Leke Adeboye son of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye and founder of Encounter Jesus Ministries International, Apostle Michael Orokpo have lamented how they were persecuted in the course of trying to render service in their various ministries.
The duo made known their frustration about the Church system during an interview programme shared on the internet
Leke Adeboye was the interviewer while Michael Orokpo was the interviewee.
During the session, the young Adeboye in trying to probe into the mind of Orokpo on his experience in ministry shared his own experience in the RCCG.
Leke Adeboye: My fight
Leke Adeboye said, “In this system where we are in, I have tried to fight some fight. I am sure you have heard some things on social media that they say I called some people some names and I got suspended by the same system I was defending. And that was my second suspension.”
He said his first suspension was for the same reason adding however that he was not bothered. “The Bible says if you know what is good and you are not doing it, you too are as guilty as those who are doing bad things.”
He then asked Orokpo how he handled such situations in his former ministry.
Orokpo had served under Pastor Osayi Arome founder of Remnant Christian Ministry.
In his response said he has learned more useful lessons during difficult times than when he was excited and having a good time.
He recalled that he was embroiled in a lot of controversies in his former ministry. “Where I was serving a lot of controversies came up. People told a lot of lies against me. I had to go and beg the authorities about four times. I pleaded and begged but things boomerang.”
Orokpo said he was so committed to the ministry that his brother’s death in 2017 did not affect his loyalty to the ministry.
Read also: RCCG and the Leke Adeboye phenomenon: When silence is not golden: https://churchtimesnigeria.net/rccg-leke-adeboye-silence/
He said a day after his brother’s death, he still went to conduct impartation service at the ministry’s Bible school just to underscore his level of commitment to the ministry. That my late brother was in a coma and I was still teaching for five days while he was in a coma.”
Orokpo said he kept apologising for what they said he did. He said people would come to him and record conversations and edit them to present to the authorities.
The experience according to him made him bitter. “I became so bitter against the people around me. I sowed seed and respected all people but they wanted me to go down. I began to wonder is this church? Is this the house of God.” he said.
He was beginning to have bitterness against those who hurt him. God however told him in the heat of the crisis that if he was not careful the development could ruin his ministry.
Revival leads to separation
But the situation later turned out for his own learning. “God told me this is revival and one of the things that happen during revival is separation. By all means, there must be separation. It could be holy ghost-induced separation, it could be induced by disagreement, it could be induced by persecution”
He cited the example of Paul and Barnabas in the Bible who separated on the account of Mark. He also gave an instance of how persecution made the followers of Jesus to be scattered in the Acts of the Apostle. And how the holy ghost requested that Paul and Barnabas be separated unto him for the work of the ministry.”
He then stressed that there is nothing personal between him and his former ministry leader. “It is not a personal thing. He is a man of God. I love him, God has used him for me. The people are those who allow themselves to be used of the devil.” he said
Orokpo holds a Phd in Chemistry from the University of Agriculture, Makurdi. He started his ministry, Encounter Jesus Ministries International, on November 11th, 2021 aftre about two decades of serving other ministries including Remnant Christian Ministry.
