The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) recently inaugurated the first set of executive members for its newly created Lagos Island Province of the Fellowship. Apostle Enyinnaya Okwuonu, the chairman of PFN in Lagos State spoke on the reasons behind creating the province and other issues affecting the Church and the nation. Excerpts by SEYI JOHN SALAU
What role can the Church play in raising leaders for political offices?
The Church should raise Godly leaders through Godly families. The family is the nucleus of every society. So, we are going back to the basics – if we raise our children well in the family, it will affect the society: reduce incidences of break-ups and problems in marriages; it will give us a better society. And so, in PFN we have a directorate in charge of children and teens; we have a directorate for women, a directorate for youth to ensure people get their values – in a country where people don’t have values, anything goes. We are bringing back societal values, values that can move this nation forward. Beyond praying, there is something that the Church should do – we should be able to educate our people; get them transformed in their mind, which is our focus this time.
What would you say to people that believe religion is the problem of the country?
Religion is indeed the problem of the country. Religion is people’s way of trying to reach God. Christianity is a lifestyle; Christianity is different from religion. Christianity is the lifestyle of Christ. When Christ came, he portrayed his life and followed principles. So, in Christianity we follow the principles of Christ and we try to live his life. When you begin to have many ways of getting to God, there is a problem. So, the problem we are having is because people do not understand how to get to God. For me, religion is not really the problem – the problem we have in this country is the people who practised the religion.
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What is the significance of inaugurating a new province to the Fellowship?
This is one of the flagship programmes we usually have in the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), inaugurating a new province. This Lagos Island province is very strategic to us; it is a new area we are exploring. We have churches who need to key into the ideals of the PFN. So, for us it is very significant.
What is the expectation of the state leaders from the newly inaugurated executive members of the Fellowship?
Am glad you said that because the nation really has to look up to the church, not just PFN for the answers. The Church has the answer to the issues that we have on ground. So, in PFN we are sensitizing our people to be loyal; to be submissive to the government in power, because every government in power has been put there by God. Pay your taxes, pay your dues, as a good citizen of the country; support the government, pray for the government, and most importantly at this season pray for the challenges we are going through. We encourage our people to register. Incidentally, it’s a period of time when there is an ongoing review of the voters’ register – we are encouraging everybody who is 18 and above in PFN to go out there and get a voter’s card so that as we are praying we are also working. So that we can bring back into the political system godly leadership.
What is your charge to these newly inaugurated members of the Fellowship?
My charge to them is that, let the pastor be the pastor. Let the Church be the Church. There is a minimum requirement – minimum benchmark for what a pastor should be. A pastor is a representative of God. People respect the pastor and if you fail in that standard; you fail the society, you fail God. I am telling them that look, there are certain things that others do that you cannot do. You should live a life that is above board; you should live a life that gives glory to that – that is my message to them.
