THE DREAM, THE VISION

THE DREAM, THE VISION

On the 14th of June, 2008, the Lord spoke to me thus; “No leader can exhaust the scope of his vision. Every tangible vision outlives the visionary. If you want all your dreams fulfilled in your lifetime, it’s like a man want to give birth to every child in his bosom – chaotic! Abraham was promised numerous children as the stars of heaven and a land flowing with milk and honey. He needed to only see the land and have a promised Isaac for the vision to be a reality.”

Little wonder when the recall of the vision came on me and became too awesome for me to behold. It all started like a child’s play.

It is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in my sight. Today, I can draw a conclusion that when God calls a man, where the man surrenders all, God is ready to walk full length with him and covers the entire facet of one’s life.

THE INCUBATING PERIOD

The training, the equipping, the positioning and the elevation period are all ordered by the Lord. So it was and still is in my life. 1997, after several attempts to do it my own way and failed severally, said the True YES to God’s call but with some conditions attached to it. At the time in question, I was a young and curious school leaver who intends to fulfill destiny my own way. I saw before me opportunities – did TOEFL examination, made several attempts to travel out, wanted to pass my O’level at all cost, given privilege to read PES English in the college of Education, put in for ATS (Accounting Technician Scheme) aiming for chartered accounting, I was running like a curious bull dog.

A strong conviction came about December 1996 (barely 4years of struggling) where the Lord had to promise a more brighter future than what I thought life had for me in it purse. I never wanted to answer the call with a low or no degree to show for it and God knew it. Eventually I said YES Lord and it all began like a joke.

January 1997, I enrolled for a general certificate course in Theology at Bethel Theological Seminary, owned by Passion for Souls Christian Ministry (Inc) Owode Yewa, Ogun state where I presently pastor one of the branches. I completed my diploma program in the same seminary before proceeding for my degree programs at Faith Christian Theological Seminary/Faith Bible College, Ota, Ogun state under the tutelage of Rev. Dr. Sir Ige Olumide (late) who took me like his son and vowed to train me to any length as far as the Lord would help him and as long as I comply.

At FCTS/FBC Ota, I completed my B.A.Theology, M.A and Doctorate degrees in affiliation with Central Christian University, U.S.A. alongside with Basic (certificate) Advance (diploma) Supervisory (advance diploma) and Bsc Spirituotherapy and Psychotheology – professional spirituo-clinical services.

As a Chaplain, I rose from the rank of a lieutenant to the rank of a two star chaplain general (today’s deputy director of chaplains) to the glory of the Lord. This gave the privilege as the only senior ranked chaplain to be certified the Abeokuta Zonal Commander of Chaplains.

In 2006 (March and April respectively) another door opened to be trained for the Accelerated Christian Education Curriculum (ACE) under the tutelage of Mr. Ewart both at Lagos and Jos respectively. As a trained administrator, I’m privileged to start a Christian School from the pre-school to the degree awarding college with a total Bible based curriculum, training the individual pupil to be of utmost integrity for home, church and the society.

THE VISION

You may be tempted to call all the above encounters an encomium; I call them PLATFORM for service. All the training and equipping period shaped the vision.
The Vision statement is “BUILDING THE WHOLE PERSON FOR CHRIST.”

How will the Vision run?
The equipping as I said earlier had shaped the vision. The vision runs under three segments:
the Institution
the Clinic
The Field.

A. THE INSTITUTION

The chaplaincy training as well as the certification to run a Zonal Command for chaplaincy is an institution of its own. As the Zonal Commander, I am expected to function under the name INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF PASTORAL EDUCATION AND CHAPLAINCY, ABEOKUTA ZONAL COMMAND.
October 2003, certificate was given to me by Rev. Dr. Sir Ige Olumide (late) who then was the Deputy Commander of Chaplains worldwide having Rev. Dr. Sir Herman Keck Jnr as his only boss. This certification incline that I have to recruit and train chaplains in the Basic, Advance and Supervisory and presenting them for ranks and certificate at the African Headquarters, Ota, Ogun State. Since 2004, the training had commenced and had graduated at least eight (8) students to date.
Added to the chaplaincy college is the vision of training in the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum students from age 4 or 5; giving them an individualized bible based Christian and secular training to the degrees, linking them up with the international world. Simply put, the vision is to run an institution which builds up individuals for Christ from the earliest age in life to the point where he/she will personally and convincingly decide to live for Christ, be the best husband and father or wife and mother and the best citizen.

B. THE CLINIC
As a Chaplain, I’m saddled with counseling responsibility. A chaplain represents Christ to everyone (believers and non-believer in Christ). He is simply called ‘the pastor of all.’
One of the assignments of a chaplain therefore is to set up a counseling clinic.
How a counseling clinic does runs?
I’m expected to be equipped with:
A serene and attractive, comfort presenting office with words of encouragement placed all around the walls of that office,
Books, Literatures, Magazines, Tapes (audio, video, vcd DVD etc) Leaflets, Tracts and Cards on various topics ranging from home, career, spiritual issues, finances etc.
Electronic equipments such as Television, Video or DVD players, Tape, Projector etc. all these will be strategically placed in rooms (often referred to as theatres) where cases will be treated according to their relevancies.

C. THE FIELD
Chaplains are needed in all works of life. In the prisons, hospitals, remand homes, orphanages, schools, government establishments, companies, offices, police stations, barracks etc. wherever you can find a human being, a chaplain is needed there. The sole assignment of a chaplain out there is to represent Christ to the world.
In the Abeokuta Zonal Command, we lay more emphasis on hospital ministries for now based on the sacrificial resources available to us. Where more helps come, we will increase our strategy and effort.

THE CHALLENGES

“To everything there is a season.” Chaplains call problems ‘challenges’ because we know they are surmountable.
Standing before me is where do you start from and how do you get fulfilled? That is a question I guess I can’t answer.
Well, I’ve started in my own little way. The college had begun since 2004 without adequate advertisement posing as the major challenge. The hospital visitation goes on every Sunday at Federal Medical Centre, Idi-aba, Abeokuta with the management’s permission.
The Challenges can be highlighted thus:
A three bedroom flat secretariat for the three visions
The equipments as slated under the clinic
Fund (being the bedrock of all); cash or cheque
Voluntary personnel, Students, Counselors and Helpers
Vision helpers and promoters

You can be a partner with this vision. It has already enveloped me as a person. It’s bigger than I can handle though for a God who can handle all. Find a place in this vision where you can be divinely located.
GOD BLESSES YOU.

Contact:
Pastor Dr. Okikiolu Abolurin Olusola
3, Segun Anjorin Street, Karunwi compound,
Gbokoniyi, Ojere Rd. Onikolobo Abeokuta.
P.O.Box 1918, Sapon, Abeokuta,

or P.O.Box 16, Owode-Yewa South, Ogun state.
Phone: 08033896440, 08080716392
Email: bolu-okikiolu@yahoo.com