By Gbenga Osinaike
The place of Jesus in the Church and the implications of being called His friend were the focus of discussion at the 10th annual international ministers’ conference organized by Bearers of Light Missions World Outreach.
The event—an interactive conference during which a group of pastors shared thoughts and ideas on the theme—took place on Friday, October 2, and Saturday, October 3, between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. each day at the headquarters of the ministry in Lagos. It attracted gospel ministers from various denominations.
The panel for the programme included Bishop Abraham Olaleye, Dr. David Ikheleia, Pastor Ademola Adedipe, Pastor JKD Adeleye, Bro. Olawoyin Aduroja, and Pastor Olu George. Pastor Leke Akinnola also joined the team during the first day of the event.
The convener of the conference, Pastor Sam Oyemade, took the first 10 minutes to address the gathering on the first day of the meeting, which was themed “The Gathering of Jesus’ Friends.”
He explained that the programme was designed for fellowship, uniting leaders and believers who share deep, personal relationships with Christ.
According to him, the 10th edition offered a prime opportunity to advance the cause of Christ as partners rather than mere ministers.
He words, “When Jesus referred to His disciples as friends, He elevated them to the status of partners in fulfilling His divine assignment. Partnership with Christ represents the highest calling of service in the kingdom of heaven.”
After Pastor Oyemade’s brief address, the conference began in earnest, with the panelists interrogating the theme and examining the implications of being called friends of Jesus.
Jesus Called Us Friends
The first point the panelists noted was that Jesus was the one who called us His friends, not the other way around, making inference to John 15v15.
They observed, however, that until we focus on preaching solely about Christ, we cannot truly be called Jesus’ friends.
”We are not the ones who called Jesus friend; He was the one who called us friends. Being called Jesus’ friend demands a high degree of responsibility. It is not something to boast about. Jesus is the one who validates us,” one panelist emphasized.
Another panelist noted, “Being called a friend of Jesus is a position of humility. I must not go around bragging that He is my friend. If you understand what it means that Jesus has called us friends, it means I must stand for Him and be an apostle and ambassador of His kingdom. It calls for greater submission—it carries a heavy weight of responsibility.”
Abraham as a Friend of God
The example of Abraham being a friend of God was extensively discussed. Panelists pointed out that it was God who called Abraham His friend.
”We can be in ministry and yet not be known to God,” they noted. “The Lord said of Abraham, ‘I know Abraham will command his children and household after him.’ The people Jesus called His friends were those who would not compromise the Gospel. Only Jesus can call anyone His friend; we cannot fake friendship with Him.”
Knowing We Are Jesus’ Friends
Dynamics within the gathering led to agreement that one way to know if we are truly friends of Christ is to examine our alignment with His words.
”If Jesus says you are His friend, then you are His friend. But Jesus told His disciples, ‘You are My friends if you do what I command you.’ If your message is not focused on Christ, you are not His friend. Being a friend of Jesus comes at a cost.”
The Need for Intimacy with Christ
The gathering noted with concern that many pastors in the modern church act contrary to Christ’s teachings. “Many are preventing their congregations from seeing Christ,” they stated, emphasizing the urgent need for believers to maintain intimacy with the Lord and a desire to dwell in His presence.
”Dwelling and having intimacy with God is the most important thing. We need to develop a culture of obedience; what pleases God is obedience. When people get close to us, how much of Jesus do they see?”
The Basis for Success in Ministry
One of the critical issues discussed was what constitutes genuine success in ministry. The panel noted that the way to determine success is to go back to the Giver of the assignment and evaluate how much of it has been executed according to His blueprint.
”God has called different people to accomplish specific things for a purpose. Our success is based on what He has commanded and equipped us to do.”
The conference warned against using worldly benchmarks to measure spiritual outcomes: “The worst thing the Body of Christ can do is to use the standards of the world to measure success. If we do not refrain from copying the world, we will miss our goal. Success is doing what God wants us to do following His pattern in ministry. You don’t need to compete. Whatever Jesus says cannot be wrong.”
A member of the team added, “If God had allowed Moses to lead the children of Israel into Canaan, we would have been qualified by the law to enter heaven. But He allowed Joshua—whose name means ‘savior’—to lead them, symbolizing grace.”
Working with the Divine Template
The discussion continued the following day with deeper insights into ministry alignment.
It was observed that many church leaders leave Jesus out of the equation in their work. “When you are working alone and running alone, you are on your own. We cannot do ministry work by ourselves. Many are running with their own message, not the message of Christ. The only way humanity can be reconciled to God is to work according to His will. Jesus is the most important personality in our ministry.”
They stressed that no matter how elevated ministers become, they remain partners—not owners—of the work. “The owner of the field is Jesus. We partner with Him. The Father works, and we work. We cannot work when God is not working. Labouring with God means doing what God is doing.”
The conference also observed that many who claim to do God’s work fail to consult Him for guidance. “We should hear God clearly about what He has called us to do. When God calls, there is no ambiguity. Each person called is given a customized template on how to fulfill that calling.”
Also, the panel highlighted the need to harmonize the assignments of preaching and teaching. The Gospel is meant to be preached to the world so people may be saved, after which they are taught the Word to become disciples. They referenced Mark 16 regarding preaching to the world and Matthew 28 regarding making disciples.
Why People Fail in Ministry Work
The conference identified several reasons why ministers struggle to carry out God’s work effectively:
They noted that any pastors are weighed down by financial strain and administrative burdens.
It was also observed that criticisms, conflicts, fame, and family challenges derail many from their primary focus. Undue pressure also leads some into extra-biblical practices.
Attempting to imitate others rather than pursuing a God-given vision causes confusion.
The gathering observed that some pasties have saviour complex. They want to solve everybody’s problem rather than directing them to Jesus who is the ultimate. They attempt to fix everything in human strength rather than pointing people to Christ.
The forum concluded with a question and answer session, where participants’ questions were addressed from a biblical perspective. The gathering reached a consensus on the need to keep Jesus at the centre of all ministerial endeavors, noting that with Him as the focus, no pastor will lose direction.