BTL Personality of the Week, Featuring Pastor Dapo Jegede.

My wonderful, consistent and blessed BTLers, today we have an amazing personality gracing the carpets of The BTL personality of the week, am so excited and glad and every bit of the interview was entertaining, also and mostly was a blessing.

And just in-case you wondering what BTL Personality of the week is all about, it’s simply BRINGING A WORD FROM THE CAMP OF SUCCESS. So the personality whose life we zoom on per time makes it down here. So this week, PASTOR DAPO JEGEDE, RESIDENT PASTOR AT KINGSWORD CAMPUS CHURCH, ILE-IFE, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA. Granted us a few of his time so as to bless us through this medium.

ENJOY …

So straight to it sir, tell us about your salvation experience...

Well, my salvation experience doesn’t really have too much drama to it, a few times I’ll answer an alter call and I’ll believe that’s it, you know, but then in 2000, I made the decision and that was it, God has being faithful ever since. I was part of a group, FECA and we had a fresher’s welcome banquet and I remember that was the event where I indeed made up my mind to follow Christ.

Wow... beautiful, Sir, can you tell us about the journey so far, cause I feel it’s not really about giving your life to Christ, although it is about giving your life to Christ, but, some people are out there reading this and they are wondering yes, give your life to Christ, so what now, so can you tell us about the journey so far?

I’ll say giving your life to Christ is the end of a beginning and we can also call it the beginning of an end *chuckles* cause I’ll say, many times, we think God saved us so as to let us make heaven but I strongly don’t agree with that, if that’s then the ultimate reason why God saved us, he would have cut life out of us the moment we gave out life to Christ. But then he has a purpose for our lives, we’ll see that in the book of Acts, Christ gave a commandant that we should go into the world and make disciples of all nations. And still in the book of Acts, it says that we shall receive power after the Holy Ghost will come upon us. So I believe that every one of us has being brought into the kingdom to be a witness. There’s something God wants to achieve through our lives and we are not supposed to go on our own accord or on our own power. So then I believe that the journey just started from the moment you gave your life to Christ … not forgetting that when you gave your life to Christ, what changed was the spirit but your physical self didn’t change, it’s now in the process of walking with God that some of those old wrong habits begin to drop off, and even your thinking takes a brand new turn that’s why the bible says do not be conformed to the things of the world … so you begin to fellowship with God in His word and in prayer. There’s been those times when I felt I couldn’t take this no more. But then I remember that even in a ride through a bed of roses, there are thorns in beds of roses. And you’ll experience something’s that would make you question God, so in those times, do question God, I believe it’s not wrong to question God, no hieratical questions, but questions that sincerely bother you and the Spirit is readily available to grant us answers.

How long have you being a pastor Sir,

Give or take, 5 Years

How did pastoring Start?

I remember when I first got into school in my fresh year, I didn’t know what church to go to, but then somehow I went to kingsword and till day that’s where I am, I dint have to scout or shop for a fellowship, it was quick and precise a decision. And I remember a lot of time, men of God will say to me that God has a plan for me in ife and I remember how much I hated ife, thinking about it now I can’t really say why I didn’t like OAU, maybe its cause my sister liked OAU so much and I hated that she liked it that much *laughs* but one time while praying with my big sis and her friend and then I was still a predite, her friend once again said the same thing and somehow I just decided I was going to be around and gently and gently I rose up the ladder. I served a lot though, I was once in the choir and the head of the outreach team and now, here I am. *smiles*

How was it like making the decision to stay back in school? Because I remember churching with you when I first came into school and I asked myself what kind of conviction was enough to keep a top class graduate of pharmacy back in school to pastor a church? Understanding that you were one of the most successful students of your time.

You’ll agree with me that the Nigerian schooling system is not that interesting to make you want to stay back in OAU for a post graduate program or something. But staying back in OAU wasn’t that hard but it wasn’t that easy either, but when we get to that point when we submit our will totally to God, it easy to follow his leadings no matter where they direct. Somehow I knew I was going to have to stay a while back but I didn’t know for how long and putting the dots of all the prophecies and all, I knew in my heart that this path was it. So I began to make plans around staying back, right now am doing my masters in pharmacy administration and we happen to be the first set for that Phar.M. program, but then it works for me.

So, what’s been the challenges that comes with pastoring or generally leading people?

I remember I started pastoring in the Moro centre (OAU pedigree centre), and I had a lot of questions and I was sometimes so overwhelmed with having to lead this people. But I learnt a lot while at the Moro centre, I began to learn that church is not about the bright lights and the many paparazzi, but that church is about the people and nothing more. And when people are not fine, church cannot be fine. And one has to learn to show real concern. Somehow people know when you are genuinely concerned and I had to learn to love indeed. And not just do that out of necessity. And I remember the saying that says give a hand before you ask for a heart. And then working with people has being very challenging, people with different ideologies and all. When you are angry and you can’t just express it because you teach love and you have to exemplify it so I just simply hold on to God’s word every time and trust me that always works.

Tell us how you go about the lady challenges that comes with your office.

We need to be very careful, not forgetting that I just talked about love yeah, so we need to find a way to communicate our stand without letting the lady or the person feel any less of him or herself. Cause I have seen some seemingly genuine cases when the lady feels so strongly that you are her God sent and all but then you know it can’t work. In my own case, God has helped me to avoid awkward cases, I only have a few ladies in my inner circle as friends and all and I have had to only be close to ladies on work related matters, maybe vising   me as I preside over a group and all. I remember a particular situation when I went out to preach and I got a text from a lady who tried to let it out and I could tell what she was talking about. Usually what I do to keep it safe, is to link them up with female pastors and all. And let me say this as a form of advice, situations like this is not for you to slander or destroy anyone’s ego or worse take advantage of his or her emotions, ultimately, do your best to be of help, but also keep your distance not forgetting to pray for the individual. Also there’s no text book rule to handling these cases, one has to use the Holy Spirit inspired discretion.

But then, how then do you handle the attention to make it not get the better part of you.

Basically, make it a conscious effort to always turn the spotlight to God.

So sir lets come to the area of sex, you pastor a campus church that has a high population of the young and the restless of ages 16-35 and it’s inevitable that sex is an issue of concern since it’s the order of the day and to add to these complications is some girl who doesn’t make it any easier by exposing every of her God given endowment, how do you stay sane and hallowed despite?

Well… first, you must understand that everybody is vulnerable, people don’t like to accept this fact, they form superman *chuckles* and they just underestimate the ambigiosity of this issue and before you know it, they are down. But you must understand that there’s someone who is ready to grab you in your time of weakness. But one basic thing is, despite the many nonsense that is up for grab everywhere, anywhere and anytime, you realise that you can’t control what happens around you or what happens to you, but you have control of what happens in you and what happens through you. So you need to control what happens in you because that’s what determines what happens through you. I heard the story of a young man who went to tell his pastor that he is too much engrossed in sexual sin and that he has backslidden and he’s leaving the church for good, the pastor told him to do him one final favour before he leaves and the young man says “what favour” and the pastor said, just for the next few Sundays, come to church sit on this particular sit and leave after the sermon, don’t focus on any other thing asides the word. This young man stayed faithful to his promise and afterwards realises that the very thing he was soiled in naturally dropped off on the way and he runs to the pastor to tell the pastor the good news of his renewed self. So my point is, we complicate things when we are always focusing on the trouble and the problem. But I believe that the solution to all these things is to just be a Christian and what does it mean to be a Christian, it means that you in tune with God’s word, regular study and meditation of God’s word. Some of us are not into the word just like that guy in my story, but he finally got into the word and his guilt was flushed out.

So sir, are you in relationship right now? Marriage plans?

To start with, I have an amazing lady in my life right now, she also finished from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University from the dept. of International Relations, she’s done with service, she’s partly Ondo and partly Edo. Basically she’s the love of my life, nuptial bells coming real soon so stay tuned.

Wow… beautiful… well, where do you see yourself in a few years from now Sir?

Married of cause with kids, say three kids precisely and errr… I got plans to branch into academics as a lecturer, I don’t really see myself practising, I have never really being the one for the hospital and also it gives me time for the ministry. Basically, I’m around.

Final words Sir…

First, don’t follow the spectacular, follow the supernatural, and the supernatural is not more than what God communicates to you when you spend time with him. And lastly I’ll tell anyone who’s got a call, don’t fight it, when you sense there’s a call, don’t fight it and also don’t try to enhance it. Let me explain that, some people are double sure that they are called to the pulpit so they begin to scheme their way to the being a pastor and all that is not necessary, all you have to do is stay in the place of training and God will do the rest. And my basic life philosophy is never ever forever give up.

Thank You so very much Sir for your time, we are grateful and God bless you for honouring our request to host you on BTL Personality of the week.

Thank you for having me, it’s a sincere priviledge.