Posted by By ABDULFATAH OLADEINDE on
Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) Mike Okonkwo has cautioned that evangelism is not a calling to dabble into simply because one is jobless and in search of bread and butter.
Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) Mike Okonkwo has cautioned that evangelism is not a calling to dabble into simply because one is jobless and in search of bread and butter.
Although he supports the proliferation of churches, Bishop Okonkwo, however, said anyone who builds a church must be sure he is directed by God in order not to turn into a tool in devil's hand.
"You can't say I've tried all things to no avail and then the easy way out is to go and hire a place and put a name there. It is a dangerous terrain to go into when you don't have the call. The Bible says God gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, some teachers. It didn't say some took or decided to be. It's God that gives. So if somebody goes into that terrain, there will be no grace to cover it and that means you are on your own, naked and vulnerable to the devil."
The TREM Bishop who is also president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) said those who venture into preaching without being called by God would have no message to propagate except theirs and regrettably would only be leading their flock astray.
In this interview, the cleric spoke about his childhood, calling and the ups and downs in his life as doctor of souls:
Background
I was born in Enugu. About five years later, I came to Lagos. My father was transferred to Lagos, so we had to move down together and I attended Ijero Baptist School, at Ebute Metta West. Later, I went to St. Marks Primary School, Offa, in Kwara State. From there, I passed entrance examination into Mayflower College, Ikenne, in Ogun State.
Then, the school had not gotten to form five; it stopped in form three. I was in Mayflower between 1959 and 1960. I completed my secondary school at Merchant of Light from 1961 to 1963. Thereafter, I came to Lagos again and started work at the Nigerian Ports Authority, Apapa quays. I worked in Lagos quays also for sometime. I had to resign because of the level of bribery that was going on then, I was not a preacher then, I had not even received Christ but because of my upbringing, I knew it was wrong to see people receive bribe for services. So, I left in April 1963.
I got another employment with African Continental Bank, Lagos in 1964 with its headquarters in Broad Street. We started the Martins Street branch of the bank. I was with the bank when the war started. By late 1966, I was transferred to the East. Everyone was going back to his state of origin. I started working with the branch in the Onitsha market. That was where I worked until Onitsha fell to the federal troops and we moved to Owerri. I later went for military training because the war continued and they were recruiting and conscripting people. On two occasions, I was to be conscripted but somehow, God miraculously delivered me. I later went for voluntary military training. The night, we were to be deployed, I wasn't deployed somehow. The next morning, the war ended. All those who were deployed that night were of course killed.
As soon as the war ended I gave my life to Christ. I then started attending church and resumed work with the Africa Continental Bank. This time at the Ogbete branch in Enugu. But it was during my new relationship with God that I received the call into ministry and thereafter resigned my bank job and started full time work with the United Church of Christ with the headquarter s in Enugu, I was there until 1981 when we started TREM.
How I took my calling
I didn't resist my calling. I didn't shy away because as soon as I gave my life to Christ, everything became new. There was a drastic change in my life and nothing else mattered. What really gave me joy was to serve in the church. That was why I resigned my job despite that I was earning good pay and had bright prospect. It takes courage to answer a call without pay. In those days, it was an anathema to enter the ministry. My parents even called the police because they thought something was wrong with me. They did everything possible to stop me but deep inside me, I knew nothing gives me joy than to serve the Lord. I didn't see any lightning. I didn't hear any voice. I just had a deep impression in my heart. It's now I know it was God that gave me the peace not to worry about the future.
When growing up, did I do anything that I'm now ashamed of?
I did what sinners do. I drank. I smoked, but my relationship with women was not really strong because I was shy. I wasn't the type that could easily talk to women. But as for drinking and smoking, I did those really well. I was a chain smoker but as soon as I gave my life to Christ, it was a radical change. All these stopped. I dropped them completely.
Challenges I have faced in TREM
We had the challenges of raising our head above the waters in the midst of the difficulties that were attending churches at that time. As at the time TREM started in 1981, there were few churches you could look up to as role models. There were few people you could look up to as mentors unlike what you have today.
There was also the challenge of getting finances for what you want to do. There were occasions when you had to preach and listen only to yourself and there was the time when you did a lot of praying and fasting to overcome the difficulties around you. Now, I know that it was a preparation period, because those things now help that even at this time, I could maintain the discipline I had in those days. There was also the challenge of bringing people up that could support you and make things happen and they leaving unexpectedly. On one occasion, I lost somebody very dear to me.
First, it was my first daughter I lost on December 26, 1984. I returned from a crusade in Abeokuta on Christmas day
. That night, she took ill and the next day, she died, aged about three. And while still battling with that, I lost my younger brother, a medical doctor who really stood by me and risked his education. He finished at the Federal Government College, Sokoto, passed very well but because he stood by me, that affected his further studies. Eventually, he graduated as a medical doctor from LUTH, Idi Araba.
Armed robbers shot him on his way to the church when we had our headquarters at Akoka, Lagos. He was going to the church to carry out an assignment that I gave to him while I travelled. He died after a week after the attack. All these were painful experiences, which really shook me in the ministry.
Temptations
I wouldn't say I've had direct temptation concerning women since I started this ministry. Some people tell all kinds of funny experiences they had, but I've never had a person-to-person temptation. Of course, there are women in the ministry; it depends on where your heart is. It has really not been an issue with me. Two, in the area of money, the integrity that was built in me has made me from Day One to live a life of accountability. It has been my lifestyle. Of course, there has been the temptation to be proud and arrogant that God is using you but at all times, one has to continue to pray to God to keep one humble.
WHAT
Person I admire most
My role model is Jesus Christ because one thing I know is that the best of men are still men. As much as I appreciate people and thank God for the lives of a lot of people that God has used help my ministry, I made up my mind on answering the call of God upon my life that my role model would be Jesus Christ. As I studied the scriptures and see how He functions, I've tried as much as possible to pattern my life the way of Christ.
Quest for miracle
I don't have problem with miracles because we can't remove miracles from the scriptures. So, the Bible preaches it and God still works wonders through His human agents whom He has called. I've seen some miracles in the ministry and I still see them on a daily basis. Miracle is a divine intervention not in the normal cause of nature. It is not only when the blind sees or the lame walks that you have miracle. These are miracles of healing but at times, God can give you a financial miracle, a miracle of a job. Having said that, miracle is like sounding an alarm. It is like preparing the ground for the real thing. But unfortunately, people stop there. It's like an advertisement, but when people now come for miracle, you should introduce them to the miracle worker - Jesus Christ. Some people have made themselves the miracle worker but the worker is Christ. He should be the one we should introduce these people to when they have received their miracle. If that is done, the kingdom would come first before other things, but because we introduce them to the wrong person and wrong things, the kingdom is made secondary.
Spillover of gay priest in Nigeria?
We should resist it with every fibre of our being. It's unscriptural. It is an abomination. It's scandalous and blasphemous. It must not be accepted. Should we copy anything simply because it's from the West? Gay priest is totally unacceptable. And I daresay also that it's not something anyone should accept at all, whether in religious circles or secular life. Wherever it is found, it should be condemned completely.