I’ve no regrets quitting GOFAMINT after 38 years —Pastor Ologbonyo

Pastor Ologbonyo Richard Taiwo was with the Gospel Faith Mission International (GOFAMINT) and doubled as its national coordinator of the student ministry, a position he held for 13 years until October when he decided to call it quits with the church to establish his own ministry. In this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO, he speaks about his decision to leave GOFAMINT amid other issues.

How has it been since you joined the gospel ministry?

I have been in ministry for the past 13 years. But I have been a member of GOFAMINT for 38 years. I have worked with the Gospel Faith Mission (GOFAMINT). I was in charge of GOFAMINT’s student fellowship all over Nigeria with almost 100 campuses in Nigeria. By the special grace of God, we are starting a new ministry, the Charis Generation Church. That is the way God is leading us now. The church is borne out of passion to bring in more people to the kingdom. We observed that the church has been turned to a place where many people are being disqualified from having access to God, which is not the purpose of God for the church.

You were with GOFAMINT for 13 years, how would you describe the experience?

It was a great experience working in GOFAMINT. I was raised in the church. Aside from being born again, I was involved in student programmes. I was the head of students’ fellowship for several years. I was the national president for two tenures before I handed over. I came back again as the national coordinating minister, that was when I came into full time ministry. GOFAMINT was a wonderful place to be; a platform to express what God has deposited in you. I am happy I exhibited that fully before I left the church.

You left a paid job to take up God’s work, how easy was the decision for you?

The truth is that I left my job when people were looking for jobs. I remember my principal then called me into her office, she looked at me with so much passion because of the impact I had created in the school in a short period. She said, Mr Ologbonyo Richard, you are going into full time ministry? I know you will always excel wherever you go. I resigned because I heard from God. I was actually going to Adekunle Ajasin University for my Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) when I heard that I should give an answer to the fathers, because they had actually been asking me that I should come into full time ministry for almost a year. It wasn’t an easy decision for me because I had an eye on the job I was doing and I have my family to fend for. Serving God as a full time minister was very fulfilling and I thank God for the grace I have enjoyed so far.

There is this belief that full time ministers practically depend on what people bring to them as gifts to survive. How have you been surviving being a full time pastor since you had to resign from your job?

I told you earlier that when I came in I discovered it was all work for 24 hours.  I had to attend to people, my family and students’ fellowship. GOFAMINT student fellowship was also another big challenge. At the end of the day, you still have to attend to yourself and you will discover that the 24 hours is not even sufficient. The fact that people bless you doesn’t mean you are lazy. You are doing your job and they are also doing theirs. The Bible says when you labour by the altar you live by the altar.

Having worked with GOFAMINT for 13 years, how are you sure quitting now is the best decision for you?

Leaving the GOFAMINT at a time like this is the best decision. Though, if you consider some factors, especially the positions I have held before now and the ones I could still hold in the Ministry, one may say the decision to leave was not right, but this is not about the church and it is not about myself. This is about God. When God says you should move and you do not move, He will move and leave you behind because God cannot be stranded.

What should people look out for in your new ministry?

The Charis Generation Church is a church that allows people to come in for three things: for worship, the word and welfare.  God values worship because when you worship him, he can do anything. That is why we are starting with Praise Panorama. When you worship God in the beauty of his holiness, God can arise in your defencee. There are people the word will not bring to the church that worship would bring. The word of God is so paramount and we value it that is why every Wednesday here, we do what we call Discovery Service. You come in here to discover something new from the scripture you have been reading. The final part is welfare: When Jesus came, He didn’t just minister spiritual things, He ministered to the physiological needs as well. Things that had to do with their wellbeing. God helping us, we have plans to help people, not just our members, even unbelievers, organisations like those in the prisons, hospitals and even students. By the time you do that, you will be able to introduce the gospel to them.

How did the authorities of GOFAMINT receive your resignation?

I actually went to see the fathers, the General Overseer, Pastor Elijah Oludele Abina; the deputy general overseer, Pastor Oluwayemi Emmanuel. I also saw the church management board headed by the general secretary, Pastor Femi Omowunmi. At each of those bus stops, it was glaring they didn’t want me to go. I received calls and 99 per cent did not want me to go. That percentage represented the totality of GOFAMINT. I want to take it as the measure of my value, worth and my contributions to the church. At the same time, I explained to Daddy, I am between two Gods, here is a God whose eyeballs are bringing fire and here is another God whose eyeballs are bringing water. I told him daddy, you are the god whose eyeballs are bringing water, my leaving the ministry will definitely hurt you, but I cannot continue to please you. Here is another God, who sent me and I have to respect Him. I have to fear him because his eyeballs are bringing fire. It not easy for them to release me, but have been to the leaders and they have prayed for me. The deputy General Overseer prayed for me and the GO also prayed for me after three hours of counseling in his house.

Now that you are about to start on a fresh note, what are your expectations?

At first it might not be easy, but God gave me assuring word that, He has given me men in every city. I have been trying to ponder over this, I am sure among the men, and there will be believers and non-believers. There will be people that are waiting to be harvested into God’s kingdom. My expectations are very high, I am trusting God to give us that breakthrough.

What is the full meaning of Charis Church and how did you come about the name?

When I started praying, the name that kept coming to my mind was grace. At first, I thought it was going to be Amazing Grace, but when I filed in for registration at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), I discovered that the name wasn’t available. So, we started looking for an alternative that would carry grace, so we got the name Charis in one of our prayer meetings. That is how we just put it together as Charis Generation Church, and it sailed through registration by the grace of God.  Charis means grace. This is the generation of graced people, when you come in here there is a voice that is speaking for you.