Regional Overseer of the Laughter Foundation Church, Ibadan, Oyo State, Bishop Olukunle Amoo, in this interview with SEYI SOKOYA, speaks on how Nigeria and the Church can get it right again and also move forward.
The situation of the country has greatly affected every sector of Nigeria, including the Church; could this be a punishment from God on the Church as some people have claimed?
God is never wicked to the human race. It is humanity that has failed to shape her destiny properly. Nigerian leaders have failed and followers are also to blame. Where there is greed and selfishness, progress and development cannot be evident. Followers are always oblivious of the fact that if you don’t choose the right leaders, problem arises in future. Or if you choose with money motivated conscience, then the elected officials would steal when they get there. God has given us the liberalism to change things. Our leaders and citizenry should have a reassessment. Our leaders must take a lead and make this nation a better place to live.
How can the Church help government run peaceful governance?
The Church has shaped civilisation in Nigeria from inception. Methodist Church of Charles and John Wesley were frontrunners of early education in Nigeria. The Church continues to lead in the educational and moral consciousness of the citizenry. The Church can do better these days. Morality through adequate preaching of righteousness is more important. Righteousness exalts a nation, sin is a reproach. The Church should say the truth to politicians. That legacy is better than private jets and that when you have a socio welfarist nation, the citizens will applaud the leaders.
Some clerics have boasted to have conquered the deadly virus that has become a threat to the world with the prayer and unction of anointing; do you also support this, even with the third wave of the virus that is imminent?
It will be nice if miracle can cure the deadly virus. However, we must be careful to avoid carelessness. The virus is real and people have to adhere to protective measures. Vaccination is important as well. Prayer is essential, but then, we have to work by following what medical researchers who are working on the solutions to the scourge are saying. We all noticed and felt what the pandemic did in 2020. Many people died untimely and while I believe in miracles, I believe in medical sciences as well.
You rose through the ranks, even to the top as a bishop at a young age; how has the experience been?
It is the grace of God. I never wanted to be a pastor let alone becoming a bishop. God has been favourable to me and, indeed, faithful. There are many challenges, but He never makes us to fail. Church as an entity can be so complex to administer than a nation. It takes a lot of wisdom and patience to administer and minister to a church. As a cleric, you minister at naming, wedding and burial ceremonies. It is so challenging if it involves loss of a young person. You must summon courage and make sure people and the family are encouraged and comforted. Church financing is also a big challenge, but God has been giving us the wisdom and grace to overcome every challenge.
If you had not become a cleric, what would you have been?
I have been asked this question many times. I love God’s work and I believe one way or the other, I would still have been serving God if I am not a bishop. I just want to be in the house of the Lord. Most probably, I would have been in a university teaching as a full-time lecturer, but then, I will still be having a fellowship or chapel where we can worship God.
You recently launched five books, how did you come about that? What do you want to achieve with that?
Writing has been my passion since immediately after secondary school. The pandemic in 2020 helped me to write two more books in addition to the three I had printed in 2019. I just decided to bring out the five books of them this year at the same time. It’s also a personal fulfillment and also a proof that the Nigerian youth is not only a yahoo yahoo or unserious personality, but a serious and innovative personality, who can express himself if given adequate encouragement or room to thrive. I plan to write more books, but I don’t know if I can do another five at a go. But I would try my best to at least write one or two a year henceforth God helping me. Writing, to me, at times is better than talking. And reading for me is better than listening. I like to write anywhere and anytime. Also, it is my intention to also encourage youths to put their thoughts into books and stories.
I hope our government can be of assistance and encouragement as well, but I must say our government has not done well. I encouraged myself and an American encouraged me while I was publishing and printing the books. I received no support from government pre and post-printing and even only one governor sent a representative while we were doing the public presentation of the books. It shows what our leaders and government at various levels think about books and education.
Would you say you are seeing Nigeria’s politics from a different perspective to have come up with a book entitled “The other side of politics”?
“The Other Side of Politics” centres on three countries – South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria. The effects of politics on the societies in these three nations were depicted in the book. It shows the rigmaroles that were the lots of the African politicians. Africa is blessed, but our leaders need to up the ante and let the blessings reach generations to come. The other side of politics is all about politics, education and sports.
Is it true some churches constitute themselves into increasing the number of broken marriages through false prophecies?
May we not have problems that will make us to wander about? People have been led astray by fake prophets and prophecies. I operate a prophetic ministry, but I don’t foretell. I prophesy progressive future and preach encouragements. I don’t know why a marriage should be destroyed or broken by false prophecies. Does a spouse need a prophet to run his or her marriage? People inflict or attract problems when they don’t know their God. Church does not contribute to broken marriages. Individuals should be serious and know what they want in their marriages or whether they prefer to be single. Being single is not a sin and being in marriage is a personal choice. Generally running after fake prophets does not help anyone in life.
How did you receive the call and what is the sign that gave you the conviction that it is a genuine calling?
In my first year in secondary school, we organised a prayer session in our house with tenants and it was an all-inclusive prayer programme. I started prophesying and it was actually not me at that age 10, speaking but God in me. Later, I was very unserious. I love to discover things of the world the more, but God is God, He would call his anointed back into the fold. Also, it’s easier for me to just preach the word of God and I don’t usually write my prayers. It is so easy for me to do that I knew this is a genuine call and only God can be the author of such calls.
Which is more acceptable in any ministry; part-time or full-time pastors?
Paul, the least, but the greatest apostle, was a tent maker. He was partly a priest and had another vocation. Many of Nigeria’s famous clerics have a business or had a vocation or career before full-time ministry. It is not a bad idea to be an associate pastor and be a lecturer or banker. These days, I advise burgeoning clerics to have a vocation. It is more respectful to have a career or business than relying on the church income. Either as a part-time or full-time, one must be a faithful servant and should not be money motivated. Gehaz lost out because of greed. Gifts and money from Naman, the leper, was more important to him even when his mentor Elisha had pre-warned him.
What advice do you have for the Church at large to be more formidable?
The Church should go back to some ancient ways of the missionaries. It was a sacrificial selfless way of serving God and humanity. Schools were not profit- oriented. Morals were high. Morales of students and teachers were great. Brilliance was the order of the day. The Church then was so influential in all realms. Our Church leaders should have a rethink and forge a way forward.
What is your advice for the government in ensuring absolute peace in Nigeria?
Peace will reign when people have food, shelter and clothing. Good health system and gainful employments for adults are factors for peace to reign. Politicians have to make life better for the citizens so they too can enjoy their political offices. It is a call to serve, not a call to oppress with private jets and greedy display of wealth. When governance is socio-welfarist, peace reigns everywhere.
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