Pastor Mensa Otabil, General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), has pushed African nations and people to allow strategy, not proximity, to define key partnerships.
He emphasised that your closest friend, national ally, or church does not have to be directly next to you; rather, it may require some travel to discover the appropriate one who fulfils God’s objectives for your life.
“Many of us are living a life of convenience, but proximity should not be the most essential factor in our relationships, but strategic considerations,” he declared.
These pronouncements were made by Pastor Otabil during his sermon on the first night of the 2023 edition of the ICGC’s Greater Works Conference.
The talk titled ‘In the Valley of the Dry Bones’ examined Ezekiel 37, where God speaks to the prophet Ezekiel and tells him to prophesy to the dry bones in the valley to come to life. This was against the backdrop of the country’s dire position.
He outlined the three stages of transformation. The first occurred when the bones were gathered and rendered small in a site of defeat. The second stage occurred when the bones began to strategically cluster, each one attaching to the correct one but remaining dormant. The third and most critical step occurred when God’s breath was unleashed, bringing the dry bones to life and transforming them into a powerful army.
Pastor Otabil contrasted this with the situation in Africa, stating that the continent would rise again despite what appear to be insurmountable circumstances.
He declared: “I believe the dry bones of Africa and the dry bones of the black man will rise again and our nations will be significant again.”
He further declared, “I see a day on this continent of Africa where we will have an army of captains of industry, new inventors and ideas coming up from here.”
He bemoaned the region’s systematic brain drain, in which highly trained Africans travel in large numbers overseas to use their abilities to create other countries rather than employing them on the continent.
“It may be a temporary situation but Africa’s best brains must come back with science, technology and innovations to build our continent”, the theologian stressed.
Pastor Otabil’s sermons have continuously preached and promoted African rebirth over the years. Monday’s speech was consistent with his stated vision of an Africa that can and must improve via its people. “Africa is a big deal to me,” he said.
Pastor Otabil’s lecture was the high point of a night filled with varied praise, worship, dramatic arts performances, and prayer to formally kick off the 2023 Greater Works conference at the ICGC Christ Temple East site in Teshie.
The Greater Works conference will run all week till Friday, August 4th.
The conference host will speak again on day two and will welcome Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo for the morning and evening sessions, which will also include a number of uplifting ministrations.
