Pa S. G. Elton - A Pioneer of Faith in Nigeria

 

PAS.G.EL TON–API ONEEROFFAI THI NNI GERI A   I fy ous t udi edi nt heUni v er s i t yofI f ebef or e1987andy ouwer eanac t i v e Chr i s t i an,y ouwoul dc er t ai nl yhav ebeeni mpac t edbyt hemi ni s t r yofaman namedS.G.El t on;es pec i al l yi fy ouwer eal s opar toft heEv angel i c al Chr i s t i anUni on. T wi c ei neac hy ear l yc y cl e,hewoul dat t endt hemeet i ngofECUi nt he c ompan yofhi swi f eands omet i mes ,t hei rdaught er ,Rut h.Thefi r s te v ent wast hei naugur at i onoft henewl eader s hi poft heUni ont hatus ual l y h ap pe nedd ur i ngt h eHa r mat t a nSe me mes t e ra ndc o i n c i de dwi t ht h ee ndo fa c al endary ear .Thes ec ond,andi nmyopi ni on,t hemor ec r i t i c al meet i ng t ookpl ac ei nt heRai nSemes t erdur i ngt hev al edi c t or ys er v i c e( s endf or t h) oft hegr aduat i ngs et .I nwasi nt hos emeet i ngsIdi s cov er edt het r ue es senc eoft hepr ophet i candapos t ol i cmi ni s t r y . May beIneedt obac k t r ac kal i t t l et ot hr owl i ghtonwhataBr i t i s hf ami l ywas doi ngi nt hec r adl eofYor ubac i v i l i z at i on.PaEl t on–ashewasf ondl y addr es s ed–hadar r i v edNi ger i ai n1937wi t hac l earmandat et or ai s ea ne w br eedofl eader s hi pi nt heNi g er i anChur c h,who,power edb yt heHol y Spi r i t ,wi l l t ak et hemes s ageofGod’ ski ngdom andt heal l c onquer i ngKi ng t ot hev er yendsoft heear t h.Hel i v edi nI l es a( about30k mf r om I l eI f e) f r o m wh er eh eu nd er t o okt h os emo mo m me e nt o usm mi i s s i o na r yas s i g nme nt s .Hei s undoubt edl yt hef at heroft hePent ec os t al Rev i v al Mov ementi nNi ger i a.

 

I nI l eI f e,hef oundapot entpl at f or mt oi mpac tanddi s ci pl ey oungmenand womenwhoc ont i nuet obei nt hef or ef r ontofgenui nePent ec os t al r ev i v al andmi s si onar yent er pr i s ei nNi ger i a. “ Buty ous hal l r ec ei v epower ,af t ert hatt heHol yGhos ti scomeupony ou: andy ous hal l bewi t nes s esunt omebot hi nJ er us al em,andi nal l J udaea, andi nSamar i a,andunt ot heut t er mos tpar toft heear t h. ”Thes ewer et he v er yl as twor dsJes usut t er edbef or ehi st r ans l at i on.Theywer et hefi r s tand t hes t r onges ti mpet usf oral l t hatPaEl t onac hi ev edi n50f r ui t f ul y ear sas t heunt i r i ngav at arofas pi r i t ual mov ementt hatwass t eepedasm mu uc hi n pr ay erasi twasi npr ay er i ns pi r edac t i on. Th es a i n t l yJ os e phAy oBab al o l aa ndt heg r eg ar i ou sBe ns o nI d aho s aa r e  j us tt wooft hel egi onhement or ed.Underhi si ns pi r at i onal t ut el age,y oung me nl i k eEmek aNwa nk p a,St e v eOl umu y i wa( Ok i t i k a ) ,Aus t i nUk a c hi ,J o hn Ok pos i of or medt hec or eofwhatus edt obet heChr i s t i anSt udent sSoc i al Mo v ementt hatl edamas s i v ec r us adet hatr ec r ui t edy oungpeopl ef or f o c us e dk i n gd om s e r v i c e .Re ube nEz e ma ma duo fCh r i s t i a nMi s s i o na r y Foundat i onandEgbunaOff odi l eofChi l dr enEv angel i s m Mi ni s t r yt r ac et hei r mi ni s t er i al r oot st ot hi sbl es sedman.Geoffr eyDabi bi Number eoft he Gr eat erEv angel i s m Wor l dCr us ade,t hef or emos tapos t l eoft hec r eek s , r ec ei v edhi sm ma ar c hi ngor der swhi l es t udy i ngatt heUni v er s i t yofI f e.Ev en Fr a nc i sW Wa al eOk eoft heSwor dofTheSpi r i tMi ni s t r i esandMos es Ar ans i ol aofGet hs emanePr ay erMi ni s t r i es ,t houghnotor di nar i l ydeni z ens oft heI f es heepf ol d,c oul dnotes capehi sv as tapos t ol i ci nfl uenc e. I nac a de m mi i aasi nt h ec o r p or at ewo r l dar eme nan dwo me me nwh o,a sdi r e c t ori ndi r ec tbenefi c i ar i esofPaEl t on’ smi ni s t r y ,c ont i nuet ohol dt hef or t ; s hi nni ngt hel i ghti nawor l di nc r eas i ngl yundert hr eatofdar k nes s.Ther e

 

a r ema nym mo o r ei np ubl i cs er v i c ewh ob yt he i re x e m mp p l ar yc o m mm mi t me ntan d c onduc tnotonl yampl i f yt hemer i t sofuni onwi t hChr i s t ,butal s opoi ntt ot he goods eedf ai t hf ul l ypl ant edbyoneBr i t i s hmanyy ear sbac k .Cur r ent Mi ni s t erofAgr i c ul t ur e,Ak i nwumi Ades i naoper at eswi t hanev angel i c al z eal andunwa v er i ngf oc ust hato nec anno w pr oper l ypl ac e.Hi spat honc e c r os s edwi t hPaEl t on’ s . Af t er50y ear sofar emar k abl yev ent f ul mi ni s t r y , PaEl t onpas s edonand wasbur i edi nI l es aaswashi swi f ewhohadpr ec ededhi m.Rut hi sn ow about80ands t i l l deepl yi nv ol v edi nt hemi ni s t r yr i ghther ei nNi ger i a.Eac h t i meIr ec al l hi ss uc c es sf ul andmos ts ac r i fi ci al l i f eandmi ni s t r y ,Ic anonl y e x c l ai m,“ Whatal i f e,andwhatal egac y ! ”andIam happ yands addenedal l atonc e.Happybec aus eIwaspr i v i l egedt odr i nkf r om hi sweal t hof pr ophet i ci ns i ght ;s addenedasIbehol dt hec ar i c at ur ec ur r ent l ym ma ak i ngout ast hebr i deofChr i s t . Don’ tbef ool edbyt hee xpans i v e,ex pens i v eaudi t or i aandt heendl es s s t r eam oft r endi l y at t i r edwor s hi pper s .T ak enoc ens usoft hepos hc ar sand t hepal ac esf r om whi c ht hei rowner sr ol l edout .Thatt henobl ei nt hewor l d al s ono w doubl east hepi l l ar soft heChur c hs houl dc onf us enoone.What i spl ay i ngouti ss i mpl yt henur t ur i ngandmat ur at i onofami ni s t r y r el i nqui s hedbyt heapos t l est wot hous andy ear sago. Ac ont r o v er s yhadar i s eni nt heear l yc hur c hwhenGr eek s peak i ngwi dows c ompl ai nedofbei ngdi s c r i mi nat edi nf av ourofJ ewi s hs peak i ngwi dowsi n t hedai l ydi s t r i but i onoff ood.Bei ngl eader s ,t heapos t l eswer et r y i ngt o r es ol v et hi sk not t ymat t erbuthadt or es t r ai nt hei rdeepeni ngi nv ol v ement . Her ei sm my ypar aphr as eoft hei rdi l emma.“ I ti snotr i ghtf orusasapos t l est o abandont het eac hi ngoft hewor dofGod,ands er v et abl es . ”Cor r ec t i v e

 

ac t i onwasi mmedi at el yi naugur at ed,f r eei ngt heapos t l est oat t endt ot hei r pr i mar yconc er n;“ …wewi l l gi v eour s el v est opr ay er ,andt hemi ni s t r yoft he wor d. ” Mos tofwhati shappeni ngi nourov er fl owi ngt empl esi ss i mpl y‘ s er v i ng t abl es : ’ aeuphemi s mf orat t endi ngt oendl es s ,t empor al humanneeds . Ver yf ewdi s c i pl esar ebei ngmadeande v enf ewerar ec ommi t t i ngt ot ak i ng t hemes s ageoft h ek i ngdom t ot heendsoft heear t h.Wedel udeour s el v e s whenweassum me eobedi encet ot heet er nal comm mmandbybequeat hi ngone manwi t hourr es our c est odot hewor konourbehal f .Sohet ool sar oundat br eak nec ks peedandi nuni magi nabl ec omf or tpur por t i ngt oper f or mt he t as ksdi v i nel yas si gnedt oal l ofus .Att heendoft heday ,bec aus ewel ac k a c c ur a t ek no wl e dg eo ft h ed ema nd soft h ek i n gd om o fGo da ndou r i nal i enabl epar ti ni t ,wer emai nasspi r i t ual t oddl er sm mi i ndedbyt hos ewho hav ef al s el yas sumedt hepos i t i onofours ol es pi r i t ual nanni es . Ni ger i amayhos tt hewor l d’ sl ar ges t ,s i ngl eChr i s t i anc ongr egat i on,s he mi ghtbeoneoft hewor l d’ smo mos tr el i gi ousenc l av es ,buts her ank s dubi ous l yasoneoft hemos tc or r uptandl awl es s .Thec l uet ounr av el l i ng t hi sdi l emmai snotf ar f et c hed:maj or i t yoft hemi l l i onswhopur por tt o pr of es sChr i s tar emer et ot st i edt ot heapr ons t r i ngsoft hos eei t her i gnor antoft het r ut horunwi l l i ngt oex pos et hepeopl et oi t ;andby e xt ens i on,t of r eedom.Sot henat i onl angui s hes ,andt heendsoft heear t h pi neawayawai t i ngt hemani f es t at i onofGod’ st r ues ons ;nott hi si mmat ur e, c ar ous i ngandl ec her ousl ot . I ti snear l yt hi r t yy ear ss i nc et hi sex empl arofmi s si onar ys t at es m ma ans hi p c onc l udedhi sear t hl yr ac es ur v i v edbyani l l us t r i ouscompanyoffi r e-

 

begot t enmenandwome menconsum me edbyt heet er nal agendaofdemol i shi ng hel l ’ sgat eandex t endi ngt hef r ont i er soft hek i ngdom oft heChr i s t . Butwhi l ePaEl t ons oughtpai ns t ak i ngl yt odefi net hec r i t er i af ort heman t hatGodus es ,anot herc ompan y ,i ndubi ousm mi i mi c r y , hasbeens t udi ous l y moul di ngt hei mageoft he‘ Godt hatmanus es . ’That‘ God’ i sequal l y t out edasi nfi ni t el ygood,l ov i ngandmer c i f ul .Thes ol epur pos eofhi sbei ng i st omak ehi schi l dr enhappybygi v i ngt hem des i gners pous es ,c hi l dr en, weal t handev er yot hert hi ngt hei rey esandi magi nat i onc anc onc ei v e.I ti s f ort hei rs ak eher unsac el es t i al s uper mar k etwher eal l t heywi l l ev erc r av e f ori ss t oc k ed.Soi ft heydon’ tpos s es si t ,t heypr obabl yf or gott oor deri t . Li t t er edal l ov ert hel ands capear et hes edi aper donni ngdi s ci pl esofs wank y apos t l esofc ons pi c uousc ons umpt i onenabl edbyt hei runf et t er edac c es st o fi l t hyl uc r e.Thi semer gi ngs cenar i oi sst i l l s upr emel yper pl ex i ngt os omany . Sowhi l eourc i t i esandur banar easar ec r a wl i ngwi t ht hes epr eac her sand pr ophet speddl i ngal l mannerofs el f s er v i ngmes s agest ounder nour i s hed s pi r i t ual babes ,ourv i l l agesandr ur al ar easdes per at el yawai tt hear r i v al of t hel i k esofPaEl t onwhowi l l gi v et hei rl i f es ot heycanobt ai ns omet hi ng i nfi ni t el ybet t er .I ti sl i k et het i mel es swi s dom enc aps ul at edi nt hec el ebr at ed s a y i ng :“ Hei snof o ol wh og i v e supwh ath ec a nn otk e eps oh ec a ng ai n whathec annotl os e. ”Sadl y ,mos tofwhatt hes es oc al l edl eader scur r ent l y c o ns i d era sas s e t sc a nb ed es t r o y e di namo m me e nt . Or di nar i l yIs houl dbedes pondent ,butI ’ m not .Ihav ehope–f er v enthope– t hatei t herf r om wi t hi norf r om ex t er nal pr ompt i ng,t hi sc har adei nt hegui s e Pent ec os t al f er v ourwi l l c eas e.May bewewi l l c al l i tar ev i v al orar ev ol ut i on: f orme,i tmat t er sl i t t l e.Al l Iam as s ur edi st hatonc emor e,l i ghtands al twi l l beus edi nr i ght l ydes c r i bi ngt hebr i deofChr i s ti nNi ger i a.

 

Thati swhatS. G.El t onl abour eds ol ongt oac t ual i z e.Thati sex ac t l ywhatI f er v ent l yhopeandpr aywi l l s hor t l ymat er i al i z e.