Holding services in yoruba: Members of CAC Worldwide speaks

By 'Gbenga Bankole

More members of Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide have been making their opinions known on the issue raised by the Zonal Superintendent of CAC Germany, Pastor Adedayo Adeosun that majority of our branches abroad hold services in yoruba language.


Members of the church shared their opinions through the Facebook page of CAC NEWS. Their opinions are stated below:


Olukayode Okusanya 

CAC Worldwide is a leading Pentecostal religious denomination. As the name indicates, it is known worldwide. It is however a known fact that the Church is being viewed as a local organization with the toga of 'Yoruba Church'. This appellation is so pronounced that some of our branches outside the Southwest conduct services principally in Yoruba with sparse inadequate interpretation in English language. It was even reported that one of our branches in Germany was conducting her services in Yoruba language, due to the predominance of this tribe there. It is true that English services are being conducted in some assemblies; the time is however ripe for the Church to adopt a better method for greater reach. I want to appeal to the Authority of our Church to make the pronouncement that English language (or the National language of the host country) should be adopted as the principal language of worship with interpretation into the local language or dialect of the host community. This approach will attract more people from other tribes into our Our One Fold.

Omisola Adebanjo Sunday

Ministering in a particular language is a function of the people that is worshipping in that church. There is no offence in preaching in Yoruba if majority of the worshipers are yoruba.

Obinna Chukwuezie

Using English language to preach, print materials, and write sign post, will make for inclusivity and heterogenuity. To make CAC to use English will take a new generation of Pastors who speak fluently in English.

Femi Oluwagbohunmi

I believe that languages used in branches abroad should be either indigenous or officially/generally acceptable.

Kolawole Olusegun Johnson

Other languages should also be taken into consideration since the church has spread all over. We need to adapt to the change just like other denominations.

Ajayi Oluwadaisi Ayodeji

I wonder why you should be 'mad' at a Pastor ministering in Yoruba to a congregation who are themselves Yoruba speaking people. Ọlọ́run gbà wá.

Ojo Oyeyemi Isaiah

There is no bad things ministering in Yoruba language, but everybody should just preach in his own branch and the language people understand there, not to mandate it everywhere.
God bless C.A.C.

Chioma Anaghasim Chibuike

Here in Kano I can't attend any programs in the district headquarters because they use Yoruba although forgetting that we have non yorubas from other stations. The Good Women leader is so fund of that. I hate i

Olugbenga Goverment Oladokun

We need to change our orientation in CAC, that is why other denomination are far ahead of us.

Fab Uche

Our Yoruba Pastors and brothers should drop that ideology of being passionate and sentimental in using their local language during church services, this is one of the reasons why I don't always attend CAC in Lagos State each time I visit the State, so long as 100% of the members do not understand the Yoruba language, what does it take us to use the official language which all and sundry can understand.
I think is high time our Pastors should embrace modernity and face reality for them to compete and measure up with their contemporaries, take away bias, sentiment and timidity. Thanks.

Emmanuel Anaya

I still can't believe that some people are “such wonderful", advocating the use of tribal language in a great church like this. You people are very wonderful ooo.
The truth remains that we've been losing many members esp the Youths that would have been of great help to the growth and development of the church as a result of this.
Speaking from experience, after worshipping with one of our branches (a district hqts oooo) in Lagos during my first visit to that city, I never gave it a second thought.
... maybe we should go learn from RCCG, WINNERS, etc

Iwasokun Victor Ayodeji

Thanks for this post. I believed the authority of this mission will address it. Why Oke-isegun, oke-igbala in non Yoruba cities, can't they use the language of the land to name those churches. This is one the reasons while CAC is not spreading at the rate it supposed to spread. May God continue to uphold His church and direct our leaders right.

Akachukwu Okezie

This issue of speaking Yoruba in churches outside Yoruba land is bad. This made me to stop attending CAC and join Assemblies of God when I was at Kano in 2003, at CAC Kano DCC hdqters Atiken Rd Sabon gari. For such to be happening in Gemany is abnormal. I that CAC breaking the law of cross cultural communication in church planting in foreign lands. The Church should be plant in the landguage of the land, not with the language of the planters. Let the authority of CAC look into this.

Omisola Adebanjo Sunday

This issue has been over blown beyond the normal proportion. I think the authority has mandated all the district, Zonal and DCC superintendents to establish a separate English speaking assembly. I visited Osogbo sometimes ago and I worshiped in a CAC assembly GBONMI DCC to be precise, The arrangement I saw there was spectacular. They have a wonderful English assembly. I believe every superintendents at all levels should wake up and do something about this. The church authority should sanction any one that refuses to carry out the instructions.

Sola Iwajomo

Although the dominant language in an area should have greater weight in influencing the language in which worship services are conducted, the desire to have an all inclusive membership should motivate the church to conduct the service in a manner that NO ONE will be deprived of FULL PARTICIPATION.

Femi Oluwagbohunmi

I believe that languages used in branches abroad should be either indigenous or officially/generally acceptable.