•As she retires, hands over leadership to 5-man team
By Gilbert Ekezie
In the event of the present unpleasant economic situation in Nigeria, the outgoing General Overseer of Jesus is Life Ministries, Pastor Mrs Morenike Emily Olaojo has given hope to Nigerians, exploring them to be patient that things will surely improve in due course.
She stated this at the 50th anniversary thanksgiving of Jesus is Light Ministries (Light Chapel), held at the church’s headquarters, Agodo Egbe, in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State on Sunday, 7th April, 2024.
Olaojo said in the desert and wilderness of the economic situation in Nigeria, the saints will receive divine and miraculous help, as God has never forsaken those who believe and trust in him.
She said that when the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongues are parched with thirst, the Lord will hear them , and will not forsake them.
“God said, “I will open rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land, springs of water.”
Olaojo who announced her retirement from active service as General Overseer of the church at the event after nineteen years, gave God glory for his faithfulness and goodness to her family, the leaders and members of the Ministries, who had been behind the success and growth of the church this while.
She expressed joy to be given the grace to stand before everyone rejoicing on the special occasion and explained how the ministry was founded.
“Over fifty years ago, my husband, Apostle Joshua Gbemiga Olaojo (Late), started a family prayer meeting in our rented 3-bedrooms apartment at Ado Bayero Road, Kano State. Little did we know that the private family prayer meeting, would blosom into a church.
“In fact, no one thought of starting a church, as my husband was only a teacher, who later became a businessman, pioneer frozen fish importer and distributor in Kano State, and had zero training in ministry or theology, yet God found in him, a prepared instrument to fulfill his driven plan to found the ministry as founder and missioner.
“Just as our Lord Jesus Christ called ordinary fishermen in the Bible and made them fishers of men and mighty Apostles, so did God used my late husband and brought him into ministry, as founder and visioner of the great ministry, Jesus is Light Ministries.”
Olaojo who was given a kingdom Life Service Achievement Award at the event, stated that once her late husband received the commission, he threw the whole of his soul into the work, and never spared his vast resources and wealth, as he whole-heartedly pursued the service of the Lord in the establishment of the First Church of Light, by the leading of the Holy Spirit.
“As a result of my husband’s spiritual experience at Kenneth Hagins Camp Meeting in Tulsa Okhlahoma, USA, the ministry later transformed to Jesus is Light Ministries (Light Chapel).”
She explained further that the beginning was expectedly challenging for a businessman to be suddenly given the divine assignment to begin to lead a church, but God backed the work and built the house himself.
“There were storms and persecutions by the world, people ridiculed the church in Kano and called it ‘the church of Ojo eleja’ as a jest.”
Olaojo who also appointed a 5- man team to lead the church as she retired, advised all in the ministry to remain united, so that the ministry will continue to move forward.
“As I am retiring today as the General Overseer, I am appointing these five people namely: Pastor Bayo Funso Adaramola, Pastor Mark Olaniyi, Pastor Sunday Awazie, Pastor Dipo Daramola and Deacon Modupe Igbalajobi to collectively take care of the church.
“Among the five people, Pastor Bayo Funso Adaramola will serve as the General Overseer. But all of them will take part in the church’s decision-making.”
Earlier in his sermon on the topic “Jesus, the fulfilment of our jubilee”, the officiating cleric and the newly appointed General Overseer of the church, Pastor Bayo Funso Adaramola described Jubilee as about God returning people to possess their possessions.
He explained that jubilee gives an indication of the heart of God.
According to him, with Jubilee, God is always ready to give people the opportunity for recovery, not because they deserve it, but for his grace, love and purpose for his children.
” God does not abandon those who trust in him.
Because we failed to obey to serve God, our identify has changed.
Adaramola who was also given a Kingdom Life Service Award, regretted that some people are ashamed to be identified by their identify.
“We should not be ashamed to be identified by our identities. On many occasions, we wander away from God. So, we need to return to reclaim our identify and inheritance.
“This jubilee is an opportunity for a new beginning, in fact, a bigger opportunity to correct ourselves and come back to bases.
“We need to allow the spirit of God in our lives, for a more glorious future ,and will never remember the days of suffering.”
He urged the people to try to change their imaginations and renew their relationships with God and fellow humans.
“We should change our ways of things. It is true that we are into hardship presently in Nigeria and many families are struggling to survive, but we have to retrospect. How has the nation been raped in the recent past? How has the citizens conducted their lives?
“We know it may be applicable in other nations of the world, but we know that our nation is broken, family values have been condenmed and are longer being observed. There is disintegration of relationships, breakdown of values and norms. Our youths are being misled and many are pursuing things that are not meant for the peace of the land. So, we need to search ourselves”
The new General Overseer also explained that nations are not built from up to down, but down to up and that the major problem of Nigeria are Nigerians themselves, not the leaders.
“Many people always make the mistake of blaming our leaders, though they have their own fault, but the truth is that they are products of the society. They are our relations.
“As individuals, what are our contributions to the things we desire? We want honesty, loyalty, faithfulness, but how many of us have those attributes in our dealings , even in the church ?”
Adaramola who pledged to ensure that unity will exist among his new team, admonished Nigerians to the stop finger -pointing syndrome and amend their ways, so that the country can change for better.
“If we don’t change, the so called leaders will not change because they are products of the society.”
Some members were given awards, while others were consecrated to become deacons in the various branches of the church.
Also, elders of the church were inaugurated.
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