Posted by By OLANREWAJU AJEBORIOGBON on
Going into the ministry, for Pastor (Dr) Peter Olubukola Olayiwola, the General Overseer of the Eternal Glory Bible Church, Iju Station, Lagos, was never an accident. Rather, "it is the will of God".
Going into the ministry, for Pastor (Dr) Peter Olubukola Olayiwola, the General Overseer of the Eternal Glory Bible Church, Iju Station, Lagos, was never an accident. Rather, "it is the will of God".
Though, right from youth, over 50 years ago, Pastor Olayiwola had had it in mind to become a minister, he never thought it could be this early. He foresaw himself working for God when he's "very old." His case is "man proposing and God disposing." So he put the idea on the back burner and jetted out to the United States of America in pursuit of the proverbial golden fleece.
He accomplished a lot in this regard. First, he obtained a Bachelor's degree, then a master's, the two from the Pennsylvannia State University and later capped it with a Ph.D in Finance Administration and Management Information System from the University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, U.S.A. He also joined many professional associations both locally and internationally.
On his return to the country, his ship berthed at the University of Ilorin as a don. Still not ready for pastoral work, he started moving from one employment to the other until he finally found himself with the Lagos State Government, first as director of computer services and later as the project director of the state government's Global Computerisation Project, the position he presently occupies. All this while, he still thought it wasn't time yet to "work" for God.
Then one day, he was "challenged by God." He was "transfigured" and the Lord showed him his entire life from the time he was two years of age until he was placed in front of a big church, the design of which looks exactly like the Eternal Glory Bible Church. From there, one thing led to the other and the rest became history, as he explains himself.
Getting into the ministry
Right from the time I was young, I always felt I would be a minister of (God) one day. But I was thinking it would be when I'm very old. However, that was not to be, because the Lord did show himself to me.
The Lord transfigured me one night and showed me my entire life from the time I was at the age of two. It was as if I was in a big hall seeing the script, like a film show of my life. When I came out of that hall, I was placed in front of a very big church, the design of which looks exactly like the Eternal Glory Bible Church. Even the inside of the church is exactly the type of design we have here today-because the church had no pillar inside. Then, I was taken to heaven and I saw millions of angels of God.
The light there was so fantastic. It was as if somebody put a million fluorescent tubes in a place, the glory was so much. When I woke up, I was shouting, ‘yes it is true, Jesus is coming back again.' I was overwhelmed with what I saw. I told my pastor of what I saw, but he never explained to me that the
Lord had called me.
Then it happened the second time when I had another vision. The Lord spoke to me. The Lord said "you are not an elder". Instead of me to ask Him ‘Who am I?' I woke up and started crying thinking maybe the Lord had rejected me because I did something wrong, not knowing that the Lord had already changed me from an elder in the church.
Again, during a review in the Sunday School, my pastor started prophesying that "there is going to be a church where you live, Elder Olayiwola and you are going to be the pastor." All that while, I didn't take it serious because in my heart, I didn't want to be a pastor at that time. That was around 1997.
Then, the Lord now gave me a vision. He said that I must start a ministry for him by March 22, 1998. Because I wasn't ready, I asked why now? The Lord finally sent another pastor, who was a colleague of my wife and who worked in a different office, to tell me that the Lord had given me an assignment and if I didn't do it by that date, He was no longer interested. The church was eventually inaugurated on March 22, 1998.
Message inspiration
What inspires my messages are the three cardinal points of this church. The first is salvation; that is preparing special people for the second coming of Christ; to liberate the people. In other words this is a deliverance church where people are delivered, set free from all captivities of the devil. Another is to ensure pilgrims enjoy their pilgrimage to the kingdom of God; that is to say blessing. So, anytime I mount the pulpit, my teachings are usually geared towards these cardinal points, particularly salvation.
This is very important particularly in a nation like Nigeria. The more the increase in the number of churches and other houses of worship in Nigeria today, the more crime is increasing.
Experience and challenges as a pastor
My experience has been very interesting, rewarding, satisfying and challenging. As a pastor, I derive joy when I see somebody who is sick, healed. The highest point was when a blind woman, who had been blind for 12 years regained her sight during the Holy Ghost night. That was my most exciting day in my ministry. When the woman was dancing round the church, I joined her.
On challenges, the ability to wait on the Lord, the ability to pray, the ability to do things the Lord wants you to do, the ability not to jump ahead of God and to consult God before you lay your hands on certain things. They are big challenges. There are many pastors today who take short cut. If you are going to stay with God, there is a period of tutelage and you must be willing to stay with Him.
Flashy lifestyle of pastors
There is a difference between enjoying life to the fullest and living an extravagant life. There is nothing wrong if a minister of God rides a good car or if he has need for an helicopter or an aeroplane. Or living in a good house and having the best of education for the children. But what is wrong is flaunting the wealth in the faces of the struggling members, who struggle to pay their tithes and offerings. There is difference between a minister of God who live a life of humility and a minister of God who is an Hollywood type. They are showbiz deacons, rather than real men of God. And their messages must be the messages directed by the Lord. Not teaching blessing, blessing, blessing alone. Jesus said we should enjoy our lives to the fullest, he didn't say we should be wretched, but that does not include the extravagant lifestyle of some pastors today.
Miracle on TV
If miracles are substantiated they add to the faith of the people. It could convert them to Christians. But where they cannot, it becomes deceitful. If the government says they cannot verify these miracle claims, they must have investigated because many of us know that there is a lot of ‘arrangee' miracles today, all in the name of winning members. In the scriptures, the message of Jesus was not just miracles. It was just like a by-product. If government has investigated and say what they have said is correct, let the ban be.
I wouldn't lose any sleep over not seeing miracles on TV but I would, if I don't hear message of Christ on air because we are in the era of mass evangelism.