Remembering the ‘old churches’ by Adeola Soetan

Is this not the same Christianity in the same country that we had the likes of eminent Pastors & Bishops like, Adetiloye, Olufosoye, Olubunmi Okogie, Ola Akande, Akintayo, Alaba Job, Olomodosi, Gbonigi, etc? Apart from their preaching, prayer, fasting & winning souls for Christ, and critically addressing national & governance issues, you would not be entertained with drama and heresy like “Awon Arabi” that are now prowling the Christendom.

You didn’t hear them say they went to heaven, saw God, they ate, drank, embraced & danced with God. They never turned their focus on tithes and miracles dispensing on the basis of the higher the offerings & tithes, the higher the miracle & prosperity. Haba! What’s really happening in the Christendom in Nigeria today? .

Every nook and crannies now are miracle & prosperity centers, church supermarkets where most desperate non Bible reading & Bibles less Christians come to chop for miracle, miracle, miracle. Pentecostalism is becoming an epidemic in the body of Christ.

Salvation, hope, love, hardwork, forgiveness, adoration, rejuvenation, rebirth & examplifying Christ by following his ways and teachings are no more the themes from the pulpits but magical prosperity and deceptive wait and get miracles. Like our terrible politics, so also our religions. It’s so bad and it’s getting worse.

I remember the first and the last time I worshipped at the Apostolic Faith, Igbore Abeokuta in the 80s, I was the one asking them where I would put my offering after the service ended and I was leaving. I was told that I would see the boxes by the door sides towards exit. No many announcements, no intimidation and no blackmail for offerings. It’s voluntary.

Some years later, I attended the Apostolic Faith Church at Anthony area, Lagos. My purpose was to attend their Christmas Carol because they had one of the largest carol Orchestra that time and for my love for their mastery of violins and excellent melodious instrumentation, The same good attitude to offering happened. In fact, I had to quickly return to the church to give offering having forgotten before.

I hope the Apostolic Faith is still like that and hope they have not joined the over monetization of everything syle by the pentecostal churches. The “old churches” were better than all these “Abido Shaker” Christo – disco churches mostly headed by “bank managers”. Although, it may not be all of them, but most of them are involved. Kilode Gan?
Adeola Soetan
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