Elder/Apostle/Prophet Michael Oluwasegun Lebile has said the Cherubim & Seraphim organization is not a church. Apostle Lebile, Acting Spiritual leader of the Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim & Seraphim (ESOCS parent body), said the C&S organization is instead a nation. In this interview with Christian Benefits, the versatile preacher whose impact cuts across denominations shares his experiences since he assumed the leadership position of the body in acting capacity. Excerpts.
Please can we meet you sir?
I am Elder/Apostle/Prophet Michael Oluwasegun Lebile (AOM) I was born to Prince Zachariah & Princess Agnes Lebile from Igbokoda, Ondo State. I had enough education. I was born into C&S. I became an Aladura in C&S in 1976. I was ordained a prophet after I survived six months of critical illness. Subsequently, I became a leader, a teacher and a pastor. I was ordained an evangelist by now late Elder Michael Olowookere Sagbele (Woli Kekere that Saint Moses Orimolade Tunolase met at the now Orimolade Mountain & Wilderness at Ifako in 1924), before I was ordained an apostle in 1989 at Mount Horeb, Ile Ife, Osun State when I followed one of my spiritual fathers, now late Elder Dr. Joshua Akinola Shogbesan to an ordination service at Mount Horeb. When we got there the prophet-in-charge told the congregation that during a prayer session the previous night the Lord revealed to him that someone was coming from Lagos and he should be ordained apostle. When we got there the man said I was the person the Lord revealed to be ordained apostle. Initially, I kicked against it because I wasn’t interested in that title. The leaders further prayed and God confirmed that I should be ordained apostle. Before then I was privileged to be tutored by some elders that worked directly with the sole Founder and the only Baba Aladura, Saint Moses Orimolade Tunolase. Some of these elders are late Deputy Baba Aladura Samson Mobolaji Ajose (Hotonu branch) and late Elder George Ariran (C&S Oluwa Ododo Wa) etc. I had served in many C&S House of Prayer. I am a lover of the word of God and those who are serious with Him irrespective of denominations. My son is a pastor in Christ Apostolic Church. I had been ordained three times as minister-in-charge of some churches. I served in Ogo Sioni Aladura for one year and helped establish branches. I served in different house of prayer and made so much positive impact in the Body of Christ.. I served in Morning Star under the supervision of late Elder Olusegun Ekundayo Coker (JAH BARRAH). I was one of the pioneer coordinators of the Youth movement for 5 years. In 2005 I became the assistant general secretary of C&S development organization at Ikare when two church organizations met to work towards turning Ikare to C&S Jerusalem. I served for years before I bowed out because I later thought that what we aimed to achieve could not be achieved because of the mentality of our people. I returned to Lagos, and thereafter, by His grace I was chosen as secretary-general of the Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim & Seraphim (ESOCS parent body) Inc RC 316 in 2007.
Share with us about your elevation as the acting spiritual leader of the Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim & Seraphim (Parent body) Inc RC 316
I served as the secretary-general of the body from the era of now late Most Eder Gabriel Adewole Alade (AMA) as Alagba 1V. He was succeeded by Most Elder Pro. Michael Oladipupo Adenaya (RIMA) as Alagba V, who unfortunately also passed away in 2016. After the death of Alagba V I was appointed Acting Spiritual leader of the body by the council of elders. Initially, I kicked against my appointment because I’m the youngest among the church leadership. Secondly, the moment you assume a position of leadership there are some drastic actions or decisions that you won’t be able to make. It will look as if you are being tied down. As secretary I knew my job was going round propagating the gospel and telling the people about the Holy Order. But now as the acting spiritual leader I have to step down my role as the secretary-general and make people to do that on my behalf. This gave me some setback but I have to accept it. I’m still the secretary-general. As the acting spiritual leader I have an acting secretary. The main focus of the parent body is to act swiftly on the instructions of the Lord to go out for the lost sheep. The Lord told us to work to make C&S come back under one umbrella. After that He the Lord will choose a leader for us. I see myself as a C&S member working to achieve the goal that the Lord has put before us.
What was your response to your appointment as the acting spiritual leader?
I challenged the leaders. I told them point blank that this is a coup. If they had chosen another person we would work together. I can tell you authoritatively that I don’t receive salary from anybody. I’m not paid any tithe. I’m not given any offering. When you choose to work selflessly for God He will always make a way for you. So, we go out to source for funds to run the activities of the organization. It is not all C&S elders that see and are ready for this vision (unity of the C&S organization).
What are some of the cardinal beliefs and doctrine of the organization?
The cardinal beliefs of the organization are as follows: to preach the gospel, to be at peace with everyone, to be humble before the Lord, to accept Christ as our Lord and savior and to give ourselves to prayer and hospitality. We believe in the birth of Jesus Christ, his resurrection and second coming. Our doctrine is pure and biblical. There is nothing we do in C&S that is not biblical. Anyone under the umbrella of C&S doing things outside the Bible is not a member of C&S. Such one is not for us but against us. Our focus is to win souls for Christ. When you become a C&S faithful you must denounce your membership of occult organizations.
Tell us your achievements since you became the spiritual leaders of the body?
In 1992, the Lord showed me the vision of C&S organization, and since then I have been working with some C&S elders and youths to propagate the gospel. You can see changes in C&S now. The youth are now asking questions, unlike before when they were afraid of being harmed for wanting to know more about the liturgy of the organization. The youths want to belong because they have realized that there’s no other way to serve diligently than where God has stationed you. When you relegate the youths to the background you are not building the future. We are working seriously at building our youths for the task ahead because it is the vision of the Lord that the youths become the leaders of tomorrow. If you don’t build and teach the youths what to do when you leave the stage they would turn things upside down. So, by the grace of God we have been able to get the youths to understand why they are C&S members.
What are your plans to take the church to its next level of growth?
C&S is not a church but a nation. My plan is to see C&S where God has placed it. C&S presently does not have any nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary schools except Moses Orimolade University that has been in existence since 2005. We are making efforts to get people help C&S build schools where our children will be trained in the way of the Lord. We are sourcing for funds to give bursary allowances to our youths in various higher institutions. If we don’t take care of them other people will do it, and take them away from us. We are bringing sanity to C&S. We are planning to set up schools of evangelism, prophets and apostles etc where the vessels would have foreknowledge of their calling. We are trying to build our prophets, leaders, apostles, aladuras to God’s standard. We are rebuilding the mentality of our people towards seeing the organization as God ordained, and outside what it has been turned to by some uncultured and untrained group of people who are mistakenly identified as members while they are not. We are working to see any member from the age of 70 to be taken care of by the C&S organization till the rest of their life. This will make them enjoy heaven on earth. I plead with the elders and members to build on the solid foundation laid down for us by God and see themselves as forerunners of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. #Elder/Apostle/Prophet Michael Oluwasegun Lebile can be reached @ 08086683684 or 07064585800