Why I relocated to US, Nigerian pastor reveals

The Founder and Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi, has revealed the reasons why he moved to the United States.

He made this known during a virtual interview on Seun Okinbaloye’s podcast, “Mic On,” where they discussed the role of the younger generation in Nigeria and leadership beyond governance politics.

Adeyemi cited a combination of the pandemic, EndSARS protests, and ominous visions about Nigeria as the catalysts for his relocation, leading him to seek a fresh start.

When COVID-19 started, all our children were in the US, so everyone stayed with their families. We stayed with our children. The week services resumed was when EndSARS started, so we were preparing to return to Nigeria. When the EndSARS protests ended in violence, we stayed back a bit. When we were ready to return to Nigeria, a different experience altogether happened,” Adeyemi recounted.

He shared that both he and his wife had disturbing dreams about returning to Nigeria, which made them reconsider their plans.

His wife had a dream that implied danger, followed by Adeyemi having a similar dream in which he was attacked violently. These dreams prompted them to pray and seek further guidance.

“Whenever we planned to return to Nigeria, I would have a nightmare. My wife woke me up at 2:00 am, concerned about the recurring dreams. We decided to take it seriously, especially considering a dream we had three days earlier,” he said. “A few days later, we called family members in Nigeria, and one person said, ‘I’m feeling very uncomfortable about you travelling to Nigeria.’ Another family member expressed similar concerns.”

Adeyemi stated that these cautions and the consistency of the dreams led him to believe that God was communicating with them, indicating that they should stay back in the US for safety.

“A few days later, we called family members in Nigeria, and one person said, ‘I’m feeling very uncomfortable about you travelling to Nigeria.’ We called another family member who said, ‘I feel uncomfortable about you coming. What is going on?’ We just turned and looked at each other, pondering the situation. Then I said, ‘You know what? I’ve been a Christian for 40 years. At this point, if God is speaking to me, I should have an idea that it is God speaking. Something is going on. I don’t know what it is, but I want to pray more,” Adeyemi added.

He convened a meeting with the top 120 leaders of Daystar Christian Centre via Zoom to explain the situation and ensure the church continued to run smoothly in their absence.

The leadership team agreed to manage the church operations, allowing Adeyemi to prioritize the safety and well-being of his family.

The pastor’s relocation highlights the obstacles and uncertainties many Nigerians face and underscores the significance of spiritual guidance in making important life decisions.