We Have Church Growth in Nigeria, But People in the Church are not Disciples, …Says, Sunday Akingbelure, Wale Adekoya
The Presiding Bishop of Shalom International Christian Church, Bishop Wale Adekoya, has attributed the current controversy and heretical teachings facing the Church to the neglect of discipleship, emphasizing the need for church leaders to prioritize this process as a crucial aspect of Christian growth.
Bishop Adekoya as a guest speaker at the Apostolic International Ministers Association (AIMA) ministers conference themed “Discipleship and Disciple Making” held at Total Gospel Bible Church (TGBC), Fola-Agoro, Lagos, expressed concern over the present state of Christianity, particularly among some Church leaders.
He noted that given the current happenings in the church, especially among some men of God, the Church now comprises mostly followers, cheerleaders, and churchgoers rather than true disciples of Jesus Christ.
According to him, Jesus’ strategy of making disciples is key to equipping Christians, and the Church needs to prioritize this approach. ‘Go and make disciples of our nation.’
He emphasized that Jesus spent time making His disciples, and this investment sustained His ministry even after His death and resurrection.
Bishop Adekoya lamented that the Church’s focus on other aspects of Christianity, such as miracles and prosperity, has led to shallow, weak, and immature Christians, even in leadership positions. “All you see is shallow, weak, immature lives, tossing to and fro without established faith; they’re not growing and not maturing, which has become the major problem in the body of Christ.”
He stressed that wherever there is church growth, the nation experiences changes, but in our case, something is wrong with the church’s messages, and it needs to go back to making disciples that will conform to the image of Christ. “The primary assignment of Jesus to us is to make disciples of people, and discipleship is essential for transforming lives and bringing about national transformation”, Adekoya stated.
In his remarks, Rev Dan Sunday Akingbelure, the President of AIMA and General Overseer of TGBC, observed that the level of Christianity is gradually declining, with its fervency and strength dwindling each passing day unlike some 50 years ago.
He attributed this decline to the dynamic changing times in the society, lack of genuine encounters with God among Christian leaders, and the prioritization of superficial Christianity.
“Today, Christianity is not as strong as it used to be, most Christian leaders and ministers don’t have any encounter and relationship with God”.
He lamented that the foundations of consecration, sanctification, and dedication that characterized early Christianity have faded away, replaced by a superficial form of Christianity that is not backed by actions.
“Unfortunately, there are ministers and preachers who cannot lay hold onto the genuineness of their salvation; they cannot preach against sin on the altar when they are also enjoying sin. Yet they command the crowd, who clap and hail them”.
He noted that many ministers, especially younger ones, struggle with their sexual lives yet command crowds without conviction. “Many ministers, especially among the younger ones, are having problems in their sexual lives, and they command crowds every Sunday without pricking of the heart and conviction in them.”
He compared the current state of Christianity to the past when commitment to Christ was taken seriously, and discipline was strict. “In those days, when you gave your life to Christ newly, coming late to service to face the pastor’s discipline was like committing abomination.”
Rev Akingbelure lamented that today’s Christianity has become competitive, with sins moderated, and the current state of evangelism, where churches focus on recruiting members from other churches instead of seeking for lost souls and sinners. “Our evangelism is not looking for the lost souls and sinners but for other Christians to become our church members.”
He emphasized that the tragedy of today’s Christianity is that it has become an exodus movement of people migrating from one church to another, which is mistaken for church growth.
Akingbelure called for a return to the fundamentals of Christianity, including genuine discipleship and a deep relationship with God.
