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| Pastor S.E.A Oludare |
Pastor S.E.A Oludare is the Superintendent of Christ Apostolic Church, Yaba Districts Coordinating Council (DCC). In this interview with CAC NEWS Publisher, ‘Gbenga Bankole, Pastor Oludare speaks on his vision for Yaba DCC, unification of CAC and other interesting issues. EXCERPT !
Tell us briefly about your journey into the ministry?
I joined the ministry in the year 1984 that was the year I went to seminary. I attended ECWA Bible College from 1984 to 1989. In 1988 I went for Six months practical training at CAC Ochichi in Kaduna state. I came back to Lagos after graduating from the Seminary in 1989 and I was serving as church Evangelist then under my father in the Lord at CAC Botanical Garden, Abule nla District Lagos (it was then under Oloto District). It was there I wrote GCE and Jamb. I got admitted into University of Ibadan in the year 1991to study Religion Studies. I was also serving as an Evangelist at CAC Overcomers’ Assembly, Bodija Ibadan. I was combining the ministry with my higher institution education.
I was ordained as a Pastor in CAC in the year 1995. I was the Pastor of CAC Overcomers’ Assembly, Bodija. I left the church for CAC Oke Ibukun, Oke Addo where I served for four and half years. It was there I got promoted and I came to Lagos as District Superintendent to CAC Oke Isegun Olayinka in Ajagunle Apapa under Ajeromi Districts Coordinating Council (DCC). I was there for about 2years. I can’t recall the year vividly. I was transferred to CAC Oke Iyanu Ketu 1 also as a District Superintendent and I served in that church for seven years. At my seventh year the church status changed from district to Zonal status. As a result of that I became the Zonal Superintendent of Ketu 1 zone. I was promoted and transferred to CAC Yaba DCC as DCC Superintendent in the year 2017. It was precisely March 1st 2017. That is the brief history of my journey into the ministry. If you count 1984 to 2018 you will see I have been in the ministry for about 34years.
What is your vision for Yaba DCC?
Sincerely I was not expecting that I would be coming to Yaba DCC when I came. When I came here I met a dispersed DCC. The DCC used to be comprising of 13 districts before I came. Three of them came together to form Ipaja zone. The induction and inauguration was done when I came. The hiccups that happened in Yaba DCC reduced it to DCC with just two districts. The remaining nine out of the 10 District went out to form Vineyard of Mercy DCC. Later on Akoka District returned by the ordered of the authority of the church.
The vision I have for Yaba DCC is to bring it back to the status it used to be. After this interview I am going to a place where we have just gotten a land. We are buying lands around to start evangelism and planting of churches through which we can create more districts and the DCC will be enlarged again. My number one vision is to enlarge the coats of the DCC. The DCC headquarters itself is 78years this year by the grace of God and the church building has been standing for many years now. My vision is to alter the church building and bring it to the status of a major cathedral, an imposing structure that will noise not only Nigeria but all over the world. We are building an edifice that will be a point of reference in CAC Worldwide and we are starting this year by God’s glory. Yaba DCC headquarter is coming in a big way by the grace of God. All hands are on deck to restructure this building and make it amiable, competing favorable with many cathedrals not only in Nigeria or Africa, but all over the world.
In the spiritual realm, my vision is to build people up spiritually. Our theme for this year is “Rekindling of Fire.” We started in January with the topic “Rekindling the Fire of Evangelism,” this month our topic is “Rekindling the Fire of Holy Spirit,” in March we are Rekindling the Fire of Prayer, in April we are Rekindling the Fire of Holiness and so on. We want to build people up in the spirit of the Lord and that is why we are treating “Fruit of the Spirit” in the monthly Ministers of God meeting. We have already started and as from next month we will treat love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness etc. Apart from enlarging the coast to have more churches planted through evangelism, we also want to beautify and restructure the lives of our people spiritually. It is three points agenda. The agenda number one is to enlarge the coast of the DCC and bring it back to its old status where we have many churches. I am not referring to churches joining us, but I mean we are going to buy the land, conduct revival and evangelism. We will train our Pastors, recruit more and put them there.
The second agenda is to make sure people are brought up in the way of the Lord. We want to make sure that spirituality become our focus and goal.
The third agenda is to change the physical outlook of the headquarters structure. We want the church to look like a modern church that will be a point of reference. When I resumed here we had a toilet that was nothing to write home about and people could not use the place. But now it has been transformed and people are coming to look at it as a point of reference to build their own. People can now go there and sit comfortably. You can bath there. We have bath water heater there. As a matter of fact we have speaker there, you will be listening to what is going on in the church while there. We also have water dispenser there and other modern equipments. If the toilet can be as beautiful as that just imaging how the new cathedral we are planning to build will look like.
Permit me to ask this personal question sir: I was present at your Christmas Carol last year December. I noticed that on two or three occasions you conducted the choir while ministering. Have you been formerly part of the choir?
I have always being in the choir in all my life. My mother was a chorister so she always takes me to choir practice when I was very young and I have grown up to become a choir member. In my days in University of Ibadan I was the choir leader for CACSA for two years. In some churches where I formerly pastored, I have been part of choir.
I pioneered Oke Ibukun English Assembly choir. By the grace of God, I am the coordinator of the Lagos/Ogun arm of the Pastors’ choir, but Pastor Tope Dada is the CAC national Music Director. When I was in Ketu 1 the choir meeting used to hold in my church. I have been in music for years. I married my wife from the choir. I did music and play musical instrument. So conducting the choir is just a little part of my ability.
If God had not called you to be a Pastor, what would have been your profession?
I wanted to be a military officer. I wanted to be a soldier. Even after been ordained as a Pastor, I still want to try if I can become a Chaplain. I love the military. If I was not a Pastor, nothing would have cut me short of being a soldier, but thank that I am a soldier of Christ. I have no regret at all. I am a soldier of Christ. I wanted to be a soldier but Jesus said I should be a soldier of the cross.
The level of moral decadence in our society is nothing to write home about. What do you think is responsible for this?
Everybody is responsible for it. The society is not helping, social media is not helping and even the church is not helping. Probably some pastors have been lackadaisical about teaching holiness. We don’t preach holiness as before. We are more concern with witches and wizards. “Ogun osho, ogun aje” is what we preach. How many times have you seen Pastors preaching about holiness? You can buy “blue film” for a low as N100. “Blue film” is on the majority of phones people are carrying around. Nothing is helping the situation. The government is not helping. There are Senators who are carrying ladies on campus. There are also Pastors who are sleeping with their members. Everybody is to blame. It is only the coming of Jesus that will put an end to everything.
Cuts-in: What is the way out?
Jesus is the way. Jesus is the answer to this entire situation. We may have many churches, but how many people are born again? It is not about having plenty churches, it is about having plenty Christians (I mean born again). Some churches are planted this day for personal interest or to make ends meet. How many people are actually born again Christians? Jesus is the solution to the problem. The coming of Jesus will put an end to everything. The world is not getting better again.
As the leaders of both factions in CAC will be meeting for the unification of the church, what is your advice for them?
I will advice them that they should be truthful to themselves and face the fact. They should face the truth. Everyone knows what is in his heart. Nobody should pursue personal agenda, but Jesus agenda.
What is your advice to President Buhari on the state of the nation?
It is unfortunate that people seems not to know that Buhari inherited too many problems. The problems we are facing in Nigeria today have been predicted even before Buhari came. Money has been squandered by Olisa Metu and co. The money that ought to be invested into the country was shared by some people. The covers of the country were empty. Buhari came to inherit a moribund government. Only God will forgive those who are saying Buhari is not performing because he didn’t have a safe landing. Billions of dollars was discovered in some peoples’ house. These are monies that should have been used to develop the nation.
I will advice Buhari to resign and not to contest in 2019. He should allow a younger person to come on board. It will be fine if we can have a younger person to come on board. We don’t need old people. Look at when Osinbajo stood in for him during his sickness, he made mark, he was agile and was able to run around. Buhari is old. He has tried his best. He should just retire in 2019 and the party should bring a younger person that can do it. Maybe a younger person will be able to run around and beg the ‘powers that be’ to let Nigeria work. I don’t think force can solve the problem of Nigeria.
As a youthful pastor, I want you to advice the youths of CAC Worldwide
I see too much hypocrisy in many of our youths. Many of them are yet to understand the legacies of our forefathers. Since they don’t understand, they take it with levity. They feel that the church did not allow them to use ear ring and trouser. It is not that not using ear ring or trouser will make us get to heaven, but it makes us different. I didn’t even pierce the ears of my daughters. Our youths should give their lives to Christ. They should be born again and appreciate the values of the church. It will go a long way to help them. A lot of our youths think we are not allowing them to express themselves. A lot of our youth are being messed up today because they don’t listen to advice of the elders. They should give their lives to Christ and obey the authority of the church. It will go a long way in helping them. We obeyed then and it is paying off for us today.
As a Pastor how do you rest or relax?
I am a workaholic person. I love to work a lot. However, I rest at night. I encourage people to go on-leave. I advice Pastors that are under me to go on leave. I told them that one month is our leave here they should not spend two weeks. I also told them that the leave period is not for them to go to a mountain and fast and pray for 21days, but it is the time for them to rest, sleep and relax.
Personally I take my rest at night. Sometime last year I went to Redemption Camp to spend two days just to relax. I always try to rest, although I may not make noise about my resting. I know it is not enough because people tell me I am not resting enough, but I am planning for more rest.