By Isaac Ngumah
After 30 years in ministry, Dr. Jeremiah Fayomi has every cause to look back and thank God for his mercy and how the Lord has sustained him through trying moments. It has been a long walk for him.
Fayomi is the General Overseer of Christ Deliverance Prophetic Church with headquarters in Mile 12, Lagos, and the President of Power of Deliverance and Miracle Ministries. He would have crashed and would have been forgotten. But the mercy of God kept him.
One event that is hard for him to forget easily was when some of his church members died in a boat mishap. That was around 1997. The church was still young then. They were moving from one end to the other and they had to take a boat. But the unexpected happened.
He told Church Times, “Pastors face many challenges in life. In the early years of the ministry, we had cause to cross the river from one end to the other side. But the unforeseen happened. The boat capsized and many of our members died. That was the most trying time of my life. The story was everywhere.
“It was really tough for me and my family. My mind was always on the people who lost their lives and how their families would feel. It was a sorrowful period. It is only God that could have made it possible for us to still stand. The church would have long been forgotten. But God in His mercy kept us. People stood by us and we have been able to live through that trying moment. I thank God that victory came at last for the church as God has made us move on despite the tragic incident.”
But for the call of God upon his life, Fayomi says it would have been difficult to continue with the work. “What kept me throughout that time was the evidence of God’s hand on my life. The Lord has used me to heal the sick, raise the deal and preach deliverance to the captive. It is that grace that has sustained us as a ministry and the Lord has been taking all the glory.” he said.
The cleric believes the Church of God has strategic roles to play in nation-building. “Sometimes people wonder about the kind of impact that is expected of the church. But I normally say the prayers and the preaching of the gospel are twin instruments of nation-building.
“The prayers of the church, the preaching of Christ, and the moral example we show to the world are the duties of the church to the nation. If we fail in living the life of Christ, we can’t make the desired impact. It is the duty of the church to pray and teach people the right thing to do”.
For Fayomi, “The best thing for the Church is to do evangelism. Any church that is not doing evangelism is not a church.” he said.
He decried the critical spirit among some church people noting that it is the understanding that we have that determines our attitude toward people.
“People tend to criticize some men of God that are flamboyant. But we forget to note that their background may well contribute to their lifestyle. Somebody may already be used to a certain lifestyle before embracing the call. It is only God that can make that person change, not our criticism.”
While declaring that his focus in the ministry is to preach to save souls for the kingdom of God, he said prosperity is critical to evangelism “Without money, you cannot do anything. It is good to acquire material prosperity but we should not do it at the expense of the gospel. What we must do is to let the church know the truth.”
Fayomi who hails from Ile Ife, Osun State has been married for 31 years. He noted that marriages contracted on social media may not stand the test of time. “When you see some people on WhatsApp or Facebook and you fall in love with them, you may be taking a big risk. Anything may happen. This may not be in all cases, but there are chances that the marriage will not last. It is always good to allow God to direct one to make marriage decisions.” he said.
He believes the church should do everything to protect the institution of marriage. “The church should not condone domestic violence in homes. People must be encouraged to live the life of Christ in their homes. It is the life of Christ that can engender revival in the lives of people.”
One of the worrisome phenomena in the country for Fayomi is the state of insecurity in the country. He noted that Nigeria is experiencing the worst cases of insecurity in the world. He urged the new president to tackle the menace headlong.
“The insecurity in the country today is alarming. When this Boko Haram first started I addressed a press conference. I said Boko haram was going to spread across the country. I got an invitation from the then president Jonathan after the news was published and I honoured it.”
Fayomi said after meeting then-President Jonathan, he was able to mobilise about 70 pastors that were scattered around the country to pray and intercede for Nigeria. “ I can say that prayer and the prayer of the saints in this country has kept the country till now. What is happening in Nigeria is happening in all parts of the world, but the case of Nigeria is too much. It is the prayer of the saints that is keeping us.”
He however expressed hope that the current administration will usher in a new dawn in Nigeria. “let us be praying for this new government for them to do well, by God’s grace they will perform well. Remi Tinubu the first lady said something that I embrace. She said they are not coming there to embezzle money; that they are rich before becoming president. She assured Nigerians that they are going to do well. We can only pray for them.”