The CAC Mount of Joy & Grace Church in Agege, Lagos has continued to impact society five years after the death of the founder of the church Pastor Isaiah Ogunbomehin. Pastor Ogunbomehin died on Sunday, July 21 2019. He was 82. He is reputed to be the pioneer builder of the CAC Joseph Ayo Babalola Memorial Miracle Camp at Ikeji Arakeji in Osun state.
His son, Pastor Seyi Ogunbomehin recalled that he came to church that fateful Sunday well prepared as usual for the worship service before his transition.
He said, “He was hale and hearty, he was agile. He ministered powerfully and impactfully as usual. However on this Sunday, unusually he urged the people to go home quickly. But he remained in his seat after saying the grace, looked at the people moving out, and at a stage turned his focus unusually again on those working in the vestry of the church.
“At around 10 pm in the night there was an anxiety over his health. The doctor was called. Within some minutes he was confirmed dead. Commotion ensued. Intense emotions arose. It was devastating news, a big blow, a shock for his admirers and those that look up to him as father.”
Society impact
Until his death, the late Ogunbomehin had a tradition of impacting residents of the community where the church is located at Saratu Street, Agege, Lagos.
The residents confirmed that he facilitated the electrification and tarring of the street. They also recalled how he regularly gave to indigent residents living in the street and a lot of other people from far and near.
Since his transition, however, the church has not relented in making an impact on the Agege community by organising free health outreach and free distribution of food items to needy residents.
His son, Pastor Seyi Ogunbomehin told Church Times that impacting the society is a must for the church because it is what the Lord has commanded the church to do and more so that it was a practice of the founding pastor.
He said his father was a committed humanist apart from being a church leader. “When he was alive, reaching out to people and helping them was something of a must for him. My father did not acquire wealth. He was a wealth distributor. He paid the school fees of people he did not know, fed many people who came his way and brought many out of poverty. Despite his access to wealth, he did not build an empire for himself” he said.
Now the Senior Pastor of the church Pastor Seyi Ogunbomehin said the church has improved on what his father left behind.
‘What we have done is to expand the scope and do more. The medical outreach has become more inclusive. This year, for instance, our budget was to attend to 300 people in the community as regards their health. But we had close to 500 that we attended to on July 18 and 19.”
While disclosing that a lot was spent on the outreach he said medical personnel came from the Agege Local Government at the church’s request to carry out the medical checks.
“Basic medical tests like BP check, Blood Sugar, malaria etc were carried out on them. We also gave out drugs for deworming and other over-the-counter drugs like pain relief. We had to overshoot our budget for the year. We can only thank God for the grace to impact the people”
People are hungry
Apart from the medical outreach, food items including rice, indomie, and vegetable oil were distributed to about 500 people who came for the medical outreach. “What we discovered is that there are many hungry people. Some were interested more in the food than the medical examination. It goes to show there is hunger in the land. What we have done is just our way of supporting the government because the government can’t do it alone. But then, what we have done would not have been possible without the support of members of the church who gave towards the project.”
He however called on the government to come to the aid of ordinary people. “The cost of food has become so unbearable that people find it difficult to feed. There is a need to declare an emergency in the food sector.
“People are going through pain and hunger. The earlier something is done the better. No amount of palliative will solve the problem. I think there is a need for government to begin to support mechanised farming initiatives so that the problem of hunger can be tackled from the root.” he said.
Medical support
The head of the community health department of Agege Local Government, Mrs. Adeola Babatunde who led the team for the medical outreach programme was full of praise for the church for spending so much to carry out the medical outreach.
She noted that many people hardly pay attention to their health again because of the cost of drugs and the cost of carrying out medical tests.
“People can’t afford the drugs. They don’t have money for medical tests either. Corporate and religious organisations would do well to help support the poor as regards their health. What CAC Grace and Mercy Church have done is commendable. Other churches should emulate them.”
Ilera Eko scheme
Babatunde noted that the government has tried to bring down the cost of medical treatment to the barest minimum. But according to her, “many people can’t afford that minimum”
She said “The Ilera Eko scheme of the Lagos State government comes at N8k per annum for an individual and about N43k per annum for a family of six. With this amount, they will have access to everything about their health including child delivery. But people are not coming forth to take advantage of this gesture perhaps because of the money.”
The beauty of the outreach and the food distribution is that it focused more on non-members of the church and people of other faiths.
Beneficiaries
Ola Salako, one of the beneficiaries of the medical outreach was full of praise to God and the church for the medical programme.
He said he did not know he was hypertensive until he came for the medical check. “It was through the medical check I got to know my BP is high because I never used to check it. I was given some drugs and advised to do a follow-up medical examination. That I am grateful for. I also got some raw food for my family. I am truly grateful for this gesture.”
Salako came to the area a couple of years ago. He said he knew how the late Pastor Ogunbomehin helped the community when he was alive.
Another beneficiary, Fatima Mohammed said she got a phone call from one of her friends to come over. “My coming here has been a blessing. I can only pray for the organiser for the food and the medical supplies. It is a relief for me and my family” she said.
A lay evangelist in the Anglican Church, Mary Kusimo took time to pray for the church while also thanking God for being a beneficiary of the medical and food programme. “I am a regular participant in the yearly programme. Baba Ogunbomehin was a blessing to us when he was alive. I am happy his son has continued with that legacy. This gesture is touching many lives. It’s only God that can bless the church.”
Temitope Lawal described the gesture as a noble one while also recalling that he was a beneficiary of the outreach last year.
Another beneficiary who simply gave her name as Mrs Busari said she was impressed by the professional touch of the medical personnel who came to do the medical checks.
Head of the Primary Health Care Unit of Agege Local Government, Mrs Adeola Babatunde and Pastor Seyi Ogunbomehin during the medical and food outreach
Support
Members of the church rallied to make the programme a huge success. Several volunteers also came to assist in the distribution of food and the administration of medicine.
Olusegun Ademuyiwa a member of another chapter of CAC said he was at the venue to render support. “When Baba was alive, he always reached out to the poor. When I heard about the medical outreach and the food support programme, I had to come around to be part of the workforce and contribute my service quota.” he said.