By Fr. Anthony Adetayo

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ijebu-Ode, Most Rev. Francis Obafemi Adesina in granting a live interview in an Easter Sunday 2021 interaction in NTA Ijebu-Ode made this statement in response to a question asked by one of the anchors. The question was “churches are multiplying day by day but sin and evil is also multiplying, what is the cause? the Bishop in giving answer to this question said that any ministry instituted to suit only the material needs of the people will fail.

Jesus himself is not here for solely material provisions. The people didn’t tell Jesus that they were hungry in the episode where he fed 5 thousand men not counting women and children. It was when he was busy ministering to them that he sensed their hunger as a pastor. Christianity should return to its base which is preaching conversion and not prosperity Gospel. Though the devil will not back out from the church, this means that the leadership of CAN (Christian Association of Nigeria) needs not be distracted by political and financial issues. Rather they should face the issues that unite us. He said we should watch out for the content of our faith and ask this question; are we expanding churches or business outfits? According to him, in some cases leaders of churches are doing business. When the people see it as a business then every evil operation that can manipulate business ventures can also manipulate the church even if such manipulations are devilish. In addition to what can unite Christians apart from Christmas and Easter day celebrations, the Bishop said the leadership needs conversion in order to focus on what unites us. The Local Ordinary continued by saying “when I was in Ilesha in Osun State, the Catholic community gathers all churches on Galilee day in commemoration of the risen Christ but it really depends on the leadership of CAN and their priority.” “The gathering of Christians is possible even in ijebuland,” concluded the Bishop.