by Akan Ido

I have never really been a church person. I am one of those who grew up believing most ‎pentecostal churches are established because the founders could not find jobs and the church members are gullible enough to find inspiration in them or their churches.

This continues to be my belief, so it’s difficult for anyone to invite me to a church and get me to attend. The last time I did this was in Calabar where the pastor said any bible other than the King James Version‎ is inspired by Satan himself. Imagine how awkward I felt when I looked down and realised I was holding the Amplified Version. Well, you guessed right, it didn’t take me long to speak to my feet – before the pastor sees the need to call my bible and I out for deliverance.

Today, since I am supposed to be Church Crawling I do what I do anytime I am not in my church, House on the Rock – I succumb to the invasion of privacy that is the church just behind my house somewhere in Surulere. My impression of this church – RCCG Eagle’s Nest Parish – is taken from two things; its doctrine and its ‎choir – and both are nowhere near excellent. Not excellent is putting it mildly; it’s actually very bad.

As usual, the choir sets the ball rolling singing one of these popular Yoruba praise songs with a deep South-east accent and unapologetically mispronouncing words – more like what I would sound like if I am called out to sing in Igbo. But this is church; all sins are forgiven.

After 30 minutes, the excited choir leader finally shuts up to allow the pastor take over. He gives the impression of someone who feeds on the energy of his congregation. Someone who would be nothing without the occassional “Daddy, I need you to pray for me” from his church members. But who cares anyway, ‘is it my prayer?’ I ask myself.

Today’s message is about Purpose. The pastor draws his sermon from John 9:4 and John 4:34 where Jesus spoke about God’s purpose for one’s life and his appointed time to fulfil that purpose. He explained to his congregation, me inclusive, on the significance of destiny, defining it as “the divine agenda for your life”.

He did a surprisingly good job of explaining deep insights in this message and drawing from his life experience which got me wondering if I had before now been listening to him with some sort of bias.

That, I’m not sure of (something in me would like to believe today’s message is just a fluke) but there’s always another week to listen to the pastor and wonder why his church members make it a destination of choice every Sunday.

So, let’s see how next week goes – that’s if I don’t decide I’ve had enough and head out to Lekki to hear some soul lifting music from the House on the Rock choir and Grace-filled message from Pastor Paul Adefarasin.

Surely a better proposition, if you ask me. But then again, Nigerians are tribal when it comes to church.