God's Evangelical Generals In Nigeria

by Eromose Ileso

Nigeria have been blessed with several great apostles of faith. The fire of Pentecostalism was ignited in the late sixties to seventies. A revival that brought the early christian life of some of the country's generals in God's courtyard. 

This piece takes a look at these God's generals and the Elisha lieutenants that have emerged who are making giant strides in their various Jerusalem alongside their Elijahs. In no particular order;


1. ARCHBISHOP BENSON IDAHOSA (1938-1998)

He was the pioneer of so many things in the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria. And several of his proteges have been doing great things just like he did during his time on earth. He established the Church of God Mission International. With key branches being the ones at Iyaro, later the Miracle Centre at Airport Road, And the imposing Faith Arena complex which is the church headquarters all in Benin City. 

Besides being a pioneering apostle of faith in church planting, his vision extended to education which saw the establishment of the Benson Idahosa University (BIU), The Word Of Faith Group of Schools which has a Nursery, Primary and Secondary arms. 

His legacies lives on. He was a lion at a time in Nigeria when there was military rule with tyrants as leaders. The city of Benin is enjoying the seed he sowed decades ago as he was the one that liberated it from the occult and worship of false gods openly.

Flagship programmes: CWFI, CGMiC.( Christian Women Fellowship International) (Church of God Mission International Convention

Key Messages: Speak The Way God Speaks, Win War Without Fighting, Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude.

Favourite quotes: Turn your scars to Stars, My God is not a poor God.

2. PASTOR ENOCH ADEBOYE

Daddy G.O. as he is fondling called is the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Several and all manner of miracles has been rout through him. The RCCG is headquartered at Ebutte Meta in Lagos having being founded by Pa Josiah Akindayomi. 

Through Pastor Adeboye the church has grown to be in over 190 countries on earth, being a fulfillment of the promise God gave to the founder that he would take the church round the world. Through Daddy GO, the Redemption Camp which is a city along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway has emerged over the last three decades. It has an auditorium that measures 3km by 3km which is a bigger than the old auditorium which is 1km by 1km. The RCCG has waxed and continues to wax stronger under him.

Flagship programmes: Holy Ghost Service, holds first Friday of every month. And the Holy Ghost Congress that holds very December.

Media Arm: Dove TV, RTM TV, Liveradio.
Educational Arms: Redeemers University. Redeemers College

3. REV DR. FELIX OMOBUDE

Papa as he is fondly called. His one of the proteges of Archbishop Benson Idahosa. Papa gave his life to Christ through Benson Idahosa. He subsequently became a pastor under Benson Idahosa. It was from there he was led to establish the New Covenant Gospel Church in 1988. With His Glory as it headquarters in Benin City, Edo State. He is currently the national president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria.
Papa is one of Nigeria's most humble Christian leaders. A man full of wisdom.

Pastor Enoch Adeboye remarked about him in March, 2016 during a Sunday Service as part of his 70th birthday celebration that: "you know a person's true character when he has power. But since being the President, he has not changed one bit."

The Gospel Light International Ministries (GLIM) which is the umbrella vision of Papa's ministry has under it, The Lighthouse Polytechnic, Evbounosa, Edo State and the Covenant Christian Academy.

Flagship messages: My Friend, My Friend, The Story Behind The Glory, Seizing The Moment, Discipleship Cost, When Common Sense Is Not Common, Giants and Grasshoppers

Key quote: You cannot spend the night on Delilah's lap and expect to wake up on Abraham's bosom.

Key Programme: BABiC,(Bible Alives Believers Convention) holds every last week of October.

4.  PASTOR AYO ORISTEJAFOR

Papa Ayo is another protege of Archbishop Benson Idahosa. He gave his life to Christ through a crusade organised by Benson Idahosa. He was the pioneer pastor at Church of God Mission in Sapele. He counts as
one of his mentors and spiritual fathers Morris Cerullo. He is the founder of Word of Life Bible Church in Warri, Delta State. He was until July 2016, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) the umbrella body of Christians in Nigeria. And he was a former president of the PFN.
He has a flagship programme Hour of Deliverance which has been aired for decades.

Media Arm: ABN TV African Broadcasting Network. On cable satellite.
His ministry also has a micro finance bank, a University and a High School.

key programme: Jubilee Word Festival. holds every November.

5.  BISHOP DAVID OYEDEPO

One of God's foremost Generals in Nigeria. He was ordained into full time ministry by Pastor Enoch Adeboye in 1983. The Living Faith Church, aka Winners' Chapel was founded in 1981.
An apostle of faith which has seen many uncommon miracles birthed through him. The church moved from Kaduna to Lagos through a divine direction. And has since grown from glory to glory. Canaan Land a city built by the church in Ota is the headquarters of the church where the 50,000 capacity Faith Tabernacle is.
Through him, God has raised great men of God and faith filled believers who are doing great work in their chosen endeavours. The church has several branches all over Nigeria and the world, and the vision has birth two high class universities in Covenant University Ota and Landmark University, Omu Aran. There is also the
Faith Academy and Kingdom Heritage Model Schools.

Key programmes: Shiloh. Holds every December.

6.  BISHOP FRANCIS-WALE OKE 

A foremost Evangelist who is gifted in the prophetic and has been doing the work of God from his days as a student at the University of Lagos. He is the founder of Sword of the Spirit Ministries in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Pastor Adeboye remarked about him in an Holy Ghost Service in which he was present thus: " you know a true prophet by the fulfillment of their prophesies. One of my sons (Wale Oke) gave me a prophecy in 1979, from it, there were twenty eight promises, twenty seven of which have been fulfilled.

His ministry recently commenced work on establishing a University.
For over three decades as a church founder, God has been using him to do great work in Ibadan and beyond.

7.  BISHOP MIKE OKONKWO    

He is the founder of The Redeemd Evangelical Ministries (TREM) based in Lagos. He was formerly a president of the PFN and a deputy chairman of CAN. One of the boldest Christian leaders in Nigeria He never shies away from speaking on national issues. He has through his ministry raised an army of Christians who assert their rights as children of God. He travels far and wide carrying the gospel of the kingdom to all
corners of the world.

Key quotes: No matter how many times you read through a portion of scripture, it takes another person opening that passage for you to understand it.

God has made me to understand that without members, the vision of a pastor dies.

8. BISHOP SIMEON OKAH

He is the founder of Flock of Christ Mission, in Warri, Delta State.And he has been doing great work through his calling by preaching the end time message about the second coming of Jesus Christ.
He is presently the deputy president South, South of the PFN.

9.  PASTOR MATTHEW ASHIMOLOWO         
        
Although, a Nigerian. His ministry, the Kingsway International Gospel Centre (KICC) is based in London. Still one of the country's great generals in God's courtyard. A personal friend to Bishop David Oyedepo and Bishop Francis Wale-Oke. He was formerly a pastor at the Foursquare Gospel Church before the KICC came on stream in 1992. His church is the largest Evangelical church in Western Europe. And at a time when Christianity is waxing cold in that part of the world, the KICC continues to break new grounds in an environment that is increasingly losing its Christian heritage. The KICC has it Nigeria headquarters in Maryland, Lagos. Though based in the United Kingdom, he travels to Nigeria on speaking engagement regularly.

Flagship programmes: IGOC, The International Gathering of Champions.

Media Arm: KICC TV, on cable satellite
Education Arm: Kings' University, Osun State.

10.  PASTOR W.F. KUMUYI 
     
He is the founder of the Deeper Christian Life Ministries. An apostle of upholding the tenets of holiness as part of salvation. He has continued to propagate the gospel of Christ for several decades. The ministry has its headquarters in Lagos. The church has several branches in Nigeria and the world. A foremost Evangelist who upholds the raw tenets of Christianity.
The church has an educational arm which includes a university and a High School.

11. PASTOR D.K. OLUKOYA

He is the founder of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries MFM. The church has grown in leaps and bounds propagating the gospel of personal deliverance from evil covenants and altars which has it foundations in the oppression of the enemy. The church has it headquarters in Lagos. The prayer City along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway hosts all the church major programmes. It has branches in several countries outside Nigeria.

12. APOSTLE EMMANUEL KURE

He is founder of Throne Room Trust Ministry in Kafanchan, Kaduna State. He is the National Secretary of PFN. He has been described by many as a lion in a hostile environment for Christians.

A prophet in his on right. He started ministry when he was still a lecturer. He was to be arrested for preaching without being a pastor. A condition for preaching in the North at the time before he was miraculously ordained by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and the arrest failed.

 13.  PASTOR PAUL ENECHE                              
A protege and spiritual son of Bishop David Oyedepo. He is the founder of Dunamis International Gospel Centre which has it headquarters in Abuja. Since its inception in 1997. The church has grown to have several branches all over the country. A medical doctor by profession, he has become a tool in God's hands by which unusual miracles in its weekly Healing and Deliverance Service on Wednesdays.

The grown of the church necessitated the building of a large auditorium as the one at Area 1, Garki could no longer accommodate its crowds with several overflows domicile alongside the main auditorium.
The new auditorium, The Lord's Garden, along Airport Road, Abuja a 75,000 sitter building is almost completed. With a Night Vigil recently held there during the Kingdom Fire Conference in November.

Media Arm: Dunamis TV on cable satellite.

14. PASTOR DAVID IBIYEOMIE

Another protege and spiritual son of Bishop David Oyedepo. He is a product of the Word of Faith Bible Institute (WOFBI) in Lagos, before he founded the Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt, River State in 1997. The church has grown in size since its inception that its currently building a new auditorium along Airport Road in Port Harcourt, called The Cathedral. He is doing a great work in the garden city, and he is continually raising a people unto God with his firebrand sermons.

Media Arm: Salvation TV, on cable satellite.

15. PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME              

He is the founder of Christ Embassy. A spiritual son of Archbishop Benson Idahosa. His alma mata, the Ambrose Alli University counts him as one of its great alumnus. He is widely traveled. And his healing school and Night of Bliss are programmes through which lives have been changed. The church has an army of christian gospel artist that has grown from it music arm. Many of whom are well known all over Africa and the world.

Media Arms: Loveworld Plus, Loveworld Sat. On cable satellite.

16. APOSTLE JOHNSON SULEMAN                     

The founder of Omega Fire Ministries. A protege of Archbishop Benson Idahosa. OFM is one of the fastest growing churches in the world. Since its founding in 2004, the church has grown to have several branches in Nigeria and all over the world from its headquarters in Auchi, Edo State. Through his various ministration there have been demonstration of raw power in his meetings. Vastly gifted in the prophetic.

Media Arms: Celebration TV, on cable satellite.
Flagship programmes: Fire Night every last Friday of every month, and International Amazing Grace, hold every December.

17.  REV DR. UMA UKPAI

One of the founding fathers of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. He is a fiery preacher, prophet and evangelist. He is within the Assembles of God framework as a member,, but he is the founder of the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association with headquarters in Uyo. the body responsible for organising most of his outreaches and crusades all over Nigeria and the world. He has done and still doing a great work in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. And it is the city that host the annual Uyo Miracle Convention that holds every December.

18.   DR. PAUL NWACHUKWU

He is another of Nigeria's apostles who has through the power of Jesus Christ overcame and still overcoming the forces of darkness and the occult in Anambra State with various physical encounters akin to two boxers facing each other in the ring. He is the founder of Grace of God Mission with headquarters in Onistha. He once made a key statement in a sermon a few years ago. He said people are waiting for the anti Christ. But the manifestation of the anti Christ spirit is at work in the world. With homosexuality, proliferation of pornographic images taking hold of most the world. He made a reference of the CEO of Apple, coming out to say he was gay as an example of how the world now accepts what was repudiated before. 

19. PASTOR SAM ADEYEMI  

He is the founder of Daystar Christian Centre in Lagos. His ministry is geared towards raising leaders of excellence and equipping the saints in their various sectors towards living a life of excellence in their area of dominion. He holds meetings on excellence in leadership according to bible standards in the United States and in Lagos annually. His materials on building your spiritual life while also developing your mind has liberated many from the spirit of mediocrity.

His messages are aired on Dove TV and KICC TV on cable satellite.

NOTE: This list is not in anyway exhaustive. There are other God's generals not listed here. The list was drawn from research and being in meetings where these men have preached over time.