By Boluwatife Oparinde
The President of Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria and Overseas, Pastor Samuel O. Oladele has disclosed the reasons for the choice of the theme for the 2023 Annual Pastors' Conference, "Proving our Growth Through Sound Doctrine".
Pastor Oladele in a press conference held on Tuesday, September 13 2023 as part of the anticipatory activities of the Pastors' conference, expressed the necessity for ordained ministers to return to the basics and uphold sound doctrine from the Bible.
"The doctrine that we are talking about is not CAC system of beliefs, but what the Bible teaches, the fundamental truths of the Bible which we can not joke with. We cannot compromise that. It is time for the church to go back to the doctrines of the Bible," he said.
Emphasizing that the focus on sound doctrine is not what the church teaches but what the Bible teaches, the clergyman stated that the church may be wrong but the Word of God cannot be wrong, quoting Psalms 119:89 which says "for ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."
On if the conference is open for non-ministers of Christ Apostolic Church, the CAC President explained that while there are gatherings of the church where non-members are invited to attend, the annual Pastors' conference is strictly for ordained ministers of the church and not even for any minister.
Speaking to newsmen, the clergyman continued that the ordained ministers have been ministering to congregations and worshippers, the conference is for CAC ordained ministers to "come once a year, and be ministered to as well."
When asked on the expectations of the conference, Pastor Oladele explained that the retreat programme for ministers is not only a conventional annual conference but such where God's visitation is primarily expected, adding that through the resource persons and the range of topics to be treated, the expectation is that all spiritual, emotional, intellectual, financial etc. needs will be met in the lives of every attendee.
The President also disclosed that the conference resource persons are from within the church while some special features of the conference are awareness from the church research department as well as a lecture on estate management.
The 2023 conference for the over 12,000 ordained ministers in Christ Apostolic Church will begin at 4pm on Tuesday, September 19 2023 and end at the early hours of Friday, 22 September, 2023.