Emeka Ihiegbulem
30 September 2007
interview
Lagos — Pastor Cosmas Ilechukwu is the General Overseer of Charismatic Renewal Ministries Int'l (CRM). He spoke to Emeka Ihiegbulem on topical issues and how he joined the Pentecostal movement. Excerpts:
What informed your change from Catholic to Pentecostal?
While at the University of Ife, Ile-Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, I got involved with the Charismatic Movement. I was subsequently baptised in the Holy Spirit after I got born-again. Nevertheless, I didn't have any intentions of leaving the Catholic Church. Our goal in the Charismatic Renewal Movement was to remain in the faith and carry out evangelical mission or work.
Be it as it may, God spoke to us to dedicate more time to prayers and consecrate our lives to holiness. This message we did not waste time to uphold. We commenced fervent prayers till 1980 when
God again spoke to us, this time to prepare men for a greater harvest in the catholic churches and teach those men what it means to have authority. The first thing we did was to form the students arm of the Charismatic Renewal Movement which was tagged, 'National Catholic Charismatic Students' (NCCS) .The aim of this movement was to encourage catholic students to know Christ in a more personal way, read the Bible and to open to the Holy Spirit through baptism . One of our recorded achievements was that we were instrumental to the spread of Charismatic Renewal Movement in Nigeria.
We continued like that as students but when some of us began to graduate from 1985, we found it necessary to establish a graduate arm of that work which we labeled Graduate Charismatic Fellowship (G.C.F.). With this graduate fellowship, we were more fortified and the work began to go like wildfire.
There was a spectacular thing that happened: When we began to read the bible personally, we had more insight about God and we lost value in what originally we were doing. The doctrines of the Catholic Church started losing their significance to us. Some of us were not very keen with the praying of the rosary and the communicating to God through the saints became obsolete.
How did the Catholic Leadership see it?
The catholic leadership misunderstood that and moved against us. We passed a lot of persecutions and tribulations but in spite of this we did not break out from the Catholic Church.
What happened?
As I said earlier, we were tenacious to our principles and fortified in faith, but when the catholic leadership stopped allowing us to wed in the Catholic Church we began to think otherwise. However, before the thought started, we went into prayers. God gave us the freedom to organise our own service which took effect from May 1998 precisely on a Pentecost Sunday.
Do you agree that religion is the opium of the masses?
I don't agree with the Karl Max postulation that religion is the opium of the masses. My disagreement with Karl Max is that, if his classification of oreligion include Biblical Christianity I don't comply to it. This is because Biblical Christianity is not really a religion. In its classical definition, religion has to do with effort to know and find God, but in Christianity, God has come to reveal Himself to mankind. Also in Christianity, God found us, while in religion man is looking for God.
Why did you name your church CRM?
Well, the name CRM is deliberately chosen to remind us of our identity with the Catholic Church. We provide spiritual services like discipleship and evangelism and becoming functionally relevant in the plans of God for mankind is our objective.
Are you achieving the goals for which the church was established?
We are. Catholics are giving their lives to Christ on daily basis. They are being discipled and equipped to be functionally relevant in God's end-time agenda. Evidence to that is seen in the fact that we have more than 600 branches in Nigeria and several other countries. In fact, people are responding to our ministry.
What is the rationale behind the yearly Pastors' summit of CRM?
The essence of the annual pastors and leaders summit is to update heads of our ministry and aid them to remain at the cutting edge of their different ministries and responsibilities. Nevertheless, it is a form of continuous spiritual and leadership education for our pastors.
Why is it that in spite of many Pentecostal churches there are still many amorous overtures?
It is a good sign. This is because people are hungry for God. We don't have enough churches to minister in Nigeria. However, we must accept that some people float churches for economic purposes. If that is true, it should not be encouraged. The presence of such vices earlier mentioned confirms the need for more churches. Majority of the people, who are doing those unscrupulous acts are non-pentecostals. They are not in the charismatic and pentecostal churches movement. For instance, the appointment of Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili in the Federal Executive Council shows what Pentecostals can do when placed in a position of authority. She was not traced to any sort of embezzlement or corrupt practices. Today she remains a sign -post of integrity, because she is born again.
We want many born-again Christians to be involved in the polity of the country. Government should positively encourage the rise of more Pentecostal churches.
What informed your interest in floating the CRM School?
I was distressed by the incessant sight of students parading the streets when they ought to be in class. I was equally disturbed by the increasing examination malpractices in schools, the moral decadence that has become the hallmark of our school system and the near- total absence of learning in our schools. When I sought the face of God about this, He instructed me to set up a model for them. It is that model that is called CRM Int'l College. The school is about to enter its fifth year but it has become the most sought after secondary school, east of the Niger. We run a unique academic curriculum which effectively combines government prescribed academic curriculum for secondary schools and the accelerated Christian education curriculum. The effect is that we are producing students that are academically sound, morally impeccable and spiritually - balanced.
Is it recognized by the government?
The school seal is, "Lightening the Torch of Excellence," it is fully recognised by government. Our students scored 100% in JSS and NECO exams. In the Imo State competition organized by Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), they took the first position in prose and poetry. It is in view of all these that the state ministry of sports adopted and named the school as a sports-friendly institution.
Is the school only for CRM faithful?
It is not only for CRM faithful. The CRM faithful students are even in the minority. We have students from all over the country.
What are your constraints?
Well, many problems but our major problem is that of power supply. We are still wishing and hoping that the state government will come to our aid by getting electric power into the school. We spend a lot of money running our generators. Though the government gave us transformer last year, we need more. Other constraints are the challenges usually faced by new schools for instance, getting the right caliber of staff, funding and infrastructural facilities in general.
How is the school funded?
Truly, we have not received any financial support from any person or organised body either from within or outside the country. We shall be very grateful to receive some grants if the offer comes. For now we generate funds within us. It may interest the public to know that the school fee is affordable to all classes of people, as the National Secretariat of CRM takes care of other major responsibilities in keeping the school afloat.
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