For over two decades ,i have nursed the idea of worshipping at Pastor
(Politician) Tunde Bakare’s Latter Rain Assembly (aka LRA).
The reasons are not far fetched, Pastor Bakare is the fieriest Man of God in
Nigeria.He has made criticism of successive governments a second nature.His
preaching and delivery on television is second to none.He combines a well
articulated ...diction and prose in his sermon.Most often than not, he switches
from Queens English to Yoruba language.A Moslem by birth,Pastor Tunde Bakare
has become a torn on several former Head of States in Nigeria.Who doesn’t know Bakare,the man that predicted that Olusegun Obasanjo won’t get a second term.
The same Bakare that blew the whistle about the $50,000 given them as transport fare during the early days of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
Tunde Bakare who led the Save Nigeria Campaign at Ojota during the fuel crisis,am talking of the same Tunde Bakare who was the running mate to Gen Muhammadu Buhari during the 2011 general election.If you still don't know who i am talking about, I mean Pastor Tunde Bakare,who recently said that he didn't want a cow sent him by Mr President but who refused to return same to Aso Rock.
I had so many things on my mind this morning when i decide to pay his Church a visit.
Will i see the rejected cow,will Bakare make a prediction about 2014,since today is the first Sunday of 2014.Will he abuse Godluck Jonathan,will he talk about the seasons of letters.
Watching him preach on Channels TV on Sundays,i knew i wont have any dull moment visiting LRA.
Latter Rain Assembly is located at Akilo Road,off Guiness Nigeria Plc on the way to Ogba,if you are very familiar with Lagos.
It is sandwiched in between ASCON petrol station and some other “omo igbos” spare part shops along that stretch of road.
The first thing you ll notice on arriving LRA is that the Church has no car parking space. This to me was a bad omen, i dont like attending churches where i don’t know for sure if my car will be safe. How can a whole Pastor Bakare not have a parking space for his congregations and visitors. The whole of the area was taken over by all sorts of parkings.Although the security staff where o hand to direct you,i had no choice that to look for a suitable place ,about half kilometre aaway from the Church to park (although i regretted this later).I parked just oppostie WAMCO Milk Head office.
I joined other members to leg the remaining distance.
I was expecting to meet the type of war chest bouncers i saw at Kris Okotie’s Church last week at the gate,but was dissappointed.
LRA had no single bouncer, the guys at the gate were so friendly,welcome to church,welcome to church rent the air.
On getting closer to the main entrance,i expected the usual bomb detector handles that has characterized all the Churches i have visited in Lagos,Abuja,Owerri,Abeaokuta etc in the past six months.None was available.No one was searched,”imposcant” i said (apology to Zebrudayya) .
LRA was a Church with a different,wetin dey give Bakare the liver to try this kin thing ,i wondered.Infact the last time i visited Family Worshp Cntre in Abuja,i almost spent 30 minutes on queue waitiing to be searched .
I quietly slipped into the Churc,Pasto Bakare was already on the pulpit,the Church was full to the brim,Okotie’s congregation was a child’s play.The auditorium was full to capacity,but i was not too satisfied with the ambience,Okotie again was my comparism (why am i still talking Okotie here).
Pastor Bakare’s church to me is more like a warehouse converted into a Church.The pillars allover didnt give me a good visual position,there were four big screens around the podium,you have to strain your eyes to see what was going on at the pulpit.I feel this can be improved upon, those four big screens can be moved to the sides for most of the people to se what was happening at the pulpit.
LRA also has an overflow and a dominion centre within the Church were people who couldn’t get a place to sit,stayed.There was also a Yoruba class,i guess going on simultaneously by the entrance.
As i said,Pastor Bakare who wore a caftan was at his best.
He was speaking on the act of giving especially thos ethat have been supporting his television programmes across the world.He even spoke about watching his program on AIT while in Belgium,he thanked a member who had solely sponsored the programme on a TV station in Ekiti.He encourage them to support the programme in the coming year,but according to him,it is not in his character to follow the footstep of other Men of God who go on television canvassing for funds to support TV programmes.
Then the big one,Pastor Bakare announced to his congregation that come 1st April 2014,LRA will start its own satellite television named DOMINION TV.
He said decoders will be sold for people to receive the station. It will start with six hours and later extend to 24 hours.
He said the station will run concurrently with the existing programmes on various stations untill they will be phased out completely.
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| CKN at LRA yesterday |
Tunde Bakare definitely knows how to hold his audience spellbound, he is an orator.Smooth talking (i am not surprised because he is a lawyer) intermittently, he raises songs but unlike Okotie,he has a band and choir,they just lift the songs off his lips once he raises.
Bakare has mastered the bible inside out,he quotes the bible like one swallowing amala with ewedu or gbegiri soup laced with bokoto or shaky meat.It was sweet music to the ears.By what surprises me with Pastor Bakare is the way and manner he shout,infact i have taken four tablets of paracetamol since i left his Church,i counted over 98 times when he raised his voice.
I don’t know if he believes that most of his congregations are deaf or what,or is it a way of driving home his point.Infact,the way and manner he was shouting,a mother was forced to take her baby outside,since the toddlers cries every moment the man of God shouts.
I had thought that shouting was only meant for casting out of demons in Churches, you know that type,they I BOUND YOU,LEAVE HIM,COME OUT OF HIM..OUT,OUT,OUT,..Should demons needs high pitched voices but Pastor Bakare was using it freely.
After sometime,he closed the service or so i tought .We prayed and he immediately break into a lovely Yoruba song again.. “Mo digi eleso jigbinni,Ola Oluwa to han rle ra mi,Mo digi eleso jigbinni”,the whole congregation went into a frenzy again..Pastor was dancing bata dance steps, we joined him,it was at that point that the spirit arrested me.I guess i spoke in tongue,but when i asked the person beside me if she had what i said,she said no.That i said nothing,oti o,how come.
I don’t want to talk about the babes at LRA..I have seen enough babes at Household last week to last me a whole year.
LRA don’t have the best of babes,they didnt have those kill and go babes,that wears mini skirts to Church,Mbanu,LRA babes were well dressed,infact but for the make up,i would have thought some of them were from Kumuyi’s Church.
At the end of what i thought was the end of the service,when an usher asked me where i was going to,i told her home,she laughed and asked me if i wont wait for the main service..Main service ke,what have we just finished now,she laughed again,telling me that was just the appetizer,that the main course is about to start.whaoo,ok.i sat back.In fifteen minutes time,Pastor Bakare truly came back fro the main show.LRA is the ONLY church that conducts one service in one.
Bakare continued from where he stopped, this time he made an announcement..”if you know you cannot wait till the end of this service,please you are free to leave now.If you know that you have an appointment to keep that will distract us,please leave now.If you know you want to ease your self,kindly go to the toilet now,beacuse i will not want people walking up and down and distracting others. I checked my bowel and quickly dashed to the gents,where i emptied myself. I came back and fastened my seat belt for the final cruise.
Pastor,thundered away,he told us that today is an IMPACTATION SERVICE..He spoke at lenght on some of the issues concerning the Church and the act of giving.He asked those who are ready and willing to support the new media project to collect envelopes and make their pledges.
He didnt speak on Obj,Jonathan,Obasanja,Amaechi's fight with Jonathan.He didnt talk about Patience Jonathan,neither dd he make any reference to Buhari,Tinubu,Kwakwanso or any of the Npdp,old PDP,APC and even PANADOL.
Why nah,Bakare,why you dey fall my hand like this nah.i didnt come here to pick and share your envelopes.
I came to see those fire i see on TV,but alas it was not to be my day.
After sometime,the impartation ceremony commenced,we filed out one after the other and Tunde Bakare laid his hands on us.Yes,Bakare laid his hands on me.The first by any Pastor in over 20 years.I don’t allow any Pastor to lay his hands on me,infact Bakare said so too (I AM NOW A BORN AGIAN lol).But i was moved by Bakare and his sermon,i just let go.I took a close look at him when he was laying his hands on me,he is quite young from his looks,but you will see in that small body, a mind made of brilliance and steel.
A man at peace with himself.Bakare may be a “noise maker” but he is a man of substance.
Ahhhahahaha,before i forget,Bakare has no bouncers and body guards like Kris Okotie,no one stood watch over him.He had only two ushers who stood far away from the alter,but not body guards.
I left the service at about 2.00pm and on getting to where i parked my car,someone else have blocked me.I had to wait for about 2 hours before the guy finally made up his mind to leave the service for me to drive off.
I look forward to visiting Pastor Bakare again,but this time around,he must be ready to give me all those predictions.He must also tell me something about Goodluck Jonathan and his 2015 ambition..I just wonder why the man cant just leave politics alone and face his Pastorial work and why is he always attacking Pastor Adeboye and Oyedepo..Those are some of the questions i will ask Pastor Bakare whenever I meet him one on one. He is a man well misunderstood if you ask me. He is a Patriot of the highest order who does not know how to mix politics and religion .Till then .He has to chose one,but if you ask me,i ll ask him to stick to his Pastoral work ,because he is damn good at it.He should leave politics for politicians,i rest my case..CKN
CKN Readers React
Patrick Etuk, Okoro Christiantus C, Joseph Mayor and 31 others like this.
Ambrose Igboke CKN your hands were really full. thank God you didn't fall under the anointing when the pastor laid hands on you. Well done my brother.
Hon Emmanuel Agomuoh so ckn where is the train heading next sunday? I will suggest my church. I will inbox u the name now.
Olusoga Lati Odusanya You don crase. Which one be kill and go babes ?
Seriously, this is a very good one.
Seriously, this is a very good one.
Sodimu Kayode I was actually looking for you in the auditorium. .... Hope you enjoyed yourself in the precense of God? Bakare doesn't attack personality but issues. Thanks for coming to the LRA the end time church. We are BIG enough to serve you and small enough to know you..... Radical opposition to corruption and we choose win by righteousness.
Ckn Nigeria Sodimu Kayode thanks my brother, it was fun while it lasted..i ll be back again. atleast I have a witness in you.. Even if you had seen me, you wouldn't have recognized me or would you?
Idowu Abiodun Stephen pls ckn, when does the first and second service start at LRA? I feel like going there next week. Seriously.
Sodimu Kayode It wasn't a really a first service but bible study called search the scriptures because Sunday is only the day we open the auditorium doors...... Every other day is for administrative acctivities.....
Osadebamwen Patrick A mouthful indeed. You r now born again, you are now CKN BA and other aliases added
Tunde Ajiboye Always lukin forward to ds ur sunday,sunday service report.Hv a splendid week ahead Sir.
Oluwatopraise Sarah CKN oOoooo, u nor go kill me with laugh. Hmm, church paros abi, 2014! Welldone, u don start ko? Anyway, i totally agree with you about Pastor Bakare facing his pastorial office. If you are downcasting others they will still fall ontop of you. Let God be the judge! I rest my case oooo! CKN newsss
Oseni Shamsideen Owolabi Ckn Nigeria I thought I suggested Pastor Tunde Bakare, the Chief Imam son to you but thank God that I suggested what was in your mind. Weld one bro!
Ckn Nigeria Oseni Shamsideen Owolabi yap spot on.. nice suggestion. How was the Islamic outreach in Lagos today?
Oseni Shamsideen Owolabi Ckn Nigeria Thousands of Muslims gathered at TBS in Onikan to pray for the nation. Muslims in Lagos has been doing that since 1998 just to pray for peace and progress in Nigeria. Islamic Scholars from over 60 Islamic societies were on ground for the pr...See More
Bakare Ify waoo! splendid,I know you will be pleased after attending my BABA OKO's chrch. thank God that you did n you are now born again. old things are pasSed away you are now a new creature,looking forward to seeing a new born again CKN.
Bakare Ify cheii! ckn are you scared of being born twice? At least dat will scare some babes away from you.
Chidi Okoli hahahaha.. ''No okotie's kill & go babes, hehehehe,.. but for the make up,i would have thought some of them were from Kumuyi’s Church.. LWKM!!!
Allwell Ndubuaku If good men should leave politics alone as u suggested, don't u think that rascals and hoodlums will hijack it?
Nnamdi Abraham Onwunali Bros u̶̲̥̅̊ too much, keep it up but after churches, u̶̲̥̅̊ go visit mosques Ooº°, or even shrines to know how e d̶̲̥̅̊ε̲̣̣̣̥γ̲̣̣̥ go there
Ibinabo Mary Amachree Chris this your experience na powerful so when go Baba Kumuiyi's church to see the "real thing"
Kachi Amuneke To Me: Mr Tunde Bakare is just a Student of the Bible who has still not decided his fate- either for God or the World. If he is really out for God, then his yoke with the World is questionable.
Ademola Ebenezer Adewusi Kachi Amuneke, we have an ambidextrous calling and it is biblical. Moses was both a country administrator and prophet. Check Joseph as a Prime Minister in Egypt. Check Daniel in the land of the Chaldeans. Was David a King or Chorister? Have you read th...See More
Ogunjimi James Taiwo @CKN, I don't think Pastor Bakare has to choose, I think he can combine both IF he gets it right.
Otunba Khamileon Ckn Nigeria you sure know how to write. I truly enjoyed this piece ... Bakare is my man o! I admire him a lot! Bless..
Ann Ammishaddai Padua He should leave politics for politicians,i rest my case..CKN---- YES, THAT SHOULD BE! But as a citizen, it is his duty too to combat corruption in the highest level of it, and has his right to express himself of any misconduct done by politicians o...See More
Ateboh Abiola Hmmm ckn, mighty God will continue to uphold you, me and my husband were watching his service yesterday on channels, and that statement also came from him, about being very good in his pastoral job, that maybe he should just leave politics alone, i told him that does he know that everything we do in life is accountable for on the judgement day, whatever you sow, you will reap, being a pastor does not make you not to speak the truth when things are going wrong in the ruling of the country or in the society, men/women of God must correct and point out crucial issues when things are not going well, sometimes God himself will send you his messenger to deliver some crucial messages to the world, but because you dont want the politicians or the world to condemn you, you will not deliver the message, i dont support his joining politics fully, especially when he became the running mate of Gen Buhari, i was not too happy, why? Because that is what they are using on him now, but he is free to correct vital issues in the governing of the country that will affect the masses, not because you as a pastor is enjoying the good side of life, you should keep quiet when issues that are meant to be address are being put aside, God is watching. EVERY THING WE DO OR SAY WILL BE ACCOUNTED FOR when we get there.
Blessed L. Aigbedion @ Ademola and Ateboh it shall be well with you. Some Nigerian's sometimes amaze me we are okay with militants, ogbonis. Amorc and forces of islam ruling us but when it comes to Christians we say leave politics for politicians like we are wrongly wired. It doesn't occur to some people Martin Luther King and kwame Nkrumah were ordained priests. The only part of Europe and North America prospering have one thing in common their Christianity. You may not like bakare like the many don't and are having to put up with lame ducks today. The Bible most hide behind to say Christians and politics don't mix have this line :you have not rejected me but God who made me king over you". It is obvious we are not ready for change and lasting development so we keep voting for Mr bean of this world praying for development you won't. God will be unfair and unjust. It is garbage in garbage out. Maybe year 5000AD
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CKN, u shld hv discoverd yr talent by now. last week I laughed so much I told myself this guy is dope. today again you are on top. but pls we share the same passion, just let me know where u will visit again. I promise that no one else will know..OGE
ReplyDeleteI like this fiery Pastor boldness! Like every human being, he has his flaws, but you cannot help but feel the sincerity and passion in him regarding the things of GOD. I would wish aslo, he does not stain his hands with politics again. Oil and water don't mix.
ReplyDeleteAbeg wetin b CKN twitter handle? I luv his articles.
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