A former pastor with Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Prince Stephen Anyebe, has taken to Facebook to share his experiences during his time with the ministry.
In a lengthy post, he expressed his reflections on the state of the church, his personal journey, and the challenges faced by pastors within the organisation.
Please, read the full post below:
My name is Prince Stephen Anyebe. My heart ached when I watched Pst. Abraham’s testimony a few days ago.
Pst. Abraham arrived at my first departure from Dunamis, where he was my far junior. He has, however, touched on some delicate subjects.
Please, refrain from fighting for things you do not understand, and let us learn how to conduct research before responding emotionally to spiritual matters in order to prevent more serious harm.
The current situation is the result of carelessness towards the welfare of the church’s employees and members, not just Dunamis. Most of our clergies in this part of the world have gone out of the faith; we now have religious Empires as GOs.
Competition has become their vision, not salvation. They hold programmes just to show other pastors their capacity. They boast of reserve in their accounts more than the character development of their members. A number of branches become the target. To some, it’s the number of private jets, while to others it’s the size of their auditoriums.
To a large extent, miracles are being published as bait to catch members from other churches. But time shall tell. I believe in miracles I have experienced miracles in Dunamis times without number. Nevertheless, miracles are not human efforts but God’s intervention towards a person without permission from a fellow being.
I joined Dunamis twice. First was 1999/2004. The second time was 2020/2023. I was privileged to head the same department Pastor Abraham talked about before my first exit which is Ministry Materials and Production.
I also pastored the DIGC Choir as the Music Director from 2001 to 2004. I was privileged to shave Dr Paul’s hair and gave him his first hairstyle that became his regular hairstyle for 3 years. (2001/2004).
Let me talk about this one small, hummmm! Each time I go to the house to shave his hair, sometimes after the pastor’s prayer on Saturday by 10 pm, I remember as a Music Director I have to tidy up song ministration for Sunday with choir members and then wait for the pastor’s prayers, after which I would follow him to the house to shave him. I remember how I struggled to get back home.
Sometimes, I get home by 1am because many times, I have to walk from Maitama to Wuse to be able to get a taxi back to Durumi. Wao, when I get home, the first thing I do is for my wife to put water in a bow for me to wash my hands, and I will drink the water. I mean, I will drink the water after washing the hair in my hands inside the bow; we call it desperation for the anointing.
When I saw some things on social media, I was like, what are we talking about? Please, Pst Abraham is not satan and has not backslid as some of you think, but it is a call for reawakening. It’s high time our spiritual fathers take responsibility.
The message of love, forgiveness and salvation which Jesus Christ gave to the church is no longer in our pulpit
There is so much to talk about, but some of us are still waiting for the appropriate time.
As a way of introduction, these were the pastors I met in Dunamis as my seniors as at 1999.
- Pst King Omudu (exited)
- Pst Majebo
- Pst Philip Aba ( exited & late)
- Pst Tunde Daniel (exited)
- Pst Penile Samuel (exited)
- Pst Ayo (exited & late)
- Pst Sabo yaro (exited & late)
- Pst Paul Oduh
- Pst Obeya
- Pst Fidelis Alika
- Pst Solomon Ipila
- Pst Hope Johnson (exited & late)
- Pst Timothy Akase ( exited & late)
- Pst Sunday
- Pst Success Akpan ( exited)
- Pst Mbaya yohana (exited)
These were the pastors ahead of me. I was a staff member and a bus driver before the introduction of the bible in 2001 and happened to attend the first set of the Dunamis School of Ministry, after which many other pastors were retained from the Bible School as well.
- Myself, Pst Prince Stephen (exited x2)
- Pst Samuel Adokpa
- Pst Bolaji
- Pst Simon Adole (exited)
- Pst Ike (exited)
- Pst Israel ben
- Pst Ephraim ekalu (exited)
- Pst Success Ebute ( exited)
- Pst success Azuka (exited)
- Pst Abraham Kolawole (exited)
The vision statement I met was that Dunamis is a Greek word that stands for power, it’s a power that has the capacity, and audacity to reproduce itself in same quality as the power generated. Should you come battered, scattered and shattered, the power of God will gather you together.
My question is how many of these pastors who left were gathered together by the power? If Dunamis is a place of corrections, why sack the pastors for mistakes and give no room for corrections?
If all the pastors who were sacked or left on the grounds of conspiracy and envy decided to come on social media to testify of their survivals till they exited, hum!
When I saw the saga of Dr Abel Damina, I was like, what is this, when some of us are still alive to testify?
What about Bishop Francis Wale Oke or Bishop Asare from Ghana, who became “too small” to pray for Dr Paul at the 25th anniversary openly but was once a mentor and understudied for a week on how to run four services? I can go on and on but time shall tell.
Leave Pst Abraham alone, let’s go back to the vision statement. In one of the songs written by him, “With you Lord, I can be naked and not ashamed, with you Lord I can be open and have no fear, cos I have found in you a friend that I can trust,” in the solo you said, “I have come to a place where mistake will not be my end”. Yet many have left or been sacked because of minor mistakes…There’s God oh!
Eighteen-Eleven Media