Last year April 2024 an excavator moved into Miracle Assembly Bible Church Mende, Lagos and mowed down its massive cathedral, the children’s church and the administrative building etc to the consternation, bewilderness and lamentations of many passers-by and bemused residents of the Mende community who have savored both the spiritual blessings and the massive social responsibility impacts of the prophetic and benevolent ministry for many years. Many fared the incident would leave the church stranded and scattered.
Ironically, the church set-man and general overseer, Bishop Dr. Theophilous Ugochukwu and the members were not stranded by the unfortnate development. Within few months God relocated the church and its large members to a new site; just a stone thrown from its former massive structures that were pulled down by the church herself for a proposed road construction by the Lagos state government.
“We brought the excavator by ourselves and pulled down the church buildings. The canal close to our church was earmarked by the Lagos state government for a road construction. Before we bought the land, we conducted normal checks and got the necessary approvals before we built. We had no problem until the Raji Fashola administration of Lagos state constructed a bridge by the canal, and the government later served a notice of evacuation to all the residents close to the canal. It affected the whole estate. We made efforts and noves to spare our church. But since the government insisted that all the structures at the canal vicinity must give way for the road construction, we brought the excavator and pulled down the entire church buildings before the government comes to demolish them for us,” Ugochukwu shares with Christian Benefits.
The bishop said the unfortunate incident did not catch him and the church members unawares; recalling how God gave him a revelation in 2019 in which he told Christian Benefits he saw many people stranded and scampering for safety. “God does not do anything without first revealing it to his prophets. In late 2019 God gave me a revelation. I saw many people who are stranded; running and scampering for safety. There was confusion everywhere. When I woke up, I couldn’t put this together. Nevertheless, I started prophesying everywhere we shall not be stranded! I prophesy to our church congregation all the time, we shall not be stranded! On my Facebook page I prophesy and comment we shall not be stranded! We shall not be stranded soon became my catchphrase among my fellow pastors and followers.
“The import of this revelation became clear at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 which got the entire world stranded and running for safety until God intervened. After the COVID-19 issue I continue prophesying everywhere, we shall not be stranded! We shall not be stranded! So, when the pulling down of our church buildings occurred at the beehive of the Lagos government, that prophesying showed up for us. The Bible says strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter. In our case the sheep didn’t scatter. They didn’t get stranded. In few months God relocated us to a new site; a stone thrown from our pulled down site to continue to serve and worship him.”
Bishop Ugochukwu said God specifically directed him to Mende land to deliver the people; saying that was the reason it was not difficult to get a new site for the church in Mende after its evacuation from the old site. “We‘ve been here (Mende) going to 17years. We are able to keep the flock and remain in Mende because God specifically directed me to Mende land to deliver the people. When the government served us the notice of evacuation I began searching for another place within Mendeland. I reached out to one of my friends to let out a space to us for about three to four months. This helped us to continue with our services till we got the new and permanent site.
The bishop added that the incident revealed the importance and the relevance of Miracle Assembly Bible Church to the Mende residents, particularly due to the social impacts of the church of sharing foods, beverages, care, love and cash support among other essential commodities to the less privileged in the Mende community. “Our social impacts in the community showed up in that moment of difficulty. We enjoyed the goodwill of lots of people in the community. When people got to know about the issue they rose up in different forms to assist us, including Muslims. They assisted us in packing our things. This was one saving grace. It is a lesson to be good wherever one is. The hired excavator cost a lot of money. We spend huge sum of money on the relocation without any compensation from the government.
“The sand-filling of the new site alone cost millions; not to talk of the building of a new church auditorium among other structures at the new site. We contended with stiff oppositions, attacks and frustrations from some touts, land grabbers and a neighbor over the new site. I declared that we won’t be stranded and God showed up from the first day of the demolition. We moved into our new site in about three months on a permanent basis. It was really a very disturbing moment that affected my health. I held onto the word of God with the steadfastness, sacrifices and encouragement of the church pastorate, elders, leaders and the entire members. I appreciare and celeberate all of them. I build and run a family ministry. It is important to know how to manage people. I love all the church members. I am concerned about their well-being. This builds trust, confidence and loyality. This helped the church during the peoriod of that challenge. I celebrate my wife and children. My wife is indeed a very strong woman. She really invested a lot into the relocation efforts.”