God Used COVID -19 To Reset the Church Back to Original Order -Priscilla Otuya
Bishop Dr. Priscilla Otuya, First Minister, House of Regents, a non denominational Fellowship centered on reviving the ideals of Jesus Christ with the overall vision based on Titus 1 v 5, setting order things that are wanting and ordaining elders in every city.
In this encounter, Bishop Dr. Priscilla Otuya shared with PROVIDENCE her experience, views and opinion on the COVID -19 pandemic, lockdown; the church and the society.
My experience of the lockdown was uncertainty, not sure of what to expect but with time, I adapted and everything became alright. The lord made the lines fall for me in pleasant places, she enthusiast.
Regarding Corovid -19 global pandemic as end-time prophesy, Otuya said, “it is imperative as followers of Christ. We read about unusual happenings like wars and rumours of war etc, so we should expect and prepare for anything and everything.”
She explained the difference between the previous reported cases of virus and the present one depends on different strands of the virus as we read from updates from occurrences around the globe.
And further said, “the main lesson for the Church in this state of pandemic is, we must be prepared for the worst as we trust God for the best, bearing in mind that those that died are not the worst sinners.
Also we should learn to worship God in our different homes as Christian’s and a church because this pandemic may well be a dress rehearsal for what is to come. “Moreso, lots of strange tradition have crept into the church and situation as this is what God uses to reset things back to its original order.”
Dr. Otuya is of the view that, the church attendance and evangelism after the lockdown will remain skeptical but things will pick up. We should not let down our gaurds, because we are living in a strange and unpredictable times, as it is written, “everything the Father has not planted shall be rooted up”. I know God is taking the church to his original blue print and order and in God’s order, it is soul winning that counts not evangelism, she said.
With the advent of internet church and other forms of worship, the church buildings and cathedrals as 2Peter 3:7 clearly stated, “the world and everything in it are stored up for destruction”. What then becomes the church buildings and cathedrals? While I am not against church edifice and cathedrals, I also know they are in the permissive will of God but not a criteria to make the kingdom of God. We may also ask why Jesus and His disciples did not embark on building halls and cathedrals, and why Jesus said, every plant that God did not plant shall be rooted up? Let’s not forget how the Apostles sold properties to feed the leasts of Christ’s brethren, she emphasized.
Describing the gain and losses of the church during the lockdown, Otuya philosophically said, different strokes for different folks. It is more of gain than loss, because about 25 years ago, the Lord instructed, I should teach my followers to serve Him at home and my followers can testify to that, I was instructed to close the church aspect of my ministry 7 years ago which I obeyed, though reluctantly and the instruction was to go and streghten the existing work of other ministers. Now if God is preparing His body for the coming of Christ and for the resultant outcomes of this event, would the church buildings matter? The lockdown is gain for the true followers of Christ because they know and understand that the brick walls and beautiful edifice are not the church. The worst hit will be those whose faith is built on pastors and temple of bricks, she declared.
She stated that, to stabilize the society after the lockdown, the church should play the role of sensitization and re-orientation.
Adding that, the lockdown is not meant to silent the church, because it is not only the church that is affected.
Further said, the pandemic lockdown can only affect pastors/members relationship of those whose foundation of faith is faulty. They will be seriously affected as the church was never meant to operate the way she does now but many don’t know because they adopted all they are taught without asking questions. Apostle Paul laid the example by engaging in tent making to fend for himself and followers, if we adopt this example we won’t have anything to worry about”.
On people’s doubt of healing and miracles due to inability to access it at this pandemic time. Otuya asked rhetorically, what is signs and miracles and what was God’s intentions for them? Were the healings and miracles done in the Bible days done within the confines of the church? Until the church motives for healing and miracles is to win souls for Christ and not just to attract followers as church members, people will still cast doubts because, the strategy will backfire.
Lamenting on errors and controversies that soround the church today and suggesting the way out, Otuya said, a lot is wrong in what we have mostly adopted as church which are nothing more than a meeting point for strange bed fellows and I won’t be part to take swipes at ministers in Nigeria, because we are all victims of circumstances occassioned by faulty foundation and dummy sold to us by early missionaries to Africa. Religious Christianity is a tool used to enslave God’s people and the way out is to enlighten the eyes of understanding of God’s people with the Holy Spirit in charge, she said.
Considering the general society after the lockdown, she is of view that, the society will always be the society and things will play out according to the machinations of the “dictators” because, to everything there is a purpose and the purpose of the players will be as much as God allows them towards achieving His own end.
Advising people in government and Nigerians, Dr. Priscilla Otuya called for the fear God, Who reigns in the affairs of men and give power to whoever He choose to. The leaders should bear in mind that every human being will give account of their stewardship when we cross over to the great beyond and over there, all the reasons to pursue certain agenda will not hold.
