The election is just to elect a leader that will rule the country and make the country a better place for us all.
Vera Wisdom-Bassey
Pastor Chukwuemeka Williams of Great Gospel Charismatic Ministry, Ishashi, Lagos, has called on political leaders to allow 2019 poll to be a credible one, saying that if the election is credible, Nigeria will be a better place for all Nigerians.
2019: INEC assures of credible election in Taraba
Why is it difficult for the church to call erring political leaders to order?
Actually, most of the ministers like our fathers who have been long in the ministry, should be agents of change in this country, and not going to Aso Rock to demand money from our leaders, because God called them into the ministry to change the society, therefore their task is not limited to the church alone but the country as well.
Nigerians leaders will respect them and listen to them. So, our big fathers in the church should influence leadership in the country. But today, what we see is that they too have been corrupted by these political leaders who should respect them. If they (pastors) are not corrupt the leadership of this country should have gone to them to seek advice on the way forward for the country, but they have collected money from Aso Rock and for this reasons, they cannot correct them.
A prophet does not go to the King, but a King goes to the prophet. These pastors should give political office holders good counsel but by what they are doing, they don’t have the courage to correct whatever ill they (political leaders) are getting themselves involved in.
So, how can corruption be eradicated from Nigeria?
When you talk about corruption, it will take God’s intervention to eradicate this from our country, because the church too is corrupt, and because they (pastors) too go for the national cake, they cannot do anything right. It is only God’s intervention that can save us. But we need God fearing people in this nation to be in leadership position.
How can the coming generations affect the nation?
The coming generations can affect the nation positively if the leaders of the church can teach them well to be of good behaviour and be good examples for them. They should build lives and build the characters of their members not build churches alone.
When and how were you called into the ministry?
I was called into the ministry when I repented in 1983 in Assemblies of God Church, before I was called into Deeper Life Bible Church where I worshipped for 22 years. But in 1993 when I was traveling to Aba, God spoke to me that I will have a ministry but I never disclosed it to anybody and when I was about to marry I told my wife that I will have a ministry but when it will commence I do not know. So, while in Deeper Life I was made a Pastor there, ready to serve. But one particular day, God told me it was time to leave and move on. But because of the persecution I passed through, the challenges affected me so much that I had to leave when the leaders denied me the opportunity of seeing the General Superintendent of the church. I was running a prayer programme, but the name Great Gospel was given to me from God and in 2013, November to be precise, we went into full ministry, which is why we are celebrating five years anniversary and thanksgiving today.
There are some people that started ministry for one year, two months and they folded up, but here we are for five years now, we have not lost any member to death. God has been faithful since the inception of the church. So with this we are here today celebrating God’s goodness. People who have been in ministry for a long time have not had the impact we have in this church, so this calls for celebration.
Nigeria is said to be a religious country, but there are fake pastors all over. How do we detect fake Pastors?
It is a difficult thing to answer, but God said by their fruit we shall know them, the fact is that we have many churches all over the world, some because of recession they open ministry, and some their parents have been disturbing them to go into the ministry and some because of money they open a ministry. This is why we have many amalgamations. Some collect money from people to pray for them, but here we don’t. But those who demand money from others to pray for them over their challenges are not of God. An individual has a problem and you are demanding money from him to pray for him? Such a pastor is certainly not of God.
What is your advice to the political leaders ahead of 2019?
Everybody should educate their children; it is not a do-or-die affair, nor a violence thing. The election is just to elect a leader that will rule the country and make the country a better place for us all.