Interview with the President, Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria and Overseas. Pastor Olusegun Oladele
Q: We are here for the burial of one of the prominent prophets of Christ Apostolic Church, late Michael Ojo Olowere popularly called Baba Automatic, how would the church miss him ?
Ans: It’s natural that we are going to miss him very surely because his like are very rare not only in Christ Apostolic Church but in the body of Christ generally expecially this days when some think the ministry is about eating and drinking, affluence, aquisition of wealth and property. We are going to miss Baba Olowere for so many things, a humble man, not avaricious, always dedicated and committed to the things of God . He is not after the percuniary gains of this world. So how are we not going to miss him? We will and very sorely as I have said bit we comfort ourselves in the fact that one generation comes , another goes, one goes, another comes. We believe the lord is going to raise his likes more and more in the CAC.
Q: Any plan by the CAC to immortalize Baba ?
Ans. He has immortalized himself. You see, the Bible says, ” let the beauty of the lord be upon us” , and let him establish the works of our hands. You don’t have to imortalize yourself, there are works that you do that will continue to speak for you after you have gone . Apostle Ayo Babalola did not imortalize himself, and he died some 64 years ago and yet , we sing about him today, we pray to the God of Babalola today. We have a duty to keep on imortalising those who have laboured for the Lord, I must say this to you that Baba Olowere had actually imortalized himself. His name is written in gold as far as the history of the church is concerned.
Q: In your sermon, you said the power of any nation resides not in the economy nor the military but in the men of God , can you expatiate on this sir?
Ans: The Bible says ‘righteousness exalts a nation ‘ and the preachers are those who leads people in the path of righteousness. One American president said ‘ the prosperity of any nation does not depend on fruitful acres but in the men and women who cultivate those acres. So , Nigeria is blessed but see where we are today. We have no business with suffering, poverty but because there is no righteousness in the country. Preachers, pastors and prophets are those who preach righteousness, they are the ones who tell their members to go out and demonstrate that you are the light of the world and the salt of the earth and when they behave and act righteously, we begin to see the fruit of that righteousness and that makes the preachers and the very pillar and power behind every nation.
Q: There is this insinuation from other denominations that the CAC always say “the God of Babalola” or “the God of Olumola” can you clarify this ?
Ans: Why not! Don’t we say God of Abraham, God of Isaac and Jacob? We don’t worship or venerate the dead. We are talking about their God and and our God too. We are saying what He did in his days He is still very much in the business of doing even till today. Why did Elisha said “Where is the God of Elijah” when he took the mantle and parted the Jordan”? There nothing wrong in talking about the God of Babalola. What He did in 1930, He raised the dead, cleanse the leper, the lame walked, the blind saw, we are saying what He did then , he is still able to do today. The history of the CAC dates back to 1918 when our forebears in the Anglican church became uncomfortable with what was going on then and they began to pray and said to God “what you did in the days of Peter, James and John we want to see you do it in our days” and in 1928, God called Babalola who was an answer to those babas who prayed from 1918 and then miracle began to happen in 1930 as it was in the days of the Apostles that is why our church is later named Christ Apostolic Church, that is what the Apostles of Christ did then is the same commission we are given to us today to teach, preach , heal, raised the dead and exactly what He did then is what He is doing today.
Q: Who should be the cultivator of this land, Nigeria?
Ans: The prosperity of a nation does not depend on its fruitful acres but those who cultivate them. If the acres are fruitful and the people cultivating the acres are not righteous, they will steal. They will steal our money, take it abroad and make us live in poverty and squalor . Until we begin to have righteous people who are in charge of the acres of this land, our oil and other resources God has blessed us with, then Nigeria will prosper.
Q: What is your admonition to the CAC fold and the body of Christ in general on the demise of Prophet Olowere?
Ans: The Church of God is one . Jesus didn’t say “I will build my churches” he says I will build my church.Only one church. The Redeemed church, Deeper Life, CAC, we are one. But this is the denomination God has blessed us with. I want to say to the CAC , let us cheer up, Baba Olowere is gone and remember that Apostle Babalola went to be with the lord 64 years ago and who would have known and predicted that the like of Olowere would be raised by God. The God who raised Olowere for CAC would still raise men and women of His own sending and anointing. And to the church of Christ in Nigeria generally, let us continue to be up and doing and live to the expectations of our calling. We are the light of the world, the world is in darkness, we are the salt of the earth , the earth is corrupt, until we begin to bring our light and salt to bear, we may not see any difference in this country. Let us be light and salt indeed.