Taking people out of poverty part of church responsibilities, says C&S cleric

A cleric in Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, Victory District (Ayo Ni o) Lagos, Special Apostle Sola Opadere, has given insight into certain roles churches must have to play outside evangelism in any society, listing eradication of poverty among the poor, especially in churches, contribution towards solving the nation’s security challenges and nation’s building as part of them.

He said taking particularly the poor in the churches out of poverty was how to make the world a safer and better place for all and at the same time churches indirectly winning souls for Christ.

Opadere gave this analysis on Tuesday at a press briefing towards the church forthcoming 10th anniversary and the 3rd annual Dickson Awode Memorial lecture scheduling for between February 3rd and 16th at the district headquarters parish in Ikorodu. He spoke as the chairman of anniversary planning committee.

According to him, people, who are hungry and homeless and for a long period of time including in churches because they have no means of livelihood will certainly be unhappy and may not willing to serve God faithfully, rather may take to crimes and criminalities and thereby disrupting public peace.

He said against this background was part of why Remi Awode Foundation was established by one of the church members as his family contribution within the church to empower the less privileged members and also impact outsiders in the church neighbourhood.

He said the foundation this year just as the previous editions and under the Special Apostle Dickson Awode Memorial Empowerment Programme would give no fewer than 100 people a sum of N100, 000 each, totalling N0 million to invest in their businesses or education as applicable.

He noted that the philanthropic gesture which is yearly affairs and rotational on the basis of need was yielding tremendous results as shown according to him in the socio-economic status of beneficiaries.

Speaking on the anniversary and the memorial lecture, Apostle Opadere, who is the chairman of anniversary planning committee, said Professor Sunday Ajitoni from the Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, and a deputy commissioner of police, Force Intelligence Bureau, Lagos, Lanre Ogunlowo had been billed for February 3rd to speak on “C & S tomorrow: Equipping our youths for leadership responsibilities” and “Safety of worship centres: The roles of church leaders in contemporary Nigeria,” respectively.

He said both lectures would serve as avenues for knowledge sharing on the two mentioned issues for overall benefit of mankind.

He listed other activities to include ordination of deserving pastors, award presentation and thanksgiving service.