A controversial man of God from Nigeria has been the talk of the town for quite a while. He was arrested for ‘alleged gross misconduct,fondles of women’s chest and engaging victims in marathon sexualism in the guise of deliverance’.
Well, we reached out to the senior pastor Raphael Obi Ukaegbu, who is based in Midrand South Africa (Johannesburg) so he can talk about his ministry and matters of Christianity, and here is the Q & A interview.
Q1. Tell us about your ministry, how you started and how you’ve changed lives.
King’s Court Church (AKA KCC) is a non-denominational and multiracial church; our vision is to bridge the gap between humanity and divinity. The world as it is has been severely disconnected from its creator; hence we find chaos, diseases, perversions and all kinds of negative energies in our world. As a body of believers, we are here to address these anomalies by reconnecting humanity back to divinity. We are called to empower believers and transform non-believers in order to show them who they are in Christ and what is rightfully theirs in their walk with God.
I have always been a “church boy” formally introduced to Christianity at a very early age by my loving parents. I started serving in church as far back as the age of six singing in the children church choir. My Christian walk has been a journey which did not start when I became lead pastor of KCC. I have seen lives changed all through this journey; we most times want to credit the big things as the changes in people’s lives and tend to forget the little things which are really the big ones… like the smile on the face of the orphaned little girl when she knows she now has a new family and the joy in the heart of the lonely widow when she feels the love of the church. KCC is a community church and we have been heavily involved in our community thereby making a difference and changing lives.
Q2. Do you think it’s right for pastors to collect offerings? If yes, do you announce to your congregants how much they contribute?
Every organization, body or entity has rules of engagement and the church is not exempted from this. Pastors don’t collect offerings, the church does. This is a scriptural backed doctrine all the way from the Old Testament when God required the people to give to the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness to the New Testament when Jesus stood by the offering box and even commended the widow for giving the best offering of the service. I cannot speak for other churches but KCC as a church holds an annual AGM where we release to members the church’ financials.
Q3. Do pastors need to live large yet Jesus led a humble life?
It is very important that we rightly define the above concepts. Humility is not synonymous to poverty. I have seen poor men without an ounce of humility and I have also met wealthy men oozing with humility. I will never recommend or be associated with an organization that the leader accumulates and aggrandizes wealth to the detriment of the people, and it goes beyond the church. I believe a hard working Pastor should get what is due to him be it large or not. Don’t forget that he will buy from the same stores as you, take his kids to school as you would. He will not be given a consensus to pay less or not pay at all because he is a clergy man, so all these things should be in consideration when we speak on matter such as these.
