Adeyemi Dean Junior, a young Nigerian missionary to Burkina Faso reveals Burkina Faso is predominantly a Muslim country, going by the religion chart; Protestants-2% Catholics-19% Muslims and others-79% he shared in this interview with Christian Benefits on Exploits of Nigerian preachers in the Diaspora. In spite of the Protestants’ meagre 2% of Burkina Faso’s about 22 million population, Adeyemi, a Nigerian preacher from Ejigbo in Osun state, shares how his missionary group, Be Ye Ready Ministry, Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, is raising a massive praying Burkina Faso youths, and also impacting the lives of the citizens of the small francophone country through Nigerian Christian movies. The missionary also shares how God made him invisible to armed robbers attack en-route his missionary journey to the french-speaking West African country in 2014. Excerpts.
Please, can we meet you sir?
First of all, I would appreciate the gracious opportunity given to me to interact with you. My name is Adeyemi Dean Junior from Ejigbo, Osun state, Nigeria. I was born a Muslim but by the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ I was transformed into the kingdom of light sometimes in 1997. By the grace of God, I preside over Be Ye Ready Ministry. I’m also the president of The Peculiar-Dean Foundation, a Christian Organization which focuses on Youth and Teenagers for Christ, mission conferences, intercessions and support for the persecuted etc.
Briefly share with us your upbringing, including your rebirth encounter
I am the only child between my father and mother. My father was a Muslim but along the line he got converted to Christianity which gave me the privilege to surrender my life to Christ at my tender age. I didn’t really enjoy parental care at my tender age because my father traveled out of the country to make ends meet, and left me behind with a student of Eruwa Polytechnic (who stayed in Ibadan) to take care of me. I was independent and went through hard training. God used that season to prepare me for missions. It was like Moses in the wilderness needed to be trained for the great mission ahead and like Jesus in the wilderness needed to be tried, tested before He could be trusted for the great mission ahead of Him. I had my own piece of cake of wilderness life. It was a wonderful experience and that was how I started developing the heart for missions from my tender age.
How long have you been walking with the Lord, and how will you describe your walk with Him over the years?
It’s been 25 years now. Jesus has never done me any evil. I have no reason to abandon Him. He showed me mercy by granting me His salvation and deliverance from sin and hell. This act alone is enough to hold on to Him firmly till His arrival.
Specifically, share with us your growing up, career and activities in Nigeria before your relocation to Burkina Faso.
I didn’t do much activities neither did I have any special career. I had been involved in mission since when I was younger. I started as a part-time missionary (in Ibadan) in year 2002. I was still in secondary school at that time. I worked with missionaries from different states of Nigeria and from other countries. At a time of my life, the Lord saw that I needed to be mentored and graciously gave me the best mentor, Bishop John Oladapo. He used to pastor us in the students fellowship in school although I wasn’t close to him then until 2004 after I have left school that I had a sensitive dream and visited him to explain the dream to him, and he told me the story of my life from that short dream. I heard the Rhema Word of Life for the first time of my life. I knew within me that I had found a mentor and I clinched unto him. I went to his house early in the morning and left in the evening. He shared with me God’s word; gave his time to teach me a lot of things and in the process, he served as my biological father. I became a member of his ministry. I served as a teacher and evangelist in his ministry both in Nigeria and Benin Republic. He mentored me for 10 years before the Lord called me into ministry. Within these 10 years I attended a theological school and certified. He officially ordained me into my ministry in August 27, 2016.
Since when have you been in Burkina Faso; and how will you describe your experience as a Nigerian preacher doing ministry in Burkina Faso?
I arrived at the border of Burkina Faso in October 19, 2014, but entered Ouagadougou on the 20th of October 2014. I have been travelling to some French-speaking African countries since 2002. So, I am more of French than Nigerian. Most people with me in the ministry or that I relate with are French.
Please, share with us how you received the call of God into ministry and the mandate of your calling into ministry.
God’s calling is a process. It’s not what you hear once and conclude but you hear several times alongside with visible confirmations. There would always be signs even from your childhood that He (God) needs you for an assignment. You might not understand then but it is a process you must go through to get His confirmations. However, I would only briefly share how I was called to Burkina Faso: On that night, heading to the village to pack my luggage and I asked the Lord: “Now that mission is up in Benin republic what next”? In the dream that night, I was in space bus sitting behind at the right corner in the car and a woman sat at the other corner. I asked the woman where the car was going and she told me, Burkina Faso and she asked me what I was going to do in Burkina Faso and I told her, mission. I thought within me traveling to Burkina without money is senseless, so I asked the driver to stop the car. I dropped to find a different route. I waited but no other vehicles waited to pick me and it was getting late in the evening and I had to return to the previous vehicle and headed to Burkina Faso. And I woke up from the dream. Several months later I headed to Burkina Faso, and after we crossed the border on our way to Ouagadougou, we were attacked by armed robbers. I came down from the bus and God made me invisible to the robbers. They didn’t search me or my luggage but searched every other passenger. That was a proof that He sent me to Burkina Faso.
Briefly tell us more about your ministry; its name, vision, and programmes.
The name of our ministry is Be Ye Ready Ministry and our vision is to make souls ready for the coming of the Bridegroom. We don’t run a church pattern assignment due to several reasons known to us. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we are into disciplining of souls, running of crusades, prayer meetings etc. We shall be having our annual prayer conference on September 29-October 1, 2022. It’s usually 36 hours before the Lord; a 12-hours non-stop (with 15 minutes break) daily prayer meeting for 3 days. We also empower the youths and sensitize them in various fields.
Please share with us some testimonies from the above activities and programmes.
There are several testimonies but you would please permit me to share one or two: As at the time we started our prayer meetings none of our disciples could pray 20 minutes but today we can pray for 12 hours nonstop.
Again, share with us the impact of your ministry in Burkina Faso?
God is helping us raising praying youths with godly nature; creating hopes for their future and empowering them. We also feed some villagers in the village where we usually have our crusades, give them quality clothes, shoes etc and even sometimes pay school fees of some of their children.
What is the numerical strength and spread of your ministry in Burkina Faso?
We don’t run a church pattern assignment, so I can’t give a precise numerical strength or growth of the ministry. We are just few of us reaching out to souls and we are trusting God for enlargement. Our influence is within some of the students and youths and in the village, where we usually have our crusades but we have great spiritual influence in the nation. The Lord has given us loyal disciples.
Who are those you look up as your mentors in ministry?
(Smiling)! I’m not greedy of mentors. I’m contented with the ones the Lord gave to me. Although I read books, listen to messages from different men of God, but I appreciate these two men of God whom I have personal relationship with. First and foremost Bishop John Oladapo under whom I was groomed ministerially; and Rev. Bode Oluwusi, the presiding Pastor of Kingdom Authority Evangelistic Ministries, under whom I learnt integrity in ministry.
How is it like running a ministry in Burkina Faso compared to running a ministry in Nigeria?
We can’t compare the two nations. In terms of population, mentality and colonization, the two countries are far opposite each other. Burkina has about 20 -22 million population, that’s just the population of Lagos state, Nigeria. Nigeria was colonized by Britain while Burkina Faso by France, so the Catholics are more grounded in the land than the Protestants. Lastly, Burkina Faso is located in the Sahara hence the Islamic missionaries had easy entrance into the land. Due to the poverty state of the country the Arabian leaders sent financial support in order to Islamize them. Religion chart in Burkina: Protestants-2% Catholics-19% Muslims and others-79%. To raise godly disciples among the French, we, the English missionaries have to lay down our ego and come low to their level to grow together with them.
Apart from ministry work, is there any other job or vocation you are doing in Burkina Faso as a good Nigerian ambassador living in Burkina Faso?
I have my Language Centre where I practice English with the working class, who are willing to improve their communication skills. God has used this Centre to reach out to souls in diverse ways. I have personal relationship with some of them and preach to them, and also, I make almost every of my students to watch our Nigerian Christian movies to improve their listening skills. Several of them learn about Jesus, the Saviour; Jesus the Deliverer; Jesus the helper, heaven etc.
What’s the impression of an average Burkina Faso citizens about Nigerian preachers and Nigerian citizens generally living in Burkina Faso?
Sincerely, I don’t know but I think they appreciate some of the Nigerian popular pastors
How often do you visit Nigeria and do you have plans to settle down back home in the future?
I visit Nigeria once every year, and most times in December. Our organization usually organizes a conference for Youths and Teenagers at Ado-Odo, Ogun state tagged “Youths and Teenagers for Christ.” On if I have plans to settle back home in the future. I don’t know what would transpire in the future. Let God’s will be done.
Please, tell us about your wonderful family, that is, your lovely wife and adorable children, and their roles in your life and ministry.
I am married by the grace of God with two boys. We are all growing and learning every day in the work of the ministry.
What is the forthcoming programme of your ministry, 36 Hours Before The Lord Prayer conference all about?
In 2018, we started a prayer movement with some of our brethren at the University of Ouagadougou. Our focus was to intercede for the salvation of the land, ourselves and to charge them for success. We started with 3 hours-6 hours-9 hours prayers once every week. In 2019, we started 12 hours prayer once every month while we continued 3 hours once every week on campus. At a time, I felt the Lord was leading me to raise praying youths and charge them into success, so, I announced that we shall be having prayer conference where youths from other churches would attend to catch the fire to their various churches. The prayer conference was tagged: “GROUPE DE PRIERE DES ELEVES ET ETUDIANTS” meaning, “PUPILS AND STUDENTS PRAYER GROUP”, a 12-hour non-stop prayer session before the Lord for the next 3 days. We are also trusting God that by His Spirit we will pray more than 12 hours non-stop interceding for the salvation of souls and restoration of God’s people.
Since what year did you start the conference?
We had the first conference on the 3rd -5th of October, 2019 and since then we have been consistent. It is usually the week before school resumption. We shall be having our 4th annual conference on the 29th of September -01 October, 2022.
How will you describe the impact of the conference over the years?
Jesus has been faithful. He’s touching and working on lives; there is hope that if we faint not God shall multiply His children in the land. I would rather prefer if God is leading you, to come see the faithfulness of Jesus.
What are the expectations from this year’s prayer conference?
We are expecting genuine repentance and restoration. The theme for this year conference is: “The Unfaithful Wife” -Hosea 1:3. We are trusting God to restore His people.
1 comment
This is really encouraging. May the Lord bless the mission