By Boluwatife Oparinde
It was a celebration of 14 years of God's faithfulness at the 14th anniversary of Christ Apostolic Church, Oshodi Zone, Oshodi, Lagos.
The anniversary thanksgiving service held on Sunday July 18, 2022 started with refresher course on Friday 15 and Saturday 16, 2022 for Ministers, Elders, Deaconesses and others workers of the zone.
While ministering at the programme,the Regional Superintendent of CAC Pearce Region, Pastor S. O. Aluko decried the decadence of integrity in today's church, stating that sustaining integrity is what God wants from every Christian.
The Regional Superintendent who started by commending the articulation and production of the Anniversary pamphlet and materials, noted that "if you are tired of listening to God, you are tired of upward movement. If you are tired of worshiping in the presence of God, you are tired of being elevated and promoted by God."
Addressing his audience on the broad theme of the Anniversary, "Ministerial Integrity", the erstwhile National Director, CAC Sunday School Department said that, "technically speaking, you are a minister of God. If you are born again, you are a minister. If you are not born again, if you like, dress the way I have dressed, God does not know you. The day you become born again and a deposit of the Holy Ghost is put in you, that makes you an endorsed child of God. That very day, heaven recognized your sonship."
Describing integrity, the clergyman expressed that, "that which God has started in your life that makes you not to sin. That which God has deposited in your life that makes you say NO to what every other person can do, is what is called integrity."
Speaking on the topic, "Sustainability of Integrity in Today's Church", Pastor Aluko admitted that it is not easy to sustain integrity but that's what God wants us to do, adding that "who I am in God is what God expects me to be in public. Integrity is not having different faces in different places."
The cleric who defined "Sustainability" as what a person does so much that "he maintains the same standard everywhere; doing something deliberately to enhance consistency anywhere, anytime, anyhow; to make something or someone continue from time to time without losing its originality or reverence" asked his audience, "how many faces do you have?"
He alluded the early church of the New Testament, which he refered to as "yesterday's church", how that there was oneness in prayer and worship (Acts 2), and there was the fear of God in the church (Acts 5).
The passionate minister lamented on the attitude of ministers of God towards money "to the extent that we are destroying the truth, or attempting to destroy the truth because we cannot destroy the truth"; stressing that "what you say you are should be what you are everywhere."
The Guest minister who spoke about the possibility of unchastity of some ministers of God with their church members, submitted that it appears like yesterday's church are better than today's church in terms of morals and decencies; highlighting that today's church has many natural and physical opportunities of communication.
According to him, "today's church has many natural and physical opportunities to communicate more than in the past. Today, we can hear, participate and experience. But the question is, are all these things helping us to maintain integrity as a church? We now have more money, but what are we using it for? What is your source of money?"
The Pearce Regional Superintendent listed some negative effects of not sustaining integrity in today's church as, watering down the Word of God in the name of revelation; unmanaged civilization and education; no time for fellowship; and lack of creativity on the part of the leaders."
While he challenged ministers that the family altar, being a micro church, and is supposed to serve as a bedrock for the falling local church is also being shattered, the cleric presented the areas to watch on integrity to include, zipping up, finance (money) and use of time.
Pastor Aluko who stated some of the things to do to sustain integrity, and not just empty morality which are, "conversion and being born again, learning to worship/fellowship together in the presence of God," challenged the congregation sustaining integrity in today's church like the old time religion.
Photo speaks !
