Rev. Dr. Francis Ekundayo is the founder of Harvest Field International Church (HFIC), behind Obasanjo Farms, Ota, Ogun State. Born in 1977 in Iyara, Ijumu Local Government Area, Kogi State. Ekundayo studied Physical and Health Education at Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo. He recently marked his 20th anniversary on the pulpit. In this interview with Wilson Adekumola, he reflects on the journey so far. Excerpts:
Congratulations on your 20th anniversary. What gave birth to the church?
God spoke to me twice, 1997 and 1999 on the need to attend a seminary and the seminary to attend. It was from the seminary that God gave me the vision for the ministry in 1999. We started Harvest Field International Church in 2004. Before then, I had worked with Christ Apostolic Church for about four years. I started with about two families in a school made with planks in Alagbado, Lagos.
I also attended the School of Prophets and Evangelists in Ilesha for two years to acquire knowledge on how to run the ministry. That was where God revealed the name of the ministry to me and many other things. He told me ‘I would harvest people into His vineyard’. After graduation in June 2000, I moved to Lagos to start pastoring as I was being led by the Lord.
You said you started the church with your family, now you have about seven branches across the country, how were you able to achieve this?
By the grace of God. What is happening in our ministry is beyond human comprehension. When I was released from my former church to start afresh, I went back to God to pray to inquire how and where to start because I did not know anybody in Lagos. It was the ministry that brought me to Lagos.
God instructed me to go and meet one man called Emmanuel to tell him my mission. I did. It was while meeting Emmanuel that another man who came to a nearby car wash joined us in the discussion. It was this other man that God used to provide a school premises for us in Alagbado from where we started. The rest is now history.
But then how have you been able to sustain the ministry?
It’s by the Lord’s mercies we have not been consumed. We went through so many challenges. To start with, we had no sponsor. I depended solely on God in prayer for provision and God has not disappointed us. I don’t do anything on my own volition.
The twenty years I have spent on the pulpit are in stages and every stage of the ministry has come with its several challenges but God has been merciful. You know whoever God actually calls He makes provision for his needs. That is why up till now I don’t have a godfather in the ministry. I depend solely on God. He has never failed me each time I called on Him.
In practical terms, how have you been financing the church’s projects since you don’t have sponsors?
It is something that goes beyond my understanding. I can’t explain how God has been doing it. But one thing I know for sure is that any time I need anything I talk to God in prayer and He will raise help for me. I don’t have any stable sponsor to run to for anything.
I don’t exploit my members either. They can testify to that. God is enough to cater to my needs as He promised in His Word. I recall that when I was coming to the ministry God had told me specifically that He has prepared me to live like Elijah. He has been faithful in that regard.
There must have been some landmark events in the past 20 years; can you share them with us?
We have been having some unique events. For instance, we have a yearly programme for couples. This programme has mended many broken homes. We have Pastor’s Day which has made many retrace their steps back to the Lord.
Then, we have our convention every year as well which has brought unity to the church and the society at large. There is another event we have first Sunday of every year dubbed Prophetic Sunday and Blessings. That too has impacted many lives positively.
In what way has the church impacted the larger society apart from winning souls to Christ?
Well, I can say it categorically that apart from soul winning, the church has transformed so many lives financially, spiritually, and morally. The ministry has given hope to the hopeless.
With the teaching, mentorship, and counselling, members have rediscovered themselves and thrived in their respective endeavours. Those who did not believe they would become somebody now have colourful testimonies. We have built strong ministers of God who have led many to Christ. In addition, the ministry has contributed greatly to the growth of Christianity and society at large.
We have also been able to touch the lives of people who are not even members of this church. We have been a blessing to the communities we find ourselves. We have a cooperative society; we have helped many people to own land. The cooperative society has helped so many businesses too. We hope to do more for both our members and the communities we find ourselves.
What are the challenges of running a ministry of this magnitude?
The challenges are many. The first challenge I encountered when I started was finance. There were times I had to trek to church and to pray for people because there was no money to board a bus. We have also had to contend with several oppositions but God intervened. When we began to grow the challenges multiplied. That is why I said earlier that each stage came with its own challenge.
We also had numerous challenges when we began to have leaders and council of the church, deacons, and deaconesses, team of pastors. So many of them pulled out of the church because we could not agree on how things should be done. There was another challenge when the Alagbado church could no longer accommodate all of us and we wanted to move to a spacious auditorium. I prayed to God and God led us to Ota. When I was planning to relocate the headquarters to Ota, it did not go well with some of the leaders as they wanted us to remain in Alagbado. We lost so many members when we moved to Ota, though we still retained the Alagbodo branch. When some members realized that I would move permanently to the headquarters they left.
One temptation I will not forget was when a man came and said he wanted to help me. He said he would do something for me that would grow the church and make it very big in a short time. He said he has rendered such help to some other big churches. He said the thing would make my church grow in three months. He said I was not going to pay for the “thing” but that after six months I could appreciate him with whatever.
The church was actually struggling then, but because of the kind of foundation I had in Christ, it was just not possible for me to jump at such offer. He felt bad and went away. I have always believed in the providence and provision of God. I also believe slow and steady wins the race. It is better to move slowly and get safely to your destination than move fast and have an accident on the road.
