Church of God of Prophecy is an international church established in America in 1903.The church presently has thousand of branches across the continents. Pastor Elvis James Kolawole, national bishop (Nigeria) and general presbyter (Africa) for Church of God of Prophecy shares a brief history of the church, including the litigations from factional issues that modified its name as Church of Prophecy. Kolawole also clears some misconceptions about the over 100 -year-old global church in the below interview with Christian Benefits. Excerpts.
Please, how will you like to be introduced?
My name is Elvis James Kolawole. I serve as the national bishop for Church of God of Prophecy (Nigeria) and general presbyter (Africa); overseeing some other countries of the world.
Let’s look at your background; including your salvation experience
I am a Yoruba man from Kogi state with a Roman Catholic background. I attended a Catholic primary and secondary school where I served as a manservant. After a while, my aunt took me to the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), and I was enrolled in a CAC school. During one of the CAC children’s harvests I did a Bible recitation and was gifted a cash prize. That was the first money that I ever got from Bible recitations. I bought some clothes with the money for wears to the church. I later returned to the Roman Catholic Church and continued my education in its boarding school. After I left school, I came to Lagos and joined the Cherubim & Seraphim.
How did you join Cherubim & Seraphim from Roman Catholic background?
The man who took me in his house at Ejigbo when I came to Lagos was a member of the Cherubim & Seraphim (C&S). So, I attended the C&S with him for a year. I joined the church choir and participated in the youth programmes. When I left Ejigbo in 1981 to put up with some friends in a rented apartment at Ikotun, I joined the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC). I attended the CCC for ten years.
Share with us about your journey and experiences in the CCC in those ten years
In those ten years I served in various capacities. I served as the first secretary of a parish at Abaranje. I joined another parish at Pipeline. I moved to yet another parish at Igando where I served as chairman of the Parochial committee and in the choir. This was the last CCC parish that I attended before I stopped going to church. Later, I started attending the Living Faith Church at Ponle, casually. At that point going to church had become an option for me due to some issues in a local assembly of the CCC at Ikotun, which led me to stop going to church. All this while, I didn’t have salvation experience despite going to church, preaching and doing all religious things in ignorance. I was still smoking and drinking alcohol doing all those things. I didn’t experience salvation until I joined Church of God of Prophecy.
How did Church of God of Prophecy appear in the picture of your journey?
I have been in and out of Church of God of Prophecy since 1986; pretending to be saved until 1991 when a missionary was sent from the U.K to serve as the national bishop of Church of God of Prophecy in Nigeria, and I was privileged to work with him very closely.
What attracted you to Church of God of Prophecy at the time you joined the church?
I believe it was orchestrated by God. Church of God of Prophecy is an international church. It has been in existence before I joined the church in 1986 when my brother-in-law was the national overseer. I assisted him and travelled with him. That was the preparation ground for me; the wilderness period of life. Everyone has a time of preparation. I never knew God was preparing me for a time like this (a leadership position). While in the CCC as Parochial committee chairman I had power over the shepherds. I was charged with the responsibility of the church’s financial matters. I represented Ketu when the now late Revd. Pa SBJ Oshoffa was alive. I was the minister in charge of taking the parish monthly reports to the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) International headquaters, Ketu, Lagos
What are the tenets or the doctrine of Church of God of Prophecy?
What readily comes to the minds of many people when they hear Church of Prophecy is that it is a church where they prophesy. That’s a misconception. We do not prophesy here. The church was established in 1903 in America. From 1903-1906, it was called Church of God at Count crick. In 1925, there was a split that became a court case. It was formerly known as Church of God. The first leadership was by R.F. Sportin before it was handed to A.J Tomisin who was the first overseer of the church. A lot of issues came in as regards business, bank accounts and leadership. At a point the court’s decision was that one of the two factions would have to add “prophecy” to the name of the church while the other faction retains the original name, Church of God.
Specifically, what were the issues that split the church into two factions?
The major issue was leadership. The founder, A.J Tomisin, was leading the church by the Holy Spirit. In the 1920s, at the general assembly, he suggested an idea of twelve people to lead the church as a replica of the apostles in the Bible. As the general overseer he had the final authority but felt one person could not be taking decisions for the global church. So, he introduced the disciples’ pattern as laid by Christ. This only lasted for two general assemblies. It became an issue at the next assembly when he realized that he could no longer move the church in the way he used by the Holy Spirit before sharing the church leadership with some other brethren. He realized that having committees running a church slows down decision-makings; so he desired to reverse to when he was the sole leader of the church through the Holy Spirit. This became an issue with the other leaders. It was eventually taken to court. After the court process, the court decided that the faction founded by prophecy, and being led by the Holy Spirit should add ‘Prophecy’ to its name, while the other faction retain Church of God. Although the church eventually split as a result from the plurality of leadership introduced, Church of God of Prophecy still practice plurality of leadership now modified. Plurality of leadership makes us different from other Pentecostal churches.
When exactly was Church of God of Prophecy established in Nigeria?
Church of God of Prophecy was established in Nigeria in 197I by some missionaries. In those days, there were mission offerings that were used to establish churches in different countries. Bahamas was the first country that the church went to. Presently, the church is in 140 nations. We are in 39 nations in Africa. When the missionaries came to Nigeria, they got someone from the east and started the work there. During that period, a lot of things were happening while the church was being run in the east. It was the dark ages. In 1981, the missionaries found a Nigerian who studied in the U.K and appointed him to revive the work in Nigeria. This birthed what we have today.
Please, further share with us the doctrine of Church of God of Prophecy
We have what we call the 29 teachings of the Bible that we practice as a church.
Pressently, what is the spread of the church in Nigeria?
We have 44 churches in Nigeria. We have three branches in Lagos. We used to have five before until we consolidated. We in Kogi state. We in Warri and Ishan. We also in the east and some other places across Nigeria. The church started in the east in the present Abia state. It went into the dark ages until one particular Nigerian from abroad was appointed at Eric Moore, Surulere, Lagos, in 1981 to revive the church in Nigeria as the national overseer. That person happened to my brother-in-law. So, I joined the church to assist him. It was like a family church, so there was so much commitment and sincerity to revive the church in Nigeria. I basically joined the church to support him. Eventually, as times went bye I was appointed presently the National Bishop of the church for Nigeria and the General Presbyter of the the church for some other countries.
Share with us the process leading to your appointment as the National Bishop of the church for Nigeria
Like I said at the onset I joined the church just to assist my bother-in-law. Back then I wasn’t born again despite my years of services in both the C&S and the CCC. So, I was just doing what I could do to support my brother-in-law.
How did you eventually get born again after joining the church just to support your bother-in-law in reviving it in Nigeria?
It was in 1991 when a missionary was sent and I was assigned to work with him. I travelled with him. We were at a hotel somewhere in Aba. Things weren’t really going well because our eastern brethren had a completely different understanding of how a Pentecostal church operates. Because of the issues on the ground then, they were requesting for boats and sacrifice. He was disturbed at how their mindset was. While we were in the hotel room, he was sharing with me the life of Christ and the purpose of Christ’s death; how his blood had atoned for us so that we didn’t need to shed blood. He kept ministering and I was listening to him. He knelt down and prayed in tears. I looked at his face. That was when I got it that it was a serious thing. Christ became real to me and he started with me that night.
How did that experience transform your life and your working for God?
Now, I know what I am doing and why I am doing it. The missionary trained me to preach before congregations. He also sent me to a Bible school where I was further trained. I was rewired and taught in the knowledge of the scripture. So, when I got back and continued with the work, he appointed me as secretary whose duty was to write minutes. We moved from Nigeria to other places. I got to know more about the church. One day, a landowner wanted to take our piece of land from us. Being the secretary, I had access to the church accounts. I called the missionary and informed him of the situation. He asked me to do something about it. So, we put up a building structure on the land to prevent it from been taken from us. When the missionary came back, and saw the structure on the land he said someone would be needed to pastor the place, and he recommended that I was prepared enough to pastor the place. I prayed and sought the face of the Lord. So, I became a pastor and full-time secretary of the church. I later became the regional overseer. I started the local assembly here. From there to our current site in 2000; the same year I was appointed as the national bishop.
What are your roles and functions as the national bishop of the church in Nigeria?
The office used to be called national overseer. The whole country is under my administration; church wise. I am obligated to establish churches, to appoint pastors and to supervise. As the national bishop, I work with pastors. As the general presbyter (Africa) I work with the bishops of nations. My job entails traveling, attending conventions, looking into their businesses, settlling issues and supervising projects. I serve as the national bishop (Nigeria) and the general presbyter (Africa). As time goes I will have to get somebody to serve as the national bishop when the work improves. We have people that can serve in that capacity but financially we are not there yet. A lot is involved financially.
How have you been able to manage the plurality of leadership concept of the church?
The church is still alive today because of its plurality of leadership concept, otherwise, it would have collapsed. Nobody is an authority in this assembly by the structure. The general overseer is by selection. He becomes the general overseer by the vote of all the nations where we are established. Names will be selected and will be trimmed down to three or four people. It is from this set that a person will emerge. For now we have no time-limit although, it is being looked into. (Continues Deeper Life copied most of its doctrine from us – James Kolawole)
