As I was growing up, my family only attended church occasionally. We mainly went during holidays like Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter. My mother loved God, but she had not found real salvation. My father was polygamous, so there was competition in the family. Because of that, my mother felt her need for a Savior and had a personal interest in God. She would tell me to go to revival services, and that planted a love for church in my heart, though I was too young to understand what the Gospel was about.

In our community in Nigeria, many people worshipped idols and practiced spiritualism. As I grew older, I began to fear evil spirits and realized my need for protection from them. I knew that was beyond my abilities; it would take supernatural power to give me security and peace of mind. All my peers were seeking power from dark sources, but my mother told me, “No, you must pray.” Still, I really didn’t know how to overcome my fear of evil spirits.

When I was about age fifteen, an American missionary came to my school to teach a religious studies class. She went the extra mile to teach not only the letter of the course, but the spirit of the course. Often when she taught, she would be so moved that she would cry. We students actually made fun of her for that, but her tears registered as conviction in my heart. I remember her telling us, “You need to give your life to Jesus.” She also said that if we had Jesus, we would have no reason for fear, and that was exactly what I needed to hear.

No more fear

I decided to give my teacher’s message a chance, to see if Jesus could take away my fear and insecurity. One day I prayed and gave my life to God. Afterward, I found I was different. My speech and conversation were better, and I started paying attention in class. All of a sudden, I realized my fear and insecurity were gone! I was so happy. Then I knew that what our teacher had told us was true.

Although I did not have much guidance about how to be a Christian, God helped me. Reading my Bible and praying became regular habits in my life. I would always start my day by praying and would pray again before sleeping.

I had been popular at school and was a DJ (disc jockey), so I was used to going to a lot of parties. There were some Christian students around who were very careful about their lifestyle—they did not have boyfriends and girlfriends, and they never went to parties—but that seemed too strict to me. That was not the type of Christian I wanted to be. However, God soon changed my mind. At the last party I went to, a riot broke out, and I could have been killed if God had not protected me. Through that, God showed me that I needed to be holy. I told God I did not want worldly things in my life anymore, and He helped me to stop going to clubs and to stay away from relationships that would have been detrimental to me. Then I was able to focus on my studies, and my grades improved exponentially.

The value of sound doctrine

In my town, I met some older students who were also Christians. They felt a burden to know God more, so we started studying the Bible together. Soon, we began to experience a spiritual awakening, and my life began to change even more. I started going to revival services and loved them. Wherever they were held, I would go.

Our group gathered regularly for worship and fellowship. After our meetings, most people would just go home, but one brother was from the Apostolic Faith Church and he would invite people to his house for prayer. He also encouraged us to go to his church’s camp meeting in Lagos, even offering to pay our way. I resisted and found excuses not to go, but a few others went. When they returned, they started telling me about the doctrine of entire sanctification. I didn’t understand the doctrine and did not think it was a real experience. I fully rejected what they were saying, telling them, “You’ve just become dogmatic theologians.”

Thank God, the brother from the Apostolic Faith was patient with me and continued to be a real friend. An Apostolic Faith branch was just starting in our town, using his house as the place of worship. God helped me see that the people there lived stable Christian lives. Even the younger ones lived faithfully, both during school and after school. My desire was to be like that, and God made it clear to me that I could not benefit from something if I rejected it. He showed me how I had been arrogant and stubborn, and that I was actually in the wrong.

In 1971, when God revealed that to me, I humbled myself and said, “If that is the case, I will start over from the beginning, because I want to be like these people.” I asked the Lord to help me to understand. I studied the church literature, and the teachings registered in my heart. I was willing to start over and do my first works again, and God renewed the experience of salvation in my heart. I asked Him to sanctify me, and He let me know without a doubt that I was sanctified. He actually showed me that He had already sanctified me a couple of years before—when I had prayed to be holy after the party that turned into a riot. Back then, I had not known that asking to be holy was the same as asking to be sanctified, but it is, and that is what God had done. Once the question of sanctification was settled in my heart, it was not long until God baptized me with His Holy Spirit. That empowerment saw me through high school successfully with a clean record.

Looking back, I really thank God for the way He humbled me. Before that time, I was reading the teachings of several different evangelists, and I might have ended up joining any of their churches. In His goodness, God helped me to understand the sound doctrines of the Bible, without which I never would have lasted as a Christian. The sound doctrines are what have kept me in the faith for over fifty years. They are the reason the Apostolic Faith Church has stood the test of time for more than one hundred years—not just holding steady, but growing! This Gospel is wonderful and I thank God for it.

It pays to serve Jesus

In 1973, I proceeded to a university located in the city of Zaria. A small Apostolic Faith branch was just starting near the school, and the same brother from my hometown traveled hundreds of kilometers to introduce me to the pastor! Meetings were first held in the pastor’s home and then moved into a primary school building until we could erect our own place of worship. Some people called us “The Weeping Church” because we were often moved to tears during church services. Some of my peers would even tease me, saying, “Who is beating you?” or “Be a man.” My response was, “No, it’s the Spirit of God making me cry.”

Early on, I decided to leave the matter of marriage in God’s hands. One day, when I was in my mid-twenties, a sister entered our church and the thought came to me: That is your wife. The thought seemed like a distraction to me, so I pushed it aside. But in prayer, God let me know the thought was from Him. Her name was Comfort. I was hesitant to contact her initially, but the Spirit of God was faithful in urging me to do so. When I did, she confirmed that God had been dealing with her in the same way. We married in 1978, and Comfort has been the best partner I ever could have had. In time, God also gave us four children.

After finishing university and completing a year of compulsory government service, God called our family to serve at the church in Zaria, so we returned there. At the time it felt as if the decision was an offering to the Lord, but He had a blessing in store for us. It pays to serve Jesus! In a miraculous way, I received a scholarship to complete a PhD program at Cardiff University in England. During the three-year program, I traveled to attend church services at our Peckham church in London. I have never regretted making a decision for God.

Over the years, I have experienced God’s protection many times, but one incident stands out. In June of 1995, I needed to take a flight to Lagos. It was a short flight and we were in a small aircraft with about eighty people on board. As we were landing, the pilot lost control of the plane and we overran the runway. Everyone knew we were in imminent danger. Immediately I called out, “Jesus!” and the Spirit of God just urged me to keep calm. People began rushing forward to get to an exit, but I did not rush. Some of those people who ran to the front were killed when the plane crashed into a ditch and then caught on fire. I waited until I was directed to an exit, and then jumped from the plane and ran to safety. Sixteen people died in the accident, but I did not even have a broken bone! I could hardly believe what had happened; it seemed like a dream. But the crash was real, and God’s protection was just as real.

A new country

In the late 1990s, our family was happily serving God together in Zaria. Our children were all in school, we were helping a few new churches become established, and I was working at the university and running my own business. It seemed everything was going so well. Then, God told me, “Get ready for relocation.” He also put a song in my heart: “To the Regions Beyond I must Go.” This call from God was difficult because it was the first time He asked me to make a commitment before revealing when or where He was leading. He was calling me to make a proactive consecration! He was teaching me to pray, “Anywhere He leads me, I will go.”

Soon, there was a need for assistance at our church in Namibia, and I was asked to go there for a year. It seemed too difficult to step away from my responsibilities in Zaria, but God let me know that He wanted me to go. He opened doors in such a way that there was even a job waiting for me there. After wrestling with the decision, I finally surrendered to His will. In that moment, the peace of God flooded my heart—it felt like when I was first saved. I was so happy! There was no doubt that was the right decision.

My plan was to stay in Namibia for two years and then return home to my family. In fact, the week I left, the foundation was laid for our new house in Nigeria. However, God had a different plan. I arrived in Namibia in 2002 and was leading a program called Christian Aid Volunteers, an initiative God gave us to explore. Through the program, students would come to study in Namibia and also support the church there. To my surprise, two fellow ministers allowed their sons to join the program. Then my son also decided to join, so he came to live with me. Then another of my children also applied and was granted admission. Soon, all of my children had joined me in Namibia! My wife had been visiting frequently and started looking for employment. Once she was hired, she was able to relocate as well. Rather than me returning to my family, God had put us all together in Namibia. Over twenty years later, we are all still here serving God.

Not worried

By remaining in Namibia, I had to walk away from my pension at the university I had worked for in Zaria. Initially, that troubled me. It seemed like a great loss because I had been working toward that pension for twenty-five years. But while praying about it, God told me, “Don’t worry.” That really put my mind at ease, and I was able to decide not to return for the pension but to stay where God wanted me to be. He gave me the promise, “I am your exceeding great reward.” Now, every time it comes to mind, I feel very happy because it reminds me that God told me I have nothing to worry about! That is worth much more than a pension.

Our congregations in Namibia are mostly immigrants and refugees, so there are many challenges among us. Even so, the people have generous hearts and God has been our Provider. He proved Himself again recently while I was at camp meeting in Portland, Oregon. During the camp, a message came from home saying that the audio mixer at our church had stopped working. We needed that equipment for the online services that some of our congregations depend on, so I was concerned. After praying about the matter, the Lord reminded me that I do not need to worry. This is not my work; this is God’s work. When He calls and commissions, He will also support.

Before camp meeting ended, I was told that someone had given an offering for the church in Namibia! Even before the mixer had broken, God already knew how He would provide a new one. He is so good. I told our church members, “Don’t worry, I am bringing a new one home with me.”

God is wonderful! His plans for us are always best. We may encounter challenges, but this is a victory road and I am rejoicing with Jesus along the way. The balance of my life I have given to Him.