Apostle Ayoola Bankole is set to share his about 40 years experience of apostolic ministry with fellow pastors, ministers, church leaders and workers from all walks of life as he hosts a 5-day Apostolic Conference at his Christ Coming Message Church, Idimu, Lagos As a teaser to the conference, tagged, Power in The Word, that will also feature other prominent ministers as guest speakers, Apostle Bankole shares with the duo of Christian Benefits’ Pelumi Salako and Abraham Udo, his salvation transition from a street tout to an apostle of Christ.
Please, can we meet you sir?
I am God’s servant. My name is Ayoola Bankole. I am a native of Abeokuta in Ogun, Nigeria. I am married with four children; all boys.
Briefly, share with us about your background and your call to ministry
I left school while I was in class three because I was a bad boy. I became a tout, living under bridge doing all sorts of things, not knowing what life had for me. I forgot about my parents and they kept looking for me. They didn’t know where I was. But I thank God that I eventually met Jesus Christ who changed my story.
How long have you been in ministry now; and how will you describe your experience in the ministry over the years?
I have been in ministry for about 40 years now. Ministry is a journey that is full of continual learning. We are learning, growing and moving to a new dimension every day. Depending on where you are coming from, the experience has been very good. There have been challenges. Challenges are meant to settle us, build us and announce us. When I look back at times it seems as if I have wasted time, but I have not because every apostle is a father. A father is a man of experience to help the younger ones to grow. With Christ all things are possible. So, I thank God.
Tell us the specific mandate of your call to ministry and the gifts God endowed you for this mandate
The mandate is an apostolic mandate moving from one town to the other holding crusades, winning souls for Christ and breaking demonic holds in towns and cities so that it will be easy for the churches there to strive. I have a ministry base here in Lagos called Christ Coming Message Church (Abode of Grace and Power) at 18 Fatai Fayemi Street, council Bus/stop Idimu, Lagos. Apart from crusades, at our Lagos base we build an End-time army for Christ. That is exactly what God called me to do. The Lord specifically said to me, “Son, build for me an End-time army of purpose, and that is exactly what we having been doing through God’s word.
What are some of the church programmes in line with this mandate?
We hold Bible study every Monday, Prayer meeting every Wednesday, vigil every last Friday of the month and of course Sunday school and worship service, every Sunday
Please, share with us some testimonies from these programmes
In the ministry here we thank God for healing; paralysis healing and deliverance and so many other testimonies of salvation, miracles, signs and wonders.
What is the coming programme of the church “Apostolic Conference 2023” all about?
The Apostolic Conference 2023 is an annual programme designed to build more ministers and church workers for churches and ministries such that every member in a church will become a worker, and every worker a minister. A real son of God must be a servant of God. You serve in the kingdom of God. The conference is holding from 4th- 8th, September 2023. And on the 10th we hold a thanksgiving service in the church. This is a programme where your understanding will be open to God’s word and the truthfulness of God’s word. It is going to be awesome.
Tell us about the conference theme: Power in the Word
The conference theme, Power in the word, is taken from the scriptures; John 1:1- 3: “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Without the word of God in the world, the world will be in chaos. Without God’s word there will be no Christianity. When you understand God’s word, it helps you to grow. The conference will expose the participants to the truthfulness of God’s word, and also reveal to them that that word can act powerfully in people’s lives, and all all circumstances.
How will you describe the impact of the yearly conference on the participants over the years, with testimonies?
This conference is a conference no minister or worker must miss. This conference has been helping in building up minister and church workers.
What should the participants expect at this year’s Apostolic Conference?
This year’s conference is going to be very powerful. Rev. Ademola Adedepe, the son of Bishop Adedepe will be handling part of the theme: “How can you create you own word? It is going to be powerful. Many believers are suffering setbacks because they don’t know how to create a word for themselves. You can create your word by the word of God.
Sir, in about 40 years in ministry, you have indeed come a long way in ministry. Please, what is your view on Christianity in Nigeria today, and the way forward?
The major problem of Christianity in Nigeria today is lack of understanding of God’s word. Imagine someone going to the mountain to pray for 100 days. He will go there as a natural man and come back as a natural man; not knowing that the real power is in the word of God. I have done it many times, praying for power until I came to the knowledge of the scriptures that the power I have been looking for is right in the word. It is the truthfulness of the word of God. The problem we have today is that people don’t understand God’s word which is the Bible. When you study God’s word properly, you will receive more revelations of the truth.
Lastly sir, share with us what is sustaining your steadfastness in the faith and your work in the ministry in your about 40 years journey in the ministry?
The only thing hat sustains me is the truthfulness of God’s word. When Jesus started his ministry, he started by the word and ended by the word. The word will give you map and direction in God’s move.
