Pastor Akinola Akinwale Damilare (JP) this year 2024 took an honorable bow as Administrative Secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) after almost 29 years of meritorious service at the Nigeria’s frontline Christian body.
In the course of his about 29 years of meritorious service at the PFN national headquarters, Lagos, Akinola holds the unique honor of working as Secretary to five successive PFN national president: Archbishop Benson Idahosa, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Rev. Dr. Felix Omobude and the incumbent, Bishop Francis Wale Oke. Akinola proudly left the stage creditably with the accolades of honesty, integrity, trust, loyalty and accountability with no blemish.
Based on his impeccable records of excellent services to the body of Christ at the PFN national headquarters for close to 29 years, the Board of Christian Benefits Media Ministry finds AKINOLA ADEWALE DAMILARE eminently qualified for the 2025 Benefits Awards for Missionary Excellence (BAME Award) in recognition of his outstanding stewardship to the body of Christ.
Pastor Akinola, Senior Pastor, Appealing Grace Assembly International, Ayobo, Lagos, shares with Christian Benefits in the below interview the account of his about 29 years stewardship as the PFN Adminitrative Secretary, as part of his profile for his nomination for the 2025 Benefits Awards for Missionary Excellence (BAME Award) for excellent Christian Service. Excerpts.
How was your service as the PFN Administrative Secretary for almost 29 like?
I give glory to Jesus Christ for the salvation of my soul, and for directing my paths accordingly to serve the PFN as Administrative Secretary for almost 29 years.
Please, share with us your career path leading to your working for the PFN
I studied banking and finance at Ado Ekiti University. I graduated with second class upper. My dream was to be one of the best bankers in Nigeria, Initially, I wanted to study law but due to family pressure against law I opted for banking and finance. Apart from my brief stint with a finance company, God never allowed me work with my banking and finance certificate to my fullest potentials as a banker before the PFN employment offer appeared in the picture of my career path.
Tell us more how the PFN appeared in the picture of your career path
While scampering for another job I met Jesus Christ, accepted him and joined Christ Gospel Mission (GCM) International . On a particular day in 1995, while driving to a female friend’s house for breakfast I saw my pastor at a bus stop fixing his car. I parked to assist him. In the long he said was running late and asked me to drive him to the PFN office. While in the car he asked me why I was not at work that early morning. I explained my predicament to him, and he asked me if I could work at the PFN. I answered him in the affirmative, and he asked me to bring my CV to him the next day. The next day I gave my CV to him with my application letter for employment at the PFN. I had also submitted application at Lever Brothers. For close to a year I did’nt hear any response from either the PFN or Lever Brothers to my applications. So, I decided to pursue my master’s and traveled to Ado Ekiti University for my transcript to do my master’s at Lagos State University (LASU). Incidentally, it was the same day after I had traveled to Ado Ekiti for my transcript that the PFN invited me for interview. My pastor sent his driver to fetch me for the interview. Unfortunately, I was already at Ado Ekiti. When I returned to Lagos the third day and was told I had interview invite from the PFN, I quickly rushed to my pastor. I prayed to the Lord to favour me if I was given another opportunity for the interview. God answered my prayer. The PFN offered me employment without appearing for any interview.
So, how fulfilled are you working for the PFN for almost 29 years?
The Lord has been so good to me. I’m fulfilled working for the PFN because I grew in the spirit; became a better man. I know my weaknesses. I know where I was and where I am now. I grew with the Lord Jesus. I enjoyed the rare privilege of being imparted by fathers which came by relationship. God gave me the grace to relate closely with the PFN fathers in the most unassuming manner. God gave me the grace to manage myself before them and in their presence. The platform and the relationship I shared with the fathers were so awesome to the effect that a good number of the fathers call me son. The relationship aided my performance. I had confidence in myself. I had a robust working environment. The PFN secretariats where I worked for almost 29 years is a place of blessing, assurance and reassurance for me.
Aside the PFN, tell us about your service at your local church then, Christ Gospel Mission (GCM) International
By the special grace of God, I was very active in my local church then; Christ Gospel Mission (CGM) International till I stepped out to lead Appealing Grace Assembly as the founder. At a point I was the vice-president of the youth fellowship of CGM. I was also the treasurer of the church. I was in the choir and very active in the life of the ministry. We had a very wide expanse of land then at Mosan, Lagos. Due to certain factors, the church decided to sell a part of the land, which was incidentally bought by an Alhaji who threatened to build a mosque around the church. I mobilized another brother, and we confronted the sale, pulled down the mosque building project and secured the land back for the church till now without any further trespassing. That ignited my entrance into ministry. Later on in life, I attended the Redeemed Bible School where I did my post-graduate (PGD) in Theology. I have not received my certificate till now because I was in the north for other assignments when the certificate was given. I did my Industrial Training (I.T) with Pastor Kalejaiye at Abule-Odu, Lagos. I rose in CGM as a Sunday school teacher, choir member and district treasurer. I was appointed to lead a house fellowship at Bada. The pioneer pastor had to go for his youth service, so I filled in the gap. I met elders and deacons there. It was a tough assignment, leading ministers but I was able to do it by the grace of God
How was your growing up like?
It was rough. I was a janitor in my primary school. I was bred and raised in Ekiti practically fatherless. In my secondary school days I was very troublesome. I failed my first attempt at the WAEC due to my troublesomeness. It took me almost four years before I returned to school because of finance. When I went back to school, the spirit of excellence in me manifested and I passed my second attempt at the WAEC. I came out with the best results. I attended Osogbo Grammar school for my A level. I wrote JAMB and gained admission into Ondo state University; now Ado-Ekiti University. I was into unionism. I was a very tough student. I was not a cultist but used to drink beer until 1988. My friends and I used to visit bars to drink beer. I won’t stop drinking until I have had up to six bottles. One particular night we got back home heavily drunk and went to sleep. One of my friends plugged a boiling ring to light a cigarette to smoke. After lighting the cigarette, he left the ring on, went to the toilet and slept off. It was the smell of the smoke that woke me while others were asleep. My eyes got cleared immediately. That day in April 1988 I promised myself to stop drinking beer. And my friends started calling me pastor since then.
Share with us how you eventually received and accepted Christ
I first received Christ on 1, August 1994 in Katsina state during my youth service. I backslidden when I returned to Lagos until 1996 when I received Christ the second time after losing my job in the finance company. I was without a job at that time, so I began growing in the spirit and in the word of God. I got married to my wife. We waited for nearly12 years before we were blessed with the fruit of the womb.
Do you have any regret working in the vineyard of the Lord instead of bank?
No! I feel fulfilled and satisfied working in the vineyard of the Lord instead of bank. Life wouldn’t have been better than this. What I have in me is way more than global resources. I’m glad my soul is in the hands of the Lord Jesus and none others.
Sometimes last year 2023, you had what is called a Near Death Experience (NDE). What exactly happened to you then?
It was exhaustion due to overwork and unattended accumulated stress. I had just attended an excruciating NAC meeting driving home exhausted and suddenly slumped on the steering. The PFN secretariats is grossly understaffed. I combined a lot of works together as the Administrative Secretary. I served the PFN National Secretariats as the soul of the organization because if the secretariats collapses, the fellowship is going, or even gone.
How many PFN presidents did you serve in your almost 29 years of service as the Adminitrative Secretary?
I effectively served five PFN national presidents namely Archbishop Benson Idahosa (now of blessed memory), Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Rev. Dr. Felix Omobude and the incumbent president, Bishop Francis Wale Oke.
As the secretary how did you cope with the perceived politics in the PFN?
It was with by the help of the Holy Spirit as my mentor, lecturer, teacher and counselor.
How did you effectively run your local church, Appealing Grace Assembly, along with the PFN administration?
My commitment to the PFN was of top most priority same as my local church, Appealing Grace Assembly, but time was a challenging factor. Most times I was not available in my local church. For instance, in 2003 I was running a conference in my local church, and suddenly my father in the Lord, the then PFN President, told me to lead Reinhard Bonke to Dr. Rufus Giwa’s house in Ibadan. Dr Rufus Giwa had just died. So, I had to leave the conference for Ibadan in obedience to authority and leadership. It is an assignment that requires obedience. You will have to make sacrifices in obedience.
Have you ever felt like quitting the PFN job at some points?
There were few occasions like that when I was faced with severe challenges that bore upon my person, integrity and faith in Christ. I wouldn’t have quit the job without receiving the consent of my fathers.
What is the secret or the key of your unfettered accessibility to the fathers?
It’s a privilege based on fathers and son relationship.
Tell us about your parents and the kind of upbringing they gave you
Both of them are late. My father was a customary court judge while my mum was a petty trader. They were staunch Anglicans and rose to top positions in the Anglican Church. My mother led me to Christ and enforced the Christian ethos on me. My father had died before I was born. So I didn’t grow up to know or see him. My mother had four children; all male but lost two. My father was a polygamist. I grew up with my brothers and stepbrothers. My stepmothers were all motherly to us all. Love was the anchor of the family.
What are you most grateful to God for at clocking 60 this year 2024?
I’m glad that I am saved. I’m also glad that I have the privilege to serve the body of Christ creditably. I am also glad that God announced me to my world and that I am on the journey to meeting the Lord.
What has life taught you at 60?
Life has taught me a lot of lessons. In terms of human beings I have met with; friendly, unfriendly, pretentious, toxic, and many more but my lesson is not to get discouraged by what people do to me. If you’re able to live by Jeremiah 17:6-8 and Proverbs 5-7, you’ll never lose your peace or get unnecessarily anxious.
Who are the people that have impacted you in this journey of 60 years?
Aside my fathers and leaders as the PFN president like Papa Ayo Orijesafor, Bishop Mike Okonkwo and other past PFN President and the incumbent, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, I have quite a lot of others that include Pastor Wale Adefarasin, Mummy Mercy Ezekiel, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Apostle Aggrey in Port Harcourt, Archbishop Emma Isang, Archbishop John Praise, Archbishop Joseph Ojo and many other great servants of God
Having these great servants of God around you, how did you feel when you had to wait on the Lord for twelve years for a child?
It was through them, the Lord answered our prayers. They were my anchor. There is a time for everything. That time was the appropriate time as far as I’m concerned. Nothing shook my faith, trust, conviction and confidence in God that my wife and I were going to have our own child too. And it happened at the right time that pleased the Lord to give us our own child.
What role do your wife and child play in your ministry?
My wife is doing well in the ministry. My daughter is studying Law in the school.
What are your plans and visions in the next 10 years if Christ tarries?
I plan to continue to make impacts in people’s lives and in the kingdom of God, not looking back or downsizing in my resolve to serve God. I plan to do more because the reward for good work is more work.
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