My paternal great grandfather (my
grandfather’s father), Rev. Emmanuel Adelabi Kayode, was an Anglican priest. He
was educated by the Christian missionaries and the Anglican Church and he
studied theology at Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leonne which was at
that time a satellite campus of the United Kingdom’s Universty of Durham. In
1892 he graduated with honors with a Master of Arts degree in theology.
He was the first Anglican priest
to introduce Christianity to the ancient town of Ile-Ife in the Osun province
of the western region of the old Southern Protectorate of Nigeria and he was
the first to build and Pastor a Church there.
He pastored the Church in Ile-Ife
for many years before he was later transferred to Ondo province to head another
branch of the Anglican Church for a further 16 years. After that he was posted
to Ijebu province where he headed the local branch of the Anglican Church until
he went into retirement in the old Lagos colony.
He was a deeply courageous man
who loved the Lord passionately, who was totally dedicated and committed to the
spreading of the gospel, who served the Church all his life and who was a
great, powerful and fiery orator and preacher.
My second paternal great
grandfather was
Rev. Joseph Suberu Fanimokun. He
was my grandmother’s father. He was also educated by the Anglican Church and he
also graduated with honors in 1892 from Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra
Leonne.
He was also later ordained as an
Anglican priest. He was appointed Principal of the famous Christian Mission
Society (CMS) Grammar School in the Lagos colony in 1896 and he remained
principal until 1914. CMS Grammar School is the first and oldest secondry
school in Nigeria.
These facts, coupled with the
fact that I am a devout and practising Evangelical/Pentecostal Christian, are a
pointer to my rich Christian heritage and I am very proud of that.
It is precisely because of that
heritage that I have profound respect for the Body of Christ and that I revere
all genuine men and women of God.
I have the deepest affection for
each of them even where and when I do not totally agree with all their views,
actions and submissions.
Yet despite that once in a while
that affection is put to the test and my patience and good faith is exhausted.
The picture below provides a good
example of this. Frankly it is difficult for me to fathom or fully comprehend
what is going on there.
I see the much-loved and highly
respected Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi of Deeper Life (one of the greatest
Churches on the African continent and a pioneer Church within the Pentecostal
denomination in Nigeria) and his wife felicitating with a man under whose watch
more innocent and defenceless Nigerians, and particularly Christians, have been
slaughtered than any other in the history of our country.
So much innocent blood has flowed
under Buhari yet Pastor Kumuyi is still comfortable with smiling and shaking
hands with him and neither has he said one word publicly about Leah Sharibu.
I and many others are saddened by
this. This is all the more so because I happen to love Pastor Kumuyi and the
Deeper Life Church. I always have and I always will.
Yet sadly I also feel a deep
sense of shame and outrage about this outing. This is especially so when it has
been reported by the media that he told the President that under his leadership
“Nigeria is safe”.
Is this the same Nigeria that
President Donald Trump of the United States of America was constrained to tell
its leader pointedly and publicly that “the killing of Christians must stop?”
Is this the same Nigeria that
Vice President Pence and senior members of the American House of
Representatives described as “the most dangerous place in the world for
Christians to live?”
Is this the same Nigeria where
Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen thrive and in which a courageous young Christian
school girl from Dapchi was not released by her terrorist Boko Haram abductors
simply because she has refused to renounce her faith?
Is this the same Nigeria where
thousands of Christians have been butchered in their homes, hundreds of
Christian clerics slaughtered whilst preaching and thousands of Christian
communities and Churches burnt to the ground in the last 3 years and six
months?
For how long must a few of our
clerics embarass the Body of Christ and Christendom by bowing before our
oppressors and encouraging them to continously torment, afflict and terrorise
our people.
Pastor Kumuyi’s photoshoot with
Buhari reminds me of the famous picture of Pope Pius X11 shaking hands with and
commending Adolf Hitler during the course of World War 11. The Catholic Church
never lived it down and was compelled to tender a public apology for this grave
error almost 50 years later.
Let us hope that one day every
man and woman of God, whether he or she be a Pastor, Bishop, General Overseer
or Archbishop, that has in any way supported, encouraged, applauded or colluded
with the evil tyrant that has afflicted, scourged and plagued our land and our
people over the last 3 years and six months will find the decency and courage
to apologise for it.
Let us hope that more of our
clerics can find the courage of the late Bishop Ajayi Crowther, the late
Apostle Ayo Babalola, the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa, the late Rev. Musa
Asake, the late Rev. Jolly Tanko Yusus, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Bishop Emmanuel
Bolanle Gbonigi, Bishop Jasper Akinola, Prelate Sunday Mbang, Bishop David
Oyedepo, Pastor David Ibiyomi, Dr. Paul Eneche, Prophet T.B. Joshua, CAN
President Rev. Samson Ayokunle, Pastor Paul Adefarasin. Bishop El Buba, Bishop
Matthew Hassan Kukah, Apostle Samson Suleiman, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere,
Pastor Rhoda Awiliki and so many others.
They and countless other leaders
of the clergy from all over the country that have remained true to their
calling, stood firm in the face of tyranny, refused to bow to evil, spoken
truth to power and stood up against the manifest injustice that has gripped the
land are our pride and joy.
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