Home Religion How GOD Told Me To Leave Real Estate To Serve Him – LAGOS Pastor, GBENGA AKANJI

How GOD Told Me To Leave Real Estate To Serve Him – LAGOS Pastor, GBENGA AKANJI

by City People

Pastor Gbenga Akanji is a very popular man of God based in Lagos. He is a Pastor at Covenant Harvest Church in Victoria Island run by Pastor Dotun Ojelabi. He recently turned 50 and there was a reception to honour him.

A few days back, City People interviewed him about life at 50 and how he left his real estate business to answer the call of God.

Below are excerpts of the interview.

How did you celebrate your 50th birthday?

We had a thanksgiving service in our church, Covenant Harvest Church and it was well attended. It was a nice time and we give glory to God for sparing my life for 50 years. Many people came to rejoice and worship God with me. We thanked Him for His mercy and for keeping me alive because in our nation today 50 years is a milestone (laughs).

Basically, looking back at life, how do you feel?

Like I said before, I just thank God that I am alive. The gift of life is paramount, in Nigeria of today, being alive alone is an achievement. In the last 50 years, I have gone through many challenges, some are still ongoing but in all, I can say God has been faithful. It wasn’t easy, growing up, I had issues with my health but God healed me, getting married, giving birth to children, but in all, God is faithful.

How easy was it for you to answer the call of God when it came?

It wasn’t easy at all, it was a very difficult situation. I have always been a church boy all my life because my Dad was a Priest.

In the year 1990, I became born again and serving God all these years has been part of me. But in 2006, God spoke to me that I should go into Ministry. I fought that revelation. I just got married at that time. I was thinking about how I will leave my business and be going to church alone, sitting down in the church.

How will I be paid? How will I take care of my family? How will I feed them? What would they eat? For years, I was fighting that thought but thank God, I eventually surrendered to God, to obey His call upon my life, and so far so good, I thank Him.

Let me take you back a bit, where were you born and where did you grow up, and which school did you attend?

I was born on June 21st, 1972 in Ibadan. My dad, who is late now, was a shepherd in the Celestial Church of Christ, and my mum is also late.

I went to Ejide Primary School in Felele, Ibadan, I went to Methodist High for my secondary education and Polytechnic Ibadan for my tertiary education. I served in 1996 in Minna, Niger State.

The following year, I came back to Lagos and started working with Diya Fatilmileyin & Co. I worked in other places too before I started my own company in 2004 till God said I should stop and go into full-time ministry.

What was your area of business before you went into ministry?

Real Estate. I was well trained and was doing quite okay before God asked me to stop. It was a tough decision but God has been helping me so far.

How do you see the many challenges facing Christendom today?

It’s scripture being fulfilled. Jesus said in the last days, we will have tribulation but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. He said I am sending you forth as sheep among the wolves. So, it’s persecution against the children of God. It’s very clear that a spiritual battle is going on.

But God has assured us that at the end of the day, victory is ours.

We don’t need to talk to anybody or fight anybody because He has promised us He is going to fight for us. The Bible says our weapons are not carnal so, we would use spiritual weapons which are prayers, fasting and good behaviour, our good character. When we love people, God will be on our side. It’s only a matter of time, it is going to be a thing of the past.

Tell us about Covenant Harvest Christian International Ministry?

It’s a place where God is raising influential leaders. God started this place through his servant, Pastor Dotun Ojelabi. This is our 12th year in Ministry. God has been so faithful. It’s a spiritual place of worship. People come here with all kinds of challenges and God is answering them, attending to their cases. There have been testimonies of God’s faithfulness over the years. We give God thanks for what He has done for us.

Tell us about Pastor Dotun Ojelabi?

He is a man who has a rare prophetic auction on his life. When he stands in the office of a prophet, there is a different flavour around him. A kind of special aura around him. When you see him, you will like him. When he is ministering, you are blessed. He also has flair for worship, when he is worshipping God wherever you are, you will start feeling God’s presence. And that has been the hallmark of this ministry. The music is spiritual, the prayer is topnotch, the word is excellent, and everything is just towards God and I thank God for that.

Let me take you back a bit, what was the conviction when God told you to leave the Real Estate business for Pastoral work?

When God speaks, you must obey.

How easy was it for you to obey?

It wasn’t easy at all like I said earlier. My wife too said I can’t do it, because it was so obvious and the reality is that no more income for the family. But you know, I am not the first person God will call into the ministry.

We have many of our fathers in the faith who experienced the terrible situation I was but God helped them.

Do you have any encounter with God?

I knew I had something to do with the church from way back but I didn’t know I was going to do full-time ministry. I did not want to do it at all because I see pastors, and what they go through; financial issues, marital issues, I said I don’t want to experience any of these but when God says I have picked you. Then what happened was that my peace was lost, I was always scared I was going to die but I thank God for helping me to obey.

What has life taught you at 50?

I realised that in life, you need to choose your battles. It is not every battle you will fight. There are some you will ignore, there are some you will circumvent, there are some you will confront, so, you must choose your battles. No 2, you must show people kindness. My assignment in life is to serve God and to help people, and that is exactly what God told me “serve me and help others”.

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