Dr. James Akanbi, General Overseer of God’s Mercy Revival Ministries (GOMERM)—one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing churches with vibrant branches across continents—has revealed how he was once dismissed as “insane” for abandoning a promising accounting career to answer God’s call into full-time ministry. In this interview with ADEOLA OGUNLADE, Akanbi reflects on his journey from corporate boardrooms to the pulpit, the role his accounting background plays in managing a multi-million-naira ministry, and the vision behind GOMERM’s flagship annual Zion Power Conference.
There’s a saying that no knowledge acquired is a waste. Tell us how your accounting management background is imparting on God’s Mercy Revival Ministries (GOMERM).
That’s perfectly correct! The Bible says known unto God are all His works from the beginning to the end. That I will be on this table today, God already knew about it from the beginning. I attended a college of education and took some business-related courses, including shorthand and typing. Today, my typing speed in the ministry work is awesome, which I acquired from my training in the college of education. I write and type all my books by myself. I typed with my fingers all the books that I have written and published. God already knew that someday I would be an author.
I was in Jos in 199I when I went for an accounting job, stock trading, auditing and other professional vocations. I was in a hotel on one particular night when I saw someone showing me some packs of about 25 books with my name, James Akanbi, written on them. I told the person that I had never written a book in my life. He told me that these were some of the books I would write someday. Now, I have written and published about 56 books. God already knew that I would write books in the future. I also discovered that my accounting management background was also to prepare me for a time like this in ministry management. This is a ministry (GOMERM) where the budget can run into hundreds of millions in a year. If you do not have such an accounting background, how do you relate with figures?
I set up a system in the church account department. I’m not a signatory to the church account. I use the system set up in my previous workplace. When you set up a system, you have control. I set up a very good number of effective systems in the management and administration of GOMERM. Those systems are running on their own. So, I don’t have management problems. My accounting management background helps in the work of the ministry. My disciplines in accounting management, business administration and leadership, which I acquired from further studies and training, both home and overseas, up to two Phd degrees, help in the setting up of the church’s various systems. There is a business aspect to running and managing a ministry. I have been able to bring the entire knowledge and experiences that I had acquired in accounting, business management and leadership to bear positively on the ministry
How did you feel at the time you quit your accounting career for full-time ministry?
It was tough quitting, especially being the first African on the board, and a general manager designate at the time God instructed me to quit. The package for my new position was alluring, yet God told me to quit. One of the senior managers wrote an official letter to me, almost calling me insane for resigning from my lofty job at a relatively young age for full-time ministry. The company proposed that I could work three times a week and two times in church a week, instead of quitting my job in the company. I jumped at it, but later presented the proposal before God, and He sternly warned me that I was on my own if I accepted it. I do advise my protégés in ministry who are still working in secular jobs not to resign their job, and to go into full-time ministry until they clarify with God. And here was God telling me to quit my job for full-time ministry.
Like Jonah, did you attempt running away from God’s instruction to quit your job for a full-time ministry?
Somehow, instead of quitting the job as God instructed, I attempted to set up a haulage business for the company. I wanted to buy two haulage trucks for the company; one for Jos and one for Ibadan. But I got yet another shocker. God told me the two trucks would have an accident one day. I had already priced the trucks, but here was God telling me to back out. At that point, I had to obey God’s instruction. So, I eventually resigned from my appointment and came into ministry full-time.
Looking back now, do you have any regrets about resigning from your job for full-time ministry?
No regret at all other than it has entered into my record with God that I didn’t have enough faith back then to jump at His word immediately. I do blame myself for arguing with God initially. I should have obeyed Him instantly without any reservation.
While serving as President of a Christian Fellowship on the campus, did you envisage leading a massive church like GOMERM in the future?
Point of correction: this work (GORMERM) isn’t massive yet. I can’t see anything massive where we are now. I’m still telling God ‘Please, forgive me. I haven’t gone as far as I ought to have gone. God showed me a lot of things at the beginning of this commission, most of which I haven’t accomplished yet. Maybe I haven’t paid enough prices to achieve all of them massively. Maybe I haven’t fasted or prayed enough. Maybe I have to give up, to go up. Probably, I haven’t given up enough. That’s why I haven’t seen the massive work yet. I know what he showed me, and this work is yet to near it. When I was the leader of a Christian fellowship on the campus, I didn’t come close to thinking of leading either a big, medium or small church someday. I gave my life to Christ in February 1979. By September 1979, I was on the school campus. I had not fraternized or interacted with any ministry to know the work of God or how to lead a church at that time. All I was doing then was serving in whatever capacity that was given to me. The only thing that was close to whether I will lead a church, either small, medium or big someday, was in 1982 when I was rounding off, and on a particular night, the Lord said to me, ‘Well done, son! You have done a good job on this small work.’ The time is coming when I will set you over a bigger work. That’s what probably could look like an inclination; an idea that looked like something that would happen in the future.
GOMERN’s annual ZION Power Conference every August is a flagship of the ministry. Tell us what inspired this yearly meeting, and how it all started?
In GOMERM we work by vision. We follow vision in everything we do. All you see at work in this commission are products of visions. Our coming to this location was by vision. So, our yearly Zion Power Conference was by vision. Our Campground was by vision. There is nothing we do here by ambition or by copying others. Sometimes in March 2000, I saw in a vision a flyer face down. I picked it up and saw it written on it; God’s Mercy Revival Ministry Power Conference Year 2000. An old man came closer and asked me, what is that in your hand? I showed him the flyer. And he said to me that will be the yearly name of the coming together of all of the sons and daughters in the ministry. That was how the yearly Zion Power Conference started from that vision.
How will you describe the conference’s impact over the years with testimonies?
Testimonies are natural and common occurrences at our yearly ZION Power Conference. I can’t describe or limit the work of the Holy Ghost. However, in one of the past conferences, there was a testimony of a participant from whom a plate of steel inserted in his knee in an accident was removed. There was also another testimony of an 80-year-old herbalist who attended one of the past conferences with eye problems. During the word ministration a light flashed on his eyes, and he started screaming I can see! I can see! We have a testimony of a participant healed of brain problems for 18 years. He is now a pastor in this ministry. There are several other and diverse testimonies.
What should the participants expect at this year’s meeting, particularly at the Building the Builders Ministers Summit featuring some great men of God as speakers?
The topic for this year is Divine Supernatural. That’s exactly what God will demonstrate in the lives of the participants at this year’s power conference. God will work strange miracles of salvation, healing, restoration, deliverance in the lives of people and also meet their long expectations. The power of God is coming to do great and mighty things in the lives of people like in the days of old. Divine Supernatural is God’s authority over the natural. God will cancel the law of nature, the law of Satan and all manners of human laws; including economy law. The supernatural is coming down to swallow different kinds of problems in the lives of the participants at the conference. We are expecting the divine supernatural to override the satanic supernatural. The conference will feature three sessions daily. Morning session from 8am: Enough is Enough powerful prayer programme to deal with stubborn problems in the lives of people; followed by Building the Builders Ministers Summit and revival service later in the evening all at our Mery Revival Centre (MRC), Alake Lakonko, Ikotun, Lagos
Briefly, share with the profiles of some of the guest ministers at this year power conference
The guest ministers are not the regulars but consultants and specialists in their various fields of ministry and calling. They include Pastor Odeshola of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) with over 4,000 churches under his watch covering Nigeria and Middle East, and a veteran in the ministry Pastor Isaac Omoleyin, who started his experience with the supernatural when all the birds he wanted to use for his final year project in the university died. He had attended university an old man. While kneeling down in tears, his tears dropped on the dead birds and they all supernaturally resurrected. He is coming to talk to us about Divine Supernatural. Pastor Samson Ajetumobi is coming from Ibadan to teach us Leadership in Pastoral ministry at the Building the Builders Ministers Summit.
