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| Regional Superintendent of CAC Medaiyese Region, Pastor Gabriel Aboderin |
After the induction of the third
Regional Superintendent of Medaiyese Region in May 2024, both the Editor of
CHRIST APOSTOLIC Magazine and Evangelist Gbenga Bankole, Correspondent who were
in Abuja for the induction later fielded questions with Pastor Adetoyese
Aboderin, the Regional Superintendent. Here are excerpts from the
interview.
Congratulations on your appointment
as the third regional superintendent of CAC Medaiyese Region. How do you find
it convenient to leave the super atmosphere in America for the hot weather of
Nigeria together with the economic challenges?
Thank
you, sir. Humanly speaking, to leave that clime for Nigeria is considered a
sacrifice. However, to ministers of God that should not be a big sacrifice to
offer because the day we are to be ordained as ministers, we have signed an
oath that we are transferable officers. Giving the fact that one has a ministry
here in Nigeria, we are familiar with the terrain here before the authority of
the church give us the opportunity to go and serve in America. Humanly
speaking, it's a sacrifice, but it is not a big sacrifice to give by a minister
of God.
Give us details about your
background: your birth and how you are related to the Aboderin family of
Ibadan?
I
was born to a devoted Muslim family and that really robbed me of what I should
pick as my accurate date of birth. However, people who we were around same
period who are Christians have their records. I may not be able to pick the
accurate day, but I know the year. My official date of birth in office is
February 15, 1958. I later discovered that it was around 1959 that I was born
and that was why I was not specific on the date of my birth in my biography
read at the induction service. Despite being an Imam Muslim, and against all suggestions
from his family and colleagues, my father was not a polygamist, but a
monogamist. That really give me a good background of what a family man should
be. I got converted to Christianity in 1973.
How was growing up like? Were you
a village boy cultivating cash crops and doing some hunting rabbits?
That
is the true picture of my early life. I grew up in a village called Osanweyin
in Osun state which is about 11 miles from Gbongan, 9 miles to Iwo. I started my primary education at Anglican Primary
School which was a kind of introduction to faith system for me. I love music. I
was employed as a drummer because I was over age when I was enlisted as a
primary school boy. My father being an Imam, would not want me to go to secular
school. He was preparing me for Islamic studies. And I've been sent to go and
understudy Islamic religion under a Muslim cleric. As the Lord will have it, he
fell sick and he was admitted at Seven Day Adventist Hospital in Ile-Ife. It
was during that period of time I got the inspiration to go and register myself
as a student at Elesin.
Is Elesin a primary school?
Yes,
it is a primary school.
What about your secondary School?
I
was fortunate to be a modern school student. After my primary education, I got
an admission to St. Patrick Modern School, Gbongan. I was there for a year
before I transferred my studentship to Baptist Modern School, Iwo where I
completed my modern school education.
After your education, what venture
were you into before you met the Lord?
By
the grace of God after my modern school education, my contemporaries were given
teaching appointments, but the salary was too small for me to manage, because I
happened to be the Abraham of my family (laughed). I was the first male of the
family and that forced me into transportation business. Initially, I learned
truck driving at former Premier Plant Leasing Company in Lagos. I became a truck
driver after modern school education and that gave me good income to manage my
immediate family. Eventually, I became a transporter. I bought a car that I
gave out to people to drive for me and make a delivery. That was my business before
I was called into the ministry.
Somebody must have given you that
kind of inspiration to go into transport. Who was involved?
It
was when I went to start transportation business that my uncle gave me
inspiration to go and buy a car. He told me that ‘now that you are a
transporter, you'll be able to manage it well.’ The first deposit for the car
was given to me by my uncle, after which I made the complete payment and within
a year I became owner of three cars.
You said you were the first born
of the family being the first male child, that means you assumed responsibility
for the family at a very tender age.
I
became the bread winner of the family at age 17. My siblings who enrolled in
school depended on me. It was from that business I was supporting my parents.
What year did you meet the Lord
and get converted?
I
met with the Lord in 1973. That was the year of my conversion from Islamic
religion to Christian religion under the administration of that powerful man of
God, late Prophet Fabowale. It was during one of my visits to my friend that
they recommended to me that there is a revival going on in one of the CAC assemblies
at Iwo and so I was invited. I can never forget the sermon of that day. Prophet
Fabowale used John chapter 3 verse 16 as his bible text. The measure of the
light that was given to Prophet Fabowale that he used to explain John 3:16
happened to be what I needed for my conversion.
Cuts-in: You must have been
observing the daily five obligatory periods of prayer of the Muslims before
your conversion?
My
father used to put me in front (as a muezzin) to call people to worship during
the daily five obligatory periods of prayer since when I was 10 years.
You have seen the two sides of
both Islamic and Christianity religions. You must have been convinced at
conversion. What were the faults you found in Islam before you got converted?
To
me, Islamic religion is a kind of a mechanical experience. They will force you
to do things, but when I got into Christianity, it was here I got the real
inspiration. In Christianity, you are inspired to do things, however, in Islam
you are trained to engage in the worship of God mechanically. It is either you
do it or you won’t be given food to eat. When I became a Christian, I
discovered that the worship of God doesn't have to be mechanical. It has to be
spiritual to meet the need of a humanity. Experience with God gives divine
inspiration. I gained inspiration to do things for my father in heaven without
being forced. I don't find it as a thing that is forced on me or coerced to do.
It is a thing that I'm inspired to do for the Lord. If I may compare the two
together, what I can say is that Islamic religion is mechanical experience of the
way to serve God, while you are inspired to serve God in Christianity.
I found out that most people who
got converted to Christianity like you are usually encouraged to study further,
what other institutions have you attended?
By
the grace of God, immediately I converted to Christianity, Prophet Fabowale has
been engaging me in the work of God. As far back as 1976, he would ask me to
lead prayer session at programmes because he had seen in me the calling of God.
He told me the calling of God is upon me, that I should answer in good time and
that has been the starting point for me. I didn’t completely abandon my transportation
business. I registered myself at Community High School, Iwo Osun state to
further my education. It was there I started a group that I called ‘prayer
warriors’ and we grew to become a very powerful movement. People across
different denominations used to converge at Community High School to attend our
programme. I used the little knowledge I have to preach and pray with the
people and ever since then people have been referring to me as Pastor.
Everything happened before I met with my Oga, Pastor S. O. Oladele in the early
80s’
Having been ordained in 1988, when
your co-ordinands were becoming Regional Superintendents, you didn’t become
jealous. What happened?
(He
laughed) You know if God wants to elevate you, he has a way of connecting you
with the right people. My meeting with Pastor S. O. Oladele has become a
turning point for my life. He's a man who will never compromise anything. He
will never compromise the truth. All of us know what he experienced, in terms
of people who did not feel comfortable with him or his lifestyle. He endured
many things. The inspiration I got from him doesn't encourage me to be
position-seeker, although we are all human being. For instance, when Baba Agbedu
was posted to Ilorin, somebody told him that I was ordained 1988, he called me
and asked that ‘what is wrong with you, Pastor Aboderin?’ He said my ordination
mates have become Assistant General Superintendent. I told him I wasn’t envious
of them because the Lord has designed the life of everybody differently. I'm a
church planter. Those people that became A.G.S are those the church authority
transferred from one station to another. I cannot abandon the church I just
started for anything. Baba Agbedu said ‘’no, no the church is you are big
enough to be an A.G.E.” He then called Baba Olusheye and said to him that “you
have a boy here, I don’t know what has happened to him.” Baba Olusheye asked
that “what is his name?” He mentioned my name and Baba Olusheye said “he’s my
son.” I wouldn’t know what they discussed further, but I heard him telling Baba
Olusheye that I will come to Ibadan to see him. I was a little bit agitated
because I didn't want to appear as if I was lobbying for position, but
eventually I have to visit Ibadan. Baba Olusheye asked me to go back to Ilorin
when he saw me. It was on the second day I saw the letter of my promotion to A.G.E.
I was on that status for only one year before it was abbrogated. I am not a
position-seeker and that has been my lifestyle. The zonal status the church
authority gave to the church I planted in Ilorin was inspired by my friend,
Pastor Ilufoye. He was the brain behind it. The churches he planted were joined
with mine and we became a zone. That was how I became zonal superintendent
before I moved to United States of America in 2010.
It looks as if your calling is
more of an evangelist than a pastor?
What
I know about myself is that I'm an evangelist and a teacher. I'm a blend of the
ministry of the Prophet Fabowale and Pastor Oladele.
Can we say that the authorities
sent you to overseas or you went on your own?
No.
I was in Canada when I had the dream that the authority transfers me from a
place and I had to board an airplane to get to the place. When I woke up, I
called my friend who hosted me in Canada and explained the dream to him. He
said to me that “you are the prophet who interpret our dreams (he laughed), we
should just pray about it.” We have not finished that discussion when I was
called from USA that a man of God died and they're looking for someone who will
replace him. I told them that “I have a ministry in Ilorin, how will I abandon
it for USA?” That was how the authority of the church moved me to Newark, USA
in 2010. I visited the place and later came back to prepare the church in
Ilorin, before I finally moved in 2011.
Christianity is becoming more of
an African thing than European. Even though they were the one who brought it to
us. What was your experience propagating the gospel among the ‘white people’?
Africans
have been calling the name of Jesus Christ centuries before the name of Jesus
was mentioned in Britain. It was on
the land of Africa that biblical theology was developed. It was when we
abandoned it that it became the business of the European to bring it back to
us. If I may have to compare my Christian experience in Africa with the Western
world, there is a kind of a variation and that variation has been traced to our
value system. The gospel who has everybody
in mind. And that is really why we have the book of Matthew in the Bible which
was written essentially to address the Jewish audience. Then the book of Luke
was written for us. And if you study the book of Luke very well you will
discover who we represent. We love miracle. Any religious experience that will
not affect people, Africa will not accept it. And because of our value system,
we love the real experience and that is why there are more miracles in the book
of Luke than any other gospel. What we are begging God to supply us in Africa
has been provided by government in America. Because of that, they believe they
don't need prayer for what we pray for here. In Africa some people will go to
mountain to pray that God should touch the heart of the bank manager so that they
will be favorable to them. This is not the case in America. I still received a
message from an American bank yesterday that I should come and borrow money and
I will pay later.
There's
no free money here in Africa. That has a lot of influence on the way we practice
religion in Africa. Our value system and poverty played a significant role in
the way we serve God. Christianity is not the only one that is affected by the
factors I have just mentioned; it is all religions. There are certain sicknesses
that you don't need to pray about in America because there is good health care
service. But in Africa, even if we have hospital here, where is the money? In
Africa you need to trust God for everything. In Nigeria we are the ‘NEPA’ of
our house, we are the water corporation of our house, but in the western
culture, those things have been provided, but it is going to cost you
something. I want to believe also that
if these things are in place in Africa people will be able to afford it. Those
are the two factors that have affected the way we practice church in Africa.
How did you meet your wife and
when did you get married?
I
said it earlier that if God has destined you to get somewhere in life, He will
connect you with the right person. The same person who trained me as a minister
was the one who gave me my wife. It was Pastor S. O. Oladele who helped me to
talk to my wife. We got married in 1990 and we are blessed with children.
How was the feeling like when you
received the letter of your promotion as Regional Superintendent?
When
the letter came to me I was jittery because I have embarked on pioneering a
church in the state called Minneapolis in USA. All that will be necessary for
that church to stand have just been procured. For instance, I have bought musical
equipment that’s worth 14,000 dollars and chairs that is worth close to 7,000 dollars.
Putting everything together, I was thinking ‘where do I go from here?’ As at
that time, I haven’t gotten somebody who I can put in charge of the church. My
friend who I could trust to handle it for me, Pastor Ilufoye was in Nigeria. When
we started the church, I travel every Sunday from Florida to Minneapolis. I can
consider myself to travel more than pilots during that period of time. It
really made me to became jittery when I received the letter from the church
authority.
Could you say it was a bitter
experience?
It's
not a bitter experience at all. I have not experienced any bitter thing. There
may be challenges but I know every profession has its own challenges. There may
be experiences that are not palatable, but they are not too bitter to throw me
off balance. I told you that I received the mercy of the Lord to be surrounded
by leaders who are experienced enough to tell me what they have gone through before.
I have encountered people like Baba Salako of Iwo who is very experienced in
the ministry. It was Baba late Faniyan who recommended me for ordination. I
know some things he passed through in the ministry and I know him to be an
administrator and a no nonsense man. When I remember those things these leaders
have suffered and I come across anything that has a similar outlook, those
challenges become very easy for me to overcome. There are experiences that one
will not wish, but they are not strong enough to get you off balance.
How did you now resolve the issue
of the church you planted in Minneapolis?
The
church is still there by the grace of God. God is wonderful. He has a way of
resolving what would become a nagging issue. There was a man who relocated from
Nigeria to Minneapolis. He was a former student of CAC Theological Seminary,
Ikorodu campus, but he didn’t graduate before he relocated to America. He has
been managing the church.
What is your vision for Medaiyese
Region?
Medaiyese
has been very fortunate since its inception. The region has been fortunate to
have a seasoned Evangelist and Prophet like Baba Osuigbo as its pioneer
Regional Superintendent. His successor
was an administrator, Baba Chuwkwuezie, who did his best. They have both done
their bit and I will leverage on the foundation. I will bank on the goodwill of
good people of Medaiyese region to see what we can do to add value to what is already
on ground and new ground to break. By the grace of God, my vision is that I
intend to move this region forward beyond where it was handed over to me and I
have good people around me.
What are the plans to revive the
regional headquarters?
What
I met on ground at the headquarters is a challenge to me. I learnt that the
church has never been full to capacity. My predecessors tried their best in
terms of evangelism. Baba Chukwuezie, being an administrator has been able to
establish a culture that if I build upon, will lead to revival. I have laid my
plan before the people of God. By the special grace of God, we have competent
District Superintendents and Assembly Pastors who are ably manning their
stations. I will be trusting what they will be able to offer the people of God
within their spaces. I am going to make my presence here known so that people
will have the confidence that they are at the headquarters. I have ministers at
the headquarters that can be trusted to handle the Word of God, evangelism and
other things. I won’t be the one doing everything.
When you were in USA, you were
with your entire family. Have you brought them back again to Nigeria?
All
of them are married. I will have to allow them to go and take that decision.