Pastor Francis Kanye Kolade is the president of Wordlife Envoys Ministry International and the senior pastor of Wordlife Assemblies in Nigeria. In an interview with MODUPE GEORGE, he shares insights from his 29 years of experience in ministry, reflects on life at 60, and discusses various national issues.
YOU have been in ministry for almost thirty years. How has your experience been serving in God’s vineyard?
I have been in full-time ministry since 1996, which means I’ve been serving for nearly 29 years. In 1998, I felt led by the Lord to pioneer a new work, which was inaugurated in 1999.
Serving in the ministry is not always easy; that’s why it is considered a calling. When God calls you, He supports you. He will first test your commitment, and once you demonstrate that you are fully dedicated, He will show you that He is a covenant-keeping God.
The work of the ministry also requires us to learn to walk by faith and to develop our faith. If we fail to do this, we risk getting into all kinds of trouble and making errors in our efforts to “help” God. There is a temptation to rely on worldly wisdom, which can complicate our calling.
One of the exciting aspects of serving in the ministry is that God is not only seeking to use you; He is also preparing you to be more like Him. The more we submit to His guidance, the better we become and the more suitable we are for His work. During this short time, I have learned so much and have witnessed that God is good and faithful. As I turned 60 four days ago, I look forward to making a greater impact and achieving new exploits.
Social media has significantly contributed to the spread of the gospel, but it has also influenced the aspect of fellowship emphasized by the Bible. At what point should we draw the line?
On one hand, social media is a powerful platform that enables preachers to reach a vast audience, something that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. However, social media comes with both advantages and disadvantages. On the downside, it has empowered many pretenders and deceivers to propagate lies and heresies, which have negatively impacted the unity and fellowship of believers. It has led to a polarization within the church.
Believers must exercise discernment to identify the spiritual nourishment they should embrace and the spiritual junk they need to reject. While social media offers everyone access to the gospel, it can never replace true fellowship—the gathering of believers for worship, prayer, and the sharing of doctrine. As stated in Hebrews 10:24-25, we are instructed to consider one another to encourage love and good works, and not to forsake assembling, as is the habit of some.
We cannot effectively encourage each other in love and good works if we are merely “doing church” at home in front of a television. We are called not just to believe, but to belong.
Nigerians have often blamed the government for all their problems. Is this approach ideal? What is the way forward?
Every government has the responsibility to provide basic amenities and an enabling environment for its citizens. Nigerians are justified in holding the government accountable when these fundamental needs are not met. However, when the government shows little concern in these areas, citizens should not lose hope or succumb to despair.
I believe that each Nigerian should take their destiny into their own hands and have faith that God will open doors for them, while also positioning themselves to make positive efforts for progress. Instead of complaining, people should focus on finding meaningful opportunities to serve and be productive. By doing so, they can create value that enables them to achieve the lifestyle they desire.
Many prophecies have been spoken about this nation, yet the challenges continue to escalate. Is there hope for a better Nigeria? What advice would you give to the government?
There is hope for Nigeria. Every prophecy from the Lord concerning this nation will come to pass. Although, we may not know how or when I firmly believe that Nigeria will fulfill its prophetic destiny. The fact that Nigeria’s challenges seem to be worsening does not mean that God has forgotten His promises for us. Nigeria will be great again.
To achieve a great country, we need visionary and selfless leaders. If our leaders can shift their focus from personal gain to what they can contribute to making Nigeria great again, the nation will rebound and reclaim its rightful place among the community of nations. We must concentrate on the promises of God rather than the challenges we face so we do not become hopeless.
We should also transform the prophecies into fervent prayers for our country. If we do not lose faith in Nigeria, God will fulfill every word He has spoken concerning us.
Church leaders have been accused of excessive display of wealth and affluence, neglecting the real message of the gospel. What is your take?
Some accusations of people against church leaders can be viewed from two perspectives. Firstly, many of the accusations are borne out of jealousy for what God is doing in His church and how He is rewarding His servants who have served Him wholeheartedly.
The second part is that many church leaders have realised that people will not respect or follow you if you are not rich. Therefore, they have gone to the extreme of flaunting their wealth to impress and attract people to themselves. This approach is contrary to the spirit of Christ. If a church leader doesn’t realised that he has a Master to please, then he can go ahead and use gimmicks to attract people to himself. Nevertheless, he should know that he will give an account of himself to God.
There is desperation among the youth today, for quick wealth at all costs; with less or no labour at all, as a success coach, what is your message to the youth on how to create lasting wealth?
It’s only in the dictionary that success comes before work. In real life, success comes after you have put in the right efforts. The youths of this nation should abandon the “get-rich-quick” mentality and roll up their sleeves to work hard. Anything worthwhile takes time. If you get on the fast lane in life because you are in a hurry, you may crash your destiny or die prematurely. If you plant the seed of effort and water it with patience, you will reap a bountiful harvest of success. Our youths should learn to pay now and play later.
Is it ideal that youths should have mentors?
The youths must have mentors and allow these mentors to guide them. These mentors are men and women who have gone where you want to go and have done successfully, what you are about to do. They can help you avoid mistakes and help you gain speed, but many of today’s youth are wise in their own eyes. Many of them even believe they know better than their leaders In fact, many are unteachable. They don’t have the patience and endurance of a learner. They are too much in a hurry and that’s a problem. They need to calm down and learn from those ahead of them. Success becomes easier when you have someone to tell you what to do.
Mentors are people who have done what you are about to do and have gone where you are about to go. In choosing mentors, youths must be careful so mentors don’t become tormentors. In choosing mentors, they must consider not just the skill and accomplishment of their choices, but also their integrity and uprightness. For instance, if you choose a crooked man or woman as your mentor, he/she can only train you how to accomplish your goals through crookedness. If you choose an upright person, you won’t just learn skill, you will also learn integrity.
This is the month of love, what is your message of hope to couples in these trying times when divorce has become a trend?
Couples should know that marital commitment is a forever thing. That’s why the love of a couple for each other must be agape, God’s kind of love. It’s not based on emotion but on decision. Once you have chosen someone as your marriage partner and are bound by marital vows, there’s no looking back. It’s for better, for worse. Today, many people think that they can walk away when their marriage encounters a problem and they can’t endure anymore. At any slight inconvenience, they are ready to abandon their partner and relocate from their matrimonial home. It is pathetic. Marriage is for men and women and not for boys and girls. Couples should learn to stick together and weather the storm in their marriages. They will overcome if they don’t despair. Living together as a couple requires God’s kind of love. This love suffers long and is kind. It does not envy, show off, or puff up. It does not behave rudely, is not self-centered, and is not easily provoked. This love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things, according to Corinthians 13: 4 to 7. It’s a rugged love that can survive any hardship or difficulty. We won’t be talking about separation or divorce if our love is agape and not selfish and self-centered.
You are a prolific writer and an author of several inspirational books; tell us about your latest work?
There’s a book I’m working on now and should be out any moment from now. It’s an inspirational compilation of the life of Joseph, one of the heroes of the Bible. His story of starting from the pit and ending in the palace will inspire and encourage people not to give up until God comes through for them.
You’ve just clocked 60, how does that make you feel?
I feel good and grateful. I thank God for bringing me thus far and I trust Him to uphold me to the end. I’m expecting to start producing my best fruits now and I trust Him to empower me to keep running errands for Him and to keep inspiring and impacting people’s lives. I’m happily married to Esther, my wife of thirty years, and blessed with three godly children.
What is the greatest lesson life has taught you?
I found out that life is not meant to be lived without the active participation of our maker. I was fortunate to get engaged with God through Christ in my youth and He greatly helped me to live in a way that makes life worth living. I don’t have to walk alone anymore because the Great One is my companion. This has made a whole lot of difference in the journey of my life.
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