Pastor (Mrs) EbunOluwa Oluwaseyi Bakare, is the Pastor-in-Charge of The Sacred Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Chapel of Joy, Oke-Itunu, Ibadan; a church founded by her mother. In this interview, she tells TAIWO OLANREWAJU about her call and ministry, The Gboromiro Prayer Ministry. Excerpts:
You completed a 100-day fast recently. Why did you embark on that?
A few years back, I heard the voice of the Lord that I should wait on Him. The waiting started with 40 days; later, it increased to 60 days, and then 100 days. The 100 days has been on for some years now. This is the fourth year that I have been observing the 100-day fast.
Being a long fast, how do you break?
Every day, I take fruits at 6p.m. and I take a lot of water, a lot of fluids. You know the body system needs a lot of fluids. The Lord has been faithful. He keeps me going. He gives me the strength. Actually, I do not even feel it. Sometimes even after the 100 days, it would seem as if I should continue. But since it is 100 days, I have to break.
How would you advise anyone going on a long fast so that it doesn’t impact negatively on their health?
The first thing is for the person to seek the face of the Lord. If the person has the backing of the Lord, he will be able to stand it, but if it is of the flesh, it can affect the person’s health. I will advise anybody embarking on any type of fast to take a lot of fruits and fluids to keep the body system running. Of course, when you are fasting, it should go along with prayers and meditating on the word of God. Those that wait on the Lord, the Lord will renew their strength.
Soon after the fast, you travelled abroad. Was it to impart part of the blessings on your church members abroad?
I travelled for two reasons. One was to have a retreat. It has been a yearly thing too. When I get there, I set some days aside to seek the face of the Lord. During this time, I do not attend to visitors. The trip is also to visit the members outside the country, to share with them God’s blessings and anointing.
You used to be a launderer of clothes and carpets at Olopo Mewa at Eleyele in Ibadan. When did you become a launderer of souls?
That was a long time ago. That was in the early 90s. Later, I left laundry and carpet cleaning and went to a prominent market in Ibadanland, where I sold some products. By the grace of God, I rose to become a prominent distributor of that product. The Lord blessed the business. It expanded and I was comfortable. I thought I had found favour at last, but at the peak of that business, the Lord called me. At the time, I was combining the two (business and church) because the Lord told me in year 2000 to bring people together to pray about their homes and children. It went on like that, but in 2010, I heard God telling me clearly that He was giving me three months to choose between my business and the church. It was as if my world crashed, because that was a business which had a turnover of more than N2million each day. Everybody knew me with the business and people came from many places to buy from me. Yet, God told me I had to drop one. So, after three months, I made a choice: I decided to propagate the gospel, with the zeal I put into the business. My story is just like that of Peter. You know when Peter failed, the Lord did not call him. It was when he was successful and had caught a lot of fishes that the Lord called him to become a fisher of men. So I gave all up to fish for souls for God. And here I am now.
How was it making that choice?
I waited three months. I discussed with my husband, my children and some of my mentors. Because I knew the voice of my God and I knew He was the one talking to me; everybody felt if it was God I would not regret it, so I decided to let God have His way. After all, He was the One that made me to break even in business. I believe He will not fail me and my God has been very faithful.
Did you take up this ministerial work because your mother is into it?
That is another story entirely. My mother was barren for some years. Eventually, God blessed her womb. When it was time for her to have me, I was told that a prophetess – the woman is still alive – told my mother, that the baby in her womb would be a female prophetess of note. She told my mum a few things about me and those things came to pass. When she gave birth to me, she started singing those prophecies into my ears but I wanted to be a career person. I didn’t take up the ministerial work because my mother is a prophetess but because I heard God call me clearly. From the time I was young, the Lord has been using me one way or the other. I see revelations and I’m endowed with lots of other gifts but, those were not enough to convince me to go into the ministry until He spoke directly to me like He did to Samuel.
What was the experience of the call like?
It was January 1, 2000. We had just finished the cross-over service. I was coming out of the church, when I heard the Lord tell me clearly “Meet with Me here every Tuesday. Get people together and you will see My hand there.” I called a few people together and told them that this was what God said. They trusted me because anytime I hear, it is always very clear. About seven of us came together and for 10 years, the programme was still on, but eventually it picked up and God has been manifesting Himself in various ways I cannot mention now.
Which was the first miracle God worked through you?
The Lord has been working miracles through me before He called me. I will pray and something spectacular will come up. There is an aspect of life that He has blessed me with – praying for closed wombs and they would conceive. I remember particularly the woman whose womb was closed for 15 years, I prayed and she had a baby girl.
At times, you minister in white garment and at other times in mufti. Why?
My mother is from a prominent Muslim family. It was her search for children that took her to a white garment church. She decided to serve God where her womb was blessed. That was where I was born, bred and grew up – the Cherubim and Seraphim circle – where I’m a pastor now. But when God called me, He told me He did not limit my call to the white garment church; that He was sending me to all people. The ministry that the Lord has put under my care – The Gboromiro Prayer Ministry – is not white garment. My mother is the Minister-in-charge of the C&S church that I pastor.
Tell us more about the Gboromiro Prayer Ministry?
The Lord gave me the name Gboromiro. That is ‘He pleads our cause.’ We have in God Someone Who listens. He is our advocate. He told me to bring people with issues to Him and teach them how to pray to God on their own. He has been made a sacrifice for us, so we don’t need any other addition. All we do is to seek God in holiness and pray without ceasing.
Given the opportunity, what would you like to change about the white garment church?
That’s a big question? A few things have gone wrong with the church. So many people have soiled the name of the white garment church. If I have my way, I would want them to be more word-filled, Bible based and ensure that they don’t trivialise things. No Christian can live successfully without the word. I would want them to dwell more on the word of God and bring people up in the way of the Lord. The more of the word you know the better for you. The Bible says those that know their God shall do exploits. We have not been doing it and God has been manifesting Himself. Pray with a pure heart and the Lord will answer. Why do you need to add all things that are not necessary?
What challenges have you faced in the ministry?
I went to the Bible School and I brought a new message into the church. I changed some of the church’s doctrines. It took time before the people understood me. They wondered why I had to change the church’s doctrines. I believe in doing things only according to the standards of the Bible.
Has being a pastor affected your social life?
Before God called me, I used to be a big-time socialite. I love to dress well. I love to party. As I grew up in my Christian life, certain things started to give way. I don’t have time to go to parties. Now, I socialise for God. I love being in the midst of people but now, the situation changed from being in the world to being in the word. Those days, I used to use a lot of jewelry. However, the Holy Spirit ministered to me that I could be beautiful without those things. Doing things in moderation is what I preach. My call has made me another woman entirely and brought out a new person in me.
Who is Pastor Mrs Seyi Bakare?
I was born about six decades ago to Apostle and Prophetess Coker at Salvation Army in Ibadan. I am the last child of the family. I attended Ebenezer African Church School, later Queens School, Ibadan and the Ogun State Polytechnic, one of the first set of students in the school. I graduated with a HND in Business Administration. I am married to Mr Tunde Bakare. We are blessed with children and grandchildren. I am from Abeokuta in Ogun State.
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