Churches should focus on the Holy Spirit -Bishop Okoh

Your Grace, we have just risen from the divine conference after fears that it might not be successful. How do you feel? First, I give thanks to God. Initially, I was apprehensive due to people’s reaction to something new. But when about 10 of us gathered and discussed the issue, we agreed that it is […]

Your Grace, we have just risen from the divine conference after fears that it might not be successful. How do you feel?

First, I give thanks to God. Initially, I was apprehensive due to people’s reaction to something new. But when about 10 of us gathered and discussed the issue, we agreed that it is of God and because it is of God, it will not fail.

So we started and continued to plan. They made a lot of sacrifice and paid transport fares from their dioceses, coming together to meet me to commence preparations. Looking at what has happened today, with the Boko Haram harassment, some people advised that we should cancel it. But I said, it’s not going to be so.

Let’s go to the Church of God, whatever happens in the church is God’s will. So we felt that it was not proper to cancel it and thank God it happened well.

What is even more encouraging is that people are now saying the number of those who should attend should be increased so that it will be an opportunity for people to go through intensive teaching, coaching and spiritual re-orientation. So really, like I have said, I give glory to God.

A priest from the Methodist Church came to the conference and said, “You are a pacesetter. You started with the conference on human rights and here is another bigger conference. Your Grace, do you see yourself as a reformer?”

There is nothing to reform. A responsibility is given. God is static. The Holy Spirit is progressive, and will continue to lead us from one starting point to another. From where we are now, He’s still going to take us further and further and further.

We have not realized our full potential. That is why we must never speak in self-glorification terms because what we know is the beginning. There is still room for future development and for new improvement, for new knowledge, new understanding and new insight. That is what we have been doing and will continue to do.

If we focus on the Holy Spirit, He will take us step by step. One thing after another and we will lead the church to achieve a desired goal. So it’s not about an individual really. It is about God leading His people to new things which He has reserved. He is just showing it to us one by one and there will be another.

Beyond the Bible studies, a lot of ideas have been generated. What becomes of these ideas after this conference?

Of course, we are collating. One thing has become very clear. For instance, this place cannot be enough to take this gathering, so we shall necessarily develop our own camp, where we can meet and everybody will be at home.

During the seminars and other activities, people talked across and the sound affect the groups. We need to have a big place, where we have different buildings and different groups can meet without disrupting one another. Classes can be held. There’s a lot to be done, and all we can say is that, we put ourselves in the hands of the Lord, for Him to continue to reveal new things to us and for Him to give us the resources to do all.

Of all the different activities: the singing, the Bible studies, the seminars, worship and sermons, which do you think captured the spirit of the audience most?

It’s a package. The effect is to mould it after GAFCON. To try to remodel it after the GAFCON of Jerusalem, with the hope that at the end, the impact will be positive and I believe this will be so. We have already started achieving that desired effect. They will like to go back with the effect in their minds when they go to their dioceses and so on.

So for me, the music, bible study, seminars and talks have all been so painstakingly prepared, compiled and intended to give God the glory and to edify the church. If that edification is achieved, my happiness will not go down.

What about sustainability?

By the grace of God, it will be sustained. God will not give you an assignment and abandon you. People want to help God. God wants to teach His children — we are only being instruments in His hands. So God who has originated will sustain it. You will notice that when we had our first meeting, the issue of finance was very embarrassing but by the time we had the last meeting, all the fears were gone. So it’s not the working of man but of God. God who is initiating and establishing it will sustain it.

Can you reflect on the theme of your welcome address, Spiritual Rejuvenation?

Some of the implications and challenges of the Divine Commonwealth Conference are that we were bought with a price, and because of that, we are not on our own. We must be loyal to the one who paid the price through obedience and doing His will. We are a living sacrifice.

You cannot contrast a living sacrifice with an animated sacrifice. An animal that has been offered is killed, possibly roasted and given to the gods but the one that is alive is offered alive and God decides what to do with the animal. So we are animals that have been offered to God and God decides what He will do with us, with our lives in the day and at night. We can sustain it because it is not man-made. It is Gods own work, done in God’s own way which will never fail with God’s support.