Chairman of Managing Business for Christ and former ambassador of Nigeria in the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, has described the last 25 years of the MBFC as years of great impact while also trusting that God will do a new thing through the organisation in the coming years.
Kolade made the remark on Saturday, November 30, at the Thanksgiving programme to mark the organisation’s 25th anniversary.
The event, which took place at the New Covenant Church in Ikeja, Lagos, attracted members of the MBFC and several business owners
MBFC also used the occasion to empower young entrepreneurs who met some of the criteria of the organisation
The real Owner
Addressing the theme, the Real Owner, Kolade who over the years made a great impact in the corporate world in Nigeria noted that MBFC has made a lot of positive impact since it started.
He noted, ‘We have identified certain young people who can testify that the Lord has been good in their businesses. We have done outreaches even outside the country and impacted a lot of businesses in Nigeria.’
He said however that despite the achievement of the organisation something more lies ahead, ‘God is saying, what next? The Lord is saying now you’re 25 years old and you want to witness better times. God is ready to give us better times. But God wants to use us’
Godly business
According to him, the way to get godly results in business is to acknowledge God as the real owner of the business we do.
His words, ‘I don’t think anyone would say he or she does not know that with or without our planning there must be another authority at work. And since that authority will do something bigger than us it is better to go to him always. It is true we are managing our businesses. The question is for whom?’
Referring to the scriptures, he said, ‘God created man in his image and he asked man to be fruitful and multiply. Some activities go on which result in fruit bearing.
‘The tree for instance is fruitful but it is not thinking about it because it is positioned where it could be fruitful. It gets water and sunlight. It is God that is doing something in the plant that is making it to be fruitful,’ Kolade said
Fruit in business
He explained that the process of bearing fruit in business is similar to the fruit-bearing tree. ‘God did not just say go and be fruitful. He gave man all the necessary things that will make him fruitful.
“No human is being that God has created that is not expected to do something. But the good news is that God has already provided the resources we need to do whatever he asked us to do.’ he said.
Resources are available
While insisting that God will not ask us to do things that are beyond our capacity, he said, ‘For every business we are going to do the resources have already been created by God. But we often forget to give credit to Him. We think it’s a natural thing to do business.’
What entitles God to ownership according to Dr Kolade is that He created everything. ‘God himself has been active in getting us to take responsibility. Doing business is not our device. For all of us who are doing business, we are doing what God intended us to do.’
He noted also that God always gives resources that will match man’s ability. ‘The energy, the capacity, and the intelligence all came from God. He is the one who enables us to do what we do.’ He asserted
Beyond God
Many who struggle with their businesses according to Kolade may be doing what God has not called them to do.
While responding to a question during the event he counseled that rather than going to God with a mind that is already set, business owners should be courageous enough to pray for the will of God.
‘The question first should be: Is it the will of God for us to do the business we want to do and not that we should be asking God to give us direction for a business’
Support for entrepreneurs
The thanksgiving service lasted for about three hours. The MBFC used the occasion to support some young entrepreneurs with funds for their businesses. They were the entrepreneurs who took the first three positions in the Youth Entrepreneurial Faith Fueled pitch competition
The CEO of Zuna Bridals, Comfort Peter took the first position and was awarded a sum of N1m. The second position went to Bolanle Adeusi of ABS Sparkles. She was given the sum of N500,000 while the third position was jointly shared between Love Àjàgbé Ayankola of. Loib Crea8tive and Oluwakemi Oyebanji of Glams World of Craft. They both went home with a sum of N125,000 each.
Value award
The Exceptional MBFC Value Award went to Oluwakemi Oyebanji of Glams World of Craft. She was given an additional sum of N1m. Godsent Kalu of Fryze Foods won N100k while Omoyemi Oladiran of El-plethora Coutour and Boluwatife Imeh of Bolu’s Craft were awarded N100,000 each by MBFC