Pastor Olu Olorunpomi
By Boluwatife Oparinde
The Regional Youth Coordinator of Christ Apostolic Church Akinyele Region, Pastor Olu Olorunpomi has urged leaders to allow the example of Jesus Christ be their guides and model of leadership.
Pastor Olorunpomi stated this at the 2022 Campus Campus Executive Retreat organised by CACYOF Akinyele Region for campus fellowship executives in the Region and it was held on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at CAC Testimony District Headquarters, Ilogbo, Lagos.
Speaking on the topic, Transformational Leadership culled from the text, John 13:14-17, Pastor Olorunpomi described that what an organization becomes is largely dependent on the leadership; noting that "the word LEADER appears in the Bible (KJV) less than ten (10) times, while the word SERVANT appears about 500 times. Yet, there are many more books written on leadership than on servanthood.
The cleric, expressing the irony of having organization crises of retrogression and stagnation despite books, conferences, seminars and retreats on leadership, suggested the need for a different approach - a transformational leadership, which is the kind that works and walks the road of positive change with people.
According to the Regional Youth Coordinator, "The life of Christ and leadership pattern are so simple that we need not belabor ourselves to be all that God designs us to be. There are books on leadership which propose laws and principles which range from debatable to cumbersome and impracticable."
"The Church needs to go back to the Bible. Leaders of youths in the Church and on Campus have the Bible, especially the pattern of Jesus Christ, to work out the best for His people. Essentially, leadership in the Church and on Campuses must be seen as a PRIVILEGE. No matter how a leader emerges, the Owner of the Church has made it possible for such to have influence and impact for the allotted, assigned or the available time."
Highlighting the basic ingredients of Transformational leadership as, Sights, Service and Sacrifice, Pastor Olorunpomi stated that the Christ Jesus kind of leadership avails the following elements: Design (He knew what He had to do with people), Discovery (He went in search of the people), Development (He began to work on them), Discipleship (He poured Himself into them) and Deployment (He commissioned them).
While he emphasized that "Leadership is more than just an appointment. It is a calling with an assignment. There is no provision for disengagement from the assignment without facing an eternal punishment," the clergyman listed three substances for transformational leadership from the perfect example of Jesus as, Purpose, People and Power.
Challenging the leaders, Pastor Olorunpomi said that, "unlike so many leaders today, Jesus did not lead by programs, politics, poli-TRICKS, psychology, philosophy, permutations and the likes. He led by POWER. Where else do you get the power if not in the place of prayer?!"