RCCG Divine Breakthrough Parish (Zonal Hqtrs) Sagamu embarks on N30m Church Building Project
By Charles Segun Adegbite
Apart from sharing the same baptismal name, ENOCH and same name abbreviation, EAA, with the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye(EAA), the pastor in charge of The RCCG, Breakthrough Zone, Ogun Province 5, Region 12, Ogun State, Pastor Enoch Adebayo Akinde(EAA) is a workaholic minister of God and a zealous church builder like the General Overseer.
So, instead of calling each of the duo, Pastor EAA, you can call Akinde, The Enoch of Awori if you like, at least, to distinguish him from The Enoch of Africa from Ifewara, after all Akinde is a Prince from Ado Odo, the headquarters of Aworiland.
Like Pastor Adeboye, his spiritual father, Akinde's glaring passion for doing the work of God and building a church edifice wherever he is posted to as a pastor, has led to his recognition by his senior pastors as one of those you must post to places where serious church building project is needed to be done.
The front view of the church building
THE N30M BUILDING PROJECT
He is currently leading the Divine Breakthrough Parish (Zonal Hqtrs.) members in embarking on another megachurch building project which he said requires at least N30 million to complete it.
Like what the American Presidents call "Hit the ground running"; within the first week he resumed as the pastor in charge of the Divine Breakthrough Zonal Hqtrs. where he was posted to, he started the work, with great zeal.
Of course, he is neither a building engineer nor a contractor by profession, but a man with Nehemiah mindset. He always gets excited whenever he is posted to a church with huge challenges requiring building a befitting place of worship and raising the people there spiritually, and let them grow to become workers and ministers of God.
His strong faith in God that he could do all things through Christ who strengthens him, has contributed in no small measure to his constant success and achievement of all his goals, wherever he is posted to.
The church auditorium, after the flooring was done
Speaking on his new assignment, he said: "We have been able to cast nine pillars within the first month of resumption.
"The pillars are what will hold the gallery and the office structure at the back. And by God's grace, within the next one month we are going to do the flooring. And from there we are going to do the gallery.
"From gallery, we move to the roofing of the whole building. We are hoping that by August next year the church would be ready for dedication."He added.
Pastors Adebayo and Kemi Akinde
HIS PREVIOUS MINISTERIAL ACHIEVEMENTS
In the last church he pastored at the Milk and Honey Area Hqtrs, Makun, Sagamu. he built an ultramodern church from the lintel level to completion, decorated the place with a lot of esthetic interiors. He also installed standing vertical air conditioner and another wall air conditioner.
Leaving such a comfortable zone, barely a year after its dedication, to start all over in another place, could be displeasing and annoying to many, but not to this rugged pastor.
However, this his new assignment was given with promotion from the rank of a pastor in charge of an Area to that of a Zone.
Speaking on his pastoral experience, his last promotion and the challenges involved, Akinde said:
"I was posted to this new Divine Breakthrough Zonal Headquarters Parish on October 2, 2022. It's like I'm starting all over to build this church the way I met Milk & Honey Area Headquarters five years ago, when I was posted there.
"The only difference is the promotion. Where I am coming from, it's more comfortable. Now I have to start all over, to build this place", he explained.
Speaking further, Akinde who is an Awori Prince, said,
"Since I started as a parish pastor in 2010, it has always been like that; starting from the grassroots (foundation). That was Jehovah Shammah parish. We were the ones that put up the shed and started the place with "open heaven". That is, we were having our services under the Sun. So, as a parish pastor, that was where I began.
According to him, he became the Area Pastor when he was at the Jehovah Shammah. The place was developed from nothing, to become an Area Headquarters. "By the time we were being transferred, the attendance had increased close to 200. I was transferred to a place where their total attendance was not more than 12 at the time we got there", he disclosed.
Going by his words, the place had no building. "We were holding services under the canopy. But God helped us, such that by the time we were leaving, five years after, the building had been built and dedicated, with air-conditioners. And we were promoted again to go and start all over in another place.
"It has just been the same experience. It's very challenging. And it can be very discouraging if one doesn't have the Spirit of God in him. It's discouraging and can be very frustrating, that after one has laboured to build a better place, and it is time for you to begin to enjoy the good facilities put in place, you are transferred to another place to go and start all over; while another person comes to enjoy those facilities put in place." He added.
ATTITUDE TOWARDS GOD'S WORK
He however, exposed the secret behind his courage, saying, "But those who do know their God shall be strong and do exploit. So, I see it as just an avenue to do exploit. That's the way I look at it.
"I also see it as an opportunity to be blessed. Because God is going to give you a challenge. If you are able to solve the problem, something better will come your way. That's the way I look at it. That's the reason there's no complain.
"As a human being I suppose to complain. But there's no complaining because he is the owner of his work".
THE GOALS & DEADLINE
"Our target is a year; RCCG Redemption Year. God is going to help us to do his work and to complete it. There's scarce resources, but God is going to make provisions, in his own way.
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The project won't be less than N30million; and could be up to N40million. When it comes to God's work, if you begin to look at the cost, you will be afraid. As you begin to work stage by stage and continue to pray, you will achieve the goal.
HOW TO ACHIEVE THE N30M-N40M PROJECT
So,when it comes to God's work, you don't cost it like that, because it might frightens you. And that frightening may not allow you to start. But as we are starting now, I brought some iron rods from my (personal building)site. Another person, Engr Taiwo Enifemi who is the Chairman of the Building Committee, brought six iron rods (16mm) from his site. So, we combined the two together. And that was all we used to cast the pillars. And we only had to spend close to N250,000 on materials and workmanship in addition. So, if we put the total cost of what we have done it would be close to N400,000, that we spent within the first month.
CHALLENGES OF PAST YEARS
The chairman of the building committee, Engr. Enifemi revealed that the project started about 15years ago. And he has been the chairman of the building committee since the project started.
According to him, they had intended to just build it as a story church building and roof it. But when he and some pastors {Pastor Oke, Pastor Kemi and Pastor (Prof) Taiwo Ajayi} saw the structural design of the Reigning King Parish of the RCCG, Sagamu, now the regional headquarters of the RCCG Region 12, Ogun State, and how esthetics it's, they decided to make it to be at least second to the RCCG Reigning King Parish in terms of the structural design standard and construction.
Going by his words, this decision was what led to the inabilities of these past pastors to continue and complete the building project.
He noted that there were no enough financial resources to continue. And as they wanted to make it to be esthetics. So it was abandoned as the pastor was transferred.
The last pastor that left before Pastor Akinde came was Pastor Kehinde . He noted that each tried their best possible before they were transferred, but individual differences and talents and skills differ.
The approach of this new pastor (Akinde), he observed, differs. And he seemed to be full of determination to get the whole things done with the spirit of a goal getter.
OPTIMISM AMIDST SCARCE RESOURCES
This second stage would be more than that. It's a gradual thing. One thing I know is that, work would not stop as we have started. Because our hope is to move to the new auditorium latest by the first week in December.
We would open up the new auditorium for service, first week in December, so that we can accommodate growth in the church and get more membership. This is triple the size of the place we were coming from; that's the Milk & Honey Area Headquarters.
BETWEEN FACTS & FAITH: THE MAJOR FACTOR
The problem some pastors have is evaluating members. You don't need to evaluate members, in terms of their ability to do the work. You just have to consider the major factor in doing the work. And the major factor you need to consider is God. It's not about the members at all. If you are considering the worth of the members, asking that do these members have the financial capacity to do it? With that you won't do anything. It's about God.
LIVING PROOFS
When I got to Milk & Honey Area Hqts. we only met four women, two men and some children. So, if we have evaluated the members and used that as the factor to work on, we won't have started. The factors to consider before doing the work of God are: God and your heart.
When you have the heart to do it, God is the original builder. He would help you to accomplish it.
We don't force them to do it. Once you start, and you are committed, one or two persons will get interested and join you.
THE CRUCIAL SECRET
And in a project like this, accountability is very crucial. When you say you want to cast pillars, cast pillars. Don't divert the money into something else.
If you say you want to do flooring, do flooring. Even if their money isn't up to 0.01% of the total amount being spent, you must still do what you proposed to do with their 0.01% and your own 99.09%.
If you do diversion, they won't trust you again. And they won't be ready to do more.
Understanding this crucial factors is very important in doing God's work and building a church for him.
THE FAMILY FACTOR
On my immediate family members following me from a comfortable place to an uncomfortable place, they have also learned that wherever God is sending me to, they have to follow me as I take the lead, be it under the rain or sunshine, they have to follow me; they have no option.
Because they know that the beginning might be rough, but it won't take time before God would settle us.
THE NEHEMIAH TEAM
On having someone with Nehemiah's kind of spirit, joining us in this project, the Chairman of the building committee, owner of Teni Plant, is a wonderful man. You can see a man that can abandon his work for close to eighth (8) to 10hours to supervise the church building work. This encourages you to do the work of God and help you as a pastor in focusing on so many other things that need to be done well.
The man has identified with the work. And there are others that are coming up now to identify with us.
THE LEADERSHIP FACTOR
One that is very crucial is leadership. When you lead right, people will follow right. When they see you doing it, they will know that it is very important that they should do it.
On raising men for the work, because you need men, you have to also strategise to raise people spiritually. We have started with a vigil. And the turnout was very good. The place was filled up. We had to rent canopy and put outside. So, we are trusting God that since it is a monthly programme, and so many other things that must be done. And the lives of the brethren would improve spiritually.
And you don't force them. It's a gradual thing. You only teach them. and let them know why it must be done. When you are not autocratic, it helps.
EXPECTATIONS FROM MEMBERS
On expectations from members, they should give their maximum support to their leader, the pastor. They need to work with understanding with the pastor because many times he would be going by the leading of the Holy Spirit, that they may not really understand or may not be comfortable with them. So wherever the leader is going the members should follow.
Pix: Work in progress. The Church auditorium during the flooring
THE WRONG NOTION
According to him, "one wrong notion that some pastors have is the complain that when you build a church and it is good, the church authority would then transfer you to another place. They are only not seeing things in the way they should see things. The issue is that maybe they're craving for comfort. They want to remain in a comfort zone".
THE DANGEROUS ZONE
He believes that staying in a comfort zone is very dangerous. "A responsible person will always look for where they can stretch their muscles, and do something for God", he said.
EXPECTATION FROM RCCG LEADERSHIP
On the possibility of the church leadership helping to finance a project like this, Akinde said, "the issue is that, leadership in The RCCG is in levels. One thing I know about the Redeemed Christian Church of God leadership is that if you as a pastor call their attention to it, if the resources are available they will support.
"The mission is always ready to support, if the resources are available financially and even in other ways. All depends on the availability of resources", he added.
MONTHLY SPIRITUAL PROGRAM
Pastor Akinde disclosed the efforts he makes regularly to build the church members spiritually.
In his words: "Our monthly programme, a vigil is held every last Friday of the month. And as a people under authority, we always watch out for the program of our leaders.
"If there's anyone that's fixed his programme for the last Friday for any reason, we will quickly adjust our own programme to the third Friday night of the month. It's titled, Divine Breakthrough Night," he explained.
With this programme, he is not only building the church's physical structure, he is also increasing its membership numerically and building the members spiritually.
Eventually, not only church members and church authorities would be happy to see the new face of Divine Breakthrough Zonal Headquarters next year, Jesus Christ would also be happy that his kingdom is expanding more on earth.
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