There are more than 30 African churches across Chicago land. Out of the number, only one is headed by a woman. Yet the church is growing astronomically. It recently acquired acres of land worth millions of dollars and opened another parish in the north side of Chicago.
The Chicago Inquirer editor Joseph Omoremi sought the views of the Senior Pastor, Dr. Beatrice Arowolaju, on the reasons behind the astronomical expansion of the Bible Church of Rec- onciliation and the gale of miracles going on in the church. Excerpt
The Chicago Inquirer: Tell us briefly about the Bible Church of Reconciliation? What are you reconciling? Pastor Arowolaju: The head- quarters of the church is here in Calumet City and there is another branch called House of Grace in Chicago. We have another branch in Columbus, Ohio which we call House of Peace.
Inquirer: How did you get into the Ministry? It is seen mostly as a man’s vocation and you are the only African woman heading a church here in America?
Pastor Arowolaju: I came from a Levite family. All my families are in the ministry. Ministry is what I hate be- cause I’ve seen much of them and I don’t want to be one of them. Prophet T.O. Obadare prophesized to my mother that the baby in her womb was going to be a prophet. Inci- dentally when I was born a girl and not a man, my mother was discouraged. She was looking forward to a boy who will be a prophet. All hopes were lost and I was sent to school and graduated from college, but the prophecy in- tensified again. I told my par- ents and friends that I don’t want to be in the ministry. All these time, God has given me the vision but I refused and went into business and things were prospering for me. Things were going on well and I travelled with my hus- band and the car caught fire. I tried to put out the fire with water, it exploded and turned to a petro. There was no cell phone in Nigeria then. It was January 1994 and I just had a little baby then. I was so upset and down and they took me to the hospital where the doctor said I would not be able to walk again. I called on God that I was ready to work for Him on one condition-that am able to walk with my two feet.
Inquirer-What happened afterwards?
Pastor Arowolaju: The doc- tor said one of the legs is going to be shorter than the other and I don’t want to be seen or known as the short legged pastor. I challenged God that if I can be fully healed and can walk normally, “you have a woman of God”.
Inquirer: How was the healing?
Pastor Arowolaju: I still have the scars on my leg but as you can see, I can walk normally and do things without hindrance. Even before the heal- ing, things started happening. Prayers were answered and many people I prayed for got answered. Each time I told them not to tell anybody, they give testimonies to other people.
I started the ministry in Nigeria, not in America. Testi- monies abound and commissioners, worshipers and others especially those in high positions in Nigeria started coming for prayers and it got to a particular time I had to start a house fellowship, evening fellowship and night vigil. There was a case of a woman who had stopped men- struating and was believing God for a child. They brought her all the way from Lagos t one of the services in Akure, Ondo state in Nigeria. She is a wealthy woman. I said to God, this is a temptation. How can a woman who has reached menopause have a child? I prayed for her to have her menstrual period back and for prosperity. She told her she got enough money, she want a child.
Inquirer: What happened?
Pastor Arowolaju: The Holy Spirit told me to pray for her and her husband. She is a popular woman in Akure. I asked her what is going to be the name of the baby and her husband said “Miracle.” You Pastor (Dr.) Beatrice Arowolaju are having Miracle today, God will perform a Miracle in your life today. She left the church and travelled to Switzerland and was sick there and found out in the hospital that she was pregnant. When was her last menstrual period, she used the date I prayed for her. That was how the news spread across the neighborhood.
Inquirer: How did you start in the United States?
Pastor Arowolaju: When I got to U.S. I made up my mind that I’m out of the Min- istry. I needed my privacy and my husband too said he needs his privacy. We were attending CAC located on Racine Av- enue in Chicago. They accom- modated us and as a result I had to attend their programs. There was this night vigil spearheaded by Baba Ajiginin. He is dead now. There were fewer worshippers in atten- dance, may be two or three people. The message came through me that the church must have three evening pro- grams and I told the pastor. He wanted me to conduct the pro- gram but I refused because of the agreement I had with my husband. The Pastor insisted and said it’s you that brought the message and you have to lead the programs. That was how the message got out that there is a prophet in the church and all that.
Inquirer: But Christ Apos- tolic Church of God (CAC) is not the same as the Church of Reconciliation?
Pastor Arowolaju: Yes. Even Prophet Obadare wanted to hire me to minister all over because he was the one that prophesized to my mom and said the time has come for the actualization of the prophecy. I was not convinced and told him I need to pray about it too.
Inquirer: You church is not a CAC or affiliated to CAC. How did you eventually start the Bible of Reconciliation?
Pastor Arowolaju: I was born and bred in CAC. I was raised in CAC. Pastor Obadare was my Spiritual father. The Holy Spirit said to me, “I’m giving you a new ministry not under CAC”.
Inquirer: How has it been?
Pastor Arowolaju: It has been tough but the assignment God has giving to you is what Satan will test you on. The more challenges I experienced the greater is the break- through. Sometimes, I thank God for what I’ve gone through in the ministry. It makes you stronger, wiser and more knowledgeable in the word. If there is no pain there can never be a gain. Without an obstacle, there can never be a miracle. If there is no test, you can never have a testi- mony. All these things shaped me to be stronger and better. I thought I was having prob- lems initially but God was preparing me for a higher ground.
Inquirer: Most churches started by Nigerian are on the North side. Why is your church different?
Pastor Arowolaju: I need to bring this into perspective with another story. We were looking for a house to buy and we found a place and made the down-payment. Then a police officer came to inform me that there was an injunction on the building. I thought it was a joke. We couldn’t get our down-payment back even in court. All the members left. We were like seven then. I was down and presume it was over since there was no money again. I prayed and God asked me where I want a ministry. I replied that I prefer South Suburb. When I got this building, many people were ready to buy it. For almost one year, I was unable to buy it. Many people were on it and I had to call the owner that I have a revelation that no human being will be able to close on the building. After one year and nobody was able to close on the building, they called me to come and buy it
.Inquirer: How has it been since then?
Pastor Arowolaju: From here we had a vision to go to the North Side and we started it and God has blessed us with five acres property. It is located at 16299 Wallis Street between Harvey and South Holland.
Inquirer: What is the vision for the five acres?
Pastor Arowolaju: It is a miracle too. It includes a school, banquet hall, a sanctuary and we are praying to God to lead us on what to do with the other part of the property in the next five years.
Inquirer: What about the North side Branch?
Pastor Arowolaju: It started two years ago.
Inquirer: The senior Pastor of most Nigerian churches are men and are located on the North Side. How come you are different from them and forging ahead in all di- rections?
Pastor Arowolaju: It is the easiest thing in my life be- cause I’m on the Lord’s side. When you are in the ministry, you’ve got to be transparent. You have to allow the owner of the ministry, Jesus Christ Himself to lead, to guide and for support. I’m just a fol- lower, a messenger of the Lord. When you allow the owner to do it, you have no problem. However, when you are doing it with your own wisdom, or knowledge and understanding that is where the problem comes in.
Inquirer: Is that why the church is growing astronomi- cally or there is something behind it?
Pastor Arowolaju: The bible said there is no gender in the Holy Spirit. Most of my wor- shippers especially the men, when they came and saw the power of God and its manifes- tation, they stayed and be- come active participants. It is the power of God that got things done.
Inquirer: What is the rela- tionship of the Church with other African churches? Pastor Arowolaju: I have some pastors that we fellow- ship and pray together such as Pastor Sunday Agbaje, Pastor Ajayi and some friends. However, I’m more into the American pastors than Nigeria. I have Americans in my church, there are Kenyans and others. I don’t like politics in the ministry. That is why I tried to single myself out because in the bible there is no diplo- macy, there is no politics, its only transparency. The bible says “say the truth to every other people. Tell them the truth.”
Inquirer: What is your advice to Nigerians nay Africans in America?
Pastor Arowolaju: They need to know that they cannot get anything except God approves it for them. When you make God first in all things you are doing, it is going to be easy and smooth. The bible says, Seek the kingdom of God first and every other things shall be added onto you. You have to know where you came from. You may be in America but the bible say you are in the world, but you are not of the world. We must know who we are-a royal priesthood. The purpose of God for us is to be above only and never beneath. We are royal citizens. I want us to come together as a unit and shun the pull him down syndrome or tearing down syndrome. We are in a new age; the age of manifestation of the presence and power of God. We are in the age of mir- acles and breakthroughs. We are in the age of signs and wonders because Jesus Christ is coming soon. It is what you are doing that God will get you with. No more segrega- tion or pull him down syn- drome.
Inquirer: For whatever reasons, the way we practice Christianity here is quite different from Africa. Why is that so?
Pastor Arowolaju: I did my first degree in family counseling and my second degree in Christian counseling and my PhD because I want to penetrate into the system and exactly what is happening. What I’m able to see is not the the- ology, the ceremony or educa- tion. It is the Holy Spirit and the world of God. That is what can make the difference.
Inquirer: How has your background help in the ministry?
Pastor Arowolaju: You have to be knowledgeable in any- thing you are doing. The bible says study and get yourself approved. However, let the glory of God be revealed in whatever you are doing. The bible says you are the letter writing. You are a letter of the Most high God and people want to read God through you. You are His representative and ambassador and whenever you an ambassador, you have to reside in an embassy. When you allow Him to live in you, people will see God in your life and they would like to serve that God.
Inquirer: What is the vision behind the food pantry? Pastor Arowolaju: There was a day I was praying and God took me to Isaiah 58. I read it over and over again and then it came to me that “if you love me you will feed my people. Jesus Christ said when I was in prison, did you come there. When I was naked, did you cloth me, when I was thirst, did you give me water and when I was hungry, did you feed me.” When I put it to- gether, I said, O my God, until you do this, your righteous- ness has entered, prayers will be answered and all other things will follow. I said I will do it. If it is of God, it will stand.
Inquirer: What should we ex- pect in 2012?
Pastor Arowolaju: In the be- ginning of 2011, God told me it was the year of judgment, that all difficult people will be killed. The year of 2012 is the year of expectation and restoration. Your light has come and you will rise up and shine.
Inquirer: Any other thing?
Pastor Arowolaju: We should get routed in the word of God. It is by doing so that your level can be changed.
