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CAC General Evangelist, Prophet Hezekiah O. Oladeji
| The General Evangelist, Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria and Overseas, Prophet Hezekiah O. Oladeji recently fielded questions and answers with a team of Journalists in his office. In this interview, he made some startling revelations about a silent spiritual revolution going on in the Church all of which is resulting in the sanitization of the Evangelists and Prophets in Christ Apostolic Church.He went ahead to spell out the danger of going solo in the gospel ministry. |
Have you noticed any positive development in the attitude of Church planters to the authorities of this Church?
What we are doing is to ensure there is unity among all of us who are Church planters, prophets and evangelists in Christ Apostolic Church. So as to ensure that we continue in the lifestyle of the founding fathers of Christ Apostolic Church. Their lives were lived in conformity with the lives of the Apostles of old. Christ was manifestly seen in the lives of the Apostles and this is what we are also emphasizing that our own life must conform to the image of Christ.
As a result, we have noticed that all strange doctrines like syncretic practices and herbalism and idolatrous practices are becoming rare in the Church today. I can say without any fear of contradiction that all such practices cannot be mentioned among us today. No prophet in Christ Apostolic Church will ever ask people to go and bring bitter kola, kolanuts , palm oil, salt or any other stuff of that nature because the fear of Christ is in the hearts of our prophets and Holy Spirit is guiding us, just as the Apostles of old. At the same time, there is evidence of growth and development. We are talking of spiritual growth, growth and maturity that springs from sound doctrinal knowledge in the lives of all our prophets, evangelists and Church planters.
We examine and inspect them from time to time to ensure people are standing firm on the teachings of our fore fathers. Except those who are operating independent of our authorities, you hardly could find any aberration among our people. They were made to know that the Christ Apostolic Church is not an idolatrous Church.
If you can beat your chest that fetish practice is non- existent, can you also say the smart method of collecting money from people, like in the sale of anointing oil: "Anybody that first bring N100,000 should come and get this breakthrough oil..." Can you say such practices are no more in existence?
Such things are not common again.
Are you saying they exist but they are not common?
We can't rule it out entirely. Its not only Christ Apostolic Church that has prophets and Church planters. I can only speak about our prophets. As long as we are concerned in Christ Apostolic Church, such practices are not common now. But among those who still indulge in such smart method, can it be said that they have Christ in them? If Christ is the one leading such people, they would not be able to play smart using gimmick and 419 method to fleece people of their money. What am saying is that once you allow Christ to take pre-eminence in ministry and you are guided by His word, wouldn't need any gimmick. But the fault is not entirely that of the prophets. What of our so-called Christian congregations. When people refuse to embrace truth in the gospel, they would take any rubbish anybody gives them. Only recently, somebody called me from America and said "Baba, can you please help me find a prophet that would do prophetic work for me?" I told him it is not about prophetic work it is about knowing Christ and doing His will. In Christ Apostolic Church nobody does "Ise Wolii" (prophetic work.) If you don't take a firm standing in Christ, they would push you into error. There is nothing like prophetic work by any prophet. Real prophet only prays for people or he asks you to pray. It is only babalawo that adds one thing to another and call it aajo.
Our theme for this conference is Manifesting our growth through sound doctrine. We thank God that the signs of true growth or development are manifesting seriously because we are displaying spirit of Christ while we are contradicting any manifestation of anything contrary to our growth in Christ. Formerly some planters have embraced fetish objects. There were those that had been found with Ifa oracle, those who were actually doing divination by the oracle. There were those with enchanting charms like afose. At the meeting of God of Our Fathers we held last year, there were many who came out for deliverance from the use of black powers. Who re-dedicated their lives to God and surrendered their charms, amulets and cultic powers to surrender entirely to Christ Jesus. Some people surrendered their Ayilala, Ifa oracle, some surrendered their idols, their cult paraphernalia. We took these fetish objects from them and burnt them. So, these days, you can never find people using dark powers among prophets in Christ Apostolic Church. We give glory to God for the sanitization process. These are evidence of our growth or development through sound doctrine.
Yet you can say these things about those who are directly under your leadership. What of those who were not within your direct superintendency? Can you vouch for them?
As the General Evangelist of CAC, you know I go from region to region for crusade and prayer programmes. There is no region I go to without holding the meeting with prophets, evangelists and church planters. And the meeting always attract people who are not even within the Christ Apostolic Church. At such meetings, if you see those who use to come out for restoration and for deliverances. At Ugheli for instance, we saw many priests, prophets, pastors and evangelists who were addicted drunkards, those who were neck deep in occultism and idolatory, they came out in large numbers. Also at Ibadan at a recent meeting, many people came out for deliverance and restoration. Those who had gone into the abyss of covens, those who had been in league with devil and powers of darkness. They came out to be loosed from the fetters that bound them with the dark powers.
But what are you and the Evangelical Committee of Christ Church doing to reduce the problem of planters going contrary to the authorities of the Church?
Christ is the head of His Church. Any matured and spiritual person knows that no individual can own the Church. The Church of Christ is not part of property that children could inherit after a person might have gone. Christ owns His Church. Go and find out, those people the past who had claimed "It's my church, my church, what is the end they claimed be theirs today?. At this year's conference, are going be lectured by sound lawyers and other experts. We are taking many other pro-active measures to educate our people. We been holding meetings with individuals, groups many of them responding to positively and many of them have joined us. We discovered are staying aloof because of fear. allay their fears about the future about their family. We tell them what would make their work to speak after they might have gone be with the Lord.
Wives of many Evangelists and prophets and and even Church planters often complain that their husbands are chronic absentees from home. If they are not away for crusade, they will on mountain. If they not the mountain, they would in the wilderness. What are teaching your evangelists prophets about maintaining the home and ministry?
All the husbands ,wives and all spouses engaged to ministers of God must know and share the vision and mission of their spouse. Some people who are always available at home with their wives do not have better quality time with their spouses than some prophets, evangelists or planters are said to be always absent from home. Some ministers enjoy quality time with their spouses than those who are always at home with their wives. The best arrangement is for each couple to understand themselves. When the wife understands the husband and the husband understands the wife, there will be no problem. Both husband and wife must grow into maturity of sound doctrine and must know the ministry into which they had been called to serve. Those who are not evangelists, prophets, planters, are their spouses deriving happiness from them? Are they making their spouses happy? Elders who are not leaving home, but are always at home, are they pleasing their wives? God is the upholder of marriages. Many things we don't count as weighty, that we consider minor issues are what destroy marriages not long absence from the gospel engagement. What of those who were not moving out of their home but still they have their marriage destabilized. Satisfaction is what upholds marriages. There are some men who are never satisfied by their marriage. There are also women who are never satisfied by their husbands.
What are you doing about some unmarried freelance Lady Evangelists? There have been cases where some of these unmarried evangelists were caught in unseemly behavior?
I have never heard such cases. I am sure such cases would never happen. We do a lot underneath. You mustn't hear the kind of life some men are living. They are good outside, but they are not useful at home. Yet, it is the wife many people would be accusing as being bad. I often do my findings and hold on to the truth. For instance there was an incident of a crisis between a minister of God and his wife. I have to call the husband secretly. I later called the wife also separately. I called the younger brother of the man separately too. I then discovered that the excesses were coming from the husband not the wife. The husband didn't have marriage manners at all. He knew nothing about his duties at home. A husband ought to know his rights, his duties in a marriage. A husband ought to provide for his home.His own daughter told me that her dad doesn't know how to provide for the home. She said: "I prayed never to meet a man like my dad as husband". The girl said this in the presence of her dad. I said why? She said her mother is most enduring. You can see that that girl has seen a lot. If such a man should be given collar, you can imagine what type of minister he would become. There are so many men who oppress their wives. There are some others, they read the Bible but they do not have Christ in them.
What challenges are evangelists facing?
By the very nature of the job, an evangelist,a prophet is battling the devil. Though l don't see this as a challenge. I see it as necessary evil to strengthen us in Christ. I see such confrontation as the trial like chord of love that closely binds us to things above. If David didn't have his confrontation, he wouldn't be able to overcome King Saul. He wouldn't have been able to overcome the philistines. When Elijah was to be taken away, he went along the road of Jordan and reached Jericho, If Elisha had turned back from Elijah at Jordan, how would he have won the mantle? So, before the attainment of the mantle, there is a Jordan and there is a Jericho. If he feared the peril of Jordan, he wouldn't reach Jericho, if he bulked at the danger in Jericho he wouldn't get the mantle. For anybody that is ready for the mantle, be ready to pass the Jordan.
What advice do you have for church planters and emergency GOs?
We are a Church with good training. Whoever is a pioneer must be a good example to others. The life of a lone-ranger could make one to become an unfortunate person. I have friends with ministries. Many of them learned good lesson from me and so they have obtained mercy. Many of them are unable to stay because they know that I wouldn't condone some of their shenanigans. But those who stayed knew the kind of grace they obtained. To be a lone- ranger or planter sole owner of a Church could make somebody unfortunate. One would not know when one would go into hell. But if one can endure the grooming of being under authority of the Church leaders. You allow them to guide you through the Holy Spirit, through the word of God and by following precedent laid by our forefathers, the future is always bright.
I was highly motivated when Pastor Akinsulire retired. I said: "this is a true man of God". Also when Pastor Akinosun retired, I was so joyful including Pastor Yusuf. Look, Baba Oloye retired many years ago, yet he is still doing the work of God till now.All of these people have laid very good foundation. They worked until their retirement age and as old as they are, their ministry did not crash-land. They had a successful and fulfilled retirement. Why did they have a successful retirement? Their training, their grooming and experiences they went through
I advise all planters. Indeed I pity many planters who hold fast to one or two branches of the Churches they planted. I pray that before they reach the age of retirement, they would not have retired God from their ministries. Look at the late Prophet Michael Ojo Olowere, all the Churches planted by him are under the authorities of the Church. He allows the authority to take charge. As old as he was before he slept in the Lord, he gave those in authority the respect due to them. Why is he able to do that? His training; his mentoring by the fathers and the experiences he been through. But today, many of us have turned ourselves into something else. Many are pompous, they don't want to take orders from anybody. They want to ride and manipulate those under them. They want their independence. That kind of independence would not allow Christ to be your guide. Freedom would not allow you to enjoy the working of Christ in your life. So, I am warning planters and all evangelists to be very careful.
We have heard it said that some denominations have asked God to send end-time revival through their Church. But God told them, his covenant for the end- time revival is with CAC. Now, are the activities of the Evangelical Committee which you are leading the fore-runners of the expected revival or should we be expecting revival through other channels?
Did you observe that in the last three years, the Christ Apostolic Church is undergoing great changes? By the next three years from now, be observant, some greater things would be happening and people would marvel. Things people will see and declare that these are the deeds of God will be manifesting.
There is no doubt about it at all. Many things are peculiar to this Church and you can't find them elsewhere. I say it with all sense of responsibility, that this Church is a Church being led by the Holy Spirit. This is a Church that places high premium on Christ- likeness, fear of God. Many things the current President of the Church is reforming point to the fact that Christ would reveal Himself greatly through this Church. Restoring the grace of godliness and Christ- likeness into the Church is bound to bear fruits.
We have seen your impacts on the field of revivals. You hold crusades in major towns, in regions of the Church and you now have effective evangelical committees in various regions, DCCs and other administrative centres of the Church. Have you considered having outfits for evangelism to the hurting, the homeless, the distressed as well as the imprisoned?
We have various outfits in the evangelical committee. We have those in the prison outreach/evangelism, The last crusade we held at Sophia Ajayi Region, (Ekiti State) we visited the prison. We have groups that visit hospitals to pray for the sick. But the recent covid-19 pandemic with the attendant lockdown that followed affected many things.
You are all over the places. We often see you hold programmes in other churches that are not CAC,why?
The founding fathers of CAC started as an interdenominational group. Christ is for all and so is the gospel. Any Christian organization that needs our presence at their programme will continue to be honoured with our presence. We can't limit Christ to a denomination. A Redeemed Christian Region has just brought an invitation a while ago. By the grace of God, if the programme doesn't clash with what we have in our schedule, we shall attend. Only yesterday, all the Anglican Churches in ljesha Land in Osun State have invited us for a programme scheduled to hold on the eve of Boxing Day for this year. That is December 25/26, 2023. There are so many invitations, we find time to attend those ones that do not clash with our scheduled programmes. Some would say they just want us to spend two hour with them. They often tell us we want to enjoy the grace of God in your life like your CAC members.