The General Overseer of Evangelical Ministries (Wisdom Chapel), Bishop Steven Ogedengbe, in this interview with SEYI SOKOYA, speaks on why he took the gospel to the corporate world and church matters.
HOW will you describe your life experience, even as you will clock 60 soonest?
I would say that I have found grace as a person. Grace has kept me and I believe that same grace if not more will keep me going as Jesus tarries. A young man had an encounter with Christ, while I was 40, 20 years ago, and in that encounter was a fast of 21 days without water or food both night and day. It was like a trance and spiritual communication. In the awesomeness of God, I received so much spiritual impartation that I received the mandate for the calling. Not just as a prophet, mine came with the unique gift of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. There were a lot of prophecies that followed after that – ‘raising you to do the work of the kingdom as a prophet. To discover leaders, raise leaders, and sustain leaders in the kingdom.’
On that mandate I will be 40 years as a prophet in the prophetic calling and to the glory of God, He was with Samuel, and everything He said to him, not one fell to the ground. That is exactly what I have enjoyed for 40 years. As a minister of the gospel, I have served in several capacities and I also served in the corporate world. I was the Director of NICON Insurance for about 10 years. I served in the Energy Bank of Ghana for about six years, Air Nigeria for about four years as a director, and served in Sao Tome and Principe in different capacities and a lot of oil and gas organisations. God has been faithful in the course of this assignment as I have taken the work of the gospel in the world and almost all the states in Nigeria. I believe the only thing that has kept me is the place of God and my prayer is that he will sustain it.
Despite your wealth of experience and reach portfolio in the corporate world why did you switch from the corporate world to the pulpit?
I think the ministry even took me to the corporate world when my colleagues and contemporaries were traveling from one church to another to exchange pulpit I took the gospel to the corporate world, particularly for the CEOs and founders of companies that need to bring the gospel involving God every Monday morning before they go into their board and management meetings. As the Bible says, ‘Commit thy ways unto God and he will make it come to pass. Also, if the Lord did not build a house they that build buildeth in vain.’ I did this to the glory of God and I think this earned me opportunities to be appointed as director for some of these organisations. In addition, I served in the police council during the time of voluntary/social jobs particularly in the area of the police to ensure they relate peacefully with the communities.
Today, a lot of things are not working in our economy not because we do not have Christians or devoted Muslims in power, but because what we lack as a nation under leadership is integrity. People are involved with their religious capability but one thing lacking is their integrity, the ability to be firm and not to exercise greed. For instance, what will someone be doing stealing billions of naira? What will you be doing with it? No industry, no factory but they have vehicles that even the manufacturers are not riding. Go to some people’s houses you will see Rolls Royce, Lexus, Limousines and for example, the man behind this scene does not have any factory where he is paying workers’ salaries at the end of the month. You will see an Indian with his sleeves rolled and a Chinese in jeans having factories of textiles, electronics, and some producing tractors, but you see them driving themselves in simple Toyota cars. In essence, in the culture of wastage, with too much exuberance of lavish lifestyles that do not glorify God, you are not demonstrating wealth but waste.
Whatever is not productive cannot be sustained; it is a matter of time before it diminishes. Organisations and institutions are known by the level of their impartations in society. But in our nation, you see a lot of waste in people’s compounds. Virtually all our elites–governors, ministers, senators, and billionaires are wasteful in Africa. We need to come out of this culture and live the true life of Christ which is simplicity and a life that touches others’ lives. For my 60th birthday, God has mandated me to empower widows, women, and the underprivileged. about 21 persons will benefit from grinding machines. This is a gift in remembrance of the 21-day fast and prayer 40 years ago.
As a kinsman of the late Prophet Temitope Balogun (TB) Joshua, what is your assessment of the leadership of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) three years after his death?
I want to give kudos to Pastor Mrs Evelyn Joshua, the wife of our late brother TB Joshua. She has been able to sustain the legacy to the glory of God. She has been able to stabilise the leadership and work in coordination with the elders and councils of SCOAN to the best of my knowledge. I want to use this opportunity to also congratulate the family of SCOAN and Prophet TB Joshua for the birth of baby Joshua, which has semblance with the late prophet in fulfillment of the prophecy to his daughter Sarah. God has not forgotten the family. Madam has been able to do great work particularly the last experience in Kenya, a crusade of about 32,000 people. It was massive, well received by the president of Kenya and she was given an award.
The last time she was in Ghana for a crusade it was an explosion. She also did one powerful thing by expanding SCOAN to our state capital in Ondo State. She finished the work there and established a branch of SCOAN that is marvelously doing well in Akure. When you get there you will think you are in the headquarters at Ikotun, Lagos. In our village in Arigidi Akoko, Ondo State, she has been able to establish and lift the rock where her husband used to pray. She has been able to reactivate and modernise it in memorial of her husband, which will soon be commissioned. Also, the Sunday service, the memorial, and the thanksgiving service of her late husband that she has put together. A lot of partners of Emmanuel TV have been able to give more support to her and advice which she followed that made them happy.
Within the short period, these are some of the achievements as she is leading the SCOAN family with a lot of signs, miracles, and wonders. My prayer for her and the family is that God strengthens and empowers her for greater exploits.
What is the present position of the investigation of some ex-disciples of SCOAN?
Do you mean that of the BBC?
Yes, please.
The BBC was just a propagandist organisation. Recently they even spoke against Pastor Chris Oyahkilome claiming he is preaching against the malaria vaccine. I think they are just picking on African preachers. My position on this which was published is that it was a cheap advertisement for SCOAN and Prophet TB Joshua. The BBC does not give room for anything gospel. They have never allowed any advertisement on BBC; you can’t preach nor speak the word of God on BBC. I don’t know how the BBC which did not allow any religious gospel to thrive on their station will now be a defender of faith. Two, I believe some of the disciples who left were British citizens who felt within their circle that it was their right to take over the leadership after the death of the prophet.
They feel disappointed in the emancipation of the wife and the only thing they could do was to do propaganda against the ministry. Whatever the BBC has said cannot change anything because the Bible says if God be for us who can be against us? The God that established that organisation is still very much alive and will take them further to greater heights.
Some believe that not much is heard of SCOAN after the founder’s demise…
The wife of the late prophet is not the talking type but they need to pay a visit to the church. If you go there you will know what is going on. A lot is taking place right now and I am not joking. I mentioned the Kenya and Ghana crusades also the establishment in Akure. These are facts. Three big structures were raised after his demise and there are renovations on their mountain for international and local visitors. This place is occupied by visitors who come every day. But they chose to keep quiet and do their thing because of the society so that they will be allowed to do what they know how to do best.
Following the resolution of the succession issue in the PFN Lagos State and plans to have a rerun at a fixed date, what is your take on what transpired?
It is a family issue that will be resolved because the fathers have met and are putting things in shape the way they ought to be. Peaceful resolution is ongoing as I spoke with our father the Vice President for Southwest, Archbishop Osa-Oni. He made us know that everything is going on peacefully and there is no reason for any fight as an association. PFN is an association of Christian brothers and sisters, there is no money paid to anyone, no one is taking a salary and it is a voluntary assignment for the body of Christ. There is no Igbo, Yoruba, Efik, etc. Lagos is a cosmopolitan state by the time they are choosing the executives it will still be a mixture of the look of Lagos so that all tribes and languages will come together to form the great body for Lagos which is a place of excellence.
Has God told you anything about the state of Nigeria?
The best prophecy for this country is that God should strengthen Mr President. Before he became president, some of us knew there was an assignment. God has prepared him for more than five years before now. God knew that we would get to this point and that the economy would be red. He and his wife have lived and worked together, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, a pastor who has not changed her identity, explained the secularity of Nigeria and this is what people have not taken their time to pray about. Nigeria should work together regardless of religion and tribe. My mother happens to be a Muslim, Aisha and my father a Christian whose path we followed. From my mother and father’s sides, we all relate very well and we do not have issues.
This is also particular with the people of the Southwest; we do not have issues with religion because that is how we were raised. If a union of Christians and Muslims produced me, who I’m I to destroy or assassinate a Muslim because I’m now a Prophet or Bishop? We should accept that God has a message that we can live together in this nation. Until we remove that sentiment, fanaticism, and extremism from our way of life and follow the reality of what God wants us to do, which is building an enviable nation that, if it has never worked elsewhere will work here. We are distracted from our set goals and only fighting untitled battles that have no awards.
ALSO READ: EFCC probe: Root out lawyers defending Yahaya Bello, PDP chieftain tells DSS