By Gbenga Osinaike
She was about her business on the streets of the UK when the Lord called her. But her calling was not to start a church but to strengthen existing churches and encourage oneness in the body of Christ.
For Pastor Mrs Clara Alao the oneness of the church is not negotiable. That the church is not united in purpose is giving her so much pain and concern. And just in concert with the call of God upon her life, she has continued to reach out to church leaders stressing the importance of the unity of the church and encouraging ministers of the gospel to bury doctrinal differences and look out for things that unite the church as a body.
Though from Edo State, she is married to a lawyer from Ibadan, Oyo State. “My husband has a Muslim background but we married in the Catholic Church. He joined me in the church and since I became committed to the cause of Christ he has been supporting me and following me to serve God together in the church. We live happy and live fulfilled lives”
She however noted that her husband was first to notice the disunity in the church. “I think it was around the time there was crisis between Chris Okotie and Chris Oyakhilome. He was bothered that church leaders could be getting at each other’s throat. That brought some discouragement to him. It got to a point that he was planning to go back to Islam. That was a sad period in my life. I had to pray and seek the face of the Lord to intervene, which he did.”
Ajao, who spoke with journalists at a prayer meeting organized by the Christian Association of Nigeria in the Amuwo Odofin Local Government last November said God gave her the revelation to work as a support arm to leaders to foster unity and love among all churches on December 12 2017. On the 12th of May 2018 she set out to do the Lord’s bidding. Since then she has been running with the vision.
It was the burden that led to the establishment of the Arm of God Reconciliatory Outreach. Alao who is now a pastor with the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry said she consulted with her pastor and General Overseer of the Ministry, Dr. Daniel Olukoya when the Lord gave her the vision and it was clear to her that the Lord wanted her to move the operation of the ministry outside the MFM so it could serve the body of Christ effectively.
The mission according to her is to engender a situation where church leaders will set up persistent, united intercessory prayer network across the denominations and form a formidable working team that will speak with one voice.
She is also poised to get church leaders to stop referring to churches as their church. “It should not be my church but it should be His church. Jesus will only build his Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”
While noting that the task of fostering unity in the Church has been daunting, she expressed confidence that the desired unity of the church is not impossible.
“We have been going round now for a while and we have been organizing prayers and intercessory prayers for the church and for Nigeria. I am glad to announce that the Lord is bringing the church together in unity and power. The church is moving higher in glory. Things are changing. The leadership of the various denominations are beginning to realize my passion and they are all subscribing to it.