Annually, the GOFAMINT Students’ Fellowship do start the year with a Leadership Retreat for all the key leaders of the campus Fellowships across the nation. This year was not an exception.
The theme was THE FIVEFOLD MINISTRY, a continuation of the series on the Sons of the Prophet which started seven years earlier. Speaking on the Opening night, Pastor (Prof) Moses Aderibigbe reiterated that till the Lord will return, everyone of us will be a son of the Prophet, the Lord Himself, although there are those among us who may be in higher cadre due to their years of followership and obedience through it all.
He explained that it is Christ’s desire to see His Church built until His return and one prime means by which He ensures the fulfillment of this eternal desire is to give ministry gifts- apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers- with a central goal of perfecting the saints for the work of the ministry; edifying the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12).
He then closed the night by reiterating Jesus as the foundation and Chief cornerstone of the new testament with his apostles and prophets foundational offices by which Christ is being rooted in the believers.
Without the offices of the apostle and prophet, the Church of God will find it impossible to exist.
The Day Two commenced with series of prayer and passionate worship before the National Campus Pastor, Pastor (Prof) Moses Aderibigbe and the Head of Youth and Campus Ministries, Pastor (Dr) Tunde Ojo took the word sessions in succession.
Continuing the series on the fivefold ministry, Pastor (Prof) Moses Aderibigbe explained the role of the pastor in the spiritual house God is building. He explained that the pastor just as a shepherd has the duty of creating an healthy community where every believer planted in his care will grow in to maturity with ease. He opined that a pastor is expected to have a healthy relationship with the members, knowing them and their personal challenges. An ideal ratio of a pastor to his member was slated for 1:120, and a need for multiplicity of cells in situation that growth numerically begin to set in.
The pastor just as a shepherd has the duty of creating an healthy community where every believer planted in his care will grow into maturity with ease.
Pastor (Dr) Tunde Ojo spoke under the topic, Beyond the Desire of the Office: Another look at the Price of the Ministry. He explained that according to the pastoral epistles of Paul, there are four layers of prices and attention a person is expected to pay to be ministry worthy;
Personal Price, Family Price, Ministerial Price and Community Price. There is a level of blamelessness that anyone who will seat in the office of a bishop must possess.
Pastor Tunde Ojo explained that although the Bible counted the desire to be a bishop as noble, he opined that the desire is not all by itself enough. He also charged the congregation to contend for the power of God because there are moment in ministry that one will survive only by a sustaining power of God.
After Pastor (Dr) Tunde Ojo’s ministration, the National Campus Pastor-designate of the GOFAMINT Students’ Fellowship, Pastor Taiwo Adebayo was unveiled by Pastor (Prof) Moses Aderibigbe to the General Assembly and Pastor (Dr) Engr Tunde Ojo showered Episcopal blessings.
The tenure of the current National Campus Pastor, Pastor (Prof) Moses Aderibigbe is winding down and the newly appointed replacement will resume the office fully after a moment of understudying.