Godwill Ogbolu, Pastor & Author Highlights the Importance of a Healthy Church in His First Book

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Godwill Ogbolu comes from a big, very close-knit family. He never fails to give credit to his parents who worked tirelessly not just to provide for everyone of them but also to make sure that they grew up in love and unity. Godwill’s parents were not devoted Christians, but had amazing morals and ethics that helped shape him and his siblings.

Godwill Ogbolu is a pastor at the River Church in Istanbul Türkiye. In this interview, he shares his journey as a preacher of the word, and the inspiration behind his first book entitled ‘Characteristics of a Healthy Church’.

He is married to Pastor Priscillia Ogbolu and they are blessed with two children: Phil-Anthony and Irene. 

There have been many over these years that have greatly impacted my life. The first person is my eldest brother Samuel Ogbolu. He was the one who pioneered the Christian faith in the Ogbolu’s family. As a pacesetter, he endured a lot of persecution which made it possible for me and my siblings to embrace Christianity.The man who led me to Christ in Lagos, Nigeria and who also taught me the foundational truths of the Gospel comes second but the one that stands out above all else is Apostle Dr Corey Erman, the man whom the Lord connected me with in 1999. He has been my mentor, father in the ministry and a great friend. We both met in 1999 when he launched the River Church Istanbul, and since then, I have been privileged to build a strong relationship and partnership with him in ministry.

I had a dream in 1989, not very long after I got born again, where Jesus appeared to me and called me into the ministry. I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am called to preach the Gospel. When I got to Istanbul in 1997 with the intention of playing professional football, the Lord began to speak to me very strongly about the call of God. He brought several people who confirmed His call on my life for ministry. I joined the River Bible Institute and, later on, was ordained into the full-time ministry in September 2005 by Apostle Corey Erman.

The Bible admonishes us to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Problems arise when a man takes centre stage in church, and until he validates you, you do not belong and cannot participate. A system that elevates men above God has infiltrated the church and has brought a lot of backlash against the church. Mentioning this in my book was necessary because if no one speaks up, the damage will never be addressed and fixed. Another important theme worth mentioning is “Revival”. I listed several things that will help people discover whether they are truly in love with Jesus or just going through the motions or carrying out human traditions in the name of “Christianity”. 

Two things I dealt with in the book that will definitely shake people up are making Jesus the centre of attraction instead of the minister. If we are going to raise healthy believers, especially new converts, some of the practices I mentioned which have not produced the quality of believers we see in the book of Acts need to be addressed. Another thing is the abuse of spiritual authority. A pastor should shepherd the flock not fleece them for selfish gain. Shepherding requires leading by example, doing it before requiring others to do it.  

One of the challenges believers face today is bad doctrine. Many do not have Biblical doctrine at all, and many who do, have a distorted view on Biblical matters. For instance, the biblical understanding of prosperity, money and wealth. We are dealing with a generation that throws away the baby along with the bath water. The fact that there is abuse when it comes to the subject of prosperity does not negate what the bible says about the subject. Most of the information some people have on the subject are from people on social media making videos to attack preachers who teach prosperity. The bible is filled with examples of God’s will to prosper people materially.

The central message is the spiritual health of the believer, whether you are a preacher, a business person, a student, a spouse or a friend. The book is entitled “Characteristics of a Healthy Church”, but you can replace the word “Church” with spouse, businessperson, student, christian etc. If you are a healthy Christian, it will translate into every area of your life, marriage, academics, work, leadership, friendship and many more. The aim is to get every believer healthy spiritually.

Sunday school instructors can use it as they teach new believers. Pastors can use it in their training meetings during staff and leadership meetings. Pastors can teach the characteristics by taking a characteristic each Sunday for thirteen weeks. A pastor has ordered several copies on Amazon to use in his bible school. Business leaders can use it to empower their staff. The book cuts across all sectors of life because the principles, though spiritual, are practical and universal.

Why delay? Life and death are like two parallel lines. Today you may be on the path of life, but the next moment you may cross over to the other parallel; therefore, do not put it off for another day. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me. Do not hesitate, and later discover you have made the biggest mistake of your life. The Rich man in Luke chapter 16 found out, but it was already too late to make amends. Call on Jesus now and He will save, deliver and set you free.

Godwill Ogbolu can be found on several Social Media platforms, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube as “Godwill Ogbolu” and you can purchase his book on Amazon. You can also follow our church River Istanbul on Facebook, Youtube and Instagram .

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