My dream is to unite C&S churches – Abidoye
MOST Reverend Samuel Abidoye is the fifth spiritual father/chairman, Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church Worldwide with headquarters in Kaduna, Kaduna State.
Born into a royal family over 80 years ago in Omu Aran, Kwara State, Eni Owo, Baba Aladura who spent over years in London, had been a member of the British Council of Churches since 1976 before he was invited home for anointment as the spiritual father in 2006.
*Most Reverend Samuel Abidoye
He said his main focus is to unite the entire white garment churches of Cherubim and Seraphim in the country. He spoke with our correspondent, Wole Mosadomi in an interview on this and other national issues. Excerpts….
Sir, you are the fifth spiritual father of Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement Worldwide. How does it feel being the leader of such a big denomination having such a large followership?
Well, I was worried at the beginning. First of all, I never imagined that I could become the spiritual father (Baba Aladura) because I was a bit radical. I have written five books on the church. In one of them, After Moses Orimolade—What next?,I criticised some of the church’s doctrines like the problem of not wearing shoes in cold countries like Europe where I stayed for so long; among others.
From childhood there were indictations of my becoming a church leader. In 1947, I had a dream where one man asked me questions just as Moses was asked and the man asked me what I wanted. I could have demanded to be a royal father since I am from a royal family.
However in Warri, Delta State, three of us were asked to co-ordinate the national conference and as a member of British Council of Churches, I didn’t find it difficult to oversee or co-ordinate the conference and after the meeting, many people came to me and congratulated me for a job well done.
I was thereafter asked if I would be able to come home from Europe and I said that I had made up my mind to serve the church in whatever capacity. When I was officially confirmed, I wept. It was an unexpected burden placed on me and my fear was how to handle the situation, but I thank God that He has been very supportive.
Can we therefore conclude that the office came to you by accident and that you didn’t prepare for it?
I did not prepare for it. However, I did not find it difficult to take over the leadership role since I have been part and parcel of the church administration for some years.
What is your vision for the C&S Movement?
Well, my vision is to unite the church towards having one head and if we can do this, I would have accomplished a great task, because we have so many members worldwide but with different spiritual leaders. I am also working frantically with other elders of the church to develop the acres of land in Orile Igbon between Ilorin and Ogbomoso to a full fledge Cherubim and Seraphim villa-ge which will comprise an ultra-modern auditorium and camp site with a Christian centre which is will be known as Galilee. The venue is now being developed gradually.
How will you about uniting the different fashions?
There is nothing impossible for God. It has started, but the total unification may not materialise in our time but it will surely come. The problem is that everybody wants to be a head, forgetting the Bible verse that says you can never get anything except it is given by God.
What is your reaction about the proliferation of churches in the country? Does it portray us as a Godly people?
Oh! My God. The answer is simply this: Churches are actually springing up. Infact, churches have become farmlands where anybody can just wake up and have one. The unfortunate aspect of it is that people are not preaching salvation.
They are preaching prosperity and two things cannot work together. In most cases, Christians even now love money much more than the politicians and thus recognizing money more than God. We should try as much as possible to worship God more than money, not forgetting that one day, we will leave this world.
You came to this world naked and you will surely go back naked and this is why we should de-emphasize the worship of money. My conclusion is that the coming of Christ is near and it is already established that when the time is near, there will be anti-Christs.
And the anti-Christ can manifest in any form including preaching money rather than God. So those who are worshipping God should do it in truth and de-emphasize money. You see churches springing up, here and there, because they see church as an avenue to make quick money. The sad thing about the churches is that they are not caring for the orphans, widows and the needy.
Despite bold steps taken by the Federal Government to fight corruption it appears the problem still persists. What is your suggestion on how to tackle corruption?
Only God can help us, because corruption had been there for quite a long time and the rate is becoming higher. It is a worldwide menace which cannot be totally eradicated but can drastically be reduced with the joint effort of every Nigerian.
Government has set up the EFCC, ICPC and we have many laws but if Nigerians don’t want any law to work, it won’t work no matter any step taken. This is why we should all join hands to fight the menace because only a few people benefit from it, leaving millions of Nigerians walloping in abject poverty.
On the side of government, the problems of unemployment, decay in our infrastructure, provision of portable water e.t.c. should be taken more seriously. If these basic things are provided, most problems of Nigerians would have been solved and this will surely reduce poverty.
What is your expectation from the present government?
I am disappointed. My belief is that we should continue to help President Goodluck Jonathan with prayers because the Bible says good things need prayers. He is surrounded by many people who claim to have helped and assisted him to office.
