Pastor S.O. Falade
By 'Gbenga Bankole & Boluwatife Oparinde
The Director of the Department of Christian Education, Christ Apostolic Church Nigeria and Overseas, Pastor S. O. Falade has told Ministers of God that while it may be possible to draw a crowd without sound doctrine, church growth is impossible without sound doctrine.
"You can draw crowd without sound doctrine but you can never grow a church without sound doctrine," the cleric said.
Pastor Falade while speaking on the topic, "The Place of Christian Education in Making the Church Sound Doctrinally" on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at the ongoing Christ Apostolic Church 2023 Pastors' Conference holding at Joseph Ayo Babalola Memorial International Miracle Camp, Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State, addressed pertinent issues on the need for Christian education in building a doctrinally sound church.
Speaking on the four major things that sound doctrine does as expressed in II Timothy 3:16-17 (which are, doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction), the Christian Education Director said "if the church is just come as you are, remain as you are, then something is wrong."
He continued that, "it is not possible to build a kingdom-centered church without sound doctrine" adding that, "if a church is built on miracles alone without sound doctrine, such church will not last."
"Whatever anyone says that has not been weighed or judged by the word of God is nothing but tactics. The matters of doctrine and its soundness wouldn't be taken with levity by any serious-minded church. Doctrinal soundness is God's desire for His Church," he said.
Pastor Falade also challenged the ministers that it is gradual death when they insist on ministering everywhere they attend without being humble enough to be ministered to.
Stressing on a church without sound doctrine, the cleric addressed that any church without sound doctrine "is a dangerous anomaly parading highly uncommitted members who show apathy to kingdom advancement," adding that "it promotes bad theology, that is like poison invading the bloodstream and destroying the body."
According to him, in a doctrinally sound church, members and leaders are difficult to sway because their lives are being transformed to enable the church make its maximum positive impact in the community.
Pastor Falade concluded that, the church cannot survive without sound theology, adding that "it is the responsibility of a Christian education to entrench sound doctrine in our churches and our responsibility as Pastors to ensure Christian education is efficient and effective in this onerous task."