One of my readers made my day this morning by sending me the attached piece. Every bit of it resonates with my thinking, and the thinking of the early missionaries, and I believe, the THINKING OF CHRIST. I have NEVER believed in churches running schools (at whatever level) that are priced beyond the reach of the average man, and especially the members of such churches. Anything GOOD is doable if profiteering is not the driving motive.
I’m absolutely persuaded that with 20 percent of what many Christian Schools (owned by organized churches) have been charging as school fees, from inception, is enough to keep the schools open, and believe GOD for whatever is needed for expansion. There are individuals in ALL those churches with schools, that can give/donate billions to subsidize tuition and other expenses, yearly, but won’t, as long as the churches are ‘fleecing’ people with scandalous school fees.
If you can’t see the POSSIBILITY of my perspective, it’s probably because you are too WORLDLY in your thinking, or because you have been totally brainwashed by the perpetrators/owners of those schools. If George Muller could run orphanages that took care of some ten thousand boys, without taking a dime from any of them, any Pastor/Church can run schools without ‘killer’ fees.
If those who teach us to live/give by FAITH when they want us to give to their churches and projects DO NOT LIVE BY FAITH when it comes to GIVING back to the people and society, then, there’s a big question mark on their FAITH teaching.
George Muller did it; I’m doing it in feeding the mentally challenged on the streets of Ibadan (which began 5 years ago, by FAITH, and GOD is moving the hearts of people to support graciously); and any one else can do MISSION by FAITH.
Read the attached and be inspired!
INSIDE LIFE!!!
In the 1930s, 8 men came together to THINK of establishing a Community Secondary School for their town, Offa. Four of them were Muslims and four were Christians.The 4 Muslims were:- Alhaji Aliyu Olatinwo, – Alhaji Gbadamosi Ijaiya, – Alhaji Ilesanmi Giwa and – Alhaji Jatto. They were the richest men in the community. They were uneducated but successful businessmen. The 4 Christians were not so rich but they were educated and more enlightened. They were:- Pa Abraham Oyediran, – Pa Onawola, – Pa Bilewu and – Pa Oyeleke. Pa Oyediran was so educated that he was already a Principal in the famous Methodist Boys High School, Lagos.
The rich Muslims brought money, while the educated Christians brought intellectual resources and planning to establish the first COMMUNITY SECONDARY SCHOOL in Northern Nigeria in 1943 (and present day Kwara state).That was how OFFA GRAMMAR SCHOOL was birthed. Before then, the very few High School educated Offa indigenes had to travel to Lagos for education. Now, they had a school at home.
Offa Grammar School has produced some of the finest Nigerians. They include the current Emir of Ilorin, Justice Gambari; General Alani Akinrinade (former Chief of Army Staff); General David Jemibewon (former Governor of old Oyo state); Justice Ayo Salami (former President of Federal Court of Appeal); Mr. Dele Belgore, SAN (guber aspirant in Kwara); Alhaji Kola Belgore (Former Chairman of AMCON); Late Oba Oladele Olasore, former CEO of First Bank and Finance Minister; Mr. John Dara, former presidential aspirant.
The vision of these 8 great men that worked for the establishment of a secondary school in their community also benefited them personally as all of them produced children who went on to become hugely successful. Alhaji Olatinwo produced a governor (Air Commodore Salaudeen Latinwo, Kwara, 1984-85) from his children. He had many other successful children and grandchildren including the immediate past Chief Medical Director of University of Ilorin University Teaching Hospital, Professor Olatinwo. Alhaji Ijaiya produced several Professors and Engineers from his children. Alhaji Giwa and Alhaji Jatto also produced several wealthy businessmen as children. Among Pa Oyediran’s children were Mr. Cecil Oyediran, first ICAN President from Northern Nigeria (1973/1974) and Professor A.B.O. Oyediran, former VC of University of Ibadan. Noteworthy that Mr. Oyediran the accountant was the first Nigerian to become a partner in an international Accounting Firm, Coopers & Leybrands (Now KPMG) in the 1970s.Pa Onawola’s son was also one of the first 120 chartered accountants in Nigeria. He became one in 1965! He was the Chief Tax Officer of the old Northern region. A third early Chartered Accountant from Offa, Prince Yunus Oyeleke, also qualified in 1965 (the 105th CA in Nigeria by registration number) and became a partner in Akintola Williams & Co. He was also a former President of Security & Exchange Commission.
Their fathers helped education in Offa and they were rewarded with successful children and a blessed heritage. Most of them schooled in Offa Grammar School. Their fathers had the resources to send them to school in Lagos or Ibadan but decided to establish a school in Offa, so the children of other poor people can also go to a community school.
That is the lesson in VISION, COURAGE and SELFLESSNESS. It goes beyond the petty sentiments of religion, tribe and political affiliations.”
I DONT KNOW WHO WROTE THIS PIECE, BUT ITS WORTH SHARING, and I am persuaded that this is how every Frontline Pastor, and CHRISTIAN, in Nigeria ought to be THINKING, LIVING and GIVING. Those EIGHT Offa Men are better examples of CHRIST, and GIVERS, than many church leaders I know.
Selah!
DA