I was not in church when the announcement was made but something in me always knew that this would be the trajectory of this very touching story.
PASTOR Taiwo and his beautiful wife berthed and grew a phenomenal church. Away from the physical accrutuments of the church, it’s congregation remains some of the blessed and sure footed you can find anywhere.
It is this sure footedness that has kept the congregation thru the very thorny road that they have been made to pass in recent times . From the loss of Pastor Bimbo who had once queried me for my lifestyle thru Pastor Nomthi the beautiful South African belle who emerged and down to Pastor Taiwos twin sister and finally to the great man himself.
The foundations with which the church had been forged had kept it as a whole entity though these very trying periods and for that they retain the respect of not only christendom but the world.
As I watched from my seat upstairs in the vast and very beautiful auditorium during the funeral service of the late great Pastor, I could see the very handsome image of Jimmy his heir seated with muted restlessness.
He is a creative and this comes with the spontaneity of the talented. He loves the spot light and revels in it. He looked really regal in his green ensemble with huge chains and plaited hair.
As the service continued, I prayed deep in my soul that the mantle should not drop on him. With my carnal knowledge I prayed for a transparent and spiritually democratic process that would throw up a worthy successor with Jimmy and his beautiful sister providing huge support that would be drawn from the massive moral goodwill they carried with their surname.
Well, it looks like my prayers where not answered going by the announcement of today. It also seemed that he had ticked the two boxes you would need to get appointed to such a huge and influential post in the kingdom.
From the report I have seen, he was quoted as saying that his father had nominated him while seated on the edge of his bed and he also attended the world famous Rev Oral Roberts University which had prepared him for life as a Pastor.
But something still doesn’t really sit well with me. The whole thing looks very obvious and looking like entrenching a monarchical tone over this particular church.
Now this is not just about Fountain of Life but about these huge churches that have become huge organisations employing thousands with interests in so many aspects of the economy and our lives.
I would have expected Fountain, my church to have led the way in devolving a system of succession that was not really biological but more structured that would allow for the aspirations of Pastors and other members who have laboured for over 20 years in the lord’s vineyard
Fountain makes it very difficult for me to push this argument with this Jimmy boy. He is more than qualified and evidently well prepared for this role hence my reluctance to take aim at him and shoot.
But that said, discounting the spirituality of this decision, one would have really loved to see someone else and not an Odukoya especially if we are looking at entrenching a church that would really outlive the ages
This is the difference between the older structures like Catholic, methodist and Anglican. They have all been depersonalized, stripped of the influence of its founders ensuring ceaseless continuity.
Our pentecostal brothers on the other side, revel at the shrine of the personality cult such that once the charismatic founder is gone, the church flounders. Where is Idahoda’s church and many more such fire spirited churches whose founders are on the right hand side of the lord.
See Trem. It is now very weak especially with the growing in age of its founder who is not as physically vibrant as he used to be. Pastor Joda and many more.
I know I will receive the beating of my life for this article and also possibly be ex communicated – I don t even know why I do these things – I just felt like saying that it would have been a little more structured if we had someonelse rather than an Odukoya take it from here.
Let me however congratulate the young man even as I pray fervently for his success and protection. He remains an embodiment of christ and a true ambassador of the church, God will bless him and our congregation in Jesus mighty name
Thank you
Duke of Shomolu
