Rev. Agbo Peter is the Lagos Zonal Pastor of Christian Evangelical Fellowship of Nations (CEFN) at MOPOL 20 Police Barracks, Ikeja, Lagos. He shares with Christian Benefits how the church, originally founded by two foreign missions, transitioned to an indigenous church in 1982 and now has over 400 branches across Nigeria. He also recounts his salvation encounter at age 13 at the Deeper Life Easter Retreat in Makurdi, Benue state in 1984 and his steady walk with Christ for 42 years now. Excerpts.
Can we have a look at your background, including your salvation encounter?
I hail from Benue State and I speak Idoma. I was born into Qua Iboe Church in Benue State, in an area that is now part of Kogi State. As a young boy, I was brought up in the Sunday school of Qua Iboe Church. At the tender age of 13, our pastor took us to the Deeper Life Easter Retreat in Makurdi, the state capital. As young boys, we were very excited, especially because we were transported in a trailer to the retreat. At that meeting, I heard the gospel afresh and responded to the altar call after the ministration. As we were being led to Christ, I found myself weeping uncontrollably.
What happened to you shortly after this encounter when you returned home?
The Deeper Life Church is very strong in follow-up. They collected the contacts of all the new converts and followed us up. They kept sending follow-up materials to us even though we were not members of their church. Through those materials, although I was still a boy attending Qua Iboe Church, I began to understand more clearly what I had done when I accepted Christ at the Makurdi Deeper Life Easter Retreat. By the grace of God, since 1984 when I accepted Christ, I have never looked back in following and serving Him. Even at that tender age, I was appointed a Sunday school teacher in Qua Iboe Church. When people wondered why such responsibility was given to someone so young, the leaders explained that it was because they saw something special in my life.
What would you attribute your steady walk with Christ over the past 42 years to?
What has sustained my walk with Christ is simply the grace of God. As a young boy, I grew up among peers who indulged in drinking, smoking, and womanizing, but the grace of God kept me away from such habits. Another important factor was my mother. She played a great role in my spiritual upbringing and ensured that I was properly guided in the faith. Three years after my conversion, she ensured that I was baptized in Qua Iboe Church. All these were reinforced by the teachings we received in the catechism. With all we were taught in the catechism, we feared nothing but sin. Those teachings instilled strong moral discipline in us and prevented me from following friends into immorality. Sometimes I followed them to parties, but I would never enter with them. At one point, they even tried to arrange a girlfriend for me. They told a lady that I had asked her to meet me, and they also told me that the same lady wanted to see me. So we both arrived at a junction arranged by my friends. When we met, the lady said she had been told I sent for her. I replied that I had also been told she sent for me.We both realized that our friends had arranged the meeting so that she could become my girlfriend, since they had never seen me with one. I told the lady, “God forbid! I cannot have a girlfriend.”
In these 42 years of your walk in the faith, have you ever backslidden at any point?
Sincerely, I could not do that because of the influence of my mother. She was a very disciplined woman. There was nowhere you wanted to go that she would not monitor. We held our mother in great reverence, especially concerning matters of the church.
Can you share the educational aspect of your background?
Regarding my educational background, I attended primary school very early between 1977 and 1982. However, I could not proceed immediately to secondary school because of my small stature at the time. I remained at home uptill January 3, 1984, when my father passed away. This further affected my chances of continuing my education. From 1982, I stayed at home assisting my mother because my elder siblings were still attending secondary school. When they all completed their secondary education by 1989, I was then able to begin my own secondary school education in 1989.
Christian Evangelical Fellowship of Nations (CEFN), as we understand, was originally founded by some missionaries. Can you tell us more about the origin of the church?
According to historical accounts, Christian Evangelical Fellowship of Nations (CEFN) originally had a missionary background linked to an organization called Christian Mission in Many Land (CMML). CEFN emerged from two missionary-related groups: Steward Company whose assembly was called The Brethren Church, though they reportedly did not formally operate with a physical denominational name. A faction of The Brethren Church under Steward Company and a faction of Christian Mission in Many Land (CMML) later came together to form an indigenous church in Nigeria. Initially, the indigenous church was called Christian Evangelical Fellowship of Nigeria, but it was later renamed Christian Evangelical Fellowship of Nations to reflect its growth and expansion beyond Nigeria to other nations. It should be noted that some former members later revived CMML as a separate church that still exists in Nigeria today, even after the indigenization that led to the formation of CEFN.
From which part of the world did the missionary groups that founded CEFN come to Nigeria, and what were their missions?
I cannot say exactly what their original missions were because I joined the church long after those early years. However, CEFN has a founding father, the now late Rev. Dr. G. O. Oyibo, who pioneered the indigenization efforts and served as the first Executive Secretary of the church. He was later succeeded by Rev. Enache, who is also late now. After Rev. Enache completed his service, Rev. Oyibo returned to serve again, this time as the General Overseer of the church. Since then, the church leadership has continued from one leader to another up to the present General Overseer.
How many years is the tenure of the General Overseer?
Under the former constitution of the church, the General Overseer served a single tenure of five years. However, under the revised constitution, if a General Overseer has not attained the age of 70, has served well, and the members approve, he may serve another five-year tenure. If a General Overseer turns 70 while still serving his five-year term, he must proceed on retirement.
What is the spread of the church today across Nigeria in terms of branches?
CEFN has spread to several parts of Nigeria. Apart from Port Harcourt, the church has five branches in Lagos. There are also branches in Kano, Sokoto, Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria, Jos, Benue, and several locations in Kogi State, where the headquarters is located and where the church is particularly dominant. Altogether, CEFN has over 400 branches across Nigeria.
At what point in your service to the Lord did you join the church?
I joined CEFN as a pastor in July 2002. Before then, aside from my church of birth, Qua Iboe Church, the only church I had attended as a member was Life Changing Bible Church, also known as Life Changing Power Ministry, in Kano. It was in that church that I received the call into ministry and later attended All Nations Bible School in Benin, Edo State, where I studied charismatic theology. After graduating from the Bible school, I served in Life Changing Bible Church for one year. I told my pastor that the Lord had instructed me to serve the ministry for one year after Bible school, like a youth corps member. After completing that one year of service, I proceeded to pursue my degree programme at the same All Nations Bible School in Benin. After completing my degree programme, I did not return to Life Changing Bible Church. (To be concluded).
