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| Pastor Olu Eyebiokin |
The CHRIST APOSTOLIC Magazine Editorial team led by the Editor, Pastor Ade Alawode met the Regional Superintendent of Essien, Pastor Olu Eyebiokin. In this interview, he told the team the secret of success in the ministry
Do you ever think that this promotion would come like the way it came?
I was not expecting it because I did not even realize that they know me like that in this church, I did not know at all, so when God did it it was a miracle.
Some people felt that because you were a member of president-in-council from the beginning when it started, then when P.I.C. were were to be abolished, most of the members were drafted as management members as well as Regional Superintendent
Well, you know that our thought patterns are different and the measure of God's grace upon us varies, truly I was a member of president-in-council but then I was in Ado Ekiti, among llesha, Ife, Akure, Ikare and the entire Ekiti state l was the only one picked as a member of president -in-council. It was at the president-in-council that we discussed and took decision on regional government, three committees were set up for this purpose, it was the third committee that succeeded and took the final decision on the regional government that we are enjoying today.
When that happened the authorities told us that the senior pastors would be considered first and I know my age and I know my place and since they said it's for the senior pastor I think that it is better for me to wait for my time. So that didn't even let me have it in mind at all because I know my ordination year.
What is your vision for Essien Region?
Since we got here we have been sensitizing the people we met on ground here. The vision we have is change, because things are not the way it should be, yes! But I am not blaming anyone because when the person who cooked a tasteless stew was asked to be killed by a wild animal, what of the person who did not cook at all what should happen to the person? After all, we met something on ground, but we noticed that there should be changes one way or another. That is why we went before the Lord and He confirmed that that is the work He sent us to do in the first place. The change would surely come. One of the things to do is an undiluted Word of God without any deceit, not because you want people to love you, but the way God wants it. That is the first thing which we have started already. The second one is prayer. It is not prosperity prayers alone, but something need to happen before prosperity and that is the power of God, if you get to an exalted position without the power of God, you may mismanage the opportunity. This prayer we have started also. The third is holiness, without which the Bible says we cannot see the Lord We want to change things in this region through prayers, Word of God and holiness.
I want you to cast your mind back to when you newly started as an evangelist in Christ Apostolic Church, can you compare the situation then to what is happening now, what can you say as someone who has seen it all since you started till now?
Thank you very much, that was a great question, when you look at that question critically you will weep because things have changed today, Haruna Ishola sang a song in those days that, the world was previously standing on both legs but has now suspended one leg and the one leg that is left is crippled and dangling. It is likely that that is the situation we are in today.
You see in those days the junior ministers feared and respected the senior ones then, the younger ones knew and respected the elderly ones and vice-versa, but nowadays it seems things have changed, everybody is just doing what they like, some people are favored, you know the bible says we cannot receive anything unless it is from God. Some people are so favored that as soon as they entered the ministry they started climbing from promotion to promotion, but still, if we are to look at it critically that should not give way to pride and arrogance.
A young man may be richer and influential more than his elders but he should respect the gray hair. There are little difference which makes one sad.
We thank God for the way He used you at Agege DCC, the assembly seems to have been there a long while before your arrival like twenty years or so, but when you got there, you completed the building, what magic did you use sir?
(He Laughed) I don't even think that there is magic in the gospel, we did not use any magic, it was by the grace of God. You see sir, the bible says draw yourself close to God and you shall have peace, and by this goodness shall locate you. Not that you will be chasing it around, no, it will come to you where you are.
It is prayer and grace of God that helped us to finish the church auditorium. Then truthfulness and self-denial, seeing your right and letting it go just for the work of God to move forward.
You have been in the ministry for a while now, what are the things that you have seen or experienced, that were difficult to overcome and again you must have seen what made you extremely happy, can you please tell us some of those things sir?
Thank you very much, sir. In this ministerial work there was a time that we didn't have soap to bath, the soap available then was soda soap but there was no money to buy it, instead we will go to a stream fetch bitter leaf squeeze and bath with it, you know that it is not funny if it enters your eyes or even your mouth it is bitter. It got to a point where we made pap with semo vita because there was no soup to eat it if we did otherwise. So it is the case of bitter sweet experience.
The sweet part is when was called to go for ordination interview by late Pastor M.O. Ayo from Ikare Akoko,oh!! May God be with those he left behind. I asked what kind of interview, he told me that it is ordination interview. I was filled with joy when he told me that it was ordination interview. I was at Jos district and I was the only one sent for the ordination then, and am glad that I succeeded. Even though the interview then was serious than today, mere seeing the people that wanted to interview you alone drive shivers down your spine. They asked us to come in one after the other, and they told me that, look you are not exiting through the place you came in, they said that look if you are asked to exit through the way which you came in that means you have failed. So when I got there, it was Baba Olutimehin that asked me to mention the nine fruits of the Spirit and started mentioning them, started with wisdom, knowledge but baba Olutimehin said 'no.' He said that I should start again, I did but he still said 'no' until late Baba Adegoroye (may God bless all he left behind) asked and said that 'do you mean word of wisdom' I said yes, yes. You see I omitted the word "word" and you know that would have failed me, butI passed.
The day I was ordained, I was so happy. One of the authorities at that time wore my corlar for me, I was extremely happy. There are other happy moments, the day a child of God gave me a brand new car was a day of joy for me. The day my son became a district superintendent in this church is also a day of joy. l give God all the glory.
I remember that when you were in Ado-Ekiti at Ogba Alafia, you were there for 14 years, and people said that the authorities at that time were unable to transfer you which earned you the title, AGBETI meaning someone/something who can never be moved, why is it so?
Yes, people said so but it is not true. The reason is this, when Iwas transferred to that place, the authorities did not give any transfer letter until the transfer of 2018. People were insinuating and guessing that the authorities had transferred me. When I travelled to Israel in the year 2011, I was still there when people started calling that I had been transferred but when I got home there was no letter to that effect until December 2017 when received a transfer letter to Agege DCC Lagos, and immediately I got home I started packing my belongings. When I got there and saw the place l compared it to the place I was coming from, I said, "this is where the authorities brought me?" but God gave me three instructions when He called me: one is that I should not write any letter of request for transfer or ask that I should be transferred. It is a covenant between God and me. God also instructed me not to ever fight anyone because of money. And it has never happened since I started working for God, the third one is between me and God. So it was when transfer letter came that I left CAC Ogba-Alaafia Ado Ekiti State.
Sir, what does the future hold for this church, because you said that in your days there was respect for elders and fear of God unlike today, so what in your opinion does the future holds for the church?
You know that time changes, seasons come and go, there was a time that the young ones respected their elders and another time when education came in, and they said we must speak English language by force. I think that was the time respect for elders was sidelined. But thank God for the administration we are in now we are thanking God that we are recovering those things that we threw away. And we believe God that if it continue the way it is going, there will be a great change in this church. We are not blaming any of our leaders but recent development in the church is an indicator that the future of the church is bright and it will give us peace of mind.
When you were in Ekiti state you were like a Governor that there was hardly nothing that has to do with religion that you were not part of then. Sir, apart from the three points you raised the other time, that is, payer, undiluted Word of God and holiness, what are your advice for the youths that are coming who also want to be recognized?
My number one point is that we should truthful, openly and secretly, then the second point is to be prayerful, if you are prayerful all things are possible. You see am saying this before all men that there is a verse in the scripture, God intentionally rewrote it because of me when I was in Ado, that a prophet is but without honour in his home town, but God changed it and He made me extremely popular. And nothing helped me than the mercy of God. I am still striving to remain honest because my Bible tells me that if you are not faithful in what is not yours, who will give you what belongs to you? This one keeps ringing in my mind, and another one is God gave me great favour before our leaders then.
You know that was where I was born and brought up, my parents are from there and that headquarters paid the tuition fee for my seminary education. I was in the midst of my family. But you know bed room race is the most difficult, but I thank God that made everything easy for me, and prayer is the only reason. Being truthful is very important, when the relationship between you and God is intact there is nothing that shall be impossible. And I did not allow anything to come between me and the person Who called me because He is the one I will account to at the end of the day.
The youths of today, if you can be faithful, and move closer to God everything would be easy. This work is not difficult if you allow the One who called you to do His work. Remember that when student association were still in the church their motto used to be CHRIST LEADS, WE FOLLOW. But most of us today it is WE LEAD, CHRIST FOLLOWS. That is the cause of the problem.
How many of your children are in the ministry in CAC?
Well, I give thanks to the Lord because the one in school is the only one that is not yet in the ministry among my children. I have a DS, also have a Pastor, I have an Evangelist, the male got married to an evangelist, another one a midwife in this church. It can only be God's grace. It is a big mercy and I thank the Lord. We don't know God's plan for the one in school yet. I always tell my children that tithe money is what I'm using and using to send them to school and told them that they must not go against that source which funded or funding them.