THE ROLE OF CHRISTIAN LEADERS IN NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION

Ever since I was born till date-everyone I come across express their dire need for the total transformation of the Nation but instead, the conspicuous has been more corruption, moral decadence and total deterioration.

I have seen and heard many people talk about this issue (National Transformation) at different times, many have yet given the nation a timeline to be a world power, as much as possible, if I don’t remember many, I do recollect Fela Durotoye speaking at Fathers House at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. He stated at the umpteenth time that Nigeria will be great; she will be one of the world powers etc. before 2025. It’s very close though but the truth is he wasn’t the first to say that, others have predicted 2001, 2003, 2007, 2012 etc. but as the year gets by, things seem to get worst.

According to an International body which I really can't recollect now, as at 2013, Nigeria ranks 8^th most corrupt country in the world, she ranks 7^th country with high global terrorism index (Book-Haram Insurgency), She also ranks 1^st in Examination malpractice, she ranks 2^nd in software piracy, she ranks 4^th highest corrupt in policing etc. Strike looms here and there, doctor’s strike, lecturers strike, civil servants amongst others, we should rank the best in labor strike.

Major and minor sections of the nation are grossly dilapidated. Nigeria ranks the 9^th worst country in maternal mortality. Health care, education, electricity, road networks etc. are in a great mess and the actual fact is that I won’t be the first to write about National decay and for real I can’t be the last. Reading the national dailies, the quantities of such articles are enormous. As I stop to write about our problems of which I know you are all aware of, I dare to port into the title of this article-‘The role of Christian Leaders in National Transformation’.

When the righteous rule, the people rejoice, great word from the holy book. I have come to realize that we have too many pseudo-Christians out there who proffer to be Christ-like but obviously, they aren’t. Christians are Christ-like; they have the form and likeness of Christ.
In Nigeria today, I dare to say that we have Churches that are the largest in the world that originated from Nigeria, churches like the Redeemed Christians Church of God, Deeper Christian Life Church, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Church, Latter Rain Assembly, Living Faith Church, Christ Apostolic Church and its allies, yet we experience all this problems in Nigeria, it’s a big slap on the Christian community, we have all left the affairs of the nation to the ravenous wolves to consume.

I remember in Sept. 11, 2001, America was caught off guard in a surprise attack by a group of Islamic terrorists who orchestrated a suicidal mission of unprecedented devastation which crashed the Twin towers of the world trade Centre in New York city and participation in Washington D.C and as part of the president’s initial response to the attack, he called for a national day of prayer and remembrance. The Rev. Billy Graham, an advisor to many presidents and generally recognized as the Christian statesman for the nation, was asked to lead the special service.

In Great Britain, around 1857, a similar challenge occurred. A mutinous uprising had occurred in India, a colony of the British Empire and many soldiers and British loyalist had lost their lives insubordination. As the nation looked for guidance in an effort to respond to the tragedy, they called upon a young pastor who had already proven himself to be a leader of national prominence in the heart of London. His name was Charles Haddon Spurgeon, just like Henry Blackaby noted after the horrendous 9/11 event, he said, ‘God was holding Christians acceptable for making a difference in the world’.

We believe in prayers, in bible studies, in conventions, congresses, retreats and the many programs our churches organize but when will our influential Christian leaders swing into action just like Rev. Graham and Pastor Spurgeon….when?

We may say or feel, ‘politics is a dirty game’ but we can watch the nation go down the drain. It reminded me of Wilson Wilberforce and his colleague who were great Christians and were instrumental to the establishment of missionary in Nigeria-they gave us the golden opportunity to be Christians. They were in the house of common, a replica of our National Assembly; they were referred to as the Saints of Common. They were born again Christians; they fought for our freedom by proposing the abolishment of slave trade. They described it as inhumane and as well noted that it prevented these creatures from fulfilling their God-given destinies. I know for sure, if pastors Adeboye, Kumuyi, Oyedepo were slaves, they won’t be on the hall of fame that they are now. In the quest for this abolishment, they faced stern resistance but they didn’t give up. A day before Wilberforce died, the abolishment bill was signed. This missionaries were great Christians who built our nation, built free schools for the common to be educated, is that the case in our church-owned Universities? They built health care centers-Our elders know all this. Today, we enjoy what they built but we are not making effort to further build the nation for posterity.

Conclusively, I need to re-emphasize to our Christians and Christian leaders that National Transformation is God’s Agenda but first, the nation has to be purged ‘cos the holy book states that righteousness exalts a nation but sins is a reproach to her. I discovered that many church camps are in the south west, Redemption Camp, Canaaland, Foursquare camp, Deeper life Camp, Prayer city etc., why don’t we have them in the north? Is it till the south-west becomes inhabitable before our Christian leaders stand up to the call for national transformation? We might have been doing well praying, holding programs but it’s time to react to national issues, question the economy, advice the presidency, propose godly projects (take Islamic banking for example.)

This is a call to all Christian leaders both locally and internationally known to rise up to this challenge. Heaven is in sight but we must do our best to make sure that we answer Jesus’ question positively for all, Will I still find faith when I come?

Aliu Oluwafemi-Royal