Recently, I had the opportunity to sit in on an interview with Pastor Sunday Adelaja, the Pastor of the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God Church in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. During the interview which lasted close to an hour, Pastor Adelaja responded to a variety of questions directed at him by the NIFES representatives to the Ukraine. NIFES is the Nigeria Fellowship of Evangelical Students.
 
Though the discussion was extensive, the central and focal point of the interview was one of national transformation. It remains the country’s most pressing need given the state of the nation which many consider to be deplorable.
 
Consequently, there now exists, a general sense of dissatisfaction within the nation of Nigeria today due to the innumerable amount of obstacles that the growing nation still faces--including a relatively high unemployment rate, poor infrastructure, insufficient healthcare, the list goes on. The cry for a change, quite like the birth pangs of a woman in labour, is getting progressively stronger and louder by the day. In the midst of this, there remains no better person to look to for practical insight and useful advice other than Pastor Sunday Adelaja. He is a man who has helped revive and transform a nation--a man that knows the journey all too well. NIFES therefore hopes that Nigerians, the youth in particular, will be able to learn from a man who has been used to accomplish so much.
 
The NIFES team were eager to get the interview underway. So with the preliminaries out of the way, they went on to ask Pastor Adelaja about his early years in the Ukraine and how God called him.
 
“Actually, it all started not in the Ukraine but in Belarus, Russia,” began the pastor just as our drinks arrived.
 
It turned out that Pastor Adelaja's journey began roughly 25 years ago when he became one of three hundred bright young hopefuls to be granted a scholarship to study in Russia. 300,000 students had applied but only 300 were awarded scholarships! Little did he know at the time, that through this seemingly innocent decision to further his education abroad, the divine will of God for his life and the plan for the people of Ukraine was beginning to unfold.

And so barely 6 months before leaving the shores of Nigeria for Russia, he responded to God’s calling and gave his life to Christ. This marked the beginning of his walk with God; one that would subsequently bring many Ukrainians to salvation in the Lord. The communist regime in Russia may have had their own agenda, but God had His and His was going to be final.
 
Of course life in Russia wasn't without its challenges. In fact, there seemed to be no end to the obstacles that would arise in the life of the native Nigerian who had taken it upon himself to live in and disciple a nation still ravaged by the effects of a brutal communist regime.
 
For starters, the government was very anti-Christian and spreading the word about Christianity was almost impossible--those who attempted to do so were openly persecuted. Many of Adelaja's colleagues and fellow believers were deported back to their home countries. Others were institutionalized in physiatrist hospitals and many more turned away from the faith under the overwhelming pressure from peers and the government. Additionally, the deeply ingrained tradition of Orthodox Christianity in many Russians and Ukrainians often hardened their hearts to the words of well-intentioned missionaries from other denominations.
 
“BUT God is faithful and He saw us through it. There was an underground church that was comprised of six people (myself included) and I was able to receive mentorship and support through prayer. “
 
When questioned about his ability to stand where others had succumbed, “Better to die than to forsake the faith” was Pastor Adelaja's resounding response. This was his guiding principle at the time (which by the way differs from his current one) and his resilience to proclaim the gospel no matter the cost was one that would be rewarded later in life.
 
Now, almost 25 years later, over a million souls have been won for God. There are now over 300 branches of the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God Church in the Ukraine alone and about a thousand worldwide. The church also has a believer base that collectively, is stealthily influencing and establishing kingdom principles across all spheres of their society.
 
“Sir the Nigerian youths have heard so much about you and see you as a mentor. They would like to see a change from people simply being religious, to people who affect the society. Our theme this year is therefore one of transformation.  And so with that in mind, what advise can you offer such youths,” asked Grace Iyanda, a NIFES representative.
 
“Well for a start there needs to be a desire to want to affect a change in the society.”
 
He also went on to express his pleasure by saying,
 
“I am very pleased with this new development that is sweeping across Nigeria. Originally many people believed that evangelism was all that was necessary to transform our nation. While evangelism is good, and is a fundamental starting point, evangelism alone does not bring about national transformation. This is why Nigeria, a highly evangelised nation, has yet to experience change on the same scale that Ukraine has.”
 
He further added that,
 
“Admittedly, there has been a shift in the mindset of the average Nigerian. We have finally left Egypt mentally. We are no longer happy with the status quo and we hunger for a change.”
 
But merely ‘talking the talk’ will not bring the desired results. We must also ‘walk the walk’.
 
According to Pastor Adelaja,
 
 “People must be taught to rise up and impact the society around them. The manifestation of power used in delivering the Israelites from Egypt was not the same one used to help them occupy their promise land. Instead, God instructed Joshua to rebuild the land, an action which required that they employ their God given gifts and talent. Similarly, each Nigerian must be made to realize that they too can be agents and/or facilitators of change by making use of their gifts and encouraging others to do likewise.”
 
“Furthermore”, explained the pastor, “the church needs to affect every fabric of society. God has used the older generation via great displays of power, to deliver us from the land of Egypt. It is now the responsibility of the younger generation to go and take the promise land. Our generation needs to influence all areas of the society, be it media, politics, finance, sports, arts, entertainment etc.“
 
And his current philosophy in life, which is “to know God and to make him known,” reflects that mentality.
 
“I intend to be a God carrier and a Kingdom imposer,” said the apostle of God. ”We have been created as Kings and Priests set upon the earth to rule and to have dominion:  created to be influencers, ready to infect and affect everything around us.”
 
Pastor Adelaja further drove home the point by using an illustration from the bible. He pointed out that in Joshua 5: 12, God deliberately caused the manna to cease the moment the Israelites entered the promise land because He (God), wanted them to labour and build a nation.
 
He further elaborated saying,
 
“There is a difference between the deliverance of a nation, the salvation of a nation and the development of a nation. So as soon as a nation begins to think about national transformation, it indicates a shift from one dispensation to another. Specifically, from that of the Moses generation (that needed God’s supernatural manifestation) to the Joshua generation (which had and used skills required to rebuild the nation). This means that the Nigerian youths now understand that we do not need miracles to build our nation. We can till the ground and watch it bear fruit. We are now returning to the original commandment that God gave Adam --to explore the ground, cultivate it, nurture it and make it bear fruit. In a similar fashion, when Joshua entered the promise land, God’s power was to be made manifest through the use of their skills (administrative, management etc) in rebuilding the nation. And so my advice is that the youths acquire skills, knowledge, insight and understanding. They need to acquire principles that develop a country, principles that were behind the development of advanced world for example.”
 
Such words of wisdom! Without a doubt, God has used Pastor Sunday to help transform Ukraine. The country today is a far cry from what it was twenty odd years ago. If Ukrainians can do it, so can Nigerians! We simply need to avail ourselves to the will of God. We need to be willing to make the necessary sacrifice and be ready to take action.
 
Pastor Adelaja’s story sends a message to all Nigerians, though particularly relevant to the youths: any individual can be successful at what they set their mind upon. Success is not an enigma. It is the product of self discipline, hard work, focus and determination, and anyone willing to incorporate these principles into their lives will most assuredly reap the rewards. Equally as important is recognising your talent(s) and/or gift(s) and applying yourself in these areas. When the people of a nation begin to recognise and apply their gifts in the area of their calling, then national transformation is only a matter of time.
 
After having achieved so much, one would assume that Pastor Adelaja would be satisfied and content with what he has been used by God to accomplish. But I was inspired after learning that there still lies within him, an even greater vision for the people and the country of Ukraine: a vision that one day hopes to see Ukraine become a country that exports Christian values.
 
As the interview progressed, Pastor Adelaja also talked about his high and low points as a minister of the gospel.
 
“Being a minister of the gospel has been a lifelong high for me,” he remarked.
“I love pasturing and liken it to going to the restaurant for my favourite meal. If I had my way, I would not take any holidays or time off. I simply love pasturing!”
 
When asked, by NIFES if there have been other challenges that he has faced, “Most certainly,” was his response.
 
“I have had challenges both within the ministry and on a more personal front. But the message of grace i.e. a deeper understanding of the frailties of man and our need for total dependence on God could not have been better understood without this compulsory elective in the school of life. I wanted to serve God in perfection but instead all I saw were my failings and that of others.  I didn't realize until later that God wanted me to have complete freedom by revealing the truth of Philippians 3:10 to me in and through that experience.”
 
He explained that perfection, as it relates to a Christian, does not mean a life that is devoid of mistakes and/or sin but rather speaks of one that is lived in total surrender to God.
 
“We are to pick up our cross daily, forgetting those things that lay behind (i.e. the error of our ways and past mistakes) and reach for those things that lay ahead. To think that you or anyone can be perfect is to try and grasp the air with your hands. It is impossible! We must not put our faith in our works but in what the blood of Jesus has accomplished for us. It is His righteousness, conferred on all those that believe, that guarantees salvation.”
 
“Sir, what would you like to be remembered for,” asked Timothy Ofoha, member of the NIFES team.
 
“My daughter gave me a painting just two days ago and on it were written the words. ‘My daddy, Pastor Sunday Adelaja is a man who lives for God and the people.’  So yes, I would like to be remembered for that. “
 
Who would you consider to be your mentor?
 
“Well, I came to know the Lord through Pastor Kumuyi’s ministry. But my training was not a result of bible school or even being mentored closely by a man of God. You see God explained to me that he has different ways of preparing His generals – some go to bible college, others a local church to be taught by the pastor while others go through mentoring. But in my own case, God told me that my training was to be different because He wanted to do something special. And so mine was in the wilderness without any interference from people. That said, I have also learnt from men of God such as Pastor Adeboye, Bishop Oyedepo, Pastor Kumuyi, Myles Munroe, TL Osbourne. Let’s just say I learn from everybody.”
 
Can you also tell us the role that family life has played in your ministry?
 
At this point, I saw the hint of a smile form around the corners of his mouth as he responded saying,
 
“I have to say that I have been highly favoured by God to have been blessed with my wife, jewel and princess, Abosede Dere Adelaja. She is a beautiful woman of God. I am convinced that if I had not been married to her, my ministry would not have been as successful. She is full of wisdom and understanding and over time I have come to realize that there are not many women like her around. She is my princess and my jewel and I owe a lot to God and to her.”
 
With that, the interview finally came to a close.
 
I came away inspired and filled with a lot of wisdom. Still, the words of Pastor Adelaja continue to ring in my mind;
 
“It is not the word you know that matters but the word you live by.”

So l will be meditating over the next few days finding out how best to implement what I have learned.
 
Shalom!
 
~Edited by Lara Ige~