Can we meet you sir?
I am Pastor Oluwatayo Ayodele. general overseer, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC Mount Zion) Ikeja, Lagos.
Can we have a look at your upbringing including how you encountered Christ?
I am from Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti state. I was born into a Christian home and grew up at Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos. My mum was formerly a Muslim before she gave her life to Christ and always took us out for evangelism. I schooled at Folorunsho Primary school, Oshodi, Oshodi Comprehensive High School, Oshodi and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta where I graduated in 2000. Being born into a Christian home made me religious and loved going to church. I was drama a minister and a member of the Evangelism team of Christ Apostolic Church (C.AC Oke Ayeni) under the legedary Baba Woli Prophet Abraham Ale (a.k.a Woli Funfun).
Aside being born into a Christian home how did you personally confess and accept Jesus Christ?e
I had a particular experience in 1993 that led me personally to Christ. Before then I had some friends who had girlfriends. I was religious at home but mingled with friends who pressured me to have a girlfriend too
-funfun under the administration of Baba Abifarin, Baba Aladura. In 1993, I had an experience. The clique I belonged to had girlfriends and boyfriends. At home, I was religious but in school, I was trying to belong so I was pressured to also have a girlfriend. I was with them for two years. Between 1991 and 1993, I was something else within me. The foundation of most of the issues I experienced then started from when I was younger. I used to have terrible nightmares until I encountered Christ. One day, while I was sitting, the spirit came to me. He said I had been pleasing myself for the past two years. He asked me to strike a bargain with him; to follow him for the next two years that I could go back if he couldn’t give me joy. Nobody ministered to me. normally, we would go through different processes in church. Within those two years coupled with the fear of my parents, I did what was right. I had planned to become a don once I got admission into the university. I wanted to join a secret cult because I hated oppression. I saw it as the only way to counter bullies. I wanted to belong to the set of people who could fight physically. But, after the encounter with the spirit of God, I decided to walk with him. I surrendered my life to him that night and that was the beginning of the journey. The two years has never been completed till this day.
How would you describe your walk with the Lord since that time till this moment?
It has not been a bed of roses. I have a past that I cannot boast of even in Christendom and ministry. I have faced different things but the saving grace is that God has never left me. Every time I stumbled or was distracted, he has always been available to help me.
When did you receive the call into ministry?
My family was the Olori-awo of Ekiti. A prophecy had already been given that I would be a minister of God. My parents were religious but were not spiritually-inclined. While I was growing, I used to have night mares. In 1991, when I joined the evangelism team, I started learning how to pray. Io used to see myself in a white clothe and a sceptre on my hand. I started warring against the things that used to beat me. I got baptised in the Holy Spirit from my dreams because I usually prayed before I slept. I started speaking in tongues fro my dream and I woke up with it. I got baptised in the Holy Spirit in 1993. I used to have revelations. While I was seeking admission, I did all the exams and was failing my English Language courses so I couldn’t be admitted in school. At a time, I went somewhere to pray with my mum. A woman gave a prophecy of what I would become. After some time, I went back to God and told him I was ready to answer the call if he really called me. if I didn’t go to University, people would think that my parents couldn’t afford to train me or that I’m a dullard. I prayed to God to give me the grace to go to school and promised to serve him when I got back. The mistake I did was that I didn’t have anyone to advise me. If I knew I wouldn’t use my certificate, I would have done theology or religious studies. I got admission to Unilag to study Pharmacology. During my days in school, I started having personal revelation and personal encounters. One day, while I was under the ministry of my boss, Elijah Akinade of blessed memory in CAC, Lion of Judah, the heaven suddenly opened and I was the image of Babalola coming. I stood there looking at him and he asked me to raise my hand. I did so and things came over me. I told him that the cloak was too big for me but immediately it came on me, it adjusted to my size. That incident happened twice in different years. The first one happened in 2002 and the other one happened in 2005. An old man usually came in my dream. He usually took me around and talked to me. in my second year in the university, I almost dropped out because I was no longer concentrating. There were times when I went for vigils while I was supposed to have exams the following morning. Some other times, I would go for programs during my exams so I had some carry-overs. My elder sister told me once that if God didn’t want me to have a university degree, he wouldn’t have opened the door for me. I was impressed by my friends who were already in ministry so I also wanted to be like them. As time went on, I began to face my studies and apply more wisdom until I graduated. On my first encounter with Baba Akinade, I came in through my brother into the church. Mama Efosetan was the assembly minister. I met Baba Akinade on an occasion. While he was on the pulpit, he gave a prophecy that I would become a pastor which I already knew. After my service year, I went into the banking industry. After some time, I tendered my resignation letter. At the time, I wasn’t fully ready to go into the ministry. My mum had just received an offer for me to work in a better place when I resigned. They were disheartened when they heard that I wanted to heed the call of God.
What is the specific mandate of your call into the ministry?
He gave me Isaiah 61: 1. He gave me that verse first in 1991. He said he has called me to liberation and transformation; to set people free from the kingdom of darkness and mediocrity. He called me transform them to become captains of industries and giants in Christ.
What are the gifts God endowed you to fulfil this mandate?
I am called, gifted and anointed by grace. I am an Evangelist with an apostolic grace. In 1998, the spirit of God asked me to ask for a prophetic gift but I didn’t like it. After nudging me twice, I asked for it. The prophetic grace I received makes people to see me as a prophet. When I got to Lion of Judah, there was a major prophet in the house. I didn’t have knowledge when I got there so I had a rough time with the prophet. I had to go back to my mother’s church to see some of my seniors in the evangelism team. I explained to him the struggles I faced concerning receiving revelations and visions. He then told me that I couldn’t operate under the pastor I was working with because he was also a prophet. So, I became a teacher until I was transferred in 2006 to pioneer a church at Abeokuta. I was ordained as a pastor in 2010. I have the grace of teaching, dramatizing, publishing and more. I also compose and sing songs.
What are some of the church programmes in line with this mandate?
There are three major programmes for now. Two of them are monthly and one of them is yearly. One of the monthly programmes is “Night of parenthood”. Parents come around to pray for the aged ones and the children also come around to receive salvation. When the vision of these programme came, the Lord showed me a vision of children that were dying though not a physical death. We also have “Operation Change My Story”. While I was praying on a particular day, I was asking the Lord for a vision that would showcase who he is in my life to the world. A voice came and directed me to Exodus 3 which was how “Operation CMS” came to be. It comes up every third Wednesday of the month.
Can you share with us some of the testimonies from these programmes?
When we did the first “Operation CMS”, I received a word of knowledge for a couple who were seeking the fruit of the womb. I prayed for them and they gave birth to twins. Somebody who heard the testimony from America also came; they were also blessed with twins. I got married in 2002. We lost we first pregnancy and were seeking the fruit of the womb for four years. We were having testimonies of childbearing but we didn’t have a child of our own so my wife challenged me. God heard us and answered us according to the years of our affliction. God also healed many sicknesses. God has also changed the story of many people.
Who are some of the people you look up to as your role models or mentors in the ministry?
Pastor Wole Olufufnfun built the foundation of my life and ministry. I also look up to Pastor Akinyemi; he was my teacher when I was in Lion of Judah. I learnt persistency in prayers from him. I also learnt a lot from Pastor Olowoporoku.
Why are you still in CAC with all these gifting?
When I was in my former ministry, I didn’t want to leave but God told me to go. Before I joined Lion of Judah, I knew that God called me and I knew what he called me for. I had already got a name for my ministry and was about to establish the name but it wasn’t going through. I had to go back to God in prayers. When I was to leave, I went to my father in CAC and tod him about my resignation. We prayed about it.
Has there been any regret?
There has been no regret and I won’t regret it. I don’t think anybody can send me out of CAC.
What is your mid-year programme all about?
It started about six years ago. We have in ion the last seven days in the month on June and the first seven days in the month of July. It is a revival programme. The vision the Lord gave to me is to give hope to the hopeless. I am not lazy.
How will you describe the move of God in this church this year and what should people expect before the close of the year in this ministry?
We are moving on though we are not yet there. We also give impact to the community. Before the end of the year, we are praying to have a property of our own. I don’t do anything at the expense of my salvation or at the expense of the vision God has given to me.