Some Practices In C & S May Not Survive Next Generation — Ogunyooye

The Leader-in-Charge of Glory of God Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Pastor Sam Ogunyooye, has warned that some practices in certain C & S churches could prevent them from remaining relevant to future generations unless deliberate reforms are embraced.

Ogunyooye made this known while presenting a paper titled “Building a Lasting Church: Succession Planning, Leadership Development, and Delegation in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church” during a seminar at the 17th Annual USA/Canada Sub-Conference Convention of the Cherubim and Seraphim Agbojesu Conference Worldwide, held in Dallas, Texas, United States.

The convention was themed “Called by a New Name,” with its anchor text taken from Isaiah 62:2.

Speaking on the need for intentional succession planning, the cleric said churches that failed to address outdated practices and prepare future leaders risked becoming irrelevant.

According to him, the Cherubim and Seraphim Church must deliberately build an institution that will outlive its present leaders by investing in younger ministers and sharing leadership responsibilities.

He said, “If you look at Revelation, some churches have some practices that will not carry them into the next generation. So there is no future for such churches.

“If we want to promote the C&S with all the negativities we have, we must be intentional about building a church that will outlive us. That means all of us must start planning to leave a legacy.”

He reminded church leaders that leadership was temporary while also stressing the need to prepare successors before leaving office.

“You can’t be a church leader forever. Age will take you out of it,” he added.

In his presentation, Ogunyooye observed that many congregations rely heavily on pastors and senior officers for virtually all administrative, financial and ministerial responsibilities, adding that such practice often leads to burnout and limits opportunities for younger ministers to develop their leadership potential.

He said the failure to entrust capable members with meaningful responsibilities could discourage emerging leaders, weaken the church’s leadership pipeline and ultimately affect its long-term growth.

Citing biblical examples, including Moses’ delegation of responsibilities on the advice of Jethro, Jesus’ preparation of His disciples and Apostle Paul’s mentoring of Timothy and Titus, Ogunyooye said succession planning was a biblical responsibility rather than a corporate management concept.

“Every church has to establish structured mentoring programmes for emerging ministers, delegate responsibilities based on spiritual gifts and competence, empower assistant pastors and ministry heads with defined responsibilities, and develop documented succession plans for key leadership positions,” he added.

He also advocated regular leadership training, seminars and performance evaluations to ensure leadership development becomes a continuous culture within the church.

“The mission of the Church is greater than any individual. Delegation does not diminish authority; it multiplies ministry and prepares faithful servants to continue God’s work,” he added.

The annual convention brought together members of the Cherubim and Seraphim Agbojesu Conference Worldwide from across the United States and Canada.