Dr. Ogechi Ogbechi Ogbonna reveals that in spite of his career successes as a professional banker and position as an elder in the Adventist Church, he was dogmatic, unfulfilled and often graceless until he genuinely and completely surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.
In this interview with Christian Benefits on his Rebirth Experience, Dr. Ogbonna; a preacher, teacher and prolific author shares his eventual victory over anger and unhappiness among other old-self ungodly acts or characters in his 30 years of walk with the Lord, which he describes as a walk of grace-filled life. Excerpts
Please, can we know you sir?
My Brief Profile: Ogechi Ogbonna, PhD, FCIB, is a professional banker, turned preacher of the Everlasting Gospel. He holds a Master of Art Degree in Leadership, and PhD in Project Management. Added to his capacity as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, the author holds the revered Practice License of the Institute. Driven by about 40 years exposure in both public and ecclesiastical leadership, Ogechi Ogbonna has a rare gift for human development, inspirational and research writing. He currently serves as an ordained pastor with Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria
Briefly, tell us about your background and upbringing?
Aged 61, I am a born Adventist Christian, brought up under the hands of Christian parents, who themselves are strict disciplinarians. They gave me what it takes to have a solid moral background. I had both my primary and secondary educations in an Adventist schools. Soon after my secondary education at the age of 19, I left my village in Obuba, Nbosi, Isiala-Ngwa, Abia State, for Lagos in 1981. I joined Union Bank as a clerical staffer. I served there in various capacities till I retired voluntarily as a manager in the 1990s to answer the ministerial call. I am happily married with adult kids.
Since when have been a believer (born again)?
Although I was born a Christian, I could trace my new birth at the age of 35, when in the mid 1990s, I met with Christ face to face. My encounter with Christ began one evening in 1997. That day, I felt so discouraged that in spite of my career successes and Christian growth in terms of position of being a church elder, I was never fulfilled. So that evening, I took up singing and praising God from 8pm to 12minight. After the intense worship in songs, I challenged God to appear to me in dream to tell me what to do as to be truly happy. As soon as I lay down, Christ appeared to me. He took to a certain small group of people from one of Seventh-day Adventist Church branches who were praying in a certain room. The Lord asked me to enter into that room, to join them. He said that if I obey, they will pray for me, thereafter, I would go on praying and preaching with them. But as I peeped into that room, I saw that the people there were common members of the church who were regarded as prayer rascals. So I hesitated to go in. However, the Master insisted that the only solution to my problem was to humble myself, and join the group. Hence, after much struggles, I decided to obey. As soon as I opened the door to the room, a strong force pushed me down three times. Next, one of the female members pulled me up by my cheeks, and then they all laid hands on me and prayed for me. Thereafter, they declared that I was sanctified to join them. Then, in that same dream, I saw that I joined the small group, and we began to pray aggressively until I suddenly woke up at exactly 2.00am. As that point in time, I sat up startled on my bed, wondering what all of those experiences meant. Soon after, my wife came from the other room, only to see me sitting in surprise. She asked me a pertinent question: “Why are you not praying?” in return, I asked my wife: “Did I tell you I would be praying all night?” her response was: “Am sorry, I asked because I saw you in my dream the last two hours praying with some people. So I was surprised that now you are merely sitting down.” At that, I understood that something serious was happening in the spirit. I asked my wife to go back to sleep, and that at daybreak, I would answer her question. Immediately, I told God to give me more details of what H e wanted me to do; especially, who and where that small group was. The moment I lay down, Christ appeared again to tell me in the name of the prayer group leader (Joseph Nwadie). But that was all. So as I woke up, I asked my wife, “Do you per chance, know who is Joseph Nwadie, and where do they hold their prayers? Her answer was that somebody once told her that the group prayed around Charity Bus Stop, near Oshodi. With that little clue, I went towards Charity Bus Stop around 12noon that faithful day. At the Bus Stop, I saw a woman I had known before, walking briskly with a Bible, and on asking her where she was going, she replied: “To Joseph Nwadie’s place.” So I ran after her till I saw myself at the place. The prayers took place in Nwadie’s parlor. On getting there, I told them of my encounter with Christ. After some doubtful queries, they decided to give the benefit of doubt. As they surrounded me to pray, I fell down three times, just as it happened in my dream. Next, one of the ladies picked me up by my cheek, and declared: “You are now sanctified, and are free to join us. That was the beginning of my ministerial journey till date. I began to pray and minister with the group for three solid years, during which we trained on deliverance principles and practices, launched out for family and village deliverance missions. Exactly three years, I received a call from the Adventist Church, for formal engagement.
Share with us how you received a call from the Adventist Church and what the call was about
It happened first through a dream in which Christ told me: ‘You were sent to the small group to train and to prepare for service in the mainstream church. Now, it is time to move on God’s agenda.
Tell us about your lifestyle before you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour
Incidentally, my life before the new birth was that of strict moral discipline as I received from my godly parents, children teachers and my Christian educational background. But I was simply dogmatic and often graceless. The result was that I was not really happy. Much of my life depended on career and financial success. However, when Christ took over, my life became ‘gracefull’, and real joy came, which no man could understand.
How will you describe the joy of salvation the day you gave your life to Jesus Christ?
The result of not really meeting Christ was that I was not really happy. Much of my life depended on my career and financial success. However, when Christ took over, my life became ‘gracefull’, and real joy came, which no man could understand. I am greatly contented with whatever condition providence allots me.
What are the noticeable transformation you experienced in your life after you became a believer?
As soon as I received Christ as my all, everything changed. My cares became Christ’s; my joy could no longer be measured by what eyes could see. Everything ever needed, came miraculously. Even though I left my darling banking career, I really missed nothing. I am fulfilled. Indeed, I can gladly say, that as I sought the kingdom of God and His righteousness, every other thing has been unto me.
Were there some old-self ungodly acts or characters that you struggled with to let go, even after you became a believer, and how did you eventually overcome those acts or characters?
Yes, it was the ‘subtle grave-clothes’ of anger, unforgiving, revenge, abhorrence of struggling sinners, acute dislike of evil and evil-doers, intolerance, and so on. I struggled and still struggle with living a grace-filled lifestyle that is readily accepting of carefree others.
Share with us how you received the baptism in the Holy Ghost after you became a Christian
As I said before, the result of new birth was that I became really happy. Much of my life, which had depended on career and financial success when Christ took over my life became ‘gracefull’, and real joy came, which no man could understand.
As a new or young believer back then, what are the Christian books, your favourite Bible verses and church activities or programmes that boosted your growth in the faith?
In the first place, I made it a duty to stay away from unchristian books, novel, audios and videos. On the positive side, I made it a duty to stay with my Bible, along with Christian books and novels, especially the Spirit of Prophecy writings of Ellen Gould White – titles such as Steps to Christ, Desire of Ages, The Great Controversy Between Light and Darkness, Christ’s Object Lessons, etc.
How long have been born again, and how will you describe your walk with the Lord over the years?
I can say that I have been born again for the past 30 years. I keep growing daily as I keep close to the Word of God, and I as I serve Him by being of service to humanity. Especially, I love to do good for nothing.
Have you ever backslidden from the faith; if yes, how did you retrace your steps to the faith?
Yes, regularly in the areas of anger. Often, I feel disappointed when the people I have ministered to show evidences of ingratitude. At those points, I felt like quitting doing good to others. Also, I feel really down when ministry seems to bear no much fruit, when the people I preach to remain careless and hell-bound. This makes me feel like backing out. However, I am encouraged by realizing that I am not alone. More so, Christ felt the same way as I do.
Did you suffer any form of persecution, rejection or challenges from people for accepting Christ, and how did you overcome this situation?
Exactly, being called into healing and deliverance ministry is a great challenge in the midst of an orthodox environment. The result includes persecution, rejection and all kinds of challenges from people, especially church leaders.
Finally, what does it mean to be born again; and how will you describe being born again back then when you accepted Christ, to what obtains today?
Throughout Scripture, there are four stages of the believers’ experience of salvation. They are: (i) justification which come with water baptism; sanctification, which entails a daily spiritual growth that ends only when Christ appears a second time to take us home; purification, which is the process of removing the records of sin from the book of records in the ongoing investigative judgment (Dan 8:14; cf Rev 14:7(; and glorification in which God restores His estranged children to oneness again with Himself (“I will be their God and they shall be My people” Jer 31:31-34).Being born again entails that we submit our lives to Christ in order to take us through the above four stages of the salvation journey. The earlier we surrender to Him, the better. Thank you.
