Fatherhood and Sonship in Ministry
Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, Church, Clergy, Theology, Ethics
| Author: | Bola Akin-John | ISBN: | 9781386356790 |
| Publisher: | Akin-John | Publication: | May 3, 2018 |
| Imprint: | Language: | English |
| Author: | Bola Akin-John |
| ISBN: | 9781386356790 |
| Publisher: | Akin-John |
| Publication: | May 3, 2018 |
| Imprint: | |
| Language: | English |
I strongly believe that Fatherhood and Sonship is at the foundation of any worthwhile life and living. It is very fundamental to the well-being of any person. At the dawn of my earthly existence, I did not enjoy the benefits of fatherhood simply because my father died when I was just 6 years old. It affected me negatively when growing up, but mighty kudos to my dear mother, who buckled up to fulfill both the role of a mother and father to me.
When I became a parent, I had the problem of how to be a good father to my sons, because there was nothing in my memory bank of how my father related with me! I had to seek for books on fatherhood and also submitted myself to adopted fathers, physical and spiritual, to really grow up well.
Today, I still have fathers and mentors in my life and ministry that are monitoring, counseling, advising, correcting, praying and overseeing my life! In actual fact, the fatherhood of these my spiritual giants are the spiritual strength undergirding me in ministry, coupled with the mighty graces of God.
Having experienced firsthand the mighty benefits of good and godly fatherhood in life and ministry, and tasted also the adverse effects of poor fathering, I'm burdened by the Lord to pen this book to young, old, new and experienced ministers and leaders in ministry.
In the ministry of today, only negligible percent truly knows what good mentoring and fatherhood is. Lots of ministers of today were never fathered correctly, so they find it difficult to provide good fathering to others.
More importantly, there is gross abuse of fatherhood and sonship in ministry today. I remember going to a conference in Southern Africa where some Ministerial or Apostolic Networks came and started teaching people to submit to them. Pronto, they brought out forms and started asking people to fill it and pay their tithes to them. I rose up to teach against this unscriptural practice and I was banished from further speaking at that conference. But years later, the organizers realized I was speaking the truth, but many lives have been ruined! Same thing goes around today.
A certain celebrity and socialite in Lagos Nigeria got saved few years back. He went to meet with some very popular ministers who asked him to proceed to the United States for 3 months Bible School Training. He was not properly grounded in the word of God and discipled first as a Christian. He went, came back and started a church. Initially, the church grew in numbers and branches. Many pastors joined him and things were well and good. But his lack of proper discipleship, mentoring and spiritual fatherhood began to show sooner than later.
Today, the branches have all but close down, the headquarter church is struggling with membership losses and he himself have gone back to what the Lord initially saved him from. This goes to show the foundational and fundamental place of good fatherhood and mentoring in life and ministry.
Unfortunately over 70% of pastors and ministers are making the grave mistake of isolation, by isolating themselves in ministry. They have no spiritual father or mentor, and they are finding ministry a hard nut to crack. Without any iota of doubt, it is very difficult to really succeed in ministry without a father figure and a mentor.
There is no spiritual cover, protection, shield against attack and prayer cover to a fatherless person, in life and ministry. Restoration, renewal and fruitfulness are always the benefits of those who are fortunate to fall into the hand of godly, matured, wise and spiritual fathers and mentors.
I strongly believe that Fatherhood and Sonship is at the foundation of any worthwhile life and living. It is very fundamental to the well-being of any person. At the dawn of my earthly existence, I did not enjoy the benefits of fatherhood simply because my father died when I was just 6 years old. It affected me negatively when growing up, but mighty kudos to my dear mother, who buckled up to fulfill both the role of a mother and father to me.
When I became a parent, I had the problem of how to be a good father to my sons, because there was nothing in my memory bank of how my father related with me! I had to seek for books on fatherhood and also submitted myself to adopted fathers, physical and spiritual, to really grow up well.
Today, I still have fathers and mentors in my life and ministry that are monitoring, counseling, advising, correcting, praying and overseeing my life! In actual fact, the fatherhood of these my spiritual giants are the spiritual strength undergirding me in ministry, coupled with the mighty graces of God.
Having experienced firsthand the mighty benefits of good and godly fatherhood in life and ministry, and tasted also the adverse effects of poor fathering, I'm burdened by the Lord to pen this book to young, old, new and experienced ministers and leaders in ministry.
In the ministry of today, only negligible percent truly knows what good mentoring and fatherhood is. Lots of ministers of today were never fathered correctly, so they find it difficult to provide good fathering to others.
More importantly, there is gross abuse of fatherhood and sonship in ministry today. I remember going to a conference in Southern Africa where some Ministerial or Apostolic Networks came and started teaching people to submit to them. Pronto, they brought out forms and started asking people to fill it and pay their tithes to them. I rose up to teach against this unscriptural practice and I was banished from further speaking at that conference. But years later, the organizers realized I was speaking the truth, but many lives have been ruined! Same thing goes around today.
A certain celebrity and socialite in Lagos Nigeria got saved few years back. He went to meet with some very popular ministers who asked him to proceed to the United States for 3 months Bible School Training. He was not properly grounded in the word of God and discipled first as a Christian. He went, came back and started a church. Initially, the church grew in numbers and branches. Many pastors joined him and things were well and good. But his lack of proper discipleship, mentoring and spiritual fatherhood began to show sooner than later.
Today, the branches have all but close down, the headquarter church is struggling with membership losses and he himself have gone back to what the Lord initially saved him from. This goes to show the foundational and fundamental place of good fatherhood and mentoring in life and ministry.
Unfortunately over 70% of pastors and ministers are making the grave mistake of isolation, by isolating themselves in ministry. They have no spiritual father or mentor, and they are finding ministry a hard nut to crack. Without any iota of doubt, it is very difficult to really succeed in ministry without a father figure and a mentor.
There is no spiritual cover, protection, shield against attack and prayer cover to a fatherless person, in life and ministry. Restoration, renewal and fruitfulness are always the benefits of those who are fortunate to fall into the hand of godly, matured, wise and spiritual fathers and mentors.
