She is a woman, a wife, a mother, and also a minister of God who functions in the five-fold ministry of a prophet, an apostle, evangelist, teacher and pastor. By profession, she is a trained Nurse and also a business-woman. One of the few female General Overseers we have in Nigeria. She is Rev. (Mrs) Tope Ogunnoiki, the Presiding Minister of Graceville Chapel, Lagos. Let’s meet her:-
Background:-I am Rev. ((Mrs. ) Tope Ogunnoiki. Married to Surveyor Gbenga Ogunnoiki and blessed with wonderful children. I attended St. Mary Private School, Broad Street Lagos, the Holy Child College and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital’s School of Nursing and Midwifery where I badged a degree in Nursing. I gave my life to Christ in 1986. Before this time, I had always been obeying the altar call without taking it to heart. But on the day I finally surrendered my life to Christ, I knew there was no going back. Ever since then, I had been serving the Lord in different capacities as a bible teacher, evangelist, and women co-ordinator, part-time and full time minister. This has span over fifteen years before the call to establish Graceville Chapel came.
Obeying the call:-
After graduating from nursing school, I worked at various hospitals before venturing into business. I was at the peak of my business career when I received the call to full time ministry. This was in the year 2000. All along I had served under Rev. J.S.A Oladele, the General Overseer of The Christ Progressive Prayer Church (CPPC). Under this same ministry, I planted and pastor the Good Shepherd House, Magodo, Lagos before the call to establish the World Royal Evangelical Ministries with the church arm Graceville Chapel. The name of the ministry and the time to start was giving to me eleven years ago in a long session of praying in His presence. I was to start in 2005 but was delayed till 2006. And so by the 1st of October 2006, Graceville Chapel held its first Prayer meeting. Obeying the call has not been easy if it were, we would not have been where we are today. The grace of God has been and is still sufficient for us. Our future is bright and colourful.
Coping with the call:-
God will not use anyone whom He has not empowered. I had passed through some training which the Lord has used to prepare me for this work. As you know, it’s hard for a woman to be the head in a church – based ministry. Some are yet to accept that women are also called into the ministry. There are challenges at home you need to handle as a wife and mother. Thank God for my husband, he has been very supportive. There are also challenges in the church and as the head you need to apply God’s wisdom to deal with various issues. There is also the challenge of mentors. As you know most of our church – based ministries head are male, some of them are yet to adjust to the fact that God can use a woman to pastor the church. For some of these men who are willing to mentor you, their wives become an issue. They become jealous and envious, forgetting the fact that you also have a husband at home. I always say it’s easier for a man to hear the all, obey and also invite his wife to assist him in the ministry work. This is not so easy for the female pastors. The challenges are enormous for the female G.O because you have to know how to handle the home in the ministry. As I have said earlier, the Lord has been faithful. Thank God for the men around me, coping has not been easy but His grace is sufficient.
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