Pastor Ottun Oluwashola Hammed, senior pastor, Christian Evangelism Wings and former deputy general secretary, Badagry province of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) shares with Christian Benefits how from an Islamic background he was imparted by three of Nigeria’s foremost Pentecostal churches; Christ Apostolic Church, the Redeemed Christian Church of God and the Mountain of Fire & Ministries, and also how his encounter with Dr. Paul Eneche in Abuja contributed to his ministry at the federal capital city in 2022. He also reveals how the PFN Badagry Province holds evangelism in front of idols in in the ancient town. Excerpts below.
Please, can we meet you?
My name is Ottun Oluwashola Hammed. I was born on April 22, 1984 into a Muslim family of Mr.& Mrs. Ottun who I learned separated within three months of my birth. My mother later encountered and accepted Jesus Christ and joined Christ Apostle Church (C.A.C WOSEM) of now late Apostle Timothy Oluwole Obadare. So, like my mother, I also gave my life to Jesus Christ and joined Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C WOSEM) in 1989.
Tell us more about your salvation encounter from Islam to Christianity
My salvation encounter was impartful. I still sing a particular song that I sang at my salvation encounter in 1989. Back then people screamed during their salvation encounter. I never did in my own case. Some people think when a person is praying and screaming that person is having an encounter Christ. As I said, I had my first encounter with Christ at C.A.C WOSEM and had my major encounter at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (Mega Sanctuary) in August 1996. Since then I have been walking with Christ.
Share with us your growth in the Christian faith from Islamic background
From C.A.C WOSEM I joined The Apostolic Faith in Anthony village and later in Sasha. In 1996 I joined the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) when Daddy Adeboye ministered at a RCCG parish in my area. This was when I had my major encounter and joined the youth wing of that parish. I later became the leader of King David group and was also part of the work force of the parish. I delayed my minister-in-training programme till 2002 under Pastor Biyi lebi at Bridegroom chamber, Okunola Egbeda. I later joined the New Testament Assembly (NTA). In 2004 when Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christian Centre ministered at the NTA he asked me what I wanted from God. I said I wanted power and influence from God to be great in ministry and he prayed for me. Earlier in 2000 at the Open Heaven programme at the Redemption camp, Daddy Adeboye had prayed that we would all be greater than him. Unfortunately, I backslide on the way.
Tell us about the education part of your growing up
I had my primary education initially at Cambridge Children School, Lagos, and at Abati primary school Sasha. Lagos. I had my secondary education at Lagos Baptist Orile Agege, Lagos. In 2004 I was at the Epe campus of the Lagos State University (LASU) for a pre-degree programme. I gained admission into the Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo in 2005 to study chemical & polymer engineering, which was later changed to physics due to accreditation and deferment of my admission.
Please, tell us how you received the call to ministry, and the mandate of your ministry
In August 2014 at the Redemption camp Daddy Adeboye said some of us would leave the RCCG to be used of God for the deliverance of His people. At that time, I had applied for recruitment into the Department of Security Service (DSS). But something was telling me I would be pastor. Even some of my friends were also saying I would be a pastor. But due to the shame associated with being a pastor then I dodged the calling until God humbled me. It was while I was praying at the redemption camp for the DSS job that Daddy Adeboye made the above statement. In 2014 a pastor in Mountain of Fire & Miracles Ministries (MFM) said there was nothing I could do other than ministry, and he encouraged me to go and pray about it. That was how I started my training at the MFM. Sixty percent of our period at the MFN was vigil and moving from place to place. Within a month I had an encounter with the raw power of God at the MFM
Tell us more about your impartation with the raw power of God at the MFM
Before I was done with my training at the MFM I was already in the deliverance department and people were coming to me for prayers and deliverance. Signs and wonders began following my ministry. There was a particular day I was praying for somebody and I felt the person was just repeating the word I wanted to pray. I was afraid that probably demons had possessed the person to be seeing all my wicked acts in the past. At the end the person said I was speaking fire out of my mouth. I became the youth president in the MFN and also the leader of the Jericho Destroy programme. I wrote a book at the MFM in 2015 titled Breaking & Recovering from Ancestral powers. I did my Bible College at a branch of the MFM’s School of Biblical Studies.
Again, share with us how you eventually received the call to ministry
In the course of my journey in the faith I also had frequent encounters with Daddy W.F Kumuyi of the Deeper Life Bible Church in my dreams that left me confused either to remain at the MFM, return to the RCCG or join the Deeper Life. It was in one of these encounters in my dreams that I received the call into ministry, the name of the ministry, Christian Evangelism Wings, and the motto of the ministry, Highway of Holiness from Isaiah 35:8. Yet, I continued my service at the MFM. After some series of prayer and fasting for quite a number of days, and some, inquiries, instructions and counsels from some of the MFM leadership, I eventually started the ministry in November 2015. Long before we started the ministry I was gifted a piece of land at Badagry. So, I started the ministry with my wife and daughter in our rented room and parlour self-contain apartment. Few days later we moved the church to our gifted land in Badagry.
How did the church grow in numbers from you, your wife and daughter?
The first set people that joined us were mostly Muslims who attended our church prayer sessions among other programmes. Along the line I received a revelation that the young church would be attacked. And the church was actually attacked twice. In the course of this the church joined the Zunve unit of the PFN Badagry province. I later became the chairman of the PFN Zunve unit. When that unit was upgraded to chapter, I became the first chairman of that chapter. Subsequently, I became the deputy general secretary of PFN Badagry province.
How will you describe God’s move in your ministry last year 2022?
It was awesome in the sense that I had a revelation last year August 2022 to return to Abuja after seven years. I had previously had the revelation but I didn’t want to leave. So, last year September 1st, 2022 I relocated to Abuja and had the opportunity of meeting Dr. Paul Eneche at Shoprite. He laid hand on me and prayed for me. I visited him in his church office and he again prayed for us. That same September I got a job, an apartment for my family and started the ministry in Abuja in a school and on the mountain. By the grace of God the Lord has given us a place where the ministry can now fully operate. I can confidently describe the year 2022 as a year of God’s faithfulness. It was a year that we had the greatest financial breakthrough. It was a year God moved mightily in our ministry. We already have a mountain here where we pray every Thursday. The church in Lagos is presently passing through some issues. We trust God will fix the issues very soon and the Lagos church will match on in Jesus name.
Share with us some testimonies at Christian Evangelism Wings in the just concluded year 2022
There are several testimonies in our church in 2022. There were testimonies of restorations, protection, salvation and prayers for people with signs and wonders.
What should people expect from the church in the New Year 2023?
People should expect the raw power of God. We are reaching out to more souls, particularly in the Muslim community. We trust the Almighty God will do so many great wonders through our ministry this year. We trust the Lord that our outreach programme is going to be awesome this year and a lot of programmes will be done. We are aiming at winning more souls in 2023. When the church clocked seven years I was on the street ministering to souls and a lot of people gave their lives to Jesus Christ. So, we are expecting more works of evangelism this year 2023.
How will you describe the impact of the PFN Badagry province in the ancient and historic town?
The PFN Badagry province has immensely impacted the Badagry community. When I was the chairman of the PFN Zunve chapter of the province, we wonderfully did well in impacting the people and residents of Badagry. We held several evangelistic programmes right in the fronts of their idols in the ancient town of Badagry as the Lord led us.
Who are those you look up to as your role models or mentors in ministry?
I look up to our fathers in the faith; Pastor E.A Adeboye, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, Pastor W.F Kumuyi, Dr. Paul Eneche, Apostle Joshua selman and also all my fathers and leaders at the PFN Badagry province; Bishop John Benhoton, Pastor Johnson Momoh and Pastor Ayo Tegbe. I once saw Apostle Joshua Selman in an encounter. I know the Lord wants me to meet him someday
What is your vision for Christian Evangelism Wings in the next ten years?
The mission of Christian Evangelism Wings is to preach Jesus Christ all over the world and we are kick starting that this year 2023. In the next ten years Christian Evangelism Wings would have reached millions of souls, and also would have established branches in more than fifty countries with God helping us. In the next ten years we believe Christian Evangelism Wings would have got its own Bible College, mission school, hospital and deliverance centre among other exploits.