As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence- Benjamin Franklin
You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say - Martin Luther
Oppression can only survive through silence-Carmen de Monteflores
Dear Pastor, Reverend, Bishop, Archbishop, Cardinal, General Overseer,
Elder, Minister, Deacon, Deaconess, Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist and my
beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Calvary greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour JESUS
Christ. I hope this letter meets you all in good health; I pray that all
may go well with you and your souls are getting along well.
One thousand, nine hundred and fifty-two years ago, Apostle Paul
wrote a letter to the Christians at Corinth to address his concerns
regarding the activities occurring at the Corinth church. In 1517 AD,
nearly one thousand, four hundred and sixty years later, a thirty-four
year old Reverend called Martin Luther wrote his famous 'Ninety-Five
Theses' letter, expressing his dissatisfaction with the abuses of the
Roman Catholic clergy.
Coincidentally, in 1963, a thirty-four year old Baptist Minister from
Atlanta called Martin Luther King Jnr wrote a letter from a Birmingham
jail to eight clergymen in response to the latter’s request for the
African American community to suspend their civil disobedience
demonstrations. He also highlighted the white church’s apathy towards
the plight of the African Americans’ struggle.
I do not consider myself worthy to step into the shoes of these great
men of God; nor do I consider myself worthy even to eat the crumbs from
the tables of these giants, however, I feel compelled to follow their
path and write about some issues that have been a burden to me for the
past couple of years.
What is this burden? What has made me follow the pathway of Apostle
Paul, Martin Luther and Martin Luther King? I am disturbed about the
state of the Nigerian church and I am burdened by the consequence this
is having on the effective ministration of the Word of God in Nigeria.
Before I go any further, I would like to introduce myself by
answering the following question, which you may want to ask. Who is this
person with a Muslim name? Is he still a Muslim? Has he converted to
Christianity? Has he accepted JESUS into his life? If he is addressing
the church, why have we not heard of him within the church circuit? Is
he a minister of God? If he is not a Minister, why is he addressing
Anointed Men and Women of God (see Appendix A for a list of some of the
clergies copied)?
By way of introduction, my name is Ahmed Olayinka Sule. I am a sinner
(in fact the chief of all sinners) who has been saved by Grace in
JESUS. I was born into a Muslim family and had my Damascus Road
conversion experience during my high school years. However, shortly
after my conversion, I rejected Christ and did not turn back to God
until 2000. Though I am not a clergyman, I regard myself as part of the
Royal Priesthood, who has been called out of the darkness of sin into
the glorious light of my Lord JESUS Christ.
I agree that I may not be the right person to write this open letter,
especially as I am not a perfect person. I also know that I am not
worthy to even tie the shoelace of the one hundred and fifty clergy
copied into this letter. I also agree that I do not have the moral
justification to pen this article. This is especially true as there is
nothing good in my sinful nature. When I want to do what is right, I
inevitably do what is wrong, and when I don’t want to do what is wrong, I
do it anyway.
However, in the words of King Solomon, there is a time to be silent
and there is a time to speak. The time to speak up is now. I have been
silent for the past eleven years, and the burden in my heart is bringing
to light Martin Luther King’s comment that '”Our lives begin to end
the day we become silent about things that matter”.
This letter is written out of my love for the church and is no way
meant to cause division within it. I also have the utmost respect for
the church leadership and I appreciate the efforts of millions of
Christians working towards taking the message of the cross throughout
the nation.
You may ask what I mean by the Nigerian Church? After all, the church
belongs to Christ and it is not defined by geographical parameters.
Agreed. The audience of this letter, which I have described as the
Nigerian Church, falls into four categories. The first comprises of the
Christian community based in Nigeria, which includes all the church
denominations. The second category comprises of the churches outside of
Nigeria, which are affiliated to the church based in Nigeria. This
includes branches and parishes of churches headquartered in Nigeria. The
third category relates to churches based outside of Nigeria, which are
either shepherded by Nigerian pastors or which have a predominately
Nigerian congregation. The fourth category comprise of my non-Christian
brothers and sisters, some of whom are eager to accept Christ but have
been reluctant to make that commitment due to the attitude of the
Nigerian Church. There is also a separate section in this letter
specifically addressed to my non-Christian brothers and sisters. It is
my prayer that by reading this letter they will appreciate that JESUS is
the standard by which Christianity should be measured, rather than the
fallible nature of man.
In the last twenty years, the Nigerian church movement has
experienced significant growth. It has impacted the country positively,
as millions of people have been transformed by the life-changing message
of our Lord JESUS. There was a time when Christians could not openly
share and declare their faith due to the ridicule and persecution they
faced. However, thanks to the leadership of the church, this stigma
towards Christianity has been greatly reduced. Furthermore, Christianity
has a growing influence in Nigeria, which has resulted in the
proliferation of filled-up churches. Nigeria has become one of the
fastest growing church movements in the world. The influence of Christ
is not only felt inside the church, but also outside of it. Politicians
seek the audience of a number of church leaders for prayers, and
Christians are at the helm of numerous corporate entities. The church
has also played a role in education, with the establishment of
church-run schools providing high quality education.
Despite this progress, all is not well with the Nigerian Church. How
do I know that all is not well with the Nigerian Church? What is my
benchmark ? The benchmark I have used is based on the life of our Lord
JESUS and the Word of God. I have also had the opportunity to attend and
observe churches run by both Nigerian and non-Nigerian ministers;
churches with predominately Nigerian congregation and churches with a
small number of Nigerians; churches within Nigeria and churches
elsewhere. This variation has provided me the opportunity to evaluate
the activities of these churches.
There are four reasons for writing this letter. First, as explained
earlier, I am compelled to write out of my love for the Church. I hope
that the issues raised in this letter will result in a reassessment of
some of our activities in church and will eventually lead to a change in
attitude.
Second, I know a number of Christians have been disillusioned with
the Nigerian Church. I also know some Christians who do not feel the
need to go to church and prefer to worship alone, due to what they
observe in the church. Paul urges us not to put any stumbling block in a
fellow believer’s way. He also states that “If your brother is
distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do
not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died“. I am
compelled to highlight what ‘food’ we as Christians are 'eating' that is
causing our brothers to stumble.
Third, I have a sense of responsibility to educate my non-Christian
brothers and sisters not to use the activities and attitudes of a few
people in the body of Christ as a justification to deny the power of
Christ. They also need to know that Christ is our benchmark, even if we
often fall short of that standard due to our fallible nature.
Finally, I am writing on behalf of the thousands of believers who
have not been able to speak up on these issues due to time constraints,
apathy, fear, or a general belief that things will remain the same.
Having introduced myself and explained the basis my writing to you, I
would like to discuss five issues that have compelled me to write this
letter - namely:
• The Sheep and the Shepherd
• Accountability & Responsibility
• Unity In the Church
• Teaching/Doctrines/Activities
• Social Justice
1. The Sheep and the Shepherd
The activities of some of the spiritual leaders in the Nigerian
church have come under a lot of scrutiny in recent years. On the whole,
church leaders are doing a good job in line with the word of God,
however, there are a few outliers that buck the trend. As the scripture
says, a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough, and this is
a fitting metaphor for the ridicule brought to the church as a result
of the activities of some of the clergy.
One area of concern is the excessive grip that a number of clergy
have over the congregation. In some instances, the clergy (who are just
human and messengers of Christ) are feared and respected more than our
Lord JESUS Christ. I strongly believe that the messenger cannot be
greater than the message, but this does apply to most sections of the
Nigerian church.
Scripture tells us that when JESUS died on the cross at Calvary, the
veil was split in two. As a result of his death, we were granted access
into the Holy of Holies through the redemptive power in the blood of
JESUS. The bible makes it very clear that we should boldly enter the
throne of God [Hebrew 4:16]. Due to JESUS’ sacrificial death, we can now
confidently approach God through our Lord JESUS without having to go
through any other intermediary. JESUS also says that He is the Way and
the light and that no one can approach the Father except through Him.
However, a large number of us are not confident enough to approach
God directly through JESUS. Instead, we prefer to go through the clergy
in order to access God. Some of us even believe that our prayers will
not be answered until it is agreed with or backed by a man or woman of
God. It is well documented that people spend hundreds of thousands of
Naira, and sometimes thousands of pounds, to travel the length and
breadth of the world to chase one man of God or other in order to
receive spiritual blessing. It is not unusual for a seventy five year
old man to call a pastor of thirty years of age ‘daddy’, ‘mummy’, ‘papa’
or ‘mama’.
I agree that it is sometimes necessary to approach the clergy to
agree with us in prayers on a certain issue or to seek their counsel.
However, this should be the exception rather than the rule. By chasing
the clergy all the time, we are putting unnecessary pressure on them.
We, the congregation, need to realise that the work of the clergy is not
an easy job. They spend a lot of time fasting, praying and seeking the
face of God. They also have to prepare for their sermons and once they
have finished the service they end up spending hours attending to a
lengthy queue of people gathered outside their office seeking counsel or
prayers. We also need to be considerate and realise that they also have
families to cater for. Furthermore, the Psalmist tells us that it is
better to put your confidence in God rather than in man.
There are two contributory factors that have led to this issue. The
cultural influence and the lack of a proper understanding of the
reconciliatory power in the Blood of JESUS. I will address the first
factor.
A positive aspect of the African society is the respect granted to
elders; whether it is our parents, uncles, neighbours, teachers etc.
This is also reflected in our history - for instance, the monarchy
system in most parts of the country, where the King had absolute
authority, and his counsel was sought on all issues. Furthermore, long
before the advent of Christianity in Nigeria, the ’Babalawo’ (witch
doctor) played an important role in the lives of the people. People
would seek his counsel on a range of issues including marriage,
children, family problems etc. He was seen as the direct representative
of god on earth. In order to hear from their idols, people would
approach the ‘Babalawo’ in order to know the mind of their gods.
Unfortunately, this tradition has now crept into the church, whereby the
clergy have now assumed the role of the ‘Babalawo’.
The Word of God tells us to respect people in authority. I also
understand that the clergy has been placed by God to shepherd his
people. However, we need to be aware that there is a thin line between
respect and hero-worship. What constitutes respect? What constitutes
hero-worship? Respect is when one approaches a Minister to agree with
him in prayer on a specific issue, while hero-worship is when one thinks
that without the minister’s agreement, God will not answer his prayers.
Respect is when a family seeks spiritual guidance from a minister,
while hero-worship is when the wife or husband thinks that the minister
is the spiritual head of the home. Respect is when you seek a minister’s
advice on a particular decision, while hero worship is when you cannot
make a decision until the minister has sanctioned it.
In a number of Christian homes, the pastors have become the head of
the homes and have usurped the roles of parents and husbands. In most
instances, this intrusion is not the fault of the clergy - after all,
this would not have happened if the couple had a proper understanding of
their authority in Christ. Thankfully, the clergy are men and women of
integrity so this unnecessary intrusion is the exception. However, in a
few instances, some manipulative characters take advantage of the
situation and cause havoc within the family structure. It is well
documented that a number of homes have been ruined as a result of these
intrusions. For instance, frictions and divisions have been created
between parents and children, husband and wives, daughters-in-law and
mothers-in-law as a result of the intrusive nature of some of these men
of God. The activities of some of these ministers are contrary to the
example set by our Lord JESUS who went about restoring rather than
breaking relationships.
In some extreme cases, some men of God are known to take advantage of
gullible female members of the congregation. Unfortunately, because
these people do not know their authority in Christ, they find it
difficult to rebuff the sexual advances of these wolves in sheep
clothing. Sometimes, these so called men of God tell these vulnerable
ladies that it is not against the will of God for them to sleep with a
man of God. Although this occurrence is rare, however the church
leadership should expose and disgrace any pastor found conducting such
activities.
My heart also bleeds whenever I meet people who cannot make informed
decisions without the sanction or approval of their pastors. Important,
life-changing decisions about marriage, education, career, business etc.
have been outsourced to pastors. It is time for the body of Christ to
pass through the torn veil left at the foot of the cross of Calvary and
boldly approach JESUS on his heavenly throne and make their petition
known directly to him.
Another area of concern is that a number of pastors have been giving
financial advice to the congregation, even when it is outside the
pastor’s area of expertise. For instance, during the Nigerian stock
market bubble of the past couple of years, a number of pastors advised
their congregation to join the bandwagon and invest in the Nigerian
capital market. In giving out this advice, the pastors failed to educate
the congregation on the risk factors associated with investing in the
capital market. Furthermore, they did not explain the fundamental
drivers of these asset prices. Unfortunately, since the clergy’s
statements are never questioned (for reasons which I have explained
earlier), some members of the congregation took positions in these
overinflated asset classes. The result of acting on this advice was
sorrow ,tears and financial ruin due to the market correction.
This situation was not only restricted to the Nigerian capital
market. In the UK, in spite of an overheated housing market bubble, a
number of ministers based in the UK encouraged their congregation to
take out mortgages in order to take advantage of the bubble in the real
estate sector. Like their Nigerian counterparts, the ministers failed to
consider the risk factors and the personal financial circumstances of
the congregation. There were instances in which the congregations were
advised to remortgage their properties in the UK and use the proceeds to
invest in Nigeria. In financial terms, this is what is called a ‘carry
trade’ whereby an investor borrows money at a low interest rate in a
foreign currency (say Pounds Sterling) and invests the proceeds in
assets of a high yielding currency (the Naira). Since this strategy
involves excessive use of leverage (debt), an investor can suffer
significant loss if the carry trade unwinds. Unfortunately, this risk
was not explained to the congregation. As a result of yielding to this
advice, a number of people took on mortgages they could not afford and
are now facing the twin tragedy of bankruptcy and homelessness.
I suggest that pastors should not give financial advice to the
congregation, especially when it is outside the pastor’s area of
expertise. If, however, they insist on giving it, they should issue the
necessary disclaimers and explain the risks involved. Furthermore, we
as the congregation should seek financial advice from professionally
qualified financial advisors.
An action that is pervasive in some areas of the Christian community
is the issue of ministers placing curses on congregation members who
challenge or criticize their decisions. Quite often, the threat of a
curse or the fear of a threat is enough to make that member of
congregation follow the line of the pastor. This is quite sad and is not
in line with Roman 12:14, which tells us to bless and not to curse.
Does what I say regarding the activities of some of the clergy amount
to heresy? Am I disobeying the biblical instruction, which says “touch
not my anointed and do my prophets no harm”? Am I guilty of behaving
like the four children who mocked Elisha by calling him “a bald head”?
I do not think so, for several reasons. First, I am not causing harm
to the prophets, as what I am doing is out of genuine love and I want
the church to be more effective in drawing people to the Kingdom of God.
Second, it is not unscriptural for anointed men of God to be rebuked
when they stray away from the word of God. From scripture we know that
God anointed King Saul. We also know that David obeyed this word when he
did not kill Saul, even though he had an opportunity to do so. However,
in spite of the anointing upon Saul's life, that did not stop David
from speaking against the wrongful deeds of King Saul. Furthermore, in
spite of the anointing of King Saul, Samuel still reprimanded Saul for
not obeying his instruction. Moreover, even Apostle Paul challenged
Peter when he felt that Peter was not acting in accordance with the
scriptures. Third, the basis of my observation is the word of God, which
is the truth. John Locke put it right when he said “The Bible is one of
the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men. It has
God for its author; salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture
for its matter. It is all pure “
Fourth, the anointed of the Lord is not only restricted to the clergy
but to all who have accepted JESUS Christ as their Lord and personal
saviour. I John 2: 20 makes it very clear: “But you have an anointing
from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth”. For anyone who may
think that I have disobeyed God’s command regarding Psalm 105:15, I
would like to ask the three questions: Are we to say touch not my
anointed if a man of God curses his congregation? Are we to say touch
not my anointed if a woman of God causes a separation between a couple?;
Are we to say touch not my anointed if a man of God gives a false
prophesy that causes a son to abandon his aged parents?
2. Accountability & Responsibility
A second disturbing factor is the lack of accountability in a number
of Nigerian churches. It is not uncommon for churches to be run as the
private property of the founders or leaders. If the church does not
demonstrate accountability and transparency, how can the church be
effective in advocating transparency within the wider Nigerian
community?
There needs to be improved transparency and accountability in church
especially as a significant source of the cash flow for the church comes
from the contribution of the congregation of the church. Because of
their contribution, the congregation needs to know, periodically, how
their contribution has been put to use. Unlike shareholders that expect a
return on their investment in the form of dividend or capital
appreciation, congregation members need to be sure of the following:
that the church funding has been used to run the church effectively;
that resources are going towards growing the kingdom of God; that the
church is reaching out to the community.
This issue of accountability is very important, as there have been
instances in the past where a lack of accountability has brought shame
to the body of Christ. A high profile case was the issue relating to the
alleged misappropriation of funds for Pastor Hinn's crusade, which
gained worldwide attention and put the Nigerian Christian community in a
negative light.
There is also an emerging trend of the church levying the
congregation to fund the luxuries of the church leadership. I agree that
it necessary for the church to fund the needs of the church leadership,
especially pastors working on a full time basis. Furthermore, the bible
makes it clear that a worker is worthy of his wages. While funding the
church leaders necessities is justified, asking the congregation to fund
the luxuries of the leader is not only morally repugnant, but also
socially unjust. This levy on the congregation does not make any moral
sense, especially as it is levied in a country where, on average, 34% of
the population lives on less than $1 per day.
Rather than taxing the congregation to fund the luxuries of the
leaders, Christian leaders should follow the example of our Lord JESUS
who, despite being the King of kings, chose to ride into Jerusalem on a
gentle donkey rather than on an elegant Roman horse. It is time for the
clergy to see their calling as a form of servant hood towards the body
of Christ and not as a means to fund a flamboyant lifestyle.
Another area that needs improvement is the monitoring of the flow of
funds into the church. Since the church is a tax-exempt organisation, it
owes the government a responsibility to ensure that anybody who places
ill-gotten money through the church system is exposed and reported to
the authorities. There have been instances in the past whereby people
have stolen funds running into tens of millions of Naira and placed
these criminal proceeds in the church to fund church capital
expenditures. The church should arise and reject these illegal funds.
Furthermore, the church should institute anti-money laundering
procedures to mitigate and prevent a recurrence of the placement of
criminal proceeds in the church.
The church also has a responsibility to ensure that its activity does
not inconvenience the general public. One area that needs further
consideration is the traffic bottleneck that occurs at the Lagos–Sagamu
Axis of the Lagos Ibadan Express Way resulting from some church events.
Admittedly, a number of churches have put some effort towards reducing
the traffic bottleneck, however, this is not enough. The churches have
the right to organise events and crusades on their property whether
along the expressway or on the mainland. However, along with that
freedom also comes a responsibility to ensure that its activities do not
cause traffic that disrupts other passengers’ journey on the express. A
journey between Lagos and Sagamu that should ideally take 45 minutes
occasionally sometimes takes eight to twelve hours during these church
programmes. The result of the church activities brings untold hardship
on the passengers traveling along the expressway. Furthermore, many
passengers are not happy with the churches for causing traffic on the
expressway and this could hinder the effective ministration of the
gospel in the country.
On a personal note, my father, who is over 70 years and is still
mourning the loss of my mother, was recently trapped in the traffic for
over six hours because a church was having a crusade along the
expressway. He was greatly distressed, and as a Christian I found it
impossible to justify the attitude of the church towards his plight. I
also know of another person who missed her father’s burial due to the
traffic caused as a result of a church programme near the expressway.
Apart from my personal stories, there are thousands of other people who
have miserable stories to tell, such as brides missing their weddings,
corpses being trapped in traffic and people developing high blood
pressure while in traffic.
As Christians, we need to spare a thought for those people trapped in
traffic as a result of our crusades and vigils, and do everything
possible to mitigate the hardship faced by travelers. If JESUS was
holding a crusade on the expressway and was informed by Peter that there
were thousands of people trapped in traffic due to his crusade, JESUS
would have compassion for those passengers and would make provision to
make sure that no one suffered. Since we are all followers of Christ,
let us do what JESUS would do.
3. Unity In the Church
Just like the church in Corinth, a number of Nigerian Churches are
divided along the lines of the church leaders and denominations. While
some say they are Pentecostal, others say they are Apostolic, some say
they are Anglicans , while others say they are Methodist and the list
goes on and on. This division is not only between different churches,
but also between parishes of the same church, whereby members boast of
the spiritual superiority of their church relative to other parishes. I
recollect hearing somebody describe another branch of her own church as
the ‘funny version’ of her own parish. The division in the church is
partly caused by lack of knowledge and also by a number of leaders who
want to build personal empires.
Spiritual arrogance is also pervasive in our community, with a number
Christians arrogating that their pastors have a monopoly on the
knowledge and mystery of the scriptures. It is not unusual to hear them
say, “My pastor is ‘worded’” or “come to my church where you will really
learn the scriptures”.
‘Evangelism of the converted’ is another evidence of this lack of
unity. What do I mean by ‘evangelism of the converted’? It is when
born-again Christian ‘A’ goes about preaching to another Christian ‘B’
to leave her or his church and join the church of Christian ‘A’.
Evangelism of the converted is not an effective approach to expand the
Kingdom of God. The time and effort spent preaching to the converted
should be channeled towards those that need to accept JESUS. After all
our Lord JESUS made it very clear that he came to seek and save those
that were lost.
Paul put it right when he said that we are the body of Christ, and
each one of us is a part of it. If Paul is correct, then all the
different church denominations are all part of the body of JESUS Christ,
who is the true head of the Church. Since we are all one in Christ,
then why the division in the church?
It is time for us to put aside this ‘Paul’, ‘Apollos’ and ‘Cephas’
division and work towards unity in Christ. What would Nigeria be like if
the churches unite to organise a week of evangelism on the streets of
Lagos? What would the country be like if the churches unite to organise a
prayer walk round the capital of all the states of Nigeria? What would
the country be like if the churches unite to make politicians
accountable for their electoral promises? Surely Nigeria will be a
better place.
So let us focus less on the things that divide us and concentrate on what unites us.
4. Teaching/Doctrines/Activities
Another area that I would address is the doctrine and activities of our churches.
Speaking generally, most of the doctrines of our churches are in
accordance with the word of God. However, some aspects of the churches’
doctrines, teachings and activities need to be more properly aligned
with the Word of God. In other instances, the preacher may need to
emphasis certain aspects of the gospel more often.
Before discussing these doctrines and activities, I would like to
address an attitude that needs to change in our community. I am
concerned that we Christians sometimes do not imbibe the attitude of the
Berean Christians who not only listened to Paul’s message, but also
searched the scriptures to ensure that what he said was in line with the
word of God. It is very common for us to say “x, y and z is correct
because Pastor said so in church”. I have had conversations with a
number of people on certain areas of the scripture and when I ask for
the scriptural basis, I am told that the pastor said so in church. This
attitude increases the risk of the congregation being misinformed if a
pastor’s teaching is wrong. There is also a risk that heretic teachings
could go undetected.
Christians should strive to independently search the scriptures to
ensure that the pastor’s teachings are in line with scriptures.
Furthermore, the congregation should feel free to discuss any concerns
regarding a misaligned doctrine or message with the clergy without the
fear of being cursed or tagged confrontational. Likewise, the preacher
should also be open to constructive criticism regarding any message or
doctrine that is not in line with the word of God.
I will now go into specific aspects of the misaligned doctrines, teachings and activities:
a) Gifts and Fruits of The Spirit: While a lot of teaching has
been done on the various gifts of the spirit, less teaching has been
done on the fruits of the spirit. The gifts of the spirit are very
important for the effective functioning of the body of Christ. We are
also instructed by Paul to eagerly desire these gifts.
However, one cannot emphasis the gifts without also emphasizing the
fruits of the spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22 which include love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. If we can
exhibit the fruits of the Spirit in addition to the gifts of the Spirit,
the church would be more effective in changing attitudes in Nigeria.
This is because when a non-Christian sees that we exhibit the fruits of
the Spirit, he/she will be convinced and would be willing to listen to
us. Our Lord JESUS makes it very clear that it is to God’s glory that we
bear many fruits and show ourselves to be his disciples.
b) The Hand of God and the Face of God: One area of teaching that
has been overemphasized is the prosperity message. Before going further,
I would like to state my stance regarding the prosperity message.
First, I believe that it is God’s plan for us to prosper and this is
stated throughout scripture from Genesis up to Revelations. Second, I
believe that the church has a duty to preach this message of prosperity
to world. Third, I believe that God instructs us to tithe and that there
are blessings associated with tithing. Fourth, I believe that God is
ready to take care not only of our spiritual needs, but he is also ready
to take care of our physical needs.
However, the teaching regarding prosperity has been asymmetric. There
now appears to be a view that there is a strong correlation between
godliness and wealth. I have attended church services where the
preachers teach that poverty is a sin. Moreover, in some services,
people who make higher contributions towards the church are publicly
acknowledged and singled out for blessing by the minister. This act
obviously is in contradiction with how JESUS viewed the contribution of
the rich people and the poor widow. Our Lord JESUS looked beyond the
value contributed by the wealthy, who gave out of their abundance, but
rather looked at the heart of the poor widow who gave with a pure heart.
On the area of sowing and reaping, the congregation is taught to sow
into the kingdom in order to reap materially. By overemphasizing the
sowing and reaping principle, the congregation could be encouraged to
give to God in the expectation of material blessings, rather than to
give with a pure heart. If, however, God chooses to delay the blessing
for a season, there is a risk that the giver becomes disillusioned. In
addition, it will encourage people to go to any extent to acquire
ill-gotten wealth in order to give to the church, with the expectation
that God will reward them for the seeds sown into God’s kingdom.
Furthermore, there is an overemphasis on financial prosperity, while
other aspects of prosperity such as health, unity peace etc. are not
addressed. It is important to teach the congregation that prosperity
does not only exist in financial terms.
We all agree that JESUS spoke about riches, money, talents and coins,
however, we need to look at the context in which he used these words.
Contrary to the teachings by some pastors that a sizeable part of JESUS’
teaching related to financial matters, an analysis of JESUS’ teaching
reveals otherwise. When JESUS mentioned riches, he spoke about people
who refused to mature spiritually due to their concern for riches and
pleasure. When JESUS mentioned money he said, "you can't worship two
gods at once - God and money”. When JESUS mentioned talents he taught us
the rewards and consequences for using or not using what he has
entrusted to us. When JESUS mentioned coins he gave us an analogy
between a lost coin that has been found and a sinner that has been
saved.
c) Treatment of the Rich and Poor: As a result of the above, the
Church tends to celebrate the success of the wealthy and the
influential. The rich and powerful are given undue attention. They have
access to the clergy and are allowed to seat on the prominent seats in
church. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case for those less well-off
in society. The poor are sometimes made to feel that their poverty is
the result of their failure to fulfill God’s plan for their lives. When
it comes to ordaining ministers, deacons and elders, sometimes wealth,
influence and career become determining factors.
Should the rich and powerful get all the attention? Should eloquence,
fame, and wealth be a basis for church leadership? In order to answer
these questions, let us go to the word of God. When JESUS selected his
disciples, he did not use financial weight or influence as a basis for
selection. Neither did the eloquence of educational status play an
important role. Paul in his letter to Timothy specified several
attributes that should be taken into consideration when selecting church
leaders. His list did not mention influence, wealth or career, rather
he said leaders should be self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,
gentle and free from the love of money.
Due to the celebration of the rich in most of our churches, the
congregations are often motivated to get rich quickly, at any cost. This
has lead to Christians falling into the trap of the love and lust for
money. It is not unusual to see Christians preoccupied with the quest of
‘making it big’. One can hardly have a decent conversation with most
Christians without them talking about money, contracts, deals or
connection most of the time. Some pastors are also known to strike deals
and sometimes take the short cuts in order to acquire wealth. Paul puts
it right when he say that people who want to get rich could fall into
the temptation and traps, which could lead to destruction and ruin.
Furthermore, President Obama’s comment that "Focusing your life solely
on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little
of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something
larger than yourself that you realize your true potential” is something
that we should ponder on.
When preaching about prosperity, teachers need to emphasise the risk
of the love of money in order to discourage people from carrying out
ungodly activities in order to get rich.
d) Workers in the vineyard: For the church to run effectively, it
is important for people to volunteer for the Kingdom of God. As part of
that process, the workers need to be adequately equipped to carry out
their responsibilities. One important way of equipping volunteers is
through training. This training process is carried out regularly in our
churches. Sometimes the requirement to become a worker is so stringent
that it defeats the whole purpose. For instance, people are required to
report to church very early in the morning and if they are late for
whatever reason, they are sometimes publicly ridiculed or dismissed from
the workforce. This requirement is difficult for married couples who
have to get up early, wake up the kids, bathe them, clothe them and
prepare their food. All while trying to rush to church to beat the
deadline.
The difficulty of the training regime to become a worker has two
effects. First, it discourages people that have a desire to serve the
Church. This denies the body of Christ a vast resource of willing,
talented volunteers. Second, the strict regime often leads to a
situation where people no longer view their service as part of the
advancement of God’s Kingdom, but rather as a way of complying with
man-made laws.
The Church should encourage willing volunteers to use their skills
and talents for God’s kingdom by relaxing the drastic volunteer
requirement.
e) Ring/No Ring: There is a lot of discrimination in the churches
against people who are not married. Just as widows were discriminated
against during the time of Paul, the unmarried are now discriminated
against in a number of churches. The unmarried are labeled as ‘singles’
in a condescending manner. The unmarried are also made to feel that they
are not fulfilling God’s purpose for their lives. The church leadership
plays a part in fuelling this form of segregation. It is not unusual to
listen to messages, which state implicitly or explicitly that ‘singles’
have problems or ‘singles’ are possessed by an evil spirit or that
‘singles’ are not praying enough.
The unmarried members of the congregation are often isolated within
the church and pressured to join the ‘singles’ fellowship; as a result
there is often no integration in the church between the unmarried and
the married.
This marital apartheid has two effects. The first is to make some of the
married people suspicious of the unmarried members of the church. For
instance a number of married women in church become very suspicious of
unmarried girls, thinking that they want to snatch their husbands. The
second effect is that it puts unnecessary pressure on the unmarried to
get married at any cost. This often leads to the unmarried entering into
unproductive relationships in order to join the ‘elite married’ group
in the church. Could this be a contributory factor to the rising divorce
rate in the country?
As King Solomon put it, there is a time for everything under the sun.
Just as there is a time to get married, there is a time to be single.
Rather than degrade the unmarried in the congregation, the Church should
work towards making effective use of the unmarried. After all it was
the Apostle Paul who said that “An unmarried woman is concerned about
the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body
and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this
world—how she can please her husband”.
Just as there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, there is no
difference between the married and the unmarried, as the same Lord is
Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, whether married or
not.
Moreover, there is a disturbing trend in which some of the church
leaders determine the timing for people to get married. This usually
occurs when the pastor instructs unmarried ladies who are committed in
the church to wait for years before granting them permission to get
married. Sometimes the pastor determines whom these ladies can marry. In
other instances, church members are pressured to marry within their
congregation and if any member is engaged to someone outside the church,
strategies are put in place to frustrate the relationship.
The activities of these pastors’ amounts to an unnecessary intrusion
into people’s privacy and the sooner this practice stops, the better.
5. Social Justice
In the area of social justice, the Nigerian Church still has more
work to do. Before going further, I would like to provide the scriptural
basis on why the Church needs to get more involved in social justice.
From the Old to the New Testament, reference is made to the need to
maintain justice. For instance, the Psalmist pronounced a blessing on
those that maintain justice. Furthermore, scriptures tell us that the
righteous should care about justice for the poor. We also learn that our
Lord JESUS was a strong advocate for justice. He admonished the
teachers of the law for neglecting justice. The book of Isaiah tells us
that the Lord loves justice. Since we are children of the Lord, we have
no choice but to also fight for and maintain justice. Fighting against
injustice is a key ingredient in demonstrating love of Christ and an
effective form of witnessing the gospel.
Throughout history, the church has been at the forefront of speaking
against injustice. In the 17th century the Quakers played an important
role in the campaign against the transatlantic slave trade. In the
1960’s the church played a leadership role in the civil rights movement,
which eventually lead to the dismantling of the segregation structures
in the United States. Most of the well-known charities such as Oxfam,
Amnesty International, and Christian Aid, are heavily influenced by
Christian principles. Furthermore, Florence Nightingale was influenced
by the teachings of our Lord JESUS to leave behind her wealthy
upbringing to take care of the poor and the wounded.
In Nigeria, the churches have done some laudable things such as
building of schools, homeless homes, in addition to prison visitation
etc. However, more still needs to be done.
There are two areas I would discuss in relation to the Church’s
apparent apathy towards social justice, namely: the church’s response
to political misgovernance, and its response to the abuse of children
accused of witchcraft .
Misgovernance
The church has a role to play in engaging with the political classes
on issues relating to the welfare of the country. When the activities of
the political classes conflict with those of the citizenry and the Word
of God, the church should be the vanguard of fighting for the
oppressed. The church should also put pressure on the government to
improve its governance. A particular area of misgovernance that the
church needs to be more actively engaged is in the fight against
corruption. This is because the high level of corruption in Nigeria is
not good for the country’s image and it also leads to the redistribution
of wealth of the nation from the ‘have’s not to the ‘haves’.
The church can play a crucial role in influencing policies for the
betterment of the people, especially since some church leaders have
access to the political leadership of Nigeria. A number of politicians
attend church programmes and are often allowed to address the
congregation. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for politicians to visit
some church leaders for ‘spiritual protection’ and prayers.
Unfortunately, in spite of this access, the church has been relatively
silent on the misuse of power by the political classes.
In the days of the Old Testament, God sent the prophets to relay his
messages to kings, especially those who misruled and contravened God’s
laws. For instance, Samuel told King Saul that because he had rejected
the Word of the Lord, the Lord had rejected Saul as King of Israel.
Since God is a just God, he is not happy when the rulers of the land
oppress his people and carry out activities contrary to his will. The
Church leadership, especially those that have access to politicians,
should be more confident in relaying God’s message and judgment. The
clergy should emulate John the Baptist, who reproved King Herod for
having an affair with his brother’s wife, even though the warning was at
the risk of John’s life.
Rather than being consoled by the silence of the Church, the
political classes should be disturbed by the Church’s insistence for
justice. Now that the Church leadership has unprecedented access to the
politicians, now is time for the Church leadership to be bold enough to
deliver God’s messages to the rulers of the land.
Now is time for the Church leaders to be as bold as Samuel who was
not afraid to tell King Saul “Because you have rejected the word of the
LORD, he has rejected you as king”.
Now is time for the Church leaders to be as bold as Nathan who was
not afraid to tell King David “Why did you despise the word of the LORD
by doing what is evil in his eyes?”.
Now is time for the Church leaders to be as bold as Elijah who was
not afraid to tell King Ahab “You've dumped God's ways and commands and
run off after the local gods, the Baals”.
Now is time for the Church leaders to be as bold as Daniel who was
not afraid to tell King Nebuchadnezzar “You will be driven away from
people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like
cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven”.
Now is time for the Church leaders to be as bold as Jeremiah who was
not afraid to tell King Zedekiah “Thus saith the LORD behold, I will
give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon”.
Now is time for the Church leaders to be as bold as JESUS who was not
afraid to tell King Herod "You fox, I will drive out demons and heal
people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal”.
Child Witches
The second issue I would discuss is the abuse of children accused of
witchcraft in certain parts of the country. On this issue, most of the
churches fall into one of two categories: either as an active
participant in the abuse of these children or a passive accessory to the
abuse.
Active Participation: A number of churches have been labeling
children witches and blaming people’s misfortune on the activities of
these innocent children. As a result, these children are beaten up,
publicly disgraced, ostracized from their family, and sometimes killed.
In other cases, they are bathed with acid, hit with machetes and
publicly stoned. Some churches even defile God’s sanctuary by chaining
and torturing these kids inside the house of the Lord. According to
campaigners against the practice, about 15,000 children have been
accused in two of Nigeria’s 36 states over the past decade and 1,000
have been murdered.
Between 1888 and 1915, a Christian Missionary by the name of Mary
Slessor worked tirelessly to end the barbaric practice of killing twins
in Nigeria, however, almost one hundred years later, Christians (who
worship the same God as Mary Slessor) are now involved in the killing
and torturing of so called child witches. How depressing.
These abuses have brought shame to the Church. For instance, the
website of Stepping Stones (an organization responsible for
rehabilitating children accused of witchcraft) states: “Stepping Stones
Nigeria does not wish to denounce any faith organisation. However the
role of the church, especially some of the new Pentecostals, in
spreading the belief in child witches cannot be underestimated. There
are numerous so-called pastors in the region who are wrongly branding
children as 'witches' mainly for economic self gain and personal
recognition.” Some of us may flinch at this statement and accuse
Stepping Stones of insulting the Church. However, if we must be honest,
what they have stated is the truth.
Here are some other headlines and comments relating to the issue, which I have gathered from the global press:
Churches Denounce African Children as ''witches''
“Nigeria Pastors Deem Children Witches Leading to Death and Carnage”
"Christians" Kill Child "Witches" Don't They?
“'Bishop' who claimed he'd killed 110 child 'witches' is arrested ...”
"It is an outrage what they are allowing to take place in the name of Christianity,"
"Christianity in the Niger Delta is seriously questionable, putting a
traditional religion together with Christian religion - and it makes
nonsense out of it"
“Evangelical pastors are helping to create a terrible new campaign of violence against young Nigerians”
Passive Participation: The second way in which the Church has
participated in this detestable act is through our passive association.
The majority of the churches fall into this category. What do I mean by
passive participation? We participate passively when we remain silent
when this gross injustice is carried out against children. We
participate passively when fail to call the perpetrators of this act to
order. We participate passively when we fail to show compassion to the
abused children.
The church needs to answer these questions:
Where was the church when Nwanaokwo Edet’s Pastor accused him of
witchcraft thereby resulting in his father killing him with acid?
Where was the church when Samuel, Esther and Sarah’s parents abandoned them after a prophetess claimed that they were witches?
Where was the church when two sisters named Victoria and Helen
accused of witchcraft were left alone in an old shack to survive by
eating leaves and grass?
Where was the church when nails were driven into the head of nine-year-old Etido, who was accused of witchcraft?
Where was the church when some villagers nearly severed the arms of twelve-year-old Udo, also accused of witchcraft?
WHERE ON EARTH WAS THE CHURCH WHEN ALL OF THESE ATROCITIES WERE COMMITTED?
Now let’s go back to the scripture and see what our Lord JESUS has to
say about children. First of all we are all instructed to have a
childlike character. In fact JESUS makes it very clear that unless we
change and become like little children, we cannot enter the Kingdom of
Heaven. Secondly, when the disciples tried to prevent children from
accessing JESUS, he rebuked the disciples and told them not to hinder
the kids. Unfortunately, the activities of the Nigerian Church in this
regard has alienated these children from approaching JESUS, and we will
be held accountable for this if we do not speak out. Finally JESUS said
in Matthew 18 verse 6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who
believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large
millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the
sea”.
We may argue that we are not guilty of these atrocities since we did
not drive the nail into the head of Etido, or severe the arms of Udo or
bath Nwanaokwo with acid; however, since we keep silent, we are just as
guilty. Martin Luther King once said “The ultimate tragedy is not the
oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by
the good people”. This statement applies to the Church and it is time
for us to wake up and fight against injustice in whatever form, because
if we keep silent then we are co-operating with it.
So let us pay attention to social justice and avoid being like the
Pharisees so that JESUS will not tell us: “You keep meticulous account
books, tithing on every Naira and Kobo you get, but on the meat of God's
Law, things like justice and compassion and commitment—the absolute
basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it”.
Am I a Radical?
Having read the issues raised in this letter, some may label me as a
radical. Though, I would not describe myself as a radical, neither would
I like to be tagged as a radical, however upon second thought, I might
gain a measure of satisfaction from the label, if it would lead to a
reformation in the Nigerian Church. Was Martin Luther King not a radical
for justice: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Was David not a radical for the house of the Lord:“ I will dwell in the
house of the Lord all the days of my life.” Is Obama not a radical for
change: “This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the
chance for us to make that change.” Throughout the course of history,
there are times when we need radicals for change.
Message to my Non-Christian Brother and Sisters
Thanks for having the patience to reach this part of my letter.
Before I round up, I feel that I should devote this section of the
letter to you. You may wonder why I have copied you in this letter,
especially as you are not born-again Christians. It is a valid question
to ask, but I think I would be doing a great injustice in not copying
you in.
I know that some of you may be disillusioned with the activities of
what I will call a minute segment of the church. However, that cannot be
used as a basis to reject Christ or to disregard Christianity. For
instance, just as we cannot use the activities of a few corrupt bankers
as basis to describe every Nigerian banker or Nigerian as corrupt;
similarly we can’t use what is going on in our churches to describe
Christianity.
I would like to explain what Christianity is about from two perspectives, namely our paradigm and religion.
Paradigm: We are called Christian because we are followers of JESUS
Christ our Lord and Saviour. I repeat again, we are FOLLOWERS OF
CHRIST. JESUS Christ is our paradigm and as Christians, we aspire to
emulate his behavior. However, because JESUS is perfect and committed no
sin, it is impossible for us to emulate him. Fortunately, because JESUS
knew of our fallibility, he came to earth and took on our sins. Though
Christ never sinned, God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could
make us acceptable to God.
You may observe that certain things may not be right with the Church.
You may even question the validity of Christianity. However, remember
that JESUS is our standard and model. We may not always meet up to this
high standard, but this still does not deny the power of our Lord. As we
the Church strive to be more Christ-like, remember what JESUS stands
for. JESUS stands for justice, JESUS stands for righteousness, JESUS
stands for compassion, JESUS stands for hope and JESUS stands for Love.
Religion: Christianity in its true form is more than a religion. It
is more than the magnificent church buildings; it is more than the
lifestyle of the pastor. Christianity is about a personal relationship
with our Lord JESUS. When evaluating Christianity, look at JESUS Christ.
When JESUS was here on earth, he also had an issue with religion, which
is often burdened with man-made rules and doctrines that drive people
away from God instead of drawing them near.
I will give you an example from JESUS’ time on earth. There was a
woman who was caught in the act of adultery and at the time she was
supposed to be sentenced to death, according to the religious law. The
religious people brought the woman to JESUS and wanted to know his
opinion on the matter. However, rather than condemn the woman and judge
her with the religious law, he challenged the religious people by
telling them that if they had committed no sin , then they should throw a
stone at the woman. Since the religious people were not clean, they
left the woman alone. JESUS then told the woman that he does not condemn
her and he forgave her sins. From this story, you can learn what
Christianity is all about, it is about restoration of our relationship
with JESUS and our justification through JESUS resurrection and it not
about man-made rules.
If there is one thing that you should remember, sorry I mean two
things to remember, they are: First what you see going on in some of our
churches is not a reflection of what Christianity is all about, and
second and more important: JESUS loves you.
Conclusion
Never in my life have I written such a lengthy letter. If you have
been able to reach this part of the letter, please accept my apology if
it has taken much of your precious and valuable time. It should have
been shorter, but I have been carrying this burden for almost eleven
years and I have reached a stage that has left me with no choice but to
express my concerns through this medium.
I would like to reiterate that I have no intention whatsoever to
cause division or confusion within the Church. I have come to the point
of writing this letter because my conscience leaves me with no other
choice. This letter is borne out of my love for JESUS Christ and for the
Church for which he gave his precious life .
As I have earlier explained to my non-Christian brothers and sisters,
we as Christians are the followers of Christ. As a result, we have a
responsibility to ensure that the Church is effective in witnessing to
the non-Christians. Effective witnessing can only be achieved if the
people we are preaching to can see the fruits of JESUS in our lives.
So when we do things, let’s pause for a second and ask ourselves the
question, ‘What would JESUS do in a similar circumstances?’ For
instance, would JESUS remain silent when a nail is pieced through
Etido’s head? Would JESUS discriminate against the unmarried in his
church? Would JESUS accept criminal proceeds as tithe and offerings?
Would JESUS give undue attention to the rich in his midst, while
ignoring the poor? Would JESUS ignore the plight of passengers caught in
traffic due to a crusade organized by JESUS? Would JESUS enjoy the
luxuries of life, while his congregation wallow in abject poverty? Would
JESUS wine and dine with corrupt political leaders without pronouncing
the judgment of God upon them? Would JESUS publicly ridicule a mother
for coming late to church? Would JESUS curse any of his disciples or
congregation who disagrees with his viewpoint? Answering these questions
should guide us on our Christian journey.
I would like to close by imagining what Paul would have said if he
decided to write to the Nigerian church rather than the church at
Corinth. I guess it may go along these lines: If I have fifty thousand
church branches scattered all over the world, but no love, then I am
like an ant colony; If I have twenty million people attending my
crusades, but no love, then I am like a mega pop star; If I make the
blind to see, the deaf to hear and the lame to walk, but have no love,
then I am like an amalgamation of an Ophthalmologist, Otolaryngologist
and an Orthopedic surgeon; If I can quote the scriptures from beginning
to the end and from the end to the beginning, but I have no love, then I
am like an IBM Roadrunner Supercomputer.
SO LET US ALL DEMONSTRATE THE LOVE OF CHRIST.
If I have written anything in this letter that overstates the truth
of what is going on in the Nigerian church, I plead for your
forgiveness. If, however, I have written anything that understates the
truth of what is going on in the Nigerian church, I plead for the Lord’s
forgiveness.
Keep the faith.
Your fellow citizen of the Household of God
Ahmed Olayinka Sule, CFA
suleaos@gmail.com
PS: If you would like to discuss any of the issues contained in this
letter please feel free to contact me on my email listed above
,otherwise , you can go to my blog (link below) and leave your comments.
http://zangodare.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/nigerianchurch/
http://zangodare.wordpress.com
Appendix A- List of Some of the Clergies copied
Pastor A.T. Williams
The Revd. Canon Foluso Taiwo Pastor Olugbenga Adenuga
Pastor Adejare Popoola Pastor Francis A. Tella
Pastor Olutayo Ojajuni
Pastor Afolabi Oladele Bishop Francis Wale Oke
Pastor Omawumi Efueye
Pastor Afolabi Samuel Coker Minister Franklin Omoaghe
Pastor Oyonnude Kure
Pastor Agu Irukwu Full Gospel Business Mens' Fellowship International, Nigeria
Pastor Paul Adefarasin
Rev. Albert Aina Rev. Mrs. Funke Adejumo
Pastor Paul Akazu
Rev. Dr Albert Odulele Deaconess Funke Adenuga
Rev. Paul Emeka
Pastor Alloy Okechukwu Apostle G.D. Numbere
Pastor Paul F. Usman
Pastor Amos Babajide Oyetuga Pastor Gbenga Fagbami
Rev. (Dr.) Paul Jinadu
Pastor Andrew Adeleke Brother Gbile Akanni
Pastor Paul Oloyede
Pastor Anita Oyakhilome Rev. George Adegboye
Maj-General (Pastor) Paul Toun
Archbishop Anthony Okogie Pastor Ghandi
Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria
Pastor Ayo Oritsejafo Pastor Gladys Bawo Omamofe
The Most Reverend Peter .J. Akinola
Rev. B Durosimi-Etti Pastor Helen Ukpabio
Pastor Peter Oludare Oloso
Pastor Babatunde Adebiyi Pastor Ibiye Iyalla
Pastor Philip Aladesua
Pastor (Mrs.) Becky Unoarumhi Pastor Isaac Temitope Olufoye
Rev. (Dr.) S. A. O. Oyelade
Pastor Ben Adewuyi Pastor James Fadele
Pastor Sam Adeyemi
Prof. C. Olowola Pastor Joel Onyema Uzoma
Prophet (Dr.) Samson Ayorinde
Deaconess Ceceila Ibru Archbishop John O. Onaiyekan
Prophet (Dr.) Samuel Abiara
Pastor Charles Ojei Journalist For Christ
Pastor Segun Kingsley
Pastor Charles Salako Pastor Kayode Adefina
Pastor Segun Olatunde
Pastor Chiristopher Adetoro Pastor Kayode Ijisesan
Pastor Shola Adeaga
Pastor Chris Ojigbani Pastor Kayode Owolabi
Dr. Sola Fola-Alade
Pastor Chris Okotie Pastor Kemi Ilori
Pastor Stella Babalola
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Pastor Ken Egede
Archbishop Sunday Makinde
Christian Association of Nigeria Pastor Kola Ayeni
His Eminence, Dr Sunday Mbang
Christian Council of Nigeria Pastor Kola Ayeni
Pastor Susan Somide
Pastor Colin Bruce Starr Pastor Kola Bamigbade
Pastor Tai Olamigoke
Pastor D. Olowu Pastor Kola Ewuosho
Pastor Taiwo Odukoya
Dr. D.K Olukoya Bishop Kola Onaolapo
Dr. Tayo Adeyemi
Most Rev. Daniel Okoh Pastor Kolawole Carew
Pastor Tayo Ojajuni
Pastor Daniel Uwaeme Pastor Kunle Oladebo
Mrs. Titi Oluwatudimu
Pastor David Ojelabi Pastor Laolu Bamiteko
Pastor Tony Rapu
Pastor David Olatona Pastor Lawrence Osagie
Pastor Tope Dosunmu
Bishop David Oyedepo Bishop Margaret Idahosa
Pastor Tunde Bakare
Apostle Dele Johnson Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo
Pastor Tunde Olorunwunmi
Pastor Dele Oduntan Pastor Mercy Arinze
Pastor Tunji Akinola
Pastor Dupe Afolabi Pastor Mike Dada
Rev. Ucho Abel
Pastor E.A. Adeboye Bishop Mike Okonkwo
Dr. Uma Ukpai
Pastor Elijah Oludele Abina Pastor Mike Tomomewo
Pastor Victor Erhabor
Evangelist Elishama Ideh Pastor Modupe Afolabi
Pastor W. Kumuyi
Pastor Emma Omon Pastor Niran Fafowora
Pastor Wale Adefarasin
Evang. (Dr). Emmah Isong Pastor Nkechi Anayo-Iloputaife
Pastor Wale Babatunde
Pastor Emmanuel Iwuoha Pastor Nkem Emerald Osuigwe
Rev. (Dr.) Wilson Badejo
Pastor Emmanuel John Pastor Nma
Pastor Yemi Balogun
Pastor Erastus Akingbola Pastor Olatubosun Sowunmi
Rev. (Dr.) Yinka Ojo
Rev. (Dr.) Etukudoh Pastor Olubode Olutunda
Pastor Yinka Somotun
Pastor Femi Emmanuel Pastor Oludare Akinbo
Pastor Yomi Adeyemi
Pastor Femi Taiwo Pastor Oludare Ayeni
Bishop Yomi Isijola
Pastor Festus Adewole Pastor Olufemi Ogundipe
Pastor Folarin Akinsola Pastor Olufemi Oyelowo
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