The founder and President of Young Disciples International (YDI), Pastor Joe Ogbe, spoke with Tajudeen Adebanjo on youth development and sundry issues. Excerpts:
How did you come about YDI?
YDI is a product of vision! As you are aware, every genuine assignment or ministry is located by vision. I am privileged to locate mine by vision. God has graciously given me the vision to raise young disciples for Him. Disciples properly groomed and mentored to make a difference in their generation for Him.
Our vision is about raising modern-day types of biblical Joseph, Daniel, Esther, Mary and other characters who pleased God with their lives as young people. To concretise this vision, we have come up with a powerful mission statement to drive this assignment. We are not beating about the bush!
We are called to groom highly informed, responsible, impact-making and God-fearing successor leaders that will be relevant to God and humanity.
How did it all begin?
The vision of YDI started unfolding in 1994. While doing my business, I started sensing a nudge in my spirit to reach out to young people out there, not just those under my tutelage in church. Then I was a youth pastor in Winners Chapel. I even toyed with the idea of using an office space at Johet Communications Ltd, a company which I co-founded with my wife, to attend to the youth on the street.
In 1995, I organised a 3-day prayer retreat with some brethren at Redemption Camp to seek the face of God concerning the vision. After the retreat I was moved to share the vision with my mentor and father in ministry, Bishop David Oyedepo, who readily blessed and encouraged me.
By December 31, 1995, my wife and I were commissioned into full time ministry. Work started immediately. God blessed us with a three-bed room apartment at Ponle Bus stop, Egbeda in Lagos. January 30, 1996 a take- off ceremony was conducted by Papa Oyedepo and then the doors of Ydi were opened to young people.
From inception, we have been involved in daily counselling and weekly discipleship training. It will interest you to know that some parents, especially widows, were enthusiastically sending their children to us. Our office became a beehive of youth activities. Our youth friendly bible school started in summer of 1996 with 107 pioneer students.
For six years, we occupied rented apartments for our office and youth centre. God who is not a respecter of persons or ministries graciously gave us this large place for our headquarters and youth development centre. God has been good to us. Who will ever imagine a youth ministry like us commanding the blessing of heaven? Who will ever believe that YDI can amount to anything when we started? Only God could have done all this and He only is worthy of our praise.
What kind of impact do you specifically make with the youths?
YDI has helped young people to embrace godly values and principles that easily position them for greatness in life by showing them the things that are really important for productive life. We inculcate in them values like Covenant of Purity (COP), academic and professional excellence, integrity, hard work, fear of God, service to God and humanity etc.
I can assure all and sundry that quietly we are grooming successor leaders that are positively impacting their families, schools, churches, communities, nations and generation for God.
Were there sacrifices you have made in the course of the pursuit of this vision?
Yes, of course. Can you really run a vision without sacrifices? Sacrifice is part and parcel of any thriving ministry. Without sacrifice, you cannot make impact. I am a beneficiary of the sacrificial ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. When YDI started, I closed down my business to focus on the assignment full time.
I also committed what I call “class suicide” to be able to work with young people. I brought myself low to their level to reach out to them. You require sacrifice to be able to do this.
How do you react to youth unemployment in the nation?
As a youth- friendly pastor, my greatest desire and prayer is to have unemployment banished from our shores. Beloved, you will agree with me that unemployment is the greatest challenge in the world of young people today. Check out the number of graduates we churn out every year. No job for them.
If nothing is done fast this country we will experience serious upheaval. No doubt, unemployment is one of the major reasons behind prostitution, kidnapping and other heinous crimes. Unemployment is an abnormality. It is unacceptable! I see no reason why able bodied person cannot be fully engaged productively.
What are your dreams for the future of Nigerian youths?
I have a great dream for our youths, it is a dream birthed on the infallible word of God as seen in Ps.144:12: “That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:”
I dream to see highly responsible Nigeria youths who accept responsibility for their greatness and life of contribution. I want to see Nigerian youths take giant strides in IT, academia, politics, business, entertainment, clergy, military and what have you.
I don’t want Nigerian youths to be first in crimes or vices. No! We should not be known for evil things. I believe God designed us to matter to Africa and the world. I dream to see our youths take this nation to our economic and political Eldorado via their profound mental resourcefulness.
All over the world young people are beginning to take the centre stage of problem solving. Not being the problem but problem solvers. Nigerian youths too can make a difference.
Our continent needs moral rearmament. Our change agents must be men and women of integrity. As a ministry, we are proud of one of us who went to university with fake results but upon embracing the ministry’s principle of integrity, reported herself to the university authority and left the campus! Today, we hold her in high esteem as our moral authority ambassador!
