VICTOR: Do you think that again within the church and among Christians, there’s been too much of a distinction, quote unquote, between what we call “full-time ministry” and those who are not in full-time ministry? Wouldn’t you say that whether you’re a doctor, whether you’re a politician, or an entertainer, that you do have a ministry calling regardless of where you may be in society?
PASTOR SUNDAY: As much as I respect the term, five fold ministry, I think that is one of the biggest problems we have in the church today. We say, five fold ministers are the evangelists, the pastors and the teachers—and then we say they are the ones to do the ministry. Well, that is the biggest crisis that is hitting and facing the church today.
What I tell my people is that if you are an engineer, you are a pastor in disguise. If you’re a businessman, you are a disguised pastor or evangelist or apostle. If you are a politician, you are an apostle to that place. That is your life purpose. You are created by God. The Bible says that in everything seen and unseen is created by Him and for Him -- for Him. Every energy that I have, every resource that I have, every talent and gift that I have, everything is not supposed to be used up just to get some, you know, money or, you know, some papers or some buildings. Everything is created for Him.
Everything is supposed to be used to serve His purpose, to advance His kingdom. So, everybody is supposed to be a full-time minister. You could be disguised as an engineer. Well, the engineering profession you have, is just your platform, just like I have my platform in the church, but the platform is not my ministry. My ministry -- the platform is just what I stand on, what gives me the podium. So whatever profession you have is just your podium is just your platform. It is just the basis on which you stand that gives you the boldness and the resources to be able to address your situation and be able to fulfill and bring to pass the purpose of and callings of God upon your life.
VICTOR: Well, you’ve just published this book. It’s actually coming out in bookstores. It’s called “Church Shift.” Fantastic book. I wish every pastor could lay their hands on a copy of this. But in line with what you’re just talking about right now, what would you say,why would you say that the church is not playing the role that it’s supposed to play, and what do you think that the church can do to become a lot more dynamic and release millions, virtually hundreds of millions of Christians around the world to fulfill their calling under God?
PASTOR SUNDAY: First of all, I studied journalism, and in the process of studying journalism, because I did this in the former Soviet Union, they taught us how to neutralize propaganda. And I was taught in the acts of anti-propaganda, and the Communist people, they actually had the understanding of going to every country and making them Communist countries. And science has discovered this, not just in the Communist nations, but also in the Western nations, that for any society to be taken, there are seven spheres of influence that must be penetrated or permeated.
Now, the seven spheres of influence are: religion and social sphere of life. Now, the second -- there are six other spheres of influence. Now, what we have done, in the churches is we have been so preoccupied with the spiritual and social sphere of life, neglecting all the other six spheres of life. So, we are not involved, we are just locked in the four walls of the church. Maybe we’ll go and do some social work, but that way you only touch one of six of the seven parts of society.
VICTOR: And the seven spheres are--
PASTOR SUNDAY: You have business, you have politics, you have media, you have education, you have entertainment, you have sports and you have
VICTOR: One of the things that I noticed when I came to visit you in the Ukraine was unlike most traditional churches where you’ll come in and say, “Well, you know, I’m going to be part of the-the uh prison ministry or choir,” you don’t break it down that way. You break it down along these seven spheres that you’re talking about. Why is that important and why do you think that will make a difference compared to the traditional molds that we already have?
PASTOR SUNDAY: Just a small fact, now, in the Ukraine, we are only about 100,000 people, just maybe a little more.
VICTOR: That’s the members of your church?
PASTOR SUNDAY: Members of the Embassy of God church in the Ukraine, only a hundred thousand, that’s not much in a country of 48 million. Now but, the government cannot believe us. The government and the KGB said we have 5 million. Why should they think we have 5 million, when we don’t even have a million, when we only have a hundred thousand? Well, because every member of the church has been equipped to penetrate and permeate every sphere of the society.
So because we have our people are everywhere, from the president’s palace, to the parliament: from the parliament, to the people who sweep the street: from the airport to the ministerial appointments. So you see our people everywhere, so they think we are 5 million. Well, that is the secret and that importance of getting people -- all these -- to occupy every sphere of life. Now, I know the fact is this; every revival that has come to this world has been killed one way or the other. And the reason is because the revivals have stayed in the churches, in the four walls of the church, and the political people change, the people in authority change, and the political power, they have more power, they crunch it. Or the economic power, people in the business world, they crunch it. So that’s why we must occupy everything. We must be everywhere so that we will be able to defend the freedom and the revival and the reformation that we are doing today.
VICTOR: Pastor Sunday Adelaja, the book is called “Church Shift, Revolutionizing your faith, church and life for the 21st Century.” We actually encourage our viewers out there to go get a copy of the book as soon as possible. But before we end the segment here, I just want to ask you, I’ve visited you, I’ve seen how busy you are, you’re everywhere, but there are only 24 hours of the day. What is your secret? What keeps you going?
PASTOR SUNDAY: Well, I’m a God-addicted person and when we talk about a month, we have four weeks in a month, I take off one week, no wife, no children, no church, no office, no telephone, no television, I go lock myself up for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for one week every single month seeking God. I’ve been addicted to Him. I need Him. Without Him I’m nothing. So when I come out, I become a lion. I don’t carry the problem, God takes care of it.
VICTOR: Pastor Sunday Adelaja, always a pleasure talking to you. Thank you so much for being on Turning Point, and I look forward to having you once again.
