Archbishop God-Dowell Avwomakpa aside being one of the vocal voices in the South-South region, is the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria in that region. The Founder/General Overseer of Christ Missionaries Crusaders Church, he was born at Oginibo in Ughelli South Local Government of Delta State, Nigeria, into a Christian family of Avwomakpa Majomi. He was a soldier in the Nigerian Army until was called out to capture souls for Jesus Christ. The respected minister of the gospel in this exclusive interview with Senior Reporter Anthonia Soyingbe opened up on his days of struggling and his rise to fame among other personal issues.
Archbishop God-Dowell Avwomakpa
Looking at the glittering environment you are in, one is tempted to assume that this affluence have always been there since you started the ministry. Can you let us into how you got to this level?
There is time for everything, for me my starting point was a very bad time but I endured those days of humble beginning. It didn’t start like this, it started very poor. I grew it into where I am today. It started very low but I endured. I also had the conviction then that God will one day promote and project me. Where there is a vision, there is a provision except the vision is not from God.
Can you go more in-depth into your days of beginning?
For many years I didn’t have a coat let alone a suit. I wore slippers on my wedding day and there was no money to sponsor the wedding, no one to lend us a car but we used a bicycle. My wife sat behind me with her soft hands on my shoulder. I always say it in the church that only few women will agree to marry me when my wife accepted my marriage proposal. My father died when I was just nine years old.
You could have borrowed a shoe from someone instead of wearing slippers on your wedding day. Why didn’t you borrow?
When I got married, I didn’t see it a shame putting on slippers and riding on a bicycle, I knew then that it was going to be the beginning of great and awesome things. I went around preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ without any shame. It may shock you to know that it was just in 2012 that my congregation bought me my first car they said they were feeling guilty that they have never bought me a car.
After this maybe they will buy you a private jet?
I don’t know if they are planning that. If they buy it for me I will take it and if that won’t be a problem to the nation. They bought Ayo (Orijestfor) a jet and I know many people who are not in the same ramification with Ayo who have their private jets. I know State governors who bought jets, not with their personal money but from the state purse. When they gave a jet to Ayo, it was as if hell was loose. The more we seek for the goodness of our leaders, the more God will bless us.
Some minsters of the gospel are often said not to be loving fathers and caring husbands due to various pastoral commitments. Is this also applicable to you?
For every genuine man of God, it is very difficult to control the calling and the marriage. The best way to live is to stay without marriage but it takes the grace of God for any woman to accept to marry a pastor because many things will be shut down. I love my wife but not at the expense of the kingdom. I am an Archbishop here but when I go home, I am a father and husband. I don’t allow our domestic staff to wash my wife’s underwear nor do I make use of the engine, I do that myself. It doesn’t diminish who I am.
Some ministers of the gospel today are more of Prayer Consultants and go about praying for politicians and are paid for their services. Is it biblical for churches to turn their pulpits to campaign stands and churches to political gatherings?
When purposes are not known abuse is inevitable. The church is still in the stage of growth to maturity so we can’t rule out many mistakes. It will shock you that Jesus’ church shall stand one day and it will surprise the nation. Aren’t you happy that they now consult Christians for prayers? Before now they were engaging in diabolical activities just to get into power. When we started to pray and now almost all politicians don’t know the address of native doctors rather they run to churches. There were many candidates in the last political dispensation and I told people to vote for anybody they wish to vote for but Udughan is my choice. I didn’t need to pray much I just reminded God that I am the leader of all Christians in Delta State, and I know that God honours leadership and for people to know that God made me as their leader, he should answer my prayer and not others. My prayer came to pass not because I prayed much but because I am a leader. I am the head of all Christians in South South zone, you may be praying more than me but what I say matters before God because I am the leader.
Despite the proliferation of churches, evils abound in our society. What is responsible for these evils?
Even the evils are not enough by what the bible says because these are the signs of end-time. A time is coming when the whole world will not be able to cope with crime except they cry to their maker.
Can you tell us about your journey into the ministry?
In 1967, that was the beginning of the Nigerian civil war, I was a soldier then, while at night in the war front, I had a vision. It was a call from God and the voice said three times, Can you do My work in this place? I answered, yes. My response and reaction to this vision led to my voluntary resignation from the Army which became possible through my commandant, whom I found favour in his sight after narrating the vision to him through the Lord Jesus Christ. God began to work in me as I found myself getting out of all unrighteousness and embracing the truth, fear and love of God which led me to become a peacemaker instead of a fighter. That same year God led me to the Ukori Preaching Society, of which I was the secretary after one month. In 1968 the Ukori Preaching Society, which I belonged to, merged with the Anglican Adam Preaching Society under the leadership of the late Evangelist Cornelius Adam Igbudu and I believe Igbudu’s burden for lost souls was dropped in his heart and it drove me to do missionary work. I carried out my first missionary work at Iyokiri.
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