Contact without contamination: the Church and the world by Tunde Akande

Nothing shows the reason for the decadence that the Church has become in Nigeria than the recent birthdays of Oyedepo and then, Tunde Bakare, two of them leaders of faith in this beleaguered nation.

By some coincidence, credit for the headline of this piece belongs to Pastor Tunde Bakare, pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church, formerly the Latter Rain Assembly in Lagos, Nigeria, a man with high facility for words. Tunde Bakare coined that phrase in his early days in the Church when he taught separation of the Church from the world. There must be a marked difference between the world and the Church; the mind of God for his Church is to have a people who will live for him in their character, mannerisms, conduct and composure. God was demonstrating this desire when he took Israel, a type of Church from the midst of Egypt, a type of the world where they learnt the sinful ways of Egypt to the full, then took them through a wildermess journey where he took the character and lifestyle of Egypt out of them. By the time Israel got to their promised land in Cannan, another type of the world system, God expected that they had learnt more of him and his ways as to be able to eliminate their hosts whose land he had given them. Israel must not learn the ways of Cannan, otherwise the land will spew them out as it did the Cannanites who lived there before them. Cannanites were rejected because of their lifestyle of sin and idolatry.

By another coincidence, Pastor Tunde Bakare, the owner of the phrase employed as headline here is also the subject matter of this piece. Like David Oyedepo of the Winners Chapel before him, Tunde Bakare celebrated his 70th birthday recently on the 11th November 2024. David Oyedepo's 70th birthday was the talk of town but was roundly condemned for its outlandishness by some in the Church, including this essayist. Would Tunde Bakare's take the same route as Oyedepo? This writer asked and predicted that going by his antecedents, Bakare and their church, CGCC are likely to either equal David Oyedepo or outdo him.

This is what the bible, the book of Christians say concerning the Church and unbelievers: "Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness ? And what communion hath light with darkness? What concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols for ye are the temple of the living God as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you.

And will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my son's and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Having therefore these precious promises dearly beloved , let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God." ( 2Cor 6:14 - 7:1).

It was great time for the Church and the nation Nigeria when the Church upheld this scripture. An Alhaja, wife of my uncle, very disciplined Muslim whom I acknowledge as the pillar of the success of her six children told me in her days as a teenager she admired Christians for their discipline, character and candour. Christianity then she told me was associated with civilization, good and modest dressing.

But today, Christians have lost all those even becoming worse than the world. I wondered she noticed that because I also did as we grew in the same neighborhood. I also was a Muslim then. But what happened? These are a people for whom their Bible writes; "We know we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1John 5:19). Again, what could have gone wrong? Even modest Christians acknowledge that their Muslims colleagues are far more disciplined. What could have happened? Prophet Jeremiah gave us a clue: "Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed, all that honoured her despised her because they have seen her nakedness: yea she sigheth and turneth backward.

Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end: therefore she came down wonderfully; she had no comforter. Oh Lord behold my affliction for the enemy hath magnified himself."( Lam 1: 8-9).

Nothing shows the reason for the decadence that the Church has become in Nigeria than the recent birthdays of Oyedepo and then, Tunde Bakare, two of them leaders of faith in the beleaguered nation of Nigeria. Shouldn't the economic strangulation of the nation, a strangulation that does not spare the Church, restrain a sane Church leader that the times are not auspicious for lavish parties. Bakare's birthday not without expectations was sordid and it abused all sensibilities. I had thought the harsh season will send signal to Bakare to be cautious but it did not. I watched on You Tube a horrendous display of carelessness. I watched as the same politicians who are responsible for the comatose economy gathered around Bakare mocking Nigeria as they danced whereas they should be weeping. I watched as women in outlandish outfits danced displaying their flesh as if they were in a pub house. I watched as they danced to Sunny Ade's music.

Why Sunny Ade in the Church of God to celebrate a man of God? I remember that the reason is that Christians now dance to all sorts of worldly musics, so it does not matter if they invited the music of the world to the Church facility, it does not matter if Satan is invited to the house of God. I watched as "white cap chiefs," emissaries of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu took their seats among a people that are called by the name of Jesus, perhaps with their horses and chariots, so to speak, in their pockets and chanting silently their incantations. Who invited them and why? Could it be the same Bakare who once preached that the downward trend of the Deeper Life Church began when the pastor of that Church, brother WF Kumuyi invited the late leader of the Celestial Church, Bilewu Oshoffa to minister at the Deeper Life knowing full well that the Celestial is a false church who got their anointing from water spirit. I saw only Pastor Okonkwo of the The Redeemed Evangelical Church and Pastor Sarah Omaku among the greats at the event and I did wonder why all others were not there. I know in the days of Bakare's fiery combat with the military and the church leaders, when the fire was still burning, Bakare made many enemies in the Church.

But he seems to have reconciled with the world now. Very prominent in the crowd were politicians of all shades, those who have ruined the country . Though Bakare in his short speech told them that they all should put the nation first, I think he should know better than that since those men are not ready to put the nation first in anything. Why did Bakare decide to join the hypocrites? I saw a cheque of an undisclosed amount presented to Bakare and I asked, for God's sake, when will Church leaders in Nigeria stop taking worship from people who worship in the churches. Church leaders take worship from people of God when they behave as God in the Church. I saw church people danced and danced as if there will be no tomorrow and I groaned: where will also these take the church? Are we not tired of the ruin we have brought upon the nation? Are we not tired of the ridicule unbelievers made of us daily, tired of abuses and invectives poured on us on the social media.

When I saw the dancing both to the music of Yinka Alaseyori and that of Sunday Ade, I shook my head in amazement; are these not the same Christians whom the Lord Jesus spoke in Matthew 24:27-42 "But as the days of Noah were so shall also the coming of the son of man be.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark,

And they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken and the other left.

Watch therefore, for ye knew not what hour your Lord doth come."

Honestly I don't think a people who are living in expectation of their Lord will throw caution to the wind as I watched on that birthday celebration of Pastor Tunde Bakare. But let's celebrate Tunde Bakare for the humongous solar light that he donated to his alma matter, the Faculty of law, University of Lagos. I told a friend, an unrepentant critic of the Church who is also a Christian. He called me later and said as he watched it on television he was happy because it was a commendable thing and asked me to write about it. I hope the Church will wake up from its slumber! We are not of the world.

First Published in METRO

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Tunde Akande is both a journalist and pastor. He earned a Master's degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos.