The General Overseers of Nigerian churches have continued to show by carnal examples how better they are in the art of human and financial resource management than our selected political leaders. Though, they are neither selected nor elected but have by providence and our gullibility found themselves in charge of what is left of our collective destinies. Still in doubt? Follow me not into the scriptures but the streets.
With prayers, reasonably priced anointing oil and car stickers, the church leadership has been able to protect her own from attacks of the devil like kidnapping, terrorism, robbery- both armed and pen and other societal menaces that have shamed the Nigerian government and her standing army. Though, the G.Os have rightly not put their trust in chariots and horses but in the friendly Nigerian Police who at the moment serve as escorts while the pew is left by faith under the wings of the Almighty.
In the absence of crude oil and its curse, and with the decline in tithes and offerings from the pew, the church leadership have unlike the government of the day embraced investment diversion and focus on multiple streams of income as their budgetary sources. The church is now wisely into banking, agriculture, printing and prosperity evangelism. It is only a matter of time before the church outdoes the government in labour empowerment and economic influence.
Apart from ferrying the President abroad for ear infection treatment, it is on record that the incumbent government have understandably not been able to start and complete any developmental or infrastructural project since it came to power. This may not be unconnected with the dour cabinet that remained largely unchanged since the inception of the government. The church however has made tremendous progress in this regard. We now have a church with the largest auditorium in Africa, another one with most branches and some with more land mass than Dangote cement factory. And this again,is all due to the fact that church leadership mentality is not that of average old testament missionary but a 20th century Harvard inspired manager.
Though, some(including modern day Pharisees) have argued that the Church has not been able to consistently be the light of the world. They don't have to be. That is the responsibility of PHCN (Power Holding Company of Nigeria). Unlike PHCN, the reasons are that the church is morally obese even though it fasts, and that the church leadership lacks the spiritual strength to cast the first stone in cases of corruption. They, especially those that pay miserly offerings,also have the effontery to question the church’s transparency and accountability knowing fully well that the leadership is only accountable to God who appointed them. It may seem dictatorial, but remember they do not owe their exalted office to any electoral process and they do not have to worry about second term since their office exists in eternity.
Nevertheless, Christ the author and finisher of our faith is selfless, humble, simple and charitable. So also was the Nigerian Church, in the early 1960s. Over the years however, the church just like other earthly institutions have evolved and the material success is a testimony to the leadership style and the advanced management principles that have successfully turned teeming spiritually hungry congregation into a subdued sheep that feed on instant gratification and multidimensional miracles.
Lastly, Christ has built his church but while we glory in the ambitious and fanciful buildings, there are two or three truths the political leadership can learn from the Bible. The leadership( I mean political leadership, the church leadership already know). Namely, espouse the truth, hold itself accountable and must not do unto us as they want others to do to them! Because, at the moment, Nigerians wish above all things that…….
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