FILE: Enoch Adejare Adeboye is a Nigerian pastor currently on a special visit to Uganda for the 3rd time since 1993. (Courtesy Photo)
On June 13, 2019, Nigerian Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye delivered a national address to Church leaders in Uganda at Kololo Airstrip in Kampala .
During this special address, General Overseer, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) spoke directly to the nation’s Bishops, Pastors, Apostles and other gospel ministers about maintaining God’s standard of the Church and embracing prayer.
The pastor challenged Christian leaders in Uganda not to work in isolation and to stop calling “what belongs to God your own.”
“When you begin to hear a minister say; my church, my ministry, my organisation, then know there is something wrong,” he said. “So my first appeal to all ministers is that from this moment on, you stop calling what belongs to God your own.”
“The reason why many of us are not seeing progress, we are not praying. We are taking God for granted. We have prepared a good sermon, we know all the theology, we know all the gymnastics, we can jump up and down, we can quote Hebrew and Greek, but there are few results. Why? Because we leave the owner of the church out. You must put Him first, through prayer,” he said.
“Many pastors go to the altar without praying. They feel they know what to do. No, you don’t know what to do, you don’t know the problems of the congregation. You must pray,” he added.
Pastor Adeboye centered his entire message on Matthew 16:18, explaining the key phrase “I will build my church.”
“What God is doing in Nigeria, He will do in Uganda. I want the Almighty God, in a couple of years, to raise up ministries where millions of people will gather here in Uganda,” Pr Adeboye said. “After sharing the little I want to say, I want to pray a prayer of impartation that the Almighty God will deposit something in you, that will cause your Ministries to blossom.”
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18)
This leadership conference was attended by President Yoweri Museveni’s daughter Patience Museveni Rwabwogo. Popular church leaders present included Apostle Alex Mitala, Apostle John Bunjo, Pastor Robert Kayanja and wife, Jessica Kayanja, Pastor Irene Manjeri, Pastor Jackson Ssenyonga, National coordinator RCCG – Uganda, Pastor Ezekiel Kolawole Oladipupo and many more.
Pastor Adeboye explained: “God said I will build. He is a master builder. He builds things. He builds houses. Exodus 1:21, “ And because the midwives feared God, he built houses of them.” That is good news for those of you who are trying to build a church structure. God is a builder, and the structure you are planning to build consider it already built.
“He is also a builder of marriages. In Gen 2:18; The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” I can confidently prophesy to you who are not yet married, before this year is out, wedding bells will ring. And He builds families. Why? Because He Himself is a father. In John 14:2, Jesus says; In my Father’s house are many rooms.
“God is a father. In Mathew 6:9, Jesus was teaching the disciples how to pray; He said this is how you should pray, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.””
The Redeemed Christian Church of God, which was not well known prior to Adeboye becoming the General Overseer, currently has several branches globally in about 196 nations, including more than 14,000 in Nigeria.
Pastor Adeboye’s aim is to put a church within five minutes walking distance in developing cities and five minutes driving distance in developed cities.
“There are some people who believe that if a church is going to grow big, you must lower the standard. That you must allow any kind of thing to happen. That kind of Church God is not going to build,” he said at Kololo.
“Long ago when I was a young minister, people told me, “the problem with you, your standard is too high”. I said, “the standard is not mine, it is the standard of God.” They told me, “if you lower the standard your church will grow.” I said; no! Not every growth is a healthy growth. The growth I want, is the one brought about by God. Stand strictly on Holiness, because God is Holy. If you want to build a Holy church, He will help you build it,” Adeboye told Uganda Church leaders.
“That is why He said in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” You cannot join the world and be part of His church. Some people will tell you that if you let the standard too high, young people will not join the church. That is a lie. Young people want standard. When God says “I will build my church,” he is talking of a Holy and pure Church. A church of strict divine standard,”
Adeboye explained.
Pastor Adeboye noted that contrary to popular beliefs, The Redeemed Christian Church of God has seen growth even after keeping the standard too high and insisting on sanctification.
“We keep on growing, because God is building a church. When we pray that we want revival in Uganda, we are talking of a revival of holiness, a revival of purity, closing down of bars because people are no longer drinking alcohol… When the devil comes against the Church that is built on the foundation of Holiness, he will have the Almighty God to deal with. Light shines in darkness and darkness cannot over come it. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church of God in Uganda,” the 77-year-old said.
He urged Christian leaders to worship God in spirit and in truth.
“We must make sure we are working together with God. Not in isolation. What do we do, we pray. Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
“1 Corinthians 3:9 says, “For we are laborers together with God. We do some little bit, He gives the increase. In 1 Corinthians 3:6, Paul said, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”” he urged Church leaders.
