The Senior Pastor of Grace of God Restoration Assembly, Abiodun Ladipo spoke with SEYI JOHN SALAU on the leadership development; stating that his ministry focuses on church growth. Excerpts:
As a preacher with robust experience in the ministry, what difference do you notice in modern day churches compared to early days?
Proverbs 22:28 – Says do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set. – KJV. When you are talking about modern way of worship; you will be talking about certain things that came out with modernisation and that were not visible in the early church then. Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Thus says the LORD, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein.” The truth is that the new and modern way of worship cannot be compared to old and early way of worship. For example, in some modern churches, technology has helped the gospel to reach a wider coverage. It has also enhanced corporate social responsibilities. In the name of modernism, many ancient landmarks have been removed. For example, Sunday school no longer exists in many 21st Century churches; financial prosperity is now being more emphasised than salvation of souls while many Christians are deficient in their knowledge of the scriptures. But in the early church, ancient landmarks were preserved; Sunday school classes were the backbone of the churches. Soul winning was the major preoccupation of the church, where believers were grounded in the scriptures and things of God and there was discipleship. Holiness and righteousness showed forth in behaviour and dressing was also not left out. In the early church, the concern was more of pleasing God and financial prosperity was downplayed. Having travelled wide, I see modernisation coming out with some changes in the way we communicate, changes in culture, changes in interactions but there are ways all these can reflect in the same internal principles without allowing it to destroy the biblical aspect of the scripture. Note: What will the church look like in the next 20-30 years, if Christ has not returned? What will this generation teach or pass down to the next generation? The way we are groomed is not the way we are grooming the next generation. The clergy is to be blamed for this state of things but it is never too late to return fully back to God.
You have been in the ministry about a decade now; what are the errors you have noticed in the present day church?
A lot is going on in the church today. 1 Corinthians 3:19 – For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. A lot of things are going wrong now that need to be addressed in order to change people’s mind towards things of heaven. For example, Church politics, negligence of some spiritual leaders in decision making, not consulting God, worldliness and immorality, red carpeting, comedy on the altar, variety night, ‘oshaprapra’ Sunday, hip hop Sunday, games Sunday, suya night, asun night, disco lighting effects on the altar, background keyboard effects during message, holy spirit relegation to the background, absence of adequate discipleship and mentoring, lack of disciplinary measures, immoralities and immoral dressing, scarcity of salvation messages, absence of basic Christian ethics, lifting miracle above salvation, making it quick syndrome and not studying the word of God regularly. All the above listed errors are common in the present day church and the body of Christ needs to quickly do the needful to address these errors.
With your experience in ministry; how will you describe your journey so far in church administration?
My journey into the ministry was an awesome one. It started on a conviction that God’s mandate to spread the gospel across the globe is real and urgent. Jeremiah 1:5 says ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’ I was born into a polygamous Muslim family but got born again under a powerful revelation on 12 May 1993 during NYSC orientation camp at Abuja, where I became a member of Assemblies of God Church. I got the call of God on May 25 1997 and later went to Assemblies of God Seminary, Southwest Advanced School of Theology (SAST), Iperu, Ogun State Nigeria. I was pastor of several parishes under Assemblies of God Church till 18 July 2013, when I resigned by the leading of the Lord to Join Qodesh Grace International Ministry, Ibadan, Nigeria; July 2013 as the associate minister. After a while, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, I was sent forth into Grace of God Restoration Assembly on 3rd January 2016 by Qodesh Grace International Ministry Ibadan. My wife and I are icons in public speaking on singles and married affairs as well on premarital and marriage counseling and Christian match-making. I have ministered both nationally and internationally in a bid to ensure the spread of the gospel. To God be the glory, I am happily married to Pastor (Mrs.) Caroline Nwaji Ladipo and we are blessed with Godly children and grandchildren. God has been faithful to us such that Grace of God Restoration Assembly now is not just a Church but a movement where worship is regarded as a matter of relationship, not location or tabernacle. A lot of people have been giving testimony to God’s praise and we have been receiving feedbacks. It was tough at the beginning because Satan is not resting and we as children of God are not relenting as well, but God vindicated us and here we are praising God; for He is awesome.
Away from the church; what is your assessment of the present security situation in Nigeria?
Haggai 1:5 – 8; ‘Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.’ Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the Lord’. As long as the ills in the government are not taken care of, the story will remain same. The socio-economic factors and infrastructures are going from bad to worse; there is siege in the land and nation. Our leaders need to go back to God in repentance and restitution. I believe there is a future and hope for this country. Nigeria will be great once again; we have all it takes as a people to make the country great. All we need is focused and dedicated leaders in all aspects of life. The present government’s performance is below average. Proverbs 2:22 says; ‘But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.’ The security situation in this country calls for concern, wickedness abounds everywhere. Lives and property are not safe anymore. Government and security personnel are not doing enough. Strong warning from the Lord if they fail to repent; God has done it before in Nigeria during Abacha’s regime and He will do it again. The wicked, both in the public and private sectors, will be cut off and destroyed. Government should step up in its strategy to curtail this security menace.
