It is traditional for Christian groups to establish schools and hospitals and clinic as a way of making their presence felt in a particular society. The RCCG runs a maternity centre which was established in 1962 as an arm of the church that takes care of birth deliveries but also generates finances for the church (RCCG at 50: 129-130). With its HQ at Ebute-Metta, Lagos, this outfit operates in several states of the country with many branches in Lagos alone. The wife of Josiah was in charge until she retired and later died. Then the unit has been headed by the wife of a senior pastor, usually an AGO. Often, hospitals, maternities, clinics and schools are regarded more as social institutions than economic ventures. Although they provide familiar environments for church members to access modern health and education facilities, they constitute strong economic arms of the church.
164During the field research, each time I asked top officials of the church about the highest-ranking female in the church, Pastor (Mrs) Diola Mensah was mentioned, indicating that the positions of Mother-In-Israel and Pastor (Mrs) Toyin Ogundipe were peculiar cases that most women in the church need not look up to for emulation.
165Pastor (Mrs) Diola Mensah became a provincial pastor in August 2001. Prior to this time, she was an Assistant provincial pastor. Of the fifty-one Assistant Provincial Pastors (APP), there is only one female, Pastor (Mrs) Tayo Adetola of Lagos Province (See the complete list of provincial pastors and their assistants in Redemption Light, vol.8, no. 8, September 2003, p. 2).
166Personal interview with Assistant Pastor S. T. Adetoye, op. cit.
As some of the activities of the CRM described above indicate, the RCCG has gradually but steadily gone beyond the provision of social infrastructure such as schools and health care facilities. In recent times, the RCCG moved directly and explicitly into economic engagements that are primarily directed towards the generation of profit. This expansion of the activities of the church into the purely economic sphere is part of the innovations and visions of Josiah’s successor. These new economic structures of the church are collectively regarded as “the tree of life for the [economic] healing of the nations” (Rev. 22: 2). This is the motto of the church’s Zion Needs Management Limited, a body that manages some of its business firms.167
The RCCG is involved in economic mobilisation of its members. As a result, the church has in place a number of two important business schools which are devoted to the training of both members and non-members of the church in business management. The first school is the Redeemer’s Business Academy (RBA) which operates under the auspices of the CRM (see figure 4.9 above). The RBA is regarded as the “Biblical management training arm” of the church dedicated to “declare the Lordship of Jesus Christ over every sphere of life particularly the marketplace”.168The church claims that part of the rational for establishing this business school is that the commandment given in Genesis to be fruitful and live in dominion on earth includes the business sector. Consequently, the RBA is designed to equip Born Again men and women to bring effective witness of Christ in their business and daily work. The RBA trains both church and non-church personnel; its activities extend to the West African sub-region where its staff goes to train candidates through formal courses and seminars.
Located in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, the RBA runs short-term courses with such titles are “Leading a business for Christ”; “Conducting Meetings”; “Entrepreneurial skill Development”; “Stress Management”; “Turning Failure to success”; “Management the workforce in Ministry” and “Building and Managing Resources for Christ”. In addition to these, the school runs a consultancy for companies and businesses outfits.169
A second business school of the RCCG, and by far more important than the RBS, is the International Bible Institute and Leadership Training School (IBI<S). Located at the highbrow Ikoyi area of Lagos, the IBI<S was established in 1994 by the RCCG, when, according to the church, it became obvious to the leadership that i) “God had ordained to use
167 See Redemption Light, vol. 7, no. 4, May 2002, p. 19.
168 RCCG International Directory, op. cit., p. 19.
169 Idem.
Nigeria in particular, and Africa in general as instruments to launch His end-time revival of mankind in the whole universe”; ii) God had positioned the church “to spearhead this revival across the globe”.170Hence, the school was founded to fill “the need to train and equip the right leaders/ministers for this great assignment”. With the above vision in mind, the school is saddled with the responsibilities of: i) producing a crop of local professionals “with an international flavour”; ii) to teach these professional about the “deeper things of the word of God”; iii) equip them with broad leadership skills for the purpose of urban and international missions; and iv) to prepare them for exercising influence beyond the pulpit context.171 The overall purpose, according to the church, is for God to use this elite group to effect spiritual and economic transformation of the society.172
The institute runs a wide range of courses. Some of these are: Ministerial ethics, Stewardship, Urban and International missions, theocracy and Government, principles of Administration, Church/Basic accounting principles, Social Reformation, Biblical economics, Nigerian legal system and Management information. These courses run for a ten month period with lectures two days in week (weekends) at the end of which a postgraduate diploma is warded to candidates. In addition, a four-month certificate programme in Bible Leadership Studies/Theology is available for people who desire this. Candidates for admission must posses a first degree or its equivalent but wavers are often granted for people lacking this basic requirement. The school boasts of high level lecturers, including pastor Adeboye; many of these lecturers have Masters in business Administration (MBA) from Nigerian universities.173In 2001, the church claimed to have trained more than 7000 ministers within the church all over Nigeria. Some of the schools mobile teachers travel to other West African countries (Ghana, Togo and Cote D’Ivoire) to train church personnel. Through the IBI<S, the RCCG disseminates its ideas about “biblical economics”
geared towards the production of “well-rounded, well-equipped, efficient and effective ministers/leaders in the body of Christ and in various areas of human endeavour”.174
In addition to these two main business schools of the church, there are numerous other small
“business academies” and forums established by parishes of the RCCG to teach members and
170 Redemption Light, vol. 7, no. 4, May 2002, p. 20.
171 RCCG International Directory, op. cit, p. 20.
172 Redemption Light, vol. 7, no. 4, May 2002, p. 20.
173 Personal interview with Pastor ‘Delana Adeleye-Olusae, op. cit. Pastor Adeleye-Olusae, a former banker, has an MBA and an MA in church Administration from Evangelical theological seminary, Jos, Nigeria. He is the Assistant director of the Directorate of Missions, as well as a programme designer, the treasurer and supervisor at both the RBA and the IBI<S.
174 International Directory of RCCG, 3rd ed. 2000 - 2001, Lagos: The Directory of Missions, p. 21.
other Born Again Christians how to conduct and regulate their mundane activities, especially those that relate to economic practices. Attendance at these business schools attracts a fee. These schools teach church members about “strategies for a successful business”. The members are taught to tend, keep and guard their businesses on five grounds, viz.: i) packaging a proposal, ii) being positive on projects by believing and trusting God to deliver, iii) ensuring security of office by sanctifying it, iv) having a good corporate image,175and finally v) releasing finances with the name of Jesus. “A businessman who wants to be successful must not be without prayer and fasting. He should be able to fix a daily appointment with God and keep it and must learn to praise God in everything. [...] With these strategies, a businessman will always be victorious in business”.176
Part of the reason for getting involved in economic mobilisation is the church’s concern for members’ economic welfare. According to the church, it recognises that “widespread poverty within the body of Christ also affects the gospel as well as the economic, social and political role and significance of the church”.177 Consequently, Adeboye established Jubilee Development Foundation (JDP) in 2002, the year of the church’s jubilee celebration, in order to enlighten and mobilise its members for economic empowerment and development.178This programme was launched in the all parishes of the church on Sunday 10 November 2002. This foundation is set up “because the church has an enduring concern and a continuing interest in the overall development and welfare of people and society: spiritual, economic, educational, social and emotional. To reconcile the interest of the church in people’s economic development and its spiritual concern, the church set up the Jubilee Cooperative Society (JCS) under the JDF and registered it with the federal ministry of Agriculture as a cooperative and thrift society. Designed exclusively for its members and ministers (who are i) credible, ii) pay their tithes regularly, and iii) desire divine prosperity), the JCS is regarded as a “divine initiative” which intends
using the church (parishes) as a springboard of operation. Through this means vast economic resources can be built up under this scheme with which so much can be done, meaningfully and professionally to improve
175 One example of having a good corporate image is not to wear traditional attires during business hours and dressing better than the unbeliever who is also a businessperson.
176 Pastor Ogba Omagbemi, “Strategies for a Successful Business”, Redemption Light, vol. 4, no.2, March 1999, p.
41.
177 “Cooperation: The Key to Every One’s Welfare”, RCCG Welfare Weekend brochure (Thursday 7–Sunday 10 November 2002), p. 8
178 Personal interview with Akin Akinwande, member of RCCG and JDF project, Redemption Camp, 6 September 2002.
the lot of the ever-growing body of Christ, majority of who are families with the scourge of poverty.179
The objectives of the JDF are itemised as follows: i) the eradication of poverty in the church; ii) the promotion of education, training and human development; iii) the ensuring of availability of capital for viable “projects of credible brethren”; and iv) assisting the wealthy to continue to prosper.180Church members are advised to be part of the scheme because it is part of the “law of harvest”: “When you minister to someone’s needs, God will also send someone to minister to your needs”.181The JDF is seen by the church leadership as “a catalyst for the prosperity of all members” of the church.182Resources available to JCS will be channelled to equity stocks and other fiscal managements that will yield dividends for members who may also be entitled to soft loans for setting up personal businesses.
The church, in addition to the above structures of economic empowerment, has also established business ventures and companies that generate finances for her within the larger society. These companies constitute a distinct layer of structure within the organisation of the church. The RCCG operates or is in partnership with four community banks, viz.: i) Haggai Community Bank Limited;183 ii) New Life Community Bank limited; iii) Ore-Ofe Community Bank limited; and iv) Sunrise Community Bank Limited. The managements of these banks believe in the prosperity of the church and work to help RCCG parishes “attract worshippers” into their folds.184 Haggai Community Bank is arguably the strongest community bank with the largest assets base in Nigeria. The bank writes in its manifesto that “we are on a given mission to finance God-given dreams/vision of individuals and corporate institutions. We are resolute in our determination to bring them to manifestation to the glory of God”.185This bank also runs a business school, called Haggai Business School (HBS) located at the Bode Thomas (Surulere) commercial area of Lagos. According to the church, because “[g]lobal business values have failed” the Christian in achieving plenty, there is need for a “Christian business School”.186This institute offers training in talent trading, “Foundation to Christian Business”, “Leadership in the
179 “Cooperation…”, op. cit., pp. 8-9.
180 Ibid., p. 16
181 Idem.
182 Cooperation, op. cit. p. 1
183 The choice of name is based on Haggai 2:7 “And I will shake all the nations and the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty”, (The New American Bible translation, 1970).
184 The chairman of Sunrise Community Bank is RCCG Pastor S. Biyi Owolabi, the past president of CRFU, see
“Community Bank Teams up with churches for souls“, Redemption Light, vol. 8, no. 5, June 2003, p. 28.
185 Redemption Light, vol. 7, no. 2, March 2002, p. 21.
186 Redemption Light, vol. 7, no. 10, November 2002, p. 23
Marketplace” and the Business School Ministry (BSM) for churches. The HBS premises its activities with the question “What would Jesus do if He were to run your business?”187The responsibility of the school is to provide valid answers to this question such as creating God’s kingdom values and principles for modern business. In addition to the banks, the church runs an insurance company, Mutual Assurances Limited with headquarters in Lagos and branches all over the country.
There are also smaller firms such Covenant Guaranty Trucks Limited, a company that markets popular brands of used trucks and their spare parts which Adeboye instructed to be established in 1999.188 Earlier, the church has established Sharon Consultancy and Research Management (SCRM), a firm that claims to be a team of “multi-disciplinary professional committed to mobilising capital, technology and management resources for economic progress” of members of the church and the larger society.189 There are two security firms in the church: i) Dominion Guards, and ii) Prime Guards Nigeria Limited. The Dominion Guards was established in 1994 by one of the wealthiest of RCCG parishes in Lagos with the help of an Assistant Commissioner of Police who was also an assistant pastor of the church. The firm now supplies security personnel to companies and firms within and outside Lagos on a commercial basis.190The Prime Guards claims to be “a realistic attempt by a Christian [firm] to check the rapid decay in the security service industry [in Nigeria]”.191The company boasts of using “a combination of both spiritual and physical measures to achieve the tenets of security”.192
As we have discussed in the section on media use, the RCCG is fully involved in media businesses which include the importation of blank audio and video tapes, marketing of audio and video tapes of songs, sermons and films from the church and publication of books and magazines.
These and other forms of strictly entrepreneurial engagements provide diverse sources of revenues for the church as well as employment for its members.
187Idem.
188 See Redemption Light, vol. 4, no. 2, p. 24.
189 Ibid., p. 45.
190 Personal interview with Pastor Femi Akintemi, Iyagunku Police Station, Ibadan, 23 May 2001. Pastor Akintemi was an Assistant Commissioner of Police at the time of interview and the trainer of members of the Dominion Guards.
191 Redemption Light, vol. 6, no. 6, July 2001, p.35.
192 Idem.
Chapter 5