- DAVID OGUDU Explains Why His Church Is In The Bush
Pastor David Ogudu is too soft spoken to mount a pulpit, even though he would confess to you that he is an introvert, but also a Pastor. He Pastors a church in Abuja. City People visited his church located not too far from Apo Mechanic Village in Abuja Gudu District. A massive building that seemed to have been sprouted in the middle of nowhere. Yet, within the short time we spent there, we saw that the place is beehive of activities. People who love God would always look for Him.We took him up on his calling, how the ministry started and the challenges of being a man of God today. He spoke with City People’s BAMIDELE OGUNDANA and JUSTICE ABRAHAM. Excerpts.
Why did you choose this place to locate your church?
Well, it was the leading of God. When we got this land, God told me this is where we should be and when God directs, you just follow and it has been awesome.
Sir, for a church to be located in a place like this, virtually in the bush, there must be a special backing and what is the special backing.
There is no other backing more than the Almighty God. Almighty God is the owner of His work, as I said, when God is the one going before you and He is the one leading you, He will definitely confirm His word and build His church. You have also seen our fathers in faith we look up to, they went to the bush also as Bishop Benson Idahosa, Bishop David Oyedepo and Bishop David Abioye, all went to the bush to build their churches and with what we have seen, gave me the boldness to obey the voice of God and God has been confirming His words.
I can see you have the photographs of the two men of God you mentioned: Bishop Idahosa and Bishop Abioye, how close are you to them?
Well, I did Bible school under Bishop Idahosa and he was my father until he passed on to glory and now I submit to Bishop Abioye, he is my spiritual father.
How was it like as a young boy growing up and did you know you would be a pastor?
Well, I did not know I was going to be a pastor, Actually the calling came while I was studying Chemical Engineering in Bida Polytechnic 1994, but as a young boy I knew that I love knowledge, I was very inquisitive, I asked questions, but the calling came while I was studying. I won’t say I was really into church. My calling was very divine if I am to explain how I was called, it was like I received the calling more or less against my will. It was like this is what you were created to do or born to do and you just have to do it. Holy Spirit came upon me on the day the man of God, Rev. S. O. Akedemeh held a 4-day programme in my school (FCS), the first day while in my room I had a voice that was calling my name, I turned but ignored it.
The second day I was in the toilet, the voice came again, the first time I turned and when it came the second time I became scared. So I ran out of the toilet into my room, I have a roommate called TJ, he was a pastor I said to him, look I am hearing a voice ooh! He said if the voice called again I should answer. So, when he left the room, the voice came again so I answered. And the voice said I have to go to the crusade going on and I said I was not going and the voice said I have been calling you, but you refused to answer and if you don’t go this time round, I will let you be the whole thing was just within a few minutes and TJ came back to the room. I now said to him if you heard something like these, what will you do and he now said if I were you, I would go immediately. I knelt down and prayed I said I didn’t know who you are, but I would go just to sit down, so that you won’t say I would not become somebody in life but to hear whatever they are saying there is a not for me I will just go and sit down.
When I got to the place, the hall was already filled up with people, but I was able to get a seat outside when I sat down I was not listening to the man of God I totally blanked my mind. Suddenly, the pastor asked everybody to stand up, everybody stood up, the voice came again ‘can you see everybody standing you are the only one sitting why can’t you stand up?’ So I stood up, the man of God now asked everybody to ask for mercy then the voice came again who are you to be fighting God, God is the one that created you so just surrender your life to him. At that time, I was not yet a born again Christian, so I lifted my hands up I said father, I am sorry for all my sins I accept you. Forgive me here, whatever you want to do with me do. Honestly, that was all I could remember, the man of God had finished praying for people and they had all sat down I did not know I was still standing at the moment my tummy was just rolling, so people were looking at me I was the only one standing. They had to call one of the ushers the usher came and tapped me. It was then I knew I was still standing, but my body was no longer my body again I could not explain, but I didn’t like the feelings. I wanted to go back to how I was before I entered the place, you understand. The usher asked me if I was ok I said no, I didn’t know what was, happening to me. All of sudden I started stammering, I had never stammered before in my life, the usher now took me to where they were praying for people. The FCS President a very strong man in the Lord, He touched my tummy and it was rumbling so he said just relax yourself this is something God can do. I said well, I don’t want that. What I want you to do is to pray to God to retune me to how I was before now and all of a sudden I started speaking in tongue and that was how I fell under the anointing. I spoke in tongues for about two to three hours or so until the man of God finished counselling people. They carried me to the hall, I still didn’t know what was happening to me then I started prophesying. All these happened at Bida Poly after that, subsequent revelation was how the calling came.
Now at that point in time you were not a pastor but still a student when you went back to your room what was the reaction of your friends?
Throughout the programme you know, FCS is the largest Christian fellowship so it went a bit viral, everybody knew about it that was when I gave myself totally to God Amen.
Tell us about your background. Did you come from a Christian background, how did they take you when you got back home after the encounter?
I think my mummy was never surprised. As I said, I have always been so inquisitive because we came from a church where children don’t take holy communion and you are expected to be confirmed before you can take it. So one day I hide at a corner while they were taking the communion and I took because I wanted know what it tasted like, after taking it, I ran home before my mummy got home so that they will not know. When she returned I said mama, today I drank communion I told her what it test like so she was not surprised may be she will be the one saying more about it.
After the calling, how did you start the ministry?
Yes, I went to a Bible School, at All Nations where I had my Diploma in Theology though before I went there I was already working part time with a ministry, so when I finished the Bible School I joined the ministry fully (Christ in Action) and I moved from there to (Loving God Family Gospel Church) I served there for sometimes before the Lord asked me to start this work, while I was still there I had my Degree in Theology and Masters in theology with (New Dimension Seminary and Doctorate in Theology so these work started 2002.
We face many temptations, and if one is not careful you will lose your anointing. How did you manage it and how were you able to build your home?
I will tell you the truth. There is nothing I can tell you except the truth. Most of those things stop after I received my calling. I used to smoke Rothmans and drink. As a matter of fact I started smoking from secondary school from (JSS2) because I am the last born of the family. You know, last born issues you get anything you want all through my secondary school, you known in boarding school you have all manner of people especially student who have access to money they live one kind of life. So should I say fortunately or unfortunately I had a little of that, after that encounter the thirst for smoking just died on its own, so I never smoked again so I found a new love which was writing then I was 19 years old when God called me. With time I became deep in the work of God, that was my saving Grace.
How did you meet your wife?
I meet my wife in Abuja here while I was pastoring a church when she joined us, that was how we met
How was your courtship like?
(Normal Courtship).
How is the ministry going?
Well that can only be answered by God Himself because what we may use to analyze the growth of the ministry may not be God’s own way but in all ramifications I thank we are doing well. We thank God.
What do you call yourself (Prophet, Pastor, Bishop)?
I am a servant of God.
You must have a nomenclature Sir?
Well on your way coming you must have seen the program we are about to have you. You will see the way I address myself (God’s servant) all those titles (Dr. Bishop, Prophet) I don’t use them, but I can say I don’t have an office God has called me to, I am in the prophetic, I am a Pastor and the sign of a Pastor is that you shepherd a congregation.
So why don’t you call yourself a Prophet?
I don’t want use a Prophet not because the name Prophet is bad, of course, that is who I am, but I am comfortable with God servant but which ever way you look at it I still fit in.
The name of the church (Christos International Worship Center), what does it mean?
It is a divine name because everything we believe and teach is centered on Jesus (Christor means Christ the Anointed).
We learned that you have been elevated to a Bishop.
Yes, I have been elevated, but the consecration is coming up on the 11th of June this year hope you guys will be around.
Do we expect a change of title from (Gods Servant) to Bishop after the consecration?
I will keep the title Bishop and still be using God’s servant. It can be God’s servant David Ogudu the presiding Bishop Christor Int’l Worship Center.
Do you have branches?
Yes we do we have one in USA. Nasarawa State, Niger State, Ebonyi State and we also have a Bible School.
