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| Pastor Ezekiel Adedayo Adeosun |
Pastor Ezekiel Adedayo Adeosun is the Zonal Superintendent of CAC Germany Zone. He is the cleric God used to plant the first CAC assembly in Germany which later gave birth to other three branches.
In this interview with CAC NEWS, Pastor Adeosun bears his mind on the new regional setting, holding of programmes in Yoruba language in CAC assemblies abroad and the 100years anniversary of the church. EXCERPT!
Kindly tell us your journey into the ministry
By the grace of God I used to be a Christ Apostolic Church Student Association, CACSA member from CAC Agege Shiaba. I intended going to England in 1987, as God will have it, I was not successful in finding my way to England. It was part of the things that actually brought me to CAC Agege Shiaba. When we started praying about it God said he will do what he wants to do. In the course of our prayer I got a Visa to Hungry where I was for one year before I gained admission to study language in Germany. When I got to Germany in the year 1990 everything seems to be too cold for me, we were going from one church to the other because church services or programmes was not what we experienced in Nigeria. When I came back to Nigeria in 1992 for my wedding I contacted Baba Abiara and Pastor Folahan who have being my father in the Lord. They encouraged me to start CAC assemblies in Germany.
By the grace of God on November 4, 1994 we started CAC fellowship in Germany. The fellowship later graduated to a church. In June 1996 we started the CAC in Arken and in 1997 we started CAC Muster. As God will want it, immediately we finished the one in Muster, the journey of England I have been struggling for opened in November 1998. Within four years of moving to England I became a citizen.
God has been so faithful. By the grace of God in 2003 I was appointed the District Superintendent and 2014 I became the Zonal Superintendent of CAC Germany. The mercy of God has been there for me. I got to know the Senior Pastor of CAC His Fame House, Pastor I.D.O Akinpelu in 1998 when I came to Nigeria. I was in Nigeria for about six months. I didn’t forget my root. I have to go back to CAC Agege Shiaba and we worked together there. Since then I and Pastor Akinpelu have been one family in Christ.
Cuts-in: When did you attend theological seminary?
I did my seminary in England at International Bible City of London (IBCL) between 1994 and 1996.
How many CAC branches do we have in Germany?
Presently we have four branches in Germany. Also, we gave birth to so many churches in Germany that are not CAC. CAC Germany Zone given birth to about 21 Pastors that have their ministries and they are all doing well.
I know that CAC has so many branches in England. Why is it that we only have four in Germany?
The problem is that the concentration of immigrants is more in England. Also, it is because many people see CAC as Yoruba church. England is a Yoruba country, particularly London. Our church is mainly flourishing in London. It is now that CAC is flourishing in Manchester because many Yoruba people are there and this is my pain. CAC needs to move from being a local church to an international church. Thank God we are able to break the jinx in Germany. Most of our members in Munster are Ibos and they are from Catholic background but God gave them to us and they are doing well. In Arken which is a Yoruba community we have more Yoruba people in our assembly there. I don’t know why a church in ‘whiteman land’ can be speaking Yoruba and this is one of the reasons Redeemed Christian Church of God is gaining more ground than us. This is one of the problems with CAC all over the world.
I went to my church in Nigeria recently, I saw the Pastor preaching in Yoruba and I was mad at him.
Moving forward this year, is there any plan to plant more churches in London?
One of the zone’s plans this year is to plant at least two more branches which we are working towards. I know by the end of the year, we will have two new branches in Germany by God’s grace. This is not what we can do, but what God is able to do.
What is your opinion on the current regional setting of the church?
The regional setting is going to work greater than what we used to have if we want it to work. There is no system that will not work if people want it to work. It is working well for us at this moment in London. Before the introduction of the regional setting, in Europe we have among the superintendents, someone who was like the Chairman of the superintendents. But now we have someone who has appointed by the authority as the Regional Superintendent. The office is far higher. We now recognize the Regional Superintendent as the superior officer to us and he is working really well. We have agreed in Europe that no superintendent should deal directly with the secretariat in Ibadan without going through the Regional Superintendent. Formerly I can just pick the phone and call Ibadan to request for what I wanted. If you do it now you will be referred back to your Regional Superintendent which I think if it had been in place for a long time we won’t be where we are today. The regional setting is one of the best settings we have had in the church so far.
CAC Worldwide will be celebrating 100years later in the year. Do you think it worth celebrating?
In this 100years of CAC, there are some achievements we cannot see on the surface. I just told you the one of CAC Germany zone. We have only four branches in Germany, but we have given birth to so many denominations in Germany. MFM General Overseer Dr. Olukoya cannot talk about his background without mentioning CAC. Many people who are making it in RCCG today started from CAC.
Just imagine if we say all children of CAC must come back home for the 100th celebration. I know RCCG, MFM and some other denominations will be empty. CAC is a foundation that built people up. We should not make mistake of what ministry is all about. If you have a ministry that disciple people, you don’t expect all your disciples to stay with you forever. You disciple them and send them out. They can decide what they want to be where ever they go. Jesus Christ sent His disciples out to go and proclaim what they have heard and after Christ left all of them scattered to different part of the world.
As far as I am concern, CAC has a lot to celebrate in this 100years because by the grace of God we are still the mother of all Pentecostal churches in Nigeria and that cannot be taken away from us. There is no church you go that won’t recognize the name Babalola. Dr. Olukoya always mentions the name during his ministration. Baba Adeboye always mention the name. So if we are celebrating that name alone, I think it worth it.