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Mindful of the fact that religion is not only meant to satisfy the spiritual yearnings of the faithful but also to take care of their socio-economic and health needs, a young cleric, Prophet Joseph Ade Ologbonyo, has said the church will continue to cater for the welfare of members of the community, especially in the area of health.
Prophet Ologbonyo, renowned for preaching the word of God, winning souls into God’s Kingdom and revealing the mind of God to people within and outside Ekiti State spoke while inaugurating a hospital he built for residents of Ise-Ekiti community last weekend.
He said he regards the Gospel as an opportunity to reach out to people in line with his calling, even though he has the passion to assist the needy.
Ologbonyo, who is the Senior Pastor of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Church of the Boanerges, Mercy Land, identified certain areas of need of his hometown, Ise-Ekiti and he identified health care delivery as crucial among other needs.
The cleric prayed and mobilised people for funds and constructed a special hospital that will cater for the needs of the less-privileged with little or no fees paid to enjoy the best of health care delivery.
Ologbonyo said the need to assist indigent patients who cannot afford the bills charged in government and private hospitals motivated him to establish the hospital.
Although the hospital has the well-being of mother and child as its major focus, it will also cater for the needs of other segments of the population.
It was a glorious day for Ologbonyo as guests from far and near thronged Ise-Ekiti for the inauguration of the hospital which was performed by the CAC General Evangelist, Prophet Hezekiah Oladeji.
Oladeji was represented by Prophet Samson Oluwamodede of Prayer Centre Church of God (PCCG). Ologbonyo’s wife, Mercy, was present to welcome guests and ensured that everything went well.
Other guests that witnessed the inauguration included former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye; Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Dr. Dayo Oladebeye; popular gospel musician, Pastor Joseph Adelakun aka Ayewa; the Olowuro of Orun-Ekiti, Oba Z.O.A. Adewumi and Prophet Amos Olokooba, among others.
Ologbonyo said the church, apart from providing spiritual succour for the people, must also brace up to meet their physical needs as done by the white missionaries who brought Christianity to Nigeria.
He said: “It is a continuation of what the missionaries brought to Nigeria. The missionaries brought education, agriculture and health care since 1842 into this country.
“Many of our leaders today benefitted from that legacy. They went to missionary schools and didn’t pay a dime. Some of them were even sent abroad for further studies.
“Unfortunately, the church does not have most of the benefits nowadays. I reasoned that all that we need in our society cannot be provided by the government alone.
“That is why I put this edifice in this local environment. I urge individuals and organisations to also contribute their quota to the well-being of the society.
“There are many expectant mothers passing on daily due to lack of care. Most of our public hospitals are ill-equipped and that is why there is an urgent need for everyone to come on board and provide such amenities for members of the society.
“The hospital is fully equipped. It is a modern mother and child care. It will be employing over 15 people from the community. Another effort we would be putting up is to build a befitting church building here.
“We also want to embark on rural evangelism to win souls from the grassroots for the Lord. To win many who have not given their lives to Christ due to certain problems and other challenges that they have.
“l want to advise individuals and establishments that we are the government; all those ruling us are put there by us. We should all join hands to contribute to the development of our society.
“This is the only way the church could help the society. If we have five of this type of hospital in this community, there would be health care services available for our people.”
He advised political leaders to allow peace to reign in the state. No ambition of anybody should cost innocent people their lives.
“There should not be bloodshed because of any body’s ambition. So, our leaders should allow peace to reign and let whoever the people wish to elect be elected peacefully. Every position and authority has an expiry date; so no one should make it a do-or-die affair.
Ologbonyo also narrated the tortuous journey of his life that preceded his divine call to serve in God’s vineyard as a cleric. He recalled how he trekked several miles because he had no transport fare, how he worked as a labourer, bricklayer and scavenger for several years on the streets of Lagos and Osogbo during his teenage years.
Ologbonyo said poverty that ravaged himself and his siblings as a result of his father’s helplessness made him to detest working as a cleric in God’s vineyard.
His words: “I made up my mind not to ever become a pastor because I was convinced that it was my father’s call to serve as cleric that made me and my siblings to suffer.”
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