I faced so many challenges, but God made me overcome all —Reverend Awopegba

Reverend (Dr) Remi Awopegba is the Senior Pastor of Oritamefa Baptist Church, Ibadan, Oyo State, a position he held for six and half years. As he retires today, he shares his experiences as a church leader with TOYIN IBITUNDE AND WOLE EFUNNUGA.  Excerpts:

You have been the Senior Pastor of Oritamefa Baptist Church for almost seven years; how would you describe this seat?

People describe the seat they occupy as being hot or cold but let me describe this seat as a seat of grace, a place of grace, and of course, leadership of grace. Favour and unmerited mercy abound here. What ought to be very hot and tough, God made it easy for us. God softened issues for us. God made a way. He removed mountains. He filled up valleys and made crooked places straight. How else will I describe it? It is a seat of grace indeed to me. It has been wonderful and glorious, I have no regret whatsoever.

 

As humans, there will always be challenges but God has a way of helping His own people solve the challenges. Can you recall some of the challenges you faced and how God helped you to solve them?

It all depends on one’s attitude to the challenges. There were so many challenges, right from the take-off. We had to face the challenge of adjusting to change. We had to do an overhaul of the system for the vision to come to fruition. People find it difficult to adjust to the new administration, knowing well that life will not be the same as it used to be. Even though it is the same institution, things will not be done exactly the same way it had been done before. I had my blueprint from God when I came into the office.  We started with restructuring the system, mobilisation of resources (human and material), area of discipline (seeing to those that are indulgent), checkmating practices and attitudes of the staff to work. Some of the visions were meant to be for long term but they were converted to short term, which brought challenges too. We used the challenges as stepping stones to move forward. We did not allow any challenge to hinder or delay us. I must say that God solved all the challenges.

 

Can you let us into the challenges from both the spiritual and physical realms?

By the grace of God, when I was stepping into the office, I made it very clear to the people that I was not new in their midst. They already knew me as someone that places high premium on the spiritual. I am not a political pastor, but a shepherd who hears from God and leads the people in the direction God prescribes. There is no political democracy here at Oritamefa Baptist Church; it is God’s ordained congregationalism; we do not fight over issues. The church accepts me and trusts me to lead them in the way of the Lord.

During my tenure, the church experienced remarkable peace which led to progress. We did not have episodes of crises in our church, not because members are angels or saints, but they are people who practise the words of God. We have many highly placed people from different fields of human endeavour as our church members. They are sophisticated, great and influential people. They submit in humility to God-ordained authority; they are well-fed with the words of God. The physical aspect of the church is also affected by the spiritual aspect.

 

One could see the grace of God in what you have said so far, but what are the other factors that made Oritamefa Baptist Church unique?

God factor is the key factor. He enables us to perform excellently. I thank God for the team of workers who are very diligent, loyal, committed and faithful to the system. We are proactive (in recruitment of staff) in order not to be shocked by any resignation from anyone, like when the Oyo State government employed teachers. In order to keep the system running, we have to be on top of the situation in management.

This is a Mission school and we run it as such; it is not all about money-making, we are very considerate and transparent in our dealings. We don’t charge as much as those schools we are in the same category with, around the country. Our variables increase on the basis of the inflation in the country.

We have welfare package for the staff; they are well-motivated so that they can put in their best on the job. Our recruitment process is thorough and based on merit. We screen candidates thoroughly and also ascertain their relationships with God (spiritually).

 

What specifically would you refer to as your major achievements while at Oritamefa?

Some of the major achievements recorded during my tenure include: dedication of newly acquired musical instruments to boost worship in church; dedication of the newly reconstructed, massive and ultra-modern OBC Sanctuary; purchase of land and building of Adeoje Mission Church; donation of complete office building (3-room block) to Yemetu Division Police Station on December 15, 2017; purchase of an additional 8 plots of land at Arulogun cemetery to the existing land; purchase of new set of computer systems for OBMS ICT Rooms at Total Garden and Ring Road Schools, in  2018; dedication of a newly purchased 100KVA generator on Sunday, February 25, 2018 and the restructuring of  OBMS, Total Garden female hostel which was dedicated on 20th October, 2019.

Other achievements that are to my credit, among others, are: Upgrading of Arulogun cemetery which included, raising the level of the existing fence, plastering of the fence, installation of kerbs, concrete flooring of the walkways, painting of the fence, installation of the new fence gate and construction of 270 capacity Chapel, September – November 2019; purchase of Five Mission/Evangelism buses for the church as well as one (1) Ford Transit bus donated to New Frontiers TV outside Broadcasting Van; foundation laying of the 750 capacity Youth Chapel beside the Teenage Auditorium took place on Sunday, August 23, 2020; purchase and dedication of twin duplex at No 10, Paul Hendricks Street, Bodija, Ibadan for OBMS Students Hostel on February 25, 2021; and the foundation laying of the OBMS A’Level ICT Centre ultra-modern complex was done on Sunday, 8th May, 2021. In September, 2021, the New Frontiers Television House of The Nigerian Baptist Convention was upgraded, renovated and modernized with Aluco Bond by the instrumentality of the charity work of Oritamefa Baptist Church.

The Oritamefa Mission Schools have been made to tone bright beautiful educational colours and all classes and pavements beautifully tiled.  The general ambience achieved is a delight and joy to both parents and general public. Modernised colourful chairs have been adopted and the environmental cleanliness raised to very high standard which is being rigorously maintained.  Good parking lots have been constructed at the schools for parents and members for example at Baptist Press Total Garden Strips of lands fronting OBMS – Ring Road, as well as Akobo.

 

A leader is not successful until he has a good successor. You have done so well, and we wish that this legacy must be sustained. What is your word of advice for your successor?

We have a good succession plan here in this church. We don’t create a vacuum or gap after the tenure of a Pastor. The person to succeed me is already in the system and he must have been groomed and mentored diligently over the years. We are always doing things together; nothing is new to him. We don’t employ trial sermon method here, we take time to know and relate with whoever is coming to Pastor the church.

We follow the constitution of the church and the person to take over from me has emerged and has been approved by the church council and the church-in-conference. He has been unveiled and applauded by the church.  He is just waiting for my retirement to fully take charge.

 

How many years did you spend steering the leadership of this church?

I have been attending the church long before 1984 as a worshipper, but I later regularised my membership in 1988.  I served as a Sunday School Teacher and Counselling Committee member, later as an evangelist for decades before I answered the call into the Pastoral Ministry. The church then brought me in 1998 as an Assisting Pastor. When I finished my Masters of Divinity in 2003, the church officially called me as an Associate Pastor. I came in May 2015 as the substantive Senior Pastor about six and half years now. The incoming Senior Pastor has been with me for the past six and a half years and we have never quarreled for a day. It has been a good relationship, as he has the mind of Christ.

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