By Aramide Oikelome Lagos
It was with shock that many received the news last week that one of Nigeria’s most outspoken clerics and General Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare was rushed to Reddington Hospital, Lagos after he collapsed while delivering a lecture at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island.
Pastor Bakare
According to one of his close associates, the fiery preacher, who turned 60 earlier in the year, was said to have slumped due to exhaustion as he had had a “whirlwind of lectures in recent times”.
Events leading to the incident revealed that Bakare had been overwhelmed with myriads of activities, which included the graduation of one of his children in the United States and several other meetings in the last one week.
An eye witness account also corroborated thus; “Mr. Bakare became lightheaded and collapsed as he delivered the lecture during Capital Investors dinner at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos. There was a swelling on his forehead after he fell; hence he was rushed to Reddington Hospital. He was treated and discharged to go and rest at home.”
Although a statement by the church has pleaded with the public to remain calm, and give Pastor Bakare “the space and time to fully recuperate over the next few days”, but the truth remains that what happened to Pastor Bakare is a reflection of the health hazards to which many of today’s pastors are exposed to.
The fact remains incontrovertible that many of today’s pastors are no longer confined to fulltime pastoral duties. Indeed, many especially amongst Pentecostals have veered into business, politics, education and other activities that are as engaging (if not more engaging) as church activities. In fact, to say that many are now extremely busy is an understatement.
As can be seen everywhere, many churches now run educational institutions from primary to tertiary level, some have hospitals and hotels; even as others have become full-fledged politicians or political stalwarts and god-fathers to those on the field. Some others have chains of businesses in the area of real estates, food and beverages, etc.
Expectedly, an average pastor who is pre-occupied with these additional engagements has his divided attention. Furthermore, he has little or no time for his family; no time to relax or rest; neither can he go on vacation. If he is not preaching, counseling, praying, fasting or conducting deliverance, then he is either looking into the administrative or financial matters of his businesses, traveling for some international preaching assignments or delivering a lecture somewhere on sundry national issues. In fact, some have become workaholics so much so that they are restless when there is no activity to engage their time and attention. Unfortunately, some of their families have also disintegrated (although not visible) due to the fact that the pastor, who is the head of the home, and sometimes, his wife also, are hardly around as they are enmeshed in numerous activities.
Little wonder then that many of today’s pastors are ageing faster than anticipated; little wonder too that many of them are battling with various health challenges like hypertension, diabetes and so on that seem to defy prayers.
Commenting on this trend, a Medical Expert cum Associate Pastor with The Father’s House Church, Akute, Dr. Oladapo Ayeni said: “Nigerian pastors are human beings and must understand that they need to take care of the body that houses the Spirit and the soul if they must fulfill purpose of God for their lives”.
While admitting that their responsibility is very phenomenal, hence they hardly sleep at night, Ayeni explained further; “of all the factors that affect the systems of the body adversely if not attended to, stress plays a principal role and pastors are the worst offenders.”
The medical practitioner outlined reasons why pastors need to take care of their health and address the issue of stress because:
“1. It is in line with God’s will that you must be in health (covenant right)
2. The body is needed for you to fulfil the purpose of God for your life.
3. God is interested in you taking care of your body in what you eat, drink, recreation etc.
4. You need the body to enjoy life.”
In order to identify the true source of stress, Ayeni urges that pastors should assess their itinerary closes to identify the causes of exhaustion and then deal with them.
“To identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude, and excuses. Do you explain away stress as temporary (I just have a million things going on right now) even though you can’t remember the last time you took a breather? Do you define stress as an integral part of your work or home life (Things are always crazy around here) or as a part of your personality (I have a lot of nervous energy, that’s all)? Do you blame your stress on other people or outside events, or view it as entirely normal and unexceptional? Until you accept responsibility for the role you play in creating or maintaining it, your stress level will remain”, said Ayeni.
In managing it, he thus recommend: “There are many healthy ways to manage and cope with stress, but they all require change. You can either change the situation or change your reaction. When deciding which option to choose, it’s helpful to think of the four As: Avoid, Alter, Adapt or Accept the stressor.”
He concluded by saying that rest is pivotal to managing stress and exhaustion.
“Rest cannot be underrated here as we see that this is an area where most pastors are guilty! If you are not resting a minimum of five hrs in 24hrs a day, then something is wrong somewhere. The way to go about this is to prioritize your time such that you will still be able to accomplish your set goals for the day. You need to stay in health at all times. Majority of the present day health issues that have cut short people’s lives have been traceable to stress. Unfortunately, pastors are worse hit. “Let us be wise!” he urged.
The post Nigerian Pastors In The Throes Of Stress And Exhaustion appeared first on Daily Independent, Nigerian Newspaper.