The 2021 Bethel 40 Days Apostolic Encounter of Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C Itedo Yiyanju) where God wrought great miracles and wonders in the lives of people has kicked off from October 11th till November 21st, 2021 at the church headquarters. The host pastor of the church, Prophet Paul Samson Akin-Olugbade shares with Christian Benefits the expectations from this year’s Bethel 40 Days Apostolic encounter with the theme: Oh Lord! Enlarge My Coasts. Excerpts
Please, can we meet you sir?
I am Prophet Paul Akin Olugbade Samson (J.P) from Osun State.
Briefly share with us about your upbringing
At childhood I was covenanted to God. I’m the fourth generation servant of God in my family. My paternal grandmother brought Christ Apostolic Church to Ikoyi in Osun state. It was her father, David Ogunola; an Anglican, who received the church into the town, and also established the Ikoyi Prayer Mountain. My paternal grandmother was a servant of God. His father was a great evangelist and the Baba Ijo (the church elder) of the entire C.A.C assemblies under the present Oke Osun Coordinating Council. My father is a servant of God. I am also a servant of God. That makes it four generations of servants of God in my family.
Share with us how you were covenanted to the Lord at childhood?
When I was in the early secondary school in form three my father handed me over to the district superintendent of our church then, Baba Fadipe (now late), as a first seed to the Lord. However, I furthered my education, and subsequently worked in an oil company after my education before I answered the call of God into ministry.
Tell us how you received and answered the call of God into ministry?
I had an encounter with the Lord on May 14, 1997. In that encounter in a dream, I heard a knock at the door. When I opened the door I saw a strange man with a white hand. The man asked me to remove my shoes from my legs, and he gave me another pair of shoes to replace the ones that he asked me to remove from my legs. He then told me to meet him at a particular mountain in Ogun state. My pastor interpreted this encounter to me as my calling by God into ministry. At this period, I was facing a lot of challenges in the oil company, which I joined as petrol attendant, rose to supervisor and later regional manager. So, when I had that encounter, I went to the mountain that the man told me. While I was praying on that mountain, the man appeared to me again, and said I had been covenanted to the Lord to serve Him. He added that the Lord had ordained me as the second Daniel Orekoya in Christ Apostolic Church. At that time, I did not know who Daniel Orekoya was. I asked my pastor who Daniel Orekoya was, and he told me his story. I later read a book about him. That strange man also shared and revealed some deep things to me, which are personal. After this encounter, I left my job same 1997, and joined the tutelage of some servants of God like Pastor Adegbite and Evang Adisa for two years. They handed me over to Prophet Ajagungbade. I followed Prophet Ajagungbade for crusades for sometime before he too handed me over to one Baba Babalola in Osogbo. After sometime Baba Babalola told me that I must now go to the Christ Apostolic Church Seminary. So, in 1998 I proceeded to the Christ Apostolic Church Seminary (Ibadan campus) for formal ministerial training. While at the seminary, both the Oke Osun coordinating council and the seminary council recommended me for ordination in 1999. This means I received double recommendations for ordination. So, I was ordained as pastor in Christ Apostolic Church in 1999 before I completed my seminary training in 2000.
How did you feel leaving an oil company as a manager to serve God?
Ironically, after IÂ had two years tutelage and two years seminary training, the Lord said He would return me to that company to work for another two years. So, I resumed work again at the company in October 2000 after I left in 1997. While working again at the company I was also serving at C.A.C Ago Iyanu, Ibadan, under Prophet Joseph Oluwarotimi Odusanya before I later moved on and started C.A.C Itedo Yiyanju. However, on July 2002, the Lord told me to start preparing to leave the company again. At this period, I was again facing a lot of troubles in that company to the extent that my boss called me a lazy man. He said I was running away from serving God. Since the Lord had told me He gave me just two years to work again in that company, so when it was exactly two years in October 2002 I finally left the oil company and came into full time ministry.
What is the mandate of your commission by God into the ministry?
The Lord commissioned me as an evangelist and prophet.
Share with us how you eventually started your personal ministry full time?
After I finally left the oil company I went on a prayer retreat on another particular mountain. Before then I had already started a vigil programme every Tuesday at Alagbado, Lagos. While I was on that retreat the same man who first appeared to me in 1997, again appeared to me on the mountain, and said to me, I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. I am the God of Jacob. I am the God of Bethel; go and raise an altar for me where the flags of all nations will gather. That was where and how I received the Bethel ministry commissioned as Bethel Covenant Land of All Nations. That was how we eventually started a local assembly of Christ Apostolic Church (Itedo Yiyanju).
What are the church programmes in line with your calling as an evangelist and prophet where God wrought miracles & wonders the lives of people?
One major programme of our ministry in line with my calling as an evangelist and prophet is our three days Solution Night on the I5, 16 & 17 of every month. It is a vigil programme where God solves every problem no matter how terrible. God has healed terrible issues like leprosy, bareness among others, and also raised the dead with the Yiyanju water at this monthly three-day Solution night.
Tell us about the on-going 2021 Bethel 40 Days Apostolic Encounter of C.A.C Itedo Yiyanju and the expectations from this popular programme.
The vision of Bethel 40 Days Apostolic Encounter was birthed by my encounter with the Lord five years ago. That year the Lord told me to wait on Him for 40 days. Since then 40 days of waiting on the Lord has been an annual programme of the church. God gives us a theme for each year for the meeting. The theme for last year was Run to Zion. 2019 was Next Level. 2018 was Covenant of Mercy. The theme for this year’s Bethel is Oh! Lord, enlarge my coasts.
 What are the expectations from this year’s Bethel 40 day Encounter?
The 2021 Bethel 40 Days Apostolic Encounter is a season of enlargement for all the participants at this year’s apostolic encounter. In Genesis 1:28 one of God’s expectations for man is to multiply, expand or enlarge on the earth. However one needs five basic things before one can experience enlargement on earth. First, one must have a passion or desire for growth or enlargement. Second, one must be fed up with the present situation. Three, one must take a step for enlargement. Four one must pray for enlargement. Five, one must be a covenant participant, that is one must involve in the activities for the expansion of the kingdom of God. God wants us to involve on soul winning. It is our involvement in soul winning that will provoke God to enlarge our coasts. I listed prayer among the five steps to enlargement. For instance, Jabez prayed for enlargement according to 2 Chronicle 4:9-10. Therefore, the 2021 Bethel 40 Days Apostolic Encounter is a season of divine enlargement for all the participants at the meeting through prayers just as Jabez prayed and experienced enlargement of his coasts.
Share with us some testimonies from previous Bethel Apostolic encounter
We have recorded lots of outstanding testimonies from yearly encounter. There are testimonies of prophetic declaration for fruits of the womb that came to past. There are lots of testimonies of those who have built and packed into their own houses. There are testimonies of those who have travelled abroad after their encounter at this yearly meeting. There numerous testimonies of breakthrough, promotion, progress and of course healing and deliverance from diverse issues. By the grace of God we are hopeful of more of such awesome testimonies from the participants in this year 2021 Bethel 40 Days Apostolic Encounter in Jesus name.
