It was a joyful mood for the District Chairman of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church in Chicago, United States, Special Apostle Dr. Connell Idowu Akande who joined the circle of septuagenarians on the 15th of June 2019.
The 70th birthday celebration which held amid pomp saw South Halted street of Chicago drew friends, relatives and well wishers to its belly, as they gather to honour and show love to the celebrant.
Calm, friendly and accommodating, elder Akande has no doubt imparted the lives of those who had crossed his path in so many ways. But while a sizeable number of them reveled and basked in the euphoria of the birthday celebration, the ambiance would rather evoke a nostalgia on the part of the celebrant on how God has been so faithful to him over the years.
“I feel great and eternally grateful to the Lord for his grace in allowing me to become 70. I am in great health and have been blessed with the opportunity to watch my children grow up and flourish.” He said.
Meanwhile, so much that his expression of gratitude to God for His show of love towards him, overtime, knows no bound, there is a particular one he holds dear to his heart, just as it will continue to linger in his memory as such that he will ever remain grateful to God for. It was how God miraculously saved him from the fangs of death while he was young. In his narration, Akande was thankful that his glory was not ‘extinguished’.
“I was once on the way to Ibadan when the car I was in was almost sandwiched between two trailers. I have had many other near misses where I could easily have died, and I am grateful to the Lord for sparing me in each of those situations. But, this accident on the way to Ibadan stands out to me because of my tender age. At that time, I had not even finished high school—never had the chance to get married or have children. I had done nothing in my life to fully express the glory and destiny God had laid upon me.”
Elder Akande may have attained such enviable age just like every other person who fortunately falls within such age bracket, but he has distinguished himself having written his name in the good books of history of the Cherubim and Seraphim church with his track record of having turned Chicago, which at some point had no trace of the C&S fold in it, to one which now boasts of a sizeable number clustered around the city and beyond – all in his bid to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Though, one would have wondered how he was able to achieve such feat, but success, they say, does not come by sudden flight. An average sojourner having stepped on the foreign soil, would certainly be overwhelmed with thoughts of exploring available opportunities that abound. Elder Akande’s case was however not an exception, but the burning desire and the zeal to deliver on the mandate given to him by God to spread the gospel of Christ as a Seraph, on the other hand, stood at par with his personal aspirations. This as well took a better part of him in the course of time. He was, therefore, able to achieve such feat with the support of his wonderful wife who would later join him in Chicago.
“When my wife joined me in Chicago, there were no C&S churches, so we attended an American church together. Though the church was welcoming, we both felt unfulfilled by the church. So, instead we started having Sunday prayer sessions in our one-bedroom apartment at 6119 N. Kenmore on the Northside of Chicago. Soon, other people started joining us, and we began to conduct these Sunday gatherings according to C&S Movement church order of service regulations. Eventually, the number of people attending these services could not be comfortably accommodated by the apartment. Additionally, neighbors began to complain about the noise and foot traffic on Sundays. In response, the group of worshipers began to have service at another Northside location, 1411 W. Devon.
At this time, we applied for a letter of accreditation and received official recognition by church leadership in Kaduna, Nigeria, under Baba Aladura JT Agbo Ola, who at the time was the church’s Baba Aladura. Our acceptance into the church was finalized by a visit from the church overseer at the time, the late General Leader Bishop Fakeye.”
Over the years, under Special Apostle’s leadership, despite numerous hurdles, the church continued to grow, changing locations one more time (7066 N.Clark) before it arrived at its current location on the Chicago’s Southside 10747 S. Halsted.
Knowing fully well the prospects that lie ahead, elder Akande took to developing his capacity in the area of his calling.
“Throughout this time, I continued to build a relationship with Christ, becoming increasingly inspired to hone my skills and minister the gospel of Jesus Christ. I continued to receive seminary training, earning a doctorate from El Beth El Bible College and Theological Seminary. I joined a ministering circuit, preaching at numerous churches within a wide range of Christian denominations throughout the United States and Nigeria. I also began to work as a therapist counselor at Bobby E. Wright Comprehensive Behavioral Center where I provided mental health counseling for clients with a wide range of behavioral health and social issues.”
Special Apostle Akande has earned honorary degrees and a wide range of accolades in ministry. He has two sons, Gideon and Tolu Akande, a goddaughter Seun Awomolo and grandchildren. He continues to be the Leader in Charge at C&S Movement Church, City Bible Church in Chicago and the Holy Order of Cherubim & Seraphim Movement Church’s chairman of the Chicago District, which includes churches in Illinois, Minnesota, Indianapolis, Michigan, Texas, and Wisconsin.
While speaking on how the journey has fared so far in his capacity as the district chairman, he says, “The journey has been blissful, working with the leaders of churches in this district has been immensely rewarding. Each leader has contributed tremendously to the work of our district, displaying tremendous zeal for the Lord. We can do more, though. By providing financial support and recruiting pastors, we can help establish churches in areas where we have demonstrated interest, but no church to meet the need. Our vision is to have churches in every 10-mile radius in the district, to have open crusades.
We’re also encouraging each church to try to get on radio and television programs for evangelism. A lot of district pastors and prophets have taken up the charge and are making effective use of social media, preaching, praying and offering counsel through these media.”
Beyond seeing the C&S churches in Chicago grow in leaps and bound under his watch, Elder Akande also ensured that they operate within the precinct of the primary task of soul winning.
“As the Chairman of Chicago district, I have had the chance to see our district grow to include many more churches within different states, including Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Texas. All of the churches are faring well, focused on reaching the unsaved. Most are occupied with the task of evangelism, saving souls, caring for the homeless (through food pantries and other outreach methods), and being outstanding members of the communities they serve by participating actively in local community organizations.”
“We have built a supportive partnership amongst the churches in our district, attending each others’ special events including band and church anniversaries and holding district meetings as necessary. These churches have also prioritized Baba Aladura’s vision, meeting annual dues requirements and implementing programs suggested by leadership.” He added.
Seraph Dayo Oyewo. A Journalist/Social Entrepreneur. He loves meeting new people. Favourite Hymn: Ji Okan mi dide layo
