By Nneka Okumazie
Yes, it does not look so great that Pastor Adeboye of RCCG posed for a photograph with Bola Tinubu after his wife, Remi Tinubu, was ordained an assistant Pastor in RCCG. Bola Tinubu, for many, is not a trusted politician and there are lots of words around about what he did or did not do.
So, for Pastor Adeboye to pose with him, because of the ordination of his wife, seems like an endorsement of the man and his actions.
Well, NO! It is normal for politicians to go to church – privately or openly. They go to some and avoid others, but it does not necessarily mean the church or pastor are bad because a politician came around.
The expectation of Nigerians is to ‘speak the truth’ to politicians, and complain about how bad they are, and the sufferings of people at any opportunity. OK.
But we have a lot of this. In fact this model is the gravy train of some, complain in public – collect in private. Complaining and activism is also the appearance of ‘doing something’ have the people on your side, and actually do nothing – which would have had more impact from the outside.
Assuming Adeboye is sticking with the mission and vision of RCCG, as his core role, he has done no wrong in being with a politician. If a Pastor asks a person, are you born again? If the person says yes, what should the Pastor do? Say no you are not, or say you are pretending?
Whatever may be anybody’s issue with Tinubu, it starts and ends within his family, or those in direct line of his said manipulations. If the wife met the requirement for ordination and not under any investigation or anything, then the church and the Pastor have done nothing wrong.
The ridicule of many on social media over the event was because of the hatred they have for the church and their Pastor – not that it is a scandal. Daddy freeze joined in the ridicule feeling sort of vindicated in his campaign that churches are responsible for the problems of Nigeria. NO!
It will be interesting to have a report on how RCCG church blocked electricity generation and distribution projects across Nigeria. It will also be interesting to find how it the RCCG and their Pastor were responsible for the rot across all the sectors in Nigeria.
Some of those who condemn the Pastor host politicians at their parties and crave for politicians attention, connection and help. But it is easy to point fingers, because of the hate in their heart.
Assuming Adeboye is an activist and the politician came to his church, and he said nothing – then he has failed. Assuming Adeboye is a contractor and delivered a stupid project – then he has failed.
But as a true Pastor, required to win souls, allowing those who aren’t born again to access him, high profile or not, is a good thing. Whispering Jesus loves you; to them also, is a good thing.
Hating churches and Pastor is easy – while forgetting everything else. The culpability of the church by Daddy Freeze and his hate supporters is worthless. The church or the Pastor isn’t responsible for national development. They have their own goal.
There are failures of responsibility for any organization, and churches can have theirs, but Nigeria’s underdevelopment, or humongous corruption is not on true churches no matter what anybody says.
Remi Tinubu is high profile and got ordained. It is probably based on meeting the requirements by the church and it is her responsibility to keep on with faith. The Pastor and the church have done nothing wrong.
