PASTOR SAYO AJIBOYE: ELC CAMP REPORT 2005

REPORT
Of the
EMERGING LEADERS CONFERENCE 2005
Held at
Children Evangelical Mission (CEM) Camp
Along Oyo Road, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
Thursday 21st July and Sunday 24th July, 2005.


DAY 1

First Session

The conference kicked off early on the 21st of July, 2005 with registration. At about 6.05pm, Pastor Odeh Akatu lead the introductory session explaining camp rules programs and ethos. Rev. Abejide Segun took the next session and he exhorted campers from Judges 13:1-5. He discussed the life of Samson and how Samson made a mess of God’s anointing on his life. He spoke about how Samson’s emphasis were going into the land of the Philistines and seeking strange women. He challenged the campers to evaluate their emphasis and see wether it lines up with what God desires. Other passages that he quoted were from Judges. 14:1; 16:1 and Prov. 20:27.

Second Session: Restoring David’s Fallen tent

The second session for day 1 was taken by Pastor Ajiboye Sayo. He drew his text from Amos 9:11-15 saying we should be prepared for a systemic change that will rock the Nation and make it to fit into God’s purpose. He talked on the life of David saying that before David became known, there was a disobedience of the government and also disobedience of the people in the land. He asked the question "Does God have an answer for Nigeria? Is there hope for us? He said that if there was hope for Israel of old, there definitely is hope for Nigeria today. He asked "Why did God receive David but perfectly rejected his brothers? What was the thing that made a difference between David and his siblings? Is it possible that heaven is crying today for a son or daughter of Nigeria who God can accept and anoint? He said that the answer to the choice of David must be found in "his tent" He dwelled at length on the tent of David and what the bible has to say about tents and tabernacles. The first tent or tabernacle the bible referred to is our bodies. He asked us to "What is going on in our bodies that will make the heavens to say "we will wait?" He talked of the tents of David in many places.

Tent of David in Judea

David’s tent in the wilderness of Judea where he was keeping the flock was the tent of preparation. It was where David kept his father’s sheep. It was there David practiced the skills that later singled him out for a life of purpose. He advised the participants to practice with whatever may be equivalent to their own "sling and the staff." "Imagine the level of skill with which David attacked a lion with a staff and the Lion died and imagine also Goliath and how David took him out with the sling." It is time to act, to practice ceaselessly for the day the Lord of heaven will call on our skills. Pastor Sayo asked, "What do you do with your time - for instance?" What is the major block of activity to which you commit time? This activity will be critical in defining your future. Pastor Sayo said that David’s tent in the wilderness of Judea was a place of intense private seeking of the Lord. He said that the search for someone who can play will always lead to someone who has prayed. Ps 119:147. God is looking for men who can pray fervently in the secret so that they can be chosen to play in the public. If we want God to answer us in public, then we should go and pray in secret. God has a good plan for me and it is in the place of private intense prayer. It is not just a place of praying but of worship also.

David’s Tent in Adullam I Sam. 22:1-5

Pastor Sayo described Adullam as a very challenging place, difficult terrain and minimal supplies; but it was there in the midst of challenges that David established his leadership for his own family. In David’s tent, there was room for his father, his mother; his sibling etc. There was room for men who are discontented, distressed debtors. The dejected and rejected within the society found hope inside David’s tent. Pastor Sayo encouraged us to begin early in sensing how God wants us to serve the needy and the distressed that crosses our path. It is our effectual service to the least that will define our trajectory to purpose and destiny. "You must purpose to live a life of compassion".

Pastor Sayo emphasized that "There are people that we don’t agree with their modus operandi but who God places in our ways and make us to interact with. We don’t even know what the result of the interaction will be while we remain under God’s tutelage. Pastor Sayo ended by emphasizing the need for mentoring relationship. How did David negotiate the tight corners and challenges that he faced? He had effective relationship with people who spoke words of instruction and encouragement into his life. Probably he related with Samuel before he died, definitely he had a relationship with Ahimelec the priest at Nob, Nathan was constantly featuring at critical junctions in his life and there were many others who David allowed to speak into his life. Pastor Sayo encouraged us to have mentoring relationships, somebody that knows our story, and somebody that throws challenges your way so that you won’t get into trouble at a later date?"

DAY 2

Corporate Devotion

Day 2 started with a Corporate Devotion at 5.30am, Engr. Toyin Saliu anchored the session. He talked about the man Zacchaeus from Lk. 19: 1-9. In the morning meditation, Engr. Saliu emphasized the fact that we must withdraw from the crowd as Zacchaeus did because the crowd has nothing good to offer us. We must also seek to see Jesus. He described how Zacchaeus climbed the tree to see Jesus and explained in detail what it requires to do this. For any tree climber to be successful, he must push upwards. "Climbing the tree" he noted means "reaching to things that are right now beyond our reach". He related his experience of climbing trees as a young boy in expounding on this text. "As Christians, we must always seek to know Him more withdrawing from the crowd that distracts us from doing the father’s will". The session ended at 6.30am.

Team Teaching

At 8.00am, the participants were back in the hall and the next program commenced. The session was a seminar in form of a team teaching with Pastor Ken Shirkey leading while Pastors Ajiboye Sayo and Akanimoh Peter were supporting. The seminar was on World Missions. One of the facts stressed is that God has blessed us so that we can be a blessing to others. "God is not a God that hides His purpose Hab. 2:14." Ps. 96:2-3 talks of God’s missionary mandate – talks about all nations praising His name. Ken said that we were saved to declare God’s glory among all the nations! "When God talks about nations, he means people, the Israelites, Amalekites, Yorubas, etc. The Devil was rebellious, but God found a man in every generation to uphold His Holy name, His reputation. Even though at many points in time, man built tower like tower of Babel, a symbol of defiance and refusal to give glory to the king but even in the midst of such rebellion, God’s divine purpose stood firm. He continued to "make" man who gave glory to His name. He added that after God has scattered the Post-Diluvian man, He found Abraham who was blessed so he can be a blessing to many nations. "Man in his highest estate was made to reflect God’s glory, when God finds a man that will submit to His purpose, his presence and glory fills the place" "God changed the name Abram (father of exalted fame) to Abraham (father of the multitude of nations). God instructed Abraham to look up and count the stars in heaven – each star was to mean a nation. We are created in His image and we are reflections of who He is. When God speaks, His glory is at stake and as such, He fulfil what He says".

In summarizing and contextualizing what Pastor Ken said, Pastor Peter Akanimoh said

"God is a God of purpose, we were made to live for a purpose. We must keep our eyes on this purpose. To be a great man, we must work in a purpose that is beyond what we can perceive"

The Lessons continued with an explanation that the Bible is divided into three parts
Gen. 1-11 – Introduction, Gen. 12 – 3rd John – Story Line, Jude – Rev. – Revelation.

Pastor Peter dealt with God’s purpose by revisiting Gen.3:15 and Gen. 12:1-3. Gen. 3:15 – defines what God said He would do in declaring a full scale onslaught against satanic kingdom. Gen. 12:1-3 – purpose clause (3b) in which God has decided to bless Abraham so that all nations can be blessed. God’s purpose is to bring Glory to Himself, to show His glory, to deal with evil power on behalf of the nations.

Pastor Ken took over here and explained that "Israel is called to be a separate people – Ex. 19:5-6. He called them out and demonstrated their separateness in The priests who ministered to God." I Kg. 8:41-47, in Solomon’s dedication of the temple. Ps. 67:1-2 – God’s purpose is that all nations will go through all the Earth and see God. Jonah 4:1-2 – Jonah know God’s purpose and His own purpose but was not ready to give Himself up.

This second part deals with the Advancement in the Gospel. And in the summary Peter Akanimoh gave:" Jesus focused on both the Jews and Gentiles. At the end of His ministry, he gave a great global commission that is not limited to a people but is sent to the whole earth.

Mechanisms of Missions

How do nations got to know God?

• Voluntary go mechanism: When the people of God intentionally go to the nations to tell the nations.

• Involuntary go mechanism: When God use suffering to send his people to other nations e.g. Joseph.

• Voluntary come mechanism: when the nations voluntarily come to Israel e.g. Ruth the Moabitess, the queen of Sheba.

• Involuntary come mechanism

In the first 2000 years of the Advancement, there were major blocks of people evangelized.

First 10 years – Jews

First 400 years – Jews and Romans

There was a vibrant church in North Africa by the 4th Century. Through the ministry of Paul and the Apostolic team and witness of persecuted Christians.

Barbarians – ancestors of the Europeans, were evangelized in the 8th Century

In all the mechanisms, the involuntary go and voluntary come mechanisms were mainly used.

With the Vikings – men of the sea – Finland, in the 12th Century – Evangelization of Europe, in the 16th Century evangelization of Arabs, Crusades, Serasins, the Moslems especially the Arabs and in the great century of missions – Africa, Asia…

Three Eras of Christian Mission

First Era: Evangelization of the Coastlands – William Carey, a cobbler, he is known as the father of modern missions. He was the one that made the church to understand missions as we know it today

Second Era: Evangelization of the Hinterlands - – Hudson Taylor, China and the Inland Nations

Third Era Evangelization of the People groups – Cameron Townsend and Donald Mcgravan and Bible Translations

Fourth Wave: There is the fourth wave which is the professional Christians operate and are involved in the missions through their workplace."

Evening Session:

The evening session commenced at 4.00 pm and featured Pastor Charles Kpandei of Victory Chapel, Lagos. He presented a seminar on "Change in the workplace: Trends and Expectations"

He defined workplace as a place where we show our skills in order to make a living. It often involves solving a problem or providing a form of service for people. Men expecting a placement in the workplace must therefore posses a skill or have the capacity to deliver a form of service. Skill acquisition is the primary thing to consider when thinking about entrance into the workplace. Pastor Kpandei noted that there are many changes in the workplace. The days when employees think the government or their company owes them a living because they are "employed" is over. Anyone not contributing is in danger of being made redundant and being asked to exit the workplace. Pastor Kpandei noted the following as Trends going on in the Nigerian workplace.

Trends in Nigeria

Employers aren’t just demanding a university degree, they are requesting for a certain class and are demanding post graduate studies.

Employers now seek multi-skilled individuals who can speak more than one language and have definite ability to interface with the continually changing face of technology.

Employers now utilize elaborate and sophisticated methodology that seeks not only to know the intellectual and mental capability of the employees, but also other behavioral make up and talent of the prospective employee. Tools such as MBTI, Myers Briggs, MMPI are now being deployed in choosing who gets employed or not.

The traditional methods of soliciting for job and job awareness become electronic. So you will most probably find your ext job advertised on a website.

Organisations are using more sophisticated performance appraisal techniques with clear evaluation criteria and target such that individual performance and reward are efficiently tracked and good performances are well rewarded.

Workplaces are getting increasingly technology driven.

The effect of globalisation is gradually evident in the workplace – local workplace, global standard. Think Globally, Act Locally.

Mergers and Acquisitions – How much value am I adding to the shop?

A new trend of fast integration into IT, we are moving in Africa from industrial age to the knowledge age, people with brilliant idea are re-inventing the workplace

A new awareness and challenge by more and more people in the work place willing to become employer than the employees. People are creating wealth by actually creating value – don’t be to satisfied with where you are, new people learn to take small steps that eventually turn out to be big.

The session ended at about 6.00pm, After this there was small group studies from 6.00 pm to 6.40 pm after which was followed by a discussion The study groups were divided into 12 with Facilitators like Sister Tundun, Dr. (Mrs) Olatunji, Rev. Abejide, Pastor Ajiboye, Pastor Charles, Pastor Odeh, Pastor Ken, inter alia.

DAY 3

CORPORATE DEVOTION

The session started again at 5.30am with Engr. Saliu. He charged the participants by asking a question "Who is your closest associate?" He said a man who spends his time in the courts of the Almighty need not be disturbed by his past or the fear of the future. Zacchaeus committed that his life will be separated, his fear of what went on in the past evaporated, his commitment to what is possible in the future was clear. God is waiting in the place of our private prayer where he want to commune with us. God wants to remove our fears.

Engr. Saliu continued on this theme by speaking from Judges 6, he related to the participants the life of Gideon. He said that "the angel of the Lord is a manifestation of God Himself." He described the seriousness of Gideon and Israel’s situation by describing how Gideon threshed wheat in a Wine press. He prayed that the Lord will show us how not to use the wrong tool in our attempt to reach a meaningful goal. He described how fear pushes people to use the wrong tool and how a visitation of God is what makes people able to break the power of fear that makes them use the wrong tool. He described how God’s favor releases God’s mercy and makes a fearful man into a savior of his people. He prayed that the Lord will raise saviors up for Nigeria and Africa. He said that the Lord is saying that we should go home and prepare what we need to give Him and He is waiting patiently for us to do it and come back and meet Him at the same point. Engr Saliu emphasized how there is an heavenly father who speaks on behalf of His Children just like Gideon’s father spoke on behalf of Gideon, and that if we will do the father’s will, His voice will speak on our behalf 2 Kg. 11.

He explained further how the Midianites had a dream and had known even before Gideon that he has been defeated. God cut down Gideon’s army from 32000 to 300 but Gideon remained resolute, not faint hearted. The enemy is the Lord of darkness but our God is a piercing light. Engr Saliu encouraged us to trust in the Lord with all our might and that the Lord will speak on our behalf and our enemies will fall before a barley cake (the weakest form of cake)

Session 2 Team Teaching on World Mission came up at 8.00 am. A PowerPoint Presentation was used with the aid of a projector so that it is visible to everyone.

Ken Shirkey described Missions Strategy like a road map. He emphasized how when we do God’s work in God’s way it never lacks God’s support. He described how a strategy must be biblical, efficient – it must make good use of time, resources and Godly direction. Such strategy must be relevant, fit the culture and the application

Types of strategy

Standard Solution...Just-go no planning...Unique Solution

Prayer as a Strategic Weapon: It links us with the power of God… God requires intercession...Prayer is God’s supernatural way of sending out laborers...Prayer opens doors for Christian presence

Strategic Considerations: The right goals..., The right place at the right time..., The right methods..., The right people. The right goals deals with evangelism and evangelization

Structures of the Church include Solidarity and Modality. Mission is described by distance while evangelization is described by closeness. Short term mission is not to save people, but to love and serve them.

After this session, there was break and after the break was the Seminar session which featured Pastor Charles Kpandei.

Seminar

Toolkits for Success.

"The change in the workplace cannot happen until we are in the work place." He dwelt on Dan. 1 and made the following points out of it:

God is ready to take His own genuine children and launch them into the work place.
We must be irreversibly committed to a life of holiness.
Sound education and necessary skill is needed.

He stressed that Daniel was a preferred person – Dan. 6:3 He also made mention of the place of diligence. No half measures, whatever your hand findeth to do, do with all your might and strength. Prov. 22:29. Other things are commitment, faithfulness and excellence. He also mentioned that excellence manifest in labour.

Evening Session

The evening session was taken by Pastor Ajiboye and he discussed National Redemption. The session started at about 8.00 pm. He dwelt on the life of Nehemiah. He charged the participants to think ahead into the future and believe that God will be great on their behalf. He proceeded to explain what one can expect on the pathway into God’s purpose from the experience of Nehemiah when he rode round the ruins of Jerusalem. Pastor Sayo talked about the different gates and landmark that Nehemiah passed through and used it to explain what we may pass through in our process of growing up in the Lord.

Pastor Sayo first explained the concept of Gates in the scriptures and how Gate often represent seats of authorities; it can be positive or negative, he cited many scripture verses to explain this. Pastor Sayo therefore helped us to understand what was in Nehemiah 2: 11 - 16 where Nehemiah inspected the city walls. He explained how God leads us through the valley - David into the valley of Elah, so that he can confront and kill Goliath, the righteous through the valley of Bacah so that he can turn it into a spring of waters! (Ps 84:6) Pastor Sayo described how after victory in the valley we often face deception of the dragon, the snake trying to tell us, you can do it on your own He warned us not to trust in our own strength because we had some visible victory in an area or the other. He said we should rather move on in our life of faith to count everything as "dung" like Apostle Paul, to count everything as loss. He said that when we begin to learn the laws of absolute submission, then the springs of life will bring to spring forth into fountains of his power. He said we should be careful not to waste the fountains - like Solomon, but to submit ourselves to rigorous discipline so that the fountains can become a pool where the King of King can enjoy his Lordship. He made a strong call for a disciplined lifestyle and a committed visionary purpose. He said he believed Nigeria can be saved if we so do. The session ended at about 11.15pm with singing and praises to the Lord in the Niger-Delta style.

DAY 4

On Sunday, the morning devotion started at 5.00 am with worship session taken by Barnabas Alayande. Pastor Sayo led all the other ministers in conducting the Lord’s Supper. We prayed and we broke camp. Everyone was to go back to their churches that morning to serve.


Standing for the Poor of God's people