– Iya Adura is not out to rival student fellowship – LOC
A litany of reactions has continued to trail the Love of Christ Generation Church Campus Connect initiative (Yabatech) which was recently announced on the church’s social media page.
It is barely 72 hours since the church announced the program which is expected to start on Sunday, April 3, 2022. According to the flyer, there will be a free bus, word of God, free food, and a free T-shirt for every individual who is willing to attend.
While some persons considered it a lofty idea initiated by renowned philanthropist and founder of the church, Rev. Mother Esther Ajayi, others expressed their displeasure about the initiative. Quite a number of concerned seraphs online criticized the move of the church to have a campus connect on campuses that have an existing student fellowship.
The critics believed having a campus connect in an institution that already has an existing student fellowship would only create division.
Acts of Seraphs learned that the steering committee of the C&S unification campus fellowship of Yabatech is not aware of the initiative. A representative of the student fellowship who spoke to our correspondents, disclosed that they were surprised when they saw posters and flyers of the program being pasted around the school premises. A social media post published on the official page of the student fellowship, Unicass, further revealed that the fellowship is not aware of the program.
A member of the Central Executive Council of the campus fellowship who responded to inquiry by this platform, also revealed that the leadership of the fellowship is not aware. While stating that the fellowship is currently looking into it, he also maintained that the body has to be strategic in its approach to such sensitive issues.
Reacting to the development, sources close to Mother Ajayi who spoke to Acts of Seraphs, explained that the initiative was not meant to undermine the existence of the campus fellowship. One of the sources who craved anonymity, stated that Mother Ajayi loves the C&S church and would not do anything to cause division within the fold.
“Iya Adura is aomeone who loves the progress of the C&S church and it is not her habit to poach people from other people’s churches. Much as she is gradually getting familiar with the structure of the C&S church, as well as the campus fellowship, she has no intention to undermine the effort the fellowship had made so far to bring students under the umbrella of unification.”
According to the source, Iya Adura operates an open door policy, and the idea was without prejudice, but based on an Qevangelism drive of the church which is to go into the world and win souls to Christ, especially on how to remove the bottlenecks that could prevent people who are not C&S members from coming.
“The idea of using buses to convey people was even suggested by a non member due to distance. So, she bought into the idea, entered into an agreement with BRT buses, and inquired about the far places where they could situate the buses. It was during the meeting that someone included Unilag and Yabatech, that quite a number of students also want to come. It was after then that they tagged it “campus connect” and even suggested a white T. Shirt for them, as they may be concerned about not having prayer gowns.”
“Though, when you say campus connect, Mama is looking beyond C&S campus fellowship. She is only looking for an average person who wants to know God more. Iya Adura did not for once think that it will depopulate the campus fellowship. She was just on an innocent evangelism drive. Iya Adura had supported campus fellowship over time. She does not have any plan to turn campus fellowship to LOC.
The source would recall how the female clergy discharged about 200 Seraph youths who used to be with her before she built her church, asking them to go back to their various churches.
“When Iya Adura started before the church started, about 200 youths were following her in LOC buses. When she started her church, she said, ‘All of you, go back to your various churches. I don’t want people to say I took youths away from their churches.’ The youths felt really bad, because they felt they will become foundation members of LOC in Nigeria, but she insisted. We had to sit her down and told her to allow those who felt they want to keep coming.
Another source from LOC UK told Acts of Seraphs that the female clergy has good rapport with Yabatech and “Isokan” as a whole, and would not deliberately undermine them. The source added that the fact that they have a relationship means it is something that could easily be resolved.
The source who also craved not to be mentioned, further stated that Mother Esther Ajayi, although, must have been wrongly advised on the strategy which now looks more like what will rival the campus fellowship, but would have an audience with her, as she is still in the mood of her birthday.
Seraph Ariyibi Oluwasogo is a Journalist/Freelance writer. He loves reading.
Favourite Hymn: C&S 89 – Eyin Egbe Igbala
