Pastor Gideon Obiwale
Pastor Gideon Obiwale is the new Chairman of CACMA, the main men association in Christ Apostolic Church. In this interview he fielded questions with the Editor of CHRIST APOSTOLIC MAGAZINE on his vision for the association. Happy reading.
Pastor Gideon Obiwale, please tell us, since assuming the leadership of CACMA, what did you meet on ground?
Thank you for this question. Since my assumption of duty as the Chairman of CACMA, I noticed that we have a lot of work to do. We need to work harder. The Christ Apostolic Church Men's Association is not very strong as a real men's association should be. Our men need to be re-awakened. We need a lot of gearing up to do. When I talk of CACMA as being weak, I mean our vibrancy, our tenacity, our contributions to programmes are rather below average. We need to do pep up a lot.
Could it be this is what the authorities saw before appointing you to head CACMA that you being an evangelist and prophet, you will be able revive the association?
Only the authorities of the Church know why they appointed me. They are the only one who can answer that question. It is they who know what they see in anybody before they think this person should take this position. They may have their reason. For me I don't see it as anything because they have been appointing people to head the organization in the past and don't know the criteria or the Information they have before they appoint people there.
What would you do to solve the problem of lack of activities that CACMA is noted for? Apart from the national conference, one hardly hear of other activities that CACMA is doing during the year. How would you make CACMA to be active throughout the year?
I have taken step on this already. For example, I was at Akilling Region on October 14, for a pre- season to hold one day programme with members of CACMA in the whole Region. On Friday, October 21, 2022, will be Pearce Region for a programme of spiritual awakening of members of the association. So, my intention is to visit all Regional headquarters. By gathering members together for prayers and for other matters, I believe they will be getting mobilized to be active at Regional, DCC/Zonal levels and even at district and assembly levels.So, as an Evangelist, all of them have known me for this, I intend to be doing this to stimulate their interest in the association and mobilize them for the association's activities. I intend to be talking to them all the time and paying them visit. Through that mean, they will be awakened.
National programme comes once in a year, there is nothing anyone can do o bring them together. But we can go to their regions to visit them to doing certain things for them. So, through that, they will be mobilized for the national programme for which they will become active at various levels of the Church so when wisit them before the national programme, it will mobilize them for the programme.
You have already said it that CACMA is very low in terms of finance compared with Good Women Association and Ministers' Wives' Fellowship. How then do you intend to boost CACMA's finance?
We shall be raising fund by seeking for assistance from individuals. We shall look into the Church at various states and regions. We shall meet Individuals who are in position to help us. If people troop to ikeji for our fundraiser, I believe they will do their best to help CACMA. Also in all our outings to the regions, arrangement will be made to boost the national purse of CACMA with the programmes we shall be running at the regions. We shall continue to seek the assistance of well-meaning members inall our regions
What is your vision of what CACMA will be in the next five years?
Through the help of God, my vision for CACMA is first to wake the members up. To make sure that our gatherings are larger and members become more committed to the association. have been emphasizing the paint that CACMA is not an association for old people. No. We shall push vigorously for recruitment of younger generation into CACMA Any married man who has got a child should be a member of the association as long as he has gotten married and he is a man, Once you are a man and you are married, you are automatically a member of CACMA.You may be 30 years or less, you are a potential member of CACMA. Let us see CACMA as an association of married men. By that the association's membership will be rejuvenated. But the Idea we are bandying about that when you are 50, is not fair enough. A 50-year old man is an old man. Samebody who marries at 30, by the time he is 40, he would have had four children, if you say such a person is not yet qualified to be in CACMA you are making the association an association of old people. Such a man should be in CACMA Marriage should be the standard for entrance into CACMA We have to recruit people that can rejuvenate the association. So my vision is to see CACMA filled with young people in the next five years.
In that case the constitution of CACMA which says members should be at least 50 years old should be revised. Are you going to recommend that the association's constitution should be amended?
Globally, things are changing. In the GEC meeting today, the President said our constitution is due for amendment. So, nothing is static in life. So, that aspect of the constitution of CACMA ought to be reviewed, so that it can matters accommodate the youths.
What about the projects CACMA is executing at Ikeji Arakell and at the seminary, what would be their fate in the next few years?
Evangelism brings success and makes Church to progress. When our No. It's a wrong suggestion borne people are developed spiritually and they become more committed to the association, to mobilize them to execute projects will be very easy. We are particularly concerned with the project at Ikeji, we want to quickly complete it and this will be done with God's speed by the grace of God. All members of CACMA realize the importance of that project and we are united that it takes priority over all other projects.
That is not to say that the projects at the will be abandoned, it will also be completed, But CACMA will do everything within its power to complete the Ikeji project earlier because we want to have something we can be proud of in Ikeji too.
In an interview with the former secretary of the association, Pastor Agboola, he was saying that men are very difficult to organize, how true is this? If true, how would you tackle this aspect in the behavior of men?
To be sincere, men are usually difficult to organize. But with the assistance of the Holy Spirit and of God, if they see that their leaders are capable, they will follow them. Everything depends on leadership.
Definitely you have been noticing positive changes, isn't that so?
Yes. I was at Agege, the headquarters of Akilling Region, we noticed that the turn-out was quite impressive. Not only that, the attendance by pastors was more pronounced. The CACMA coordinator for the region was telling me that Baba, it was because of you that pastors turned out in large numbers. He said they announced to the people that was coming and they were there to enjoy the ministration. So, leadership
Some people are arguing that CACMA will be more effective when the pastors are not involved in their activities and lay men are allowed to run the association. What is your take on this?
No. It's a wrong suggestion borne out of wrong motive. Are pastors not men? We are the leading members of the association. So, the presence of pastors is very vital to the survival of CACMA, They are the ones who will mobilize their church members to come to meetings or programmes. If you take away pastors from CACMA it will die. please add this: CACMA has gotten a slogan: UP CACMA, UP CAC, UP CAC, UP JESUS!
INTERVIEW BY PASTOR ADE ALAWODE