On Wednesday 27 March, Christian faithful and leaders gathered for a one-day ministers’ summit convened by Pastor William Kumuyi, general superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM). The maiden Ministers’ Development and Networking Summit was organised DCLM, in conjunction with Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). On the sidelines of the summit tagged, ‘Building the Builders’, Apostle Bamgbola, the chairman Lagos State CAN spoke with journalists on the essence of having a joint CAN/PFN Ministers’ Development summit. Excerpts by SEYI JOHN SALAU
In your welcome address, you said the church is the most challenging ministry; can you expatiate?
Even in all creation of God; God himself mentioned it that he regretted creating man in the book of Genesis. So, what I was alluding to is the fact that to be called to oversee men on earth is challenging. It is challenging for God himself the creator; it’s challenging for any human being because it is not an ordinary calling. It is the highest calling; being called to be the servant of God is higher than being the president of any nation because you are responsible for the souls created by God – so, it is a very serious responsibility.
How can we relate the theme of the Ministers’ Development and Networking Summit ‘Building the Builders’ to national issues in Nigeria?
You relate it in the sense that we need to have a new beginning in our nation, because the bible says if the foundation be rotten; what can the righteous do? That is, this nation has a rotten foundation; a foundation of corruption. So, what the church is doing here is what we have to do in politics, business, and in all areas of human endeavour in our nation. Yes, we started well in 1960, but we are still reaping what we sowed. The election of 1959 – I am old enough to say this because I was part of it; was a rotten election. So, every subsequent election since then has been rotten, and that is why we are still complaining. Look at the resources of this nation: I read it with my own eyes when I was in school in America in the early 70’s that the United Nations research indicated the three developed nations by 1970 would be Brazil, Korea, and Western region Nigeria. When they talked about Western region Nigeria then (1954), they were talking of Nigeria. Why would they talk about Western region Nigeria to grow like Korea? At that time South Korea was just finishing the Korean War – it was worse than what we have in Syria today; but look at what Koreans have made of South Korea. Look at what Brazilians have made of Brazil, and look at what we Nigerians have made of our nation. When I came back into this nation in 1979 as an expatriate, I thought things were so bad; I almost went back. But, since 1979, it’s been from worse to worse.
What is the way forward?
The way forward is to change. It is for we leaders in the church to have the fear of God; then politicians and the rulers should have the fear of God. What will anybody do with a billion Dollars? What do you want to do with the kind of wealth they steal in this nation? They have been bleeding this nation since independent and they can’t still finish it because God has a plan for this nation. I believe God will bless your generation – am speaking from my heart; it’s painful. Recently, somebody asked me what would I do, if am president Buhari? And I said at his age, I will spend every day in building this nation until I breathe the last breath. So that when am gone, they will talk about me like Mandela: like the great nation builders; that is what is left for him to do.
Prior to the 2019 general election, some of your members got involved in partisan politics. Is this seminar one of the measures taken to chart a new course?
The social media all over the world – look at the trouble in America with the U.S government. There will be partisanship in the heart of man and then with the social media today; everybody has a TV station, everybody has a YouTube, so you can speak to the world if you do anything. So, the whole thing is in chaos – then when we have seminar and summit like this, we are preparing ministers of God to do the right thing for God. If we ministers do the right thing in our nation, then our nation will begin to be a prosperous nation. We pray and keep praying; if not for prayers, this nation would have been forgotten – you all know that. But, beyond prayers, we must act; we must show good example, we must lead for God. That is what this summit is all about – you see the foundation that our father in the lord; pastor Kumuyi was talking about: foundation is so important; it is because the foundation of this nation was rotten and is rotten, that is why we have all kinds of priests and politicians. Christians ran away from politics for many years – we have stopped that. If you do not rule, they will rule; if you do not dominate, they will dominate you; if you don’t take dominion, they will take your dominion, and that is what we have been going through in this nation – rascals ruling our nation. How can we get anywhere? We have prayed, and we believe God: the church is coming together. This is one great program in my own life time, that we the Christian association is coming together to blend; to listen, to hear from God and work in line with the word of God. This programme, watch it – this programme will change this nation, and change nations to the glory of God.
