person to a place where there is scarcity; he creates abundance there. But, when somebody has a scarcity mentality, if you bring the person to a place of abundance, he will create scarcity. That is why you see that people steal public funds because they might be rich in their pocket but in their mind; they are poor.

With that is mind set; to what extent should the youth focus on this shift considering the socio-economic situation of the country?

Like I said, it has happened in other nations before and when we have socio-economic challenges as a country; the young people should focus on the shift – that should be the paramount thing. If you ever ask some young people; you will hear people say things like national cake – when I get there; I will eat my own. Those people are eating our money, when I get there I will eat my own. So, it tells you that such people are going through poverty of the mind thinking that public things, public funds are supposed to be consumed. So, to actually correct the socio-economic situation; we need to get the minds of the young people to have a shift. At a point in this country, we  had a governor who was in his 40s; a senator who was in his 40s and a speaker of the House of Representatives who was in his 40s. But, has it actually changed anything? So, the mind is very key and like they say, a fish is better bent when it has not become hardened. So, it is better to work on the mind for now.

 You have a roll call of seasoned ministers for the programme; what influenced your choice?

When you look at the programme ‘Mindshift’, our aim is to get to all the areas where humans are actually defined. To touch them in the area of their spiritual needs; to touch the area of leadership, so that we build them to enlarge their capacity. To touch the areas of nation building and economy. To touch the areas of relationship in order to help them in expressing themselves. So, since we want to reach out to all these salient areas of life; that is something that always guides our choice of speakers. And like we have always had over the years; this year also we have an array of people. But more importantly we also focus on people that are excelling and they are people who are also saved: who are also godly. So that nobody will come and teach something that is not godly because it is the blessings of the Lord that make us rich and will not add sorrow to it.

This year’s theme is ‘Exponential’. Can you tell us more about the theme?

We are led to choose the theme exponential this year because last year our theme was ‘Buy the Future’. But, we are going exponential this year because exponential is  a raise of power. If you say two exponential three; you are saying two in three raised to the degree of three. It is the belief that whatever good that we are doing; we want everyone to take it to an exceptional level, and that is what you call excellence. So that is where the word exponential came from. In our mindset, in our creativity, in our community and our places, we want people to take it to greater heights and that is where the word exponential comes from. People should come and be impacted so that what is given unto you: you will not just maintain it, but you will begin to multiply it in an exponential manner.

In 2020, Nigerian youth in their numbers spoke their mind to power via the #ENDSARS protest. Would you say the government has responded positively to their cry?

The answer is capitally no. And, this is the first challenge concerning that protest. I don’t think the government actually listened. Because what you did not listen to, there is no way you can understand it. They didn’t listen and here lies the plight of the young people. So, trying to answer it or to provide what those youths are asking for will be difficult because when you want to do a strategic planning, there is something called the statement of the problem. If you don’t understand the statement of the problem very well, there is no way you can proffer a good solution to the problem. I think the leadership of the nation did not get the statement of the problem and that is why you will see that at a point when the police began to harass people they will be telling them – ‘you were the people who say they should proscribe us nah’; but they didn’t know those people were actually fighting for them. I think the government didn’t get the statement of the problem and I just pray that they get it right because almost a year after it still seems as if the statement of the problem is not really gotten well.

 Finally, what is your message to the youths of the province and others that would be attending this programme?

For those who will be attending this programme , I will implore them not to come alone and they should bring others because when we pull all our energies together we will be able to make a great effect.

In our local parlance, the elders say that when a snake walks in isolation it becomes less of a danger to anybody. People will easily kill a snake that is just wandering; but imagine you see about five, ten snakes at the same time, the person will be left with no choice than to run. They will run away because they have put their effort together. So, they need to come with an open mind because when they come to that conference, they will first unlearn, before they will now relearn. More importantly they should go out there and put to work all the things that they will learn. And for the youths at large, I would want them to still have a strong faith that things will still turn around better. But not only the faith, they should get busy; increase their capacity, then look at non- violent means of getting everything that they need to get. But they should put themselves under an oath that whenever they have the opportunity to stand for others, they will not go the way of the people they have complained about because if we keep doing the same thing, the same way, expecting a different result – that is the definition of insanity.

By Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

A popular pastor and General Superintendent of Redemption Ministries, Worldwide, Rev. Stephen Akinola, is dead.

Reports of Akinola’s passing came same period the world was mourning Prophet T.B Joshua of the Synagogue Church of all Nations.

Though the cause of his death could not be ascertained, it was gathered that Akinola recently went through a kidney transplant.

A former Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and former chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Rivers State, Apostle Eugene Ogu, confirmed Akinola’s demise.

Ogu, who is the founder and General Overseer of Abundant Life Ministries, Worldwide with headquarters in Port Harcourt, described his death as sad.

He said: “Yes, it is a very sad day for the christian community. We are talking of Prophet T.B Joshua then the next thing Akinola.

“It is so sad. I pray that God comfort the entire body of Christ because he (Akinola) has laboured so much for the body of Christ.

“That his soul rest in peace and God condoles the body of Christ and his family”.