NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE VITAL ROLE OF THE CHURCH.

In recent past years ago, when Africa was simply geographical statistics to Europe; when the land was divided and passed from on European Nation to the next as gifts regardless of the multiplicity of those who lived the church stood alone as a body that had a singular role of developing and building the region.

Missionaries from different parts of the developed world stormed the then jungles of Africa bringing with them a message of salvation through Jesus Christ and education as an indispensable tool for development.

In times when the colonial masters and native government of the Africa people could n't be bothered about the responsibility of education, rather, they were encumbered with acts of milking the land dry of its rich resources and making gains by those selfless missions started schools to educate Africans and teach them how to read and write.

So focused where these missions that they shouldered funding almost completely, getting no funds from the colonial masters or the native leaders in the building of the school structures or payment of the teachers who actually doubled as missionaries then.

With time, the schools moved from single class schools to multiple class schools. Curricula were drawn up and Africans started competing on almost level grounds with European students all round the world. Teaching the African man to read was the first step in the direction of this liberation and that responsibility was taken on by the church. Now, there are schools everywhere in an African country like Nigeria. Government has gotten involved though on a paralytic level in education.

The recent clarion call by President Good luck Jonathan on churches to involve in national development and attitudinal changes was a welcome development gearing towards 2013. The church ought to be a citadel of spiritual knowledge to govern the country towards achievable and sustainable growth in Nigeria but the reverse is now the case. Despite the incessant planting of churches in every nook and cranny of the country, the so-called geometrical sin has eaten negatively into the fabric of the society. The Bible says in the book of Matthew that 'Many are called but few are chosen'. Most pastors go into ministry because of the pecuniary motive to defraud innocent worshippers of the gospel. Some places of worship are being polluted and bastardized by dodgy servants of God that came into gospel of God with egocentric mission.

Again, 40 percent of acclaimed servants of God went into ministry because of the

positive benefits being derived and nothing else. To some extent some specific church

leaders in Nigeria have demonstrated humanitarian services to the Christendom in recent

times. The true God has departed from many acclaimed born again servants of God while

still dwelling on their past glories without considering their spiritual weaknesses in the

kingdom of God. Inferiority complexity and pastoral intimidation are more pronounced in

this modern day Pentecostal churches in Nigeria while the orthodox churches still

maintaining absolute veracity and unassuming nature in terms of spiritual service to God.

Some certain Nigerians have misconstrued some great servants of God that serve God

diligently and faithfully and later received optimal blessings of God in the long run. The

issue of pastors acquiring expensive jets or automobiles and mansions is not the problem

but the question is that how many of these flock will make heaven in the last day? The

era where missionaries built schools for free is over because of the present economic

situation cannot be comparable to the olden days where few people were educated in

expense of low economic patronage and less population in the country then. To some

large extent, most of the churches have one way or the other helped to create employment

opportunities to some unemployed graduates in the country. Even though some of these

church establishments are beyond the reach of the poor in all ramifications. The

government has failed to fund public institutions which inversely gave room to private

persons to set up schools on exorbitant cost without considering the affordability of the

poor students and parents in the country. The fact remains that the church plays a larger role in developing Nigeria through

undiluted messages from the altar of God as a foundation to produce righteous leadership

if our so-called leaders are ready to learn or listen. Some church leaders in Nigeria have

demonstrated qualitative leadership in their major callings of the gospel of Christ

including Dr Ben Obi, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, T.B Joshua, Dr D. K Olukoya, Pastor

Enoch Adeboye, Pastor Ifeanyi Albert, Pastor Isreal Jonah, Ambassador Jonah Edigbe,

Dr Mark Akiti. Pastor Engr Isaac Emiyede, Bishop David Oyedepo and just mention but

a few. Any of our ostensible and supposed apex leadership is either from the religion or Muslim

circle but abysmally failed to give Nigerians creative leadership that the people voted for.

Some pastors are desperately in need of money than making heaven. While some only

interested in building mansions than building God fearing generals in the land. Some

pastors dine and wine with diabolic politicians without considering the end result of not

speaking the truth. President Goodluck Jonathan meant well for drawing the attention of

church leaders to restructure the nation's leadership. Even most northern churches have

been attacked by Boko Haram members, yet some pastors are still indisputably called by

God. Even church members are not left out. Most church members want to identify with

sumptuous servants of God than the poor ones. Every Nigerian wants to worship God in

his or her comfortable ambience with visionary servants of God and nothing else.

Now that the government is placing national recognition on the churches as the only

remedy to proactive leadership then church leaders must rise to the occasion to make the

country's leadership as a formidable one. Most pastors have betrayed the kingdom of

God over their suspicious services to God while some needed to be commended for their

frantic efforts to build intellectual leadership at all levels. The church still remains the

first institution to bring holiness leadership to the political and economic system. It is

time for PFN and CAN leaders to work as one united body to proffer solutions to the

country's plaguing leadership now. BY GODDAY ODIDI. PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR. 08058124798. 20 Oro Street, Ajegunle Apapa Lagos