Cherubim and Seraphim Church: A Real Pentecostal and Spiritual Church - PASTOR MIKE ADENIYI AJAYI

Q. Can we meet you?

My name is Michael Adeniyi Ajayi, from Ipetu ekiti. I graduated from the University of Uyo, I studied political science and education and I also studied in University of Ibadan, I'm the Shepherd in charge of the New Covenant Model Parish CSMS Ikorodu, Lagos.

Q. Can you give us a brief of how you became born again?

Wow, it's a fantastic story. I'm a Christian by birth but I gave my life to Christ on the 1st of August, 2001 when I was in school (University). That was when I had an encounter with God and I gave everything up for christ and I followed him till today, to the glory of God

Q. Were you born into the C&S fold or as time went by, you joined the C&S church?

To the glory of God, I was born on the 19th of March, 1978 into C&S  Movement Church, Omu-aran. I'm a born seraph

Q. Tell us about your ministry. How you started and the journey so far?

 Glory be to God. I just need to give glory to God because it's not me, it is God and as I usually say 'this ministry is not my ministry, it's God's ministry, I'm just privileged to be in charge'. The vision started when I was in school, I served as the president of unification for three(3) consecutive years and immediately I graduated, I went for my youth service(NYSC) and I started working but the calling of God upon my life continued to wax stronger and I resigned from work in order to be fully engaged in the ministry. That was how this ministry started

Q. What can you say about C&S church?

 C&S Church is a fantastic church. I would have left since school days even when things were very rough. I had lots of offer from methodist church although I've not worshipped there before but someone linked me up when they were recruiting young graduates. I was linked to Redeem, Anglican and 7days Adventist church but I personally made a decision of not leaving the C&S church not because I was born there but because I have seen no reason to leave. For me to grow up to this level in the C&S Church , I have seen a lot that should have made me pull out but rather I stand and I'm still standing to correct those abnormalities. If I had left, who are those that would correct those things?!

Q. What's your favorite hymn? Why?

My favorite hymn is 'Oba tí ki ye majemu'. I just love the song because the stanzas are loaded... It passes the message of God's unfailing nature, it's embedded with thanksgiving, protection and provision

Q. What are/is the thing(s) you love about the C&S church? 

The spirituality. I must be honest with you, as long as I've believed and grown in C&S, C&S is the real pentecostal church, the church is a real spiritual church. I just pity some of our youths who are running helter-skelter, out of this church. I've won lot of souls from redeem, winners and they are worshipping here with us. We operate in the 5-fold ministry in our church.  The C&S church is just like a bird flying with one wing but with two wings we would be able to fly faster and better. This modern church is flying with two wings, that is we merge the word of God and prophecy together. Initially what we focus on is only prophecy, we can see vision but it does not make us a real church because we lack the word but now we've integrated the word into the system. So as word and prophecy works together, we merge rhema and logos together. oH! The church is beautiful.

Q. How can a church grow, according to the Bible?
We have loads of books, write-up on social media about principles of church growth e.t.c. but to be honest with you I'm a living witness, NEW CONVENANT MODEL PARISH is a 4-year church and we have more than 1000 worshippers. The only major problem we have in C&S which should have given us a hedge over other churches is EVANGELISM but we lack it. Evangelism was the foundation of our church, Baba Moses Orimolade was a core evangelist. He evangelized from one area to the other. That was what sold this church at the beginning of the church and many people embraced it because of the work of evangelism. When the C&S church started in the North, what made the church gain ground was the work of evangelism which is the number one principle of  church growth. If you want your church to grow, focus more on evangelism. In this church, We can't do without evangelism, we go from street to street, we do bus evangelism in Ikorodu. We put free bus in Agric and position our people to preach inside the bus as it moves to its destination and we give them tracts.

Number two: we should also build on the word. At times when we invite people to our church, they come, they hear revelation and they go back to their church. Truly there's revelation but there's no word. Why are they leaving? I have sat down to study 'why' before I started the ministry , I discovered it's not about the doctrine. The church must preach the genuine word of God, even if evangelism brings them, the word will sustain them. If the word doesn't sustain them, they will hear the vision and go. The church is not meant for vision, visioners and prophets alone, the word must back those revelations up. If revelation does not have the backing of the word, then the people will go because it does not solve their problems and even when their problems get solved they still go back to their various churches because they only came here to tap the revelation and they go back to where they hear the true word of God. this is what we have discovered. My advise to those who are starting new generation C&S Church is not for them to look like them but to remain different and bring in what we have lost. It's not about the doctrine, doctrine is never the problem of C&S.

Q. What are some of the most important ideas and practices that will enhance the growth of a C&S church?

Number one is leadership. We have leadership problem. Majority of our leaders don't have vision.  A visionary leader will project and prepare ahead. For the church to really grow, we need visionary leaders. Even if you have everything in place and you lack visionary leader you are going no where because the leader is the driver of the church, wherever he drives us to that's where will go. So it's not about other factors OR facility that will drive the church, it is the leader. It takes a visionary leaders to lead a visionary church. We have lacked visionary leaders in the past, so now we are coming up with youths that have vision and they are passionate and hungry for revival. We must bring change to our church. We must have visionary leaders to lead a visionary church. 

Q. How do we cultivate a sense of biblical, godly community in C&S church? 

It is not difficult, what our people should do first, I posted on Facebook sometime ago that we should not desire a behavioral change for transformation but rather let our people be spiritually transformed. When they are spiritually transformed, it will reflect in their behavior. Building a Godly community simply means people are acting upright according to the principles of the bible and this is achieve when their life is being transformed spiritually, by this, you won't find worshipers coming to church with charms nor leaders fighting in the church.  Then people will see that it's a Christ-like church/community where God lives. We must desire spiritual transformation that will reflect on our behavioral transformation. 

Q. Can you shed more light on why we have different kinds of C&S and is it possible for us to come together and have only one church?  

faction started in C&S Church since 1927 if I'm right even before Baba Orimolade departed. So we can't stop that but what we can do is this: if youths from different division can come together and operate the same way we can achieve what is called 'federal system of government' whereby we operate and report to the head like unification does, we do check and balance.

Q.  Is/Are there any thing(s) you don't like about the C&S church as a whole? If Yes, what solutions can be proffered?

 What I don't like in C&S are many. 

Number one, this issue of 'eto adura'. It makes me sad and cry. I told you I was born into this church and I have more experience about it. To the glory of God, my father happened to be a prophet, mother and I also. God has never spoken to me to use those things, I only pray into water and anointing oil for people and to the glory of God there's been testimonies. The solution is that all the prophets and prophetess tarnishing the image of C&S church should go back to Bible school to become Bible scholars. It's not that we want them to become pastors but in order for them to understand what they are doing. I discovered that most of them lack knowledge, they should go back and study the word, they should marry the word of God with prophecies they receive.

Number two, those who carry 'apoti eri' (ark of covenant). They don't know what the word says, God instructed the lsrealites not to carry it again.

Number three, the issue of title. I hate title. Let me just tell you this, I know why we give titles, it's because we don't have source of income for our church. It has affected our system deeper than that money generated from that source. We give titles because we want to collect money from them. Our leaders would have created an avenue where church would have gotten income and they won't even mind if they come for 'ordination' or not because money will come in. Look at Redeem, once you are ordained pastor that is all but here we have special Apostle, mother in Israel etc because of money. Let's look for another means of generating money. Every church should have Internal Generating Revenue (IGR).I studied political science so I understand about generating money internally within local goverment and state. Individual churches should be able to create means of income to assist the C&S Church. If Unification headquarter in Maba can be utilized, I would suggested they establish a nursery and primary school inside that place, halls, event centres and warehouse as rentage for companies, it will generate money into the church purse. The building in our church premises, we've rented it out for people who wanted to use it for theology school, Lagos State is also using it for adult education. This is why I say we need a visionary leader in C&S Church.

Q. Is there any advice you have for the church that would make the fold better?

The only advice I have for C&S is to go back to the source, we are disconnected. I'm a founder of 21st century church platform on Facebook, it was created 5years ago. We have dignitaries on that platform where we share,fellowship and discuss way forward. I posted on that platform this morning that we have lost our vision. we need to go back to our source, when we go back there will be a genuine revival in this 21st century. Let's go back and retrace the purpose of the establishment of c&s Church. our hymn says
"ẸYIN Angẹl to wa l'ọrun, Ẹ fi iyin fun Baba; Fun‘jọ to da silẹ layé, Fun igbala ẹmi,O yẹ ki inu wa ko dun, Ki awa ki o si ma yọ! Fun iranti iku Jesu, Lori Agbelebu. A pa lasẹ l'agbala ọrun, Pe k'Ijọ yi ma bi si; A pa lasẹ l'agbala ọrun, Pe ko si ma rẹ si; Titi gbogbo ifọju ọkan, Yio o fi tan layé; T'iku Jesu Oluwa wa, Ko ni jẹ asan mọ." it is a mandate, we must go back to our source. We are not a ceremonial church, we are a revival church. By God's grace we will conquer.

Q. What is your advice to the C&S youths?

I have served as the president of youth, youth district coordinator in Lagos State for 5 years and I also served as Unification president Uyo chapter for 3 years and as appointed as zonal supervisor for 10 years before i finally resigned from Unification though I'm still part of them I attend there meetings whenever I'm chanced. so I have been with the youth for years and I'm always with them. My advice for them is "Let's be focused, don't be distracted." Some of our youths are already deviating like some of our father who got it wrong. Let's redirect the shape of this church back to its source and use the available platforms to preach christ and evangelize the church in order to project the real image of the church. At time seeing the youths partake in some things that are not biblical makes me sad and I ask 'are they not reading their bible?' it saddens me a lot, let's lay hold on the elementary doctrine of Christ and leave the old deed.