The Supreme Head of the Mount Shiloh Praying Band, Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S) Worldwide, Baba Aladura, Henry Phillips in this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU, spoke about the misrepresentation of the white garment churches by the public on the sidelines of the recent 60th anniversary celebration of the church. He also spoke on other national issues. Excerpts:
What prompted the theme of the church’s 60th anniversary, Rehoboth?
God revealed to me during a three-day prayer that the journey of our church this year is ‘Rehoboth’. So, the theme is not only for the anniversary but for our church. In the Bible, God warned Isaac not to go to Egypt. In Bible terms, it means not to follow idolaters, worship idols or seek help from the wrong quarters. Rehoboth, in the Bible advanced dictionary, means freedom. In the lesser dictionary, it is called a place or a space. There is no way there can be freedom without space.
How relevant is the theme in addressing the current situation in Nigeria?
42 years ago, the then military government under General Olusegun Obasanjo, through FESTAC ’77, took the nation back to Egypt. Although we heard that the plan was on during the regime of General Yakubu Gowon. All idols from other black African nations and even beyond were brought to our country. If those idols are not destroyed, we cannot reach our goal. We had a good economy, which was more buoyant than that of America in 1977; it was even more buoyant than that of the United Kingdom. After 1977, Nigeria found herself struggling. Our leaders have compromised. What I expect from President Muhammadu Buhari is for him to call the nation to repentance and sincere worship of God and also take us back to the promise land. If Nigeria wants to overcome the challenges, whether economically, political or of insecurity, we should go back to our God. We should be nearer to God; God is merciful and always ready to forgive us. He will transform our nation to Canaan Land because Nigeria is a Canaan Land to many nations all over the world. Name any mineral resources, you will find it in Nigeria whether in large or small quantity. Nigeria is the most populous African nation. Nigeria is over 200 million; this means that we have the manpower. Anywhere the manpower is, the economy is supposed to be strong but look at us today. Nigeria as a nation has to move closer to God; this is what will make us prosper. How can we prosper with sin? We can’t except we forgo our sins and make agreement to worship God in spirit and in truth.
President Buhari’s recent attendance at the meeting of Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) generated a lot of reactions: What is your take on this Sir?
By virtue of the name, OIC, Nigeria has no business there. Nigeria is not an Islamic country but a multi-religious country. The President said he went to get loan. I know Vatican has enough money that Nigeria can borrow. So, let the President go there to balance the equation. Maybe, he can send the vice president. I want the President to take caution as an elderly person and also have the heart to accept criticism; there is no government that can progress without criticism. This is not military government but a democratic government. When he was sworn in the first tenure, he said he was President for everybody but as we can see now, he is not everybody’s President. So, he should go back to that statement and uphold it. He has to be patient and have listening ears.
There is this misconception about the white garment churches that involves incorporating fetish practices into Christian worship, making it hard to draw a line between Christianity and African Traditional Religion. What is your take on this?
I am the third generation to be Baba Aladura; you can’t find it elsewhere. The Church of Aladura has the second generation and now third generation. We were taught not to receive money for praying for people. Our slogan is ‘work and pray’. We were taught to be fervent in prayers. I thank God that the standard is still standing. We do not compromise; I do not belong to any occult society. The society I belong to is the fellowship of Christian Ministers and United Aladura Churches which comprises Aladura Churches. C and S is the Christian religious sect that gave Christianity footing in Nigeria. C and S liberated Christians from visiting herbalists after they leave church. The sect teaches people how to fast, pray and hold vigils, which are the keys to overcoming the turbulences in this world. In fact, we are the first Pentecostal because the gifts of speaking in tongues, healing and seeing visions which God poured out on the day of Pentecost is common among us though it is true that we are being misrepresented as a ‘ritualist’ church. It is a challenge to us; this is why our forefathers put their feet down to fight the menace. This challenge of infiltration is not uncommon in other denominations as well; this is why we are asking God to help the body of Christ as a whole. It is also common in the Muslim religion; we have both the good and the bad ones. This is why we have to be praying for the spirit of contentment and righteousness so that we can make heaven. It is not about having fleet of cars; I do not have a car but I need to have and I’m not aiming to get it at all cost.
Our readers would like to know a bit about the church history, how it started?
We became independent from our mother church, the Praying Band of Cherubim and Seraphim, which is almost 100 years in existence. Fortunately, it was my grandfather who headed the mother church. On Monday June 29, 1959, the Mount Shiloh Praying Band of the Holy Cherubim and Seraphim Incorporated (member of United Aladura Churches) started in a room apartment on Onifade Street, Mushin. Since then, the church has been going from strength to strength and we thank God for upholding us all these years.
Some ‘men of God’ have been in the news for various reasons, in recent times; what is your reaction to this?
Christ did not send us to the world to make riches. It is not about working miracles or having 10 million members. It is about preparing men for the kingdom of God and eventually making it there at last. I implore all servants of God to remember that we are answerable to God Almighty. We would meet with him someday and we would give every account of how we spent our lives.
Tell us about your emergence as the spiritual leader of the church?
At the demise of my father, I had to wait for five years to ascend the seat of the spiritual head. I didn’t occupy this position because my late father founded the church; I worked for it and suffered in the process. I thank God for everything happening today because I’m contended. It takes contentment to serve God, otherwise a person will be serving Mammon thinking he or she is serving God.
So far, what is your opinion of the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu?
I call him Oluwa-Sanwo-Olu. I do not have rapport with politicians in government but let me advise that he should not tread in a new terrain. Look at the Badagry Expressway. He should follow up the projects like the rail project, housing project, road project and others, which were started by his predecessors. He should beware of people because rumour has it that he came to satisfy party men. Party men are not 10 percent of the population of Lagosians. He should try to make Lagosians happy than his party because if he wants to satisfy party, people will reject him. But when his party rejects him, the future would judge. He should serve the people not the party, though I am not saying he should not follow the party’s guidelines.
