Olukilede: I want exceeding grace
Olukilede in flowing gown (middle) posses with other pastors at the award ceremony
By Wilson Adekumola
The founder and presiding minister of Heal The World Ministry, Dr Tola Olukilede, Bishop Taiwo Akinola and 23 others were honoured with different awards ranging from the award of honour, merit award and exemplary leadership award by the Arinko Success chapter of the Ogun State Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria
The awards were given to the recipients during a one-day ministers cum church workers conference by the chapter on March 20.
Bishop Dr. Taiwo Akinola was represented by Prophet Abiodun Owoborode at the event. Other pastors honoured include Pastor Adeola Adenuga, Rev. Kayode Oluwasijuwomi, Rev. J.K Amah and Rev. Francis Ubaka.
Also honoured were Rev. Dr. Donatus Obi, Rev Noah Okaula, Pastor Isacc Ogundipe, Pastor Fagbohun Matthew Alani, Pastor Sam Ayegbusi, Apostle Earnest Osayede, Rev. Mrs. Felicia Owoborode, Prophetess Felicia Adu, Evang. Adeniran Odeyemi, Rev. Dr Isreal Odeyemi, Apostle Sam Adeyemi and a host of other ministers of God.
The ceremony held at The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Ogun Province 10 Headquarters, Elim Parish, Sango-Ota, Ogun State.
Olukilede: I want exceeding grace
Responding to the award, Olukilede, whose birthday coincided with the event, said, “I want to appreciate you for this award, for deeming it necessary to honour me on my birthday. This will encourage us to continue to do the work. I am going to keep it, cherish it and remember it for the rest of my life.”
Speaking on the theme, “Exceeding grace for next level in life and ministry”, he said, “I want to tell you the meaning of grace, when you carry the grace what you think is not possible will become possible. Exceeding grace for the next level in life and ministry is what you need, I need it because I am not satisfied with where I am now. I need the exceeding grace so that I can jump the fence, I can climb the mountain and I can fly. Grace has been keeping me; how much more exceeding grace.”
Olukilede, a philanthropist of note with over 200 students on his scholarship scheme said further that the covenant of prosperity in life and ministry is the message God gave to him and he has been preaching it since 1999 saying it is God that owns and gives wealth.
He then charged his listeners to establish a covenant with God to enjoy His promises.
“If I want to talk on the covenant of prosperity, I cannot get tired because that is my core ministry. That is the only ministry and message God gave to me which I have been preaching since 1999. Let us look at what the scripture says in Deuteronomy 8:18. Do not forget your God. It is God that owns and gives wealth. You must remember this God. According to the scripture, wealth is not the covenant but God has given us the power to get that wealth that He might establish the covenant with us.”
He reasoned further that the purpose of wealth is to establish a covenant with God saying Abraham was already blessed before he made a covenant with God.
“The purpose of that wealth is to give you an opportunity to have a covenanted work with God. Whatever you could see as wealth because wealth is not only money, it is given to you to establish the covenant. The covenant is what you do to enforce the promises of God into your life, ministry, marriage, business, and every of your life endeavour. Any promises of God needs a covenant to bring it into manifestation and fulfillment.” He asserted.
The president and founding Pastor of The House of Increase Ministry, (THIM), Dr. Mobolaji Sodiya who preached at the gathering on why ministers are poor; urged the participants to invest in businesses and profitable organizations.
He warned them against depending on offering for survival noting that if they depend on offering and tithe poverty is inevitable.
Sodiya, however, charged the church leaders not to go into ministry because of money adding however that since they cannot survive in ministry without money, they can do other businesses that could impact the ministry positively.
He notes further, “If you are in the ministry and you don’t have money how do you author a book, pay your children school fees or do other laudable projects? Money is a tool in the ministry and only fools lack tools.
“Money will help you to be a responsible person. Money helps you do things you need to do. A lot of ministers need to pray and think but prayer alone cannot do it because if you don’t think you will sink. If you don’t think you will be poor. When you don’t think you get saturated. It is only when you invest you can harvest. If you don’t have anything to offer apart from soul winning you will suffer.”
Prophet Owoborode: Awardees are examples of humility
In his inaugural speech at the event, the chairman of the chapter, Prophet Abiodun Owoborode congratulated the awardees for their relentless service to God and humanity saying their humility has become a template for many to imbibe.
The cleric said, “I want to congratulate our fathers and fellow servants of God for this amiable and prestigious award for their momentous, relentless service render to God and humanity. Thank you for giving yourself wholly to this great commission with such profound allegiance and dogged commitment. Your spirit of humility and loyalty has become a template for many of us to imbibe.”
Owoborode observed that a lot of things still needed to be done in the chapter. He appealed to the attendees for funds to build the chapter’s secretariat with an event hall and a bus for evangelism.
He recalled that in the heat of the pandemic outbreak in 2020, the Arinko Success Chapter organized a daily prayer programme for two months. When the lockdown was lifted the chapter according to him also organised a training programme for church workers to enhance church growth.
He said, “The training programme ran for six weeks. We gave certificates to 40 graduates of the programme on November 15, 2020, at the Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM).”
While disclosing that the second batch of the training programme will commence on April 24, 2021, he said, “Our mission in Arinko Success Chapter is to have our land to build our secretariat, with event hall and bus for missions which amounts to N15M. With God it is possible, with your contribution, it can be brought to reality and we also believe with your prayer, it can be established.”
Award ceremony, first of its kind
He thanked all participants at the conference while also explaining the significance of the award. He said it was God that put it in his heart last year to organize such in order to encourage the younger ministers.
“This is first of its kind in the history of this Sango PFN over the years. God led me last year to organize something like this to bring ministers of God together nurture them scripturally and give awards to our fathers in the Lord who have laboured in faith as this will encourage the young ones to work diligently for God. I am happy that it has become a reality today.”
The PFN chair noted that the award is a reminder that there is always a reward, both earthly and heavenly for those who serve the Lord wholeheartedly.
He thanked God for the impartation noting that the move of the Holy Spirit in their midst was proof that God was behind what they were doing today.
The day-long Ministers Conference attracted both the laity and the clergy across the state.
Prominent among them were, Rev.Dr. Olu Johnson, Rev. Dr. David Oke, Pastor Adeola Adenuga and Rev. Dr Joseph Paul Adepoju, and a host of others.
