Pastor Gideon Chuku is the Senior Pastor of Covenant Seed Assembly based in Portharcourt, Rivers State. He has been in ministry for about 19 years. He shared his ministry experience with Isaac Ngumah. Find below

You abandoned your business to do ministry. How did you arrive at that decision?

It would not have been easy for me to make that decision truly. But I heard God clearly and audibly. It was not a dream. I had that inner conviction and I also asked the Lord to show me signs to prove to me that he was the one calling me. The Lord then showed several signs, miracles, healings, deliverance, the salvation of souls, and a lot of things at different phases of my ministry to prove that he called me into the ministry.

So, I had no excuse. It was that assurance of his voice that made me decide to abandon all for the Lord. I was doing well in business before I veered into ministry so nobody can accuse me of being motivated by material gain. The vision of our ministry is to impact the life of Christ in people. Our focus is soul-winning, for people to make heaven at the end, to live the life of Jesus Christ, and to be fruitful here on earth.

What has been the experience so far?

God has been faithful. He has confirmed his word that He does not betray, deny, or forsake those who put their trust in him. No matter what comes along the way of any man whom God has called in as much as the person holds on to God, the person will not be mocked at the end. I have learnt that God does not abandon his children no matter the situation or circumstances.

The challenges I have faced so far in ministry have to do with people. I discovered human beings are erratic fearful, unfaithful, and untrustworthy. Some of the people I related with were betrayers and unholy. Many didn’t receive the word of God and when they see challenges they are unable to stand with their faith. The devil is not my challenge in ministry because God has given me dominion over him. People are the main problem.

Who are your mentors in ministry?

One of them was Rev Dr Obiora Ezekiel, Founder of the Christian Pentecostal Mission. He is now of blessed memory. I served under him. He pastored me for some years, and his wife Rev Dr. Mercy Ezekiel in Lagos. When I got to Porthacourt I was pastored by Rev Peter Joseph also of the Christian Pentecostal Mission and I was also pastored by some great men of God whom I drew inspiration from like the likes of Archbishop Sam Amaga, Bishop David Oyedepo, and Bishop Mike Okonkwo. My father in the Lord presently is Archbishop Emma Gospel Isong that is the person I am submitting to presently.

Having been in ministry for a while, how can one know a fake pastor?

Fake prophets and teachers have always been with us right from the time of Jesus Christ and in the days of the apostles of old. The irony about some fake pastors today is that some of them had a genuine call from God but they derailed in their calling. They left what God asked them to do to start pursuing other things and that was what made them fake not that they started as fake.

But then, some are in ministry because of material things, fame, and power. Such people preach what God did not ask them to preach for their selfish end. They deceive people and get involved in things that are contrary to the word of God. The simple way to know fake pastors is to check their message alongside the word of God.

In what way would you say your ministry has impacted society?

One of the major Impacts is the salvation of souls. Through our messages, a lot of lives have been saved. God has used us to give hope to the hopeless. There has been revival and impartation of lives. Many have experienced breakthroughs in their businesses and marriage through the teaching of the word.

What is your perspective on the prosperity message?

Prosperity message on its own is not bad. What people frown at is the motive behind the message. If the motive behind the message is to enrich the preacher, I think it is wrong. If the message is for the furtherance of the gospel and also to bless the lives of people of God there is nothing wrong about it.

Preachers should teach people to have a desire to prosper and not to be earthly-minded. The Bible says in Matthew 6v 33 seek ye the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

Christ preached prosperity but he made us focus on the kingdom of God first. The scripture said the gospel was spread abroad through prosperity. So men of God should emphasize more on kingdom prosperity so people who are prospering should prosper in line with the word of God and let them know it is for them to know the primary purpose of prosperity teaching is to spread the gospel abroad for the salvation of souls.

The point is anybody who is in ministry because of money is not of God. That person is a false prophet. No genuine person goes into ministry because of money. There are so many things one can do to make money not ministry. We know there are a lot of challenges in the ministry but anybody who goes into the ministry because of money has missed.

In what way do you think the church can support the society?

Developing human capacity is the highest contribution the church could make. Human capacity building, and teaching people the way of the Lord are things the church can do to impact society.

Once people imbibe these teachings, they will have the fear of God and live quality lives. They will contribute to peace, unity, progress harmonious living, and prosperity of the society in general to the glory of God.

As a preacher of the gospel, how will you assess the present state of Nigeria?

My assessment so far is that the government is working and I won’t say they are not working. After all, he who wears the shoes knows where it pinches.

Those who are in government know so many things that I don’t know, there are information they have that I don’t have. They are privileged and also opportune so I cannot condemn them. I believe they are not idle they are working. Things may not turn out the way we expected. We may not see immediate improvement now they are working.

But what are your views on government’s economic policy?

We need a national policy that will drive the economy and make it thrive. Such economic policy will lead to the creation of industries, infrastructures, tourism, health facilities, and agriculture such that in the next ten years we will be competing with other countries of the world. I am afraid, the economy is yet to have a direction. It’s been trial and error.

Ironically, the president has been giving people hope. I think he has a focus. I think also he has articulated structures and plans that are just enough to give people hope. But the plans and strategies have to be put to work so that people’s hope will not be in vain.

Would you say it was an error removing the oil subsidy?

The subsidy was removed to make life better for people. But I think the refineries ought to have been put to work before the removal. If the removal of fuel subsidy was to save funds to repair the three refineries and make them work they should by now have put the refinery to work so we don’t have to depend on imported fuel again.

 Despite the efforts of the government, things have not worked and now, people are protesting. Do you think this is justified?

If you have a wife and children at home and they are not eating, things are difficult for them they will protest. Your wife will protest. The children will protest. The cost of living has gone so high. The cost of doing business has also gone high. Life is difficult for the average citizen.

If people are protesting it’s because things are difficult. People don’t protest when things are okay. The protest is to tell the country’s leaders to do something about the situation. The only fear is that the protest may be hijacked by hoodlums and criminals

Talking about solving Nigeria’s problem do you think a return to the parliamentary system of government will do the magic?

Our problem is not the parliamentary system or presidential. What we need is a system void of tribalism, void of greed, void of ethnicity, tribalism, religion, and nepotism. We need a system that promotes national development, unity, and progress. Even if we return to the parliamentary system, we will still have the same people to run it. It is about the people, not the system.

But don’t you think the country should be restructured?

I think the restructuring we need is to make our agricultural sector work, our security work better, and individual states work better. Each state should go and develop their resources and bring certain percentages to the federal. If we work together as a single entity in reality this country will get better. So restructuring is a welcome development.