Call to Altar Gives me Joy - Prophetess Omowunmi Akinlaja

By Olayemi Brown
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To be a servant of God is to be happy indeed! Nothing can bring more peace and satisfaction than to be in God's ministry. All of us are called to be Jesus' disciples. All of us are a part of Jesus' Great Commission to go forth and proclaim the good news of Salvation. All of us are called and this in return helps our nation in no small measure.


Amazingly some are called to take a different path. For some, service to God means dedicating one's life to full time service, to be married to the Church. Priesthood and religious life are a lifetime marriage to God and his Church. Recently Prophetess (Princess) Omowunmi Akinlaja clearly chose the right path as she availed herself in God's vineyard to be spiritually used. She was gracefully ordained and coronated as Prophetess at Eternal Sacred Cherubim & Seraphim Church ''OGO OLORUN NTA'' in Lagos, precisely on 22nd April, 2012.


While she was reacting to this new responsibility she said in an emotion-laden voice: ''As a newly ordained Prophetess in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church of God, I often ask myself, ''What kind of impact will I have upon people'' ''What will people see and remember after they meet me?'' Of course, I hope I have the opportunity to lend an ear to their troubles or speak words that will strengthen their faith and inspire them to live a Christ-centered life. But if they don't hear or remember my words, I believe that they will recall seeing a young woman, living out God's calling of service as an ordained minister in God's vineyard. And when people meet a woman minister such as me, I believe they will better understand that gender is always a gift from God and never a limitation on vocational callings. By being a woman in the ordained ministry, I can bear witness to the limitless power of God's love and calling which transcends race and class and gender. Although people may pay lip service to the equality of women, there is never any substitute for the actual representation of women, not only in ordained ministry, but also other vocations formerly closed to women.


''And when a little girl meets a woman minister, I believe that she will see how God calls everyone, some to ministry and some to other special roles, and regardless of society's prejudices, God has a special call for her as well. And again, when people see me as a woman in ordained ministry, they may also appreciate members of my family especially my Parents Mr and Mrs Olushola Akinlaja and my father's elder brother (my uncle) Hon Joseph Akinlaja for supporting and loving of a minister which God has called me to take charge. As I grow in experience, I have come to embrace the necessity of team-building in ministry, not only among other prophets and prophetess, but in congregation, denomination, and wider community. My success is constantly strengthened through wisdom and caring, my congregation's support and helping hands, and my denomination's vision. Of course, I believe it is crucial to see a fair representation of women in ministry. More importantly, however, we need to see women and men in team-building and working together in ordained and lay ministry roles, in order to build the beloved and inclusive kingdom of Christ.''



History has it that The Cherubim and Seraphim movement church, also known as the C&S, is a church denomination in Nigeria that was created by Moses Orimolade Tunolase in 1925. Orimolade received a direct communication from Jesus Christ in which Christ instructed Orimolade Tunolase to found the church. Orimolade received considerable media attention when he healed a girl, Christina Abiodun Akinsowon, from a long-term trance in which she could neither speak nor hear. After the healing event, Orimolade Tunolase and Abiodun Akinsowon teamed up, as father and adopted daughter, and offered their services to heal and pray for people.


The Cherubim and Seraphim group have dreams and visions that facilitate the connection of God and humanity. In 1925, God directed them to name their circle of followers seraphim, after an angel they saw in their dreams. Two years later, they added "Seraphim" to the name of their church, making their congregation the Cherubim and Seraphim. Several years after the creation of the Cherubim and Seraphim, different denominations following in its traditions broke off and formed new churches. The Church of Aladura, which began in 1930 under the lead of Josiah Oshitelu, was one of the churches that began under "similarly spectacular circumstances" as the Cherubim and Seraphim. By the 1940s, the Aladura movement church had begun to spread throughout the world, from places in Africa to other English speaking countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom and other parts of the world.