Prophet Samson Oluwamodede, the General Overseer of Prayer Centre Church of God, Akure, is a man of many parts who had wanted to be a philanthropist instead of being a minister of God.
In this interview, the man of God speaks on his sojourn in the God’s vineyard for 21 years. Excerpts:
How did you come about Prayer Centre Church of God?
Prayer Centre Church of God is located at Km 7, Idanre Road, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. I am from the CAC foundation. After God gave me the doctrine of the church, I found that it was different from the doctrine of the CAC. At the initial stage of the ministry, I called it Prayer Centre Fellowship. But in a bid not to lose the location I was using on mountain because it was owned by CAC, I added CAC to the name.
So it became CAC Prayer Fellowship. But after being challenge by Elders on the mountain, I removed ‘Fellowship’ and ‘CAC’ and it became Prayer Centre Church of God. And that remains our name till date. We have been able to come this far by the grace of God. We started 21 years ago. I started the ministry with four members of my family, but here we are today, with over 15,000 members worldwide. The grace of God and the Holy Spirit has been our pillar and support system.
What motivated you into full-time ministry?
It was never my intention to be a full-time minister. All I wanted to be was a philanthropist and a sponsor of the gospel. I had always wanted to cater for others, pastors and the less privileged but I never knew God had other plans for me. I had a direct encounter with God and I heard a loud voice directly from heaven which said “I have given you the same authority given to Peter & John”. That is how my journey in the ministry started.
What has been your success story in the area of physical growth and development of the church?
Apart from the spiritual growth of members which is numerous to mention, we are looking to expand our Bible College by increasing the number of our students. Also, we are building more facilities for the Bible College like hostels and electronic classrooms. For the past 21 years, we have been having new programmes every year through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the Lord has been taking control. The past couple of years were filled with challenges but we thank God that we are here today and the glory of God is sufficient for us. The success story revolves around the lives and souls we have won for Christ over the years. The main mission of my calling is salvation and total deliverance. We have held crusades in many towns and villages and souls were won for Christ.
As a prophet and philanthropist, what has been your achievement?
For the past 21 years, I have been empowering widows. There is a yearly program specifically designed for widows where food items and cash are shared. There is also a yearly scheme for orphans and the less-privileged where school fees and other welfare services are provided. I also visit motherless babies’ homes in Akure every six months to make financial and other necessary provisions. I also visit the home of the disabled persons (Ago-Ireti) every six months to provide financial, welfare services and also pray with them. The church also offers scholarships to the less privileged to ensure they get proper education to advance their career.
Challenges since the inception of ministry…
We have had challenges, physically and spiritually. There was a time during the early days of the ministry when we were still on the mountain before coming to our permanent site. The (CAC) Council of Elders made it uncomfortable for us to hold service. There were also series of meetings and ungodly resistance from people that were supposed to support but we thank God for His grace. Another challenge was the persecution I faced in the early days of the ministry and even up till this moment. Probably because of the crowd and what God is doing in this ministry, we have faced a lot of blasphemy and persecution.
Nigeria is confronted with huge challenges. What is the way forward?
My advice for government, Ondo State and Nigeria is to be faithful in all they do, transparency and righteousness should be exhibited in politics, governance, leadership and administration. I am using this medium to appreciate my wife, Lady Evangelist Jumoke Oluwamodede, for her support and all PCCG pastors, workers and members worldwide. I pray that the Lord will empower President Bola Tinubu and his government and give them the grace to move the nation forward. Readers can reach us through: Prayer Centre Church of God, Km 7, Idanre Road, Akure. Our website address is http://www.prayercentrechurchofgod.org, e-mail pccgkm7@gmail.com and telephone 08035752109 (text only).
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