Archbishop of Lagos Province of The African Church, the Most Rev. Julius Ogunseye, has urged members of the church’s Lagos Provincial Clergy Council to acquire knowledge on church planting and growth, saying they need to brush up as ministers of the gospel to meet the challenges in administration and management.

The cleric said this at the first ever retreat of the church’s Lagos Provincial Clergy Council, held from July 18 to 21 at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Topo Badagry on the outskirts of Lagos.

Themed: “The African Church and the new provincial arrangement: its effect on church development and growth”, the Archbishop briefed council members on history of the church, the structure, as well as its administration.
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“Shepherds do not follow the flock; they lead the flock. But that leadership must be deserved, earned and won by integrity, faithful ministry, true humility, godliness and feeding the flock with God’s words. And that takes time. The longer you pastor a congregation in the spirit, the more freedom you will be granted to lead. Every true pastor’s motto should be: “Of all you have given me, I have lost none!”

Rt. Rev. Akin Ajayi, chairman of the retreat committee, enjoined the clergy to come up with new strategies to win souls, instead of stealing members and breaking churches.

“We are in the era of strategy, so stop adopting old strategy to solve issues. Some of the reasons we are here is to know how to plant churches and get members, not hijacking old members. To win souls, not breaking churches. That is the only way we can be proud of our churches,” he said.