Authority and Leadership: An African Christian Reflections

By John A. Ade Adepoju

The Word is life and potent. He speaks himself, by himself, and for himself, needless of human defense. The world, however, does not hear him but through a messenger. This is the authors obligation in writing this book. Authority and leadership are being misconceived and misapplied over the centuries. The former precedes the latter in kingdom service. Soldiers failure to secure authority before engaging in military service leads to casualty. Therefore, this piece is a training guide for Christian soldiers prior to engaging in kingdom service. Its also an antidote against stumbling for valiant soldiers who are in the warfront. The depth of a book is not in its volume but in the content.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524542979

John A. Ade Adepoju

John Adeyinka Ade Adepoju, an ordained minister of God, is an Oje-Owode–born messenger of the Word, whose denomination is Baptist. Born-again at sixteen, he received the call into the gospel ministry of the Lord in his twenties. He anchors Jesus Reigns Ministries Int’l in Ibadan, Nigeria. He was privileged to be trained at the Baptist Colleges of Theology in Oyo and Benin City, Nigeria, respectively. He received further trainings at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria, and the historic Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. John A. Adepoju is married to Mofoluwaso O. Adepoju, and the union is fruitful. Marriage, modeling, and mentoring are his cores.

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Copyright © 2016 by Pursuit Precedes Prestige.

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ISBN:  Softcover   978-1-5245-4298-6

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Bible Citation

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 09/26/2016

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Table Of Entries

FOREWORD

AKNOWLEDGEMENT

Chapter One - Misconceptions

Chapter Two - The Precedence

Chapter Three - Who Made You?

Chapter Four - Identity-Misgiven

Chapter Five - The Unshepherded Shepherds

Chapter Six - The Making

Chapter Seven - The Whistle

Chapter Eight - Destined Bridge

Chapter Nine - The Footprint

Chapter Ten - Character Test

Chapter Eleven - The Lion Nature

To my late and living mentors,

through whom the cake is baked.

FOREWORD

A s a western historian reading this body of re flections by an African Christian on the critical issues of authority and leadership, I was struck by its unique ways of expressing biblical verities. Again and again, my heart resonated with what John Adepoju was saying—I have, after all, spent many years thinking about these very matters—but realizing that this dear brother from a far-away culture expressed the truth in a very different way than how I would have said it. As a historian used to plumbing the past where they do things differently, this was perfectly fine and to be honest quite refreshing. Adepoju’s prose is thus at once both winsome and revelatory of a remarkable grasp of scriptural truth.

I hope these thoughts about authority and leadership get a wide readership—not only in Africa where they are much needed but also in the West where the celebrity pastor is increasingly the rage and far too many of our evangelical churches seem to have abandoned Biblical perspectives on what constitutes a true leader for worldly-wise cultural models.

Michael A. G. Haykin

Professor of Church History & Biblical Spirituality

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Louisville, Kentucky.

AKNOWLEDGEMENT

S aying thank you to some individuals on an accomplishment is a necessity though it’s difficult to mention all. Here is an abbreviated list.

I am grateful to God for the gift of pastoral mentoring through Rev. Dr. & Mrs. David ‘Bayo Okegbemi. It was tough but thrilling.

God’s gift of a propeller personified in Dn. Dr. & Mrs. M.B Adewole of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; is appreciated. My ministry horizon is widened through you.

Mrs. Okanrinde, our former member at Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Elewi-Odo, Ibadan. Your eagle’s eyes saw into the future of my writing ministry ten years earlier.

Dr. Michael Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville KY, your teaching inspires.

Dr. Timothy K. Beougher, Associate Dean, Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Sitting under you makes witnessing enjoyable.

Bro. Daniel Ikwuagwu, Dreams Network Limited, Lagos. The success of this piece is attributed to your professional and sacrificial labour.

Pastor Sunday Oyewole, First Baptist Church Ara, Nigeria (My boy). The mentor-mentee relationship with you culminated into this book.

Lastly, I appreciate my wife, Mofoluwaso Oyenike Adepoju and our kids, your immeasurable support makes the work of the ministry fulfilling.

Chapter One

Misconceptions

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men (Prov. 22:29) KJV.

A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men (Prov. 18:16).

O f concepts that are being misunderstood and misapplied over the centuries, authority and leadership are major. They are evident in the daily affairs of men no matter how minute the organization might be. The misconceptions varies among cultures but the fact remains that they are associated with administration. One of such is age. Prerogative ascribes authority to age.

It places older people at an advantageous position over the young. The latter are made to believe the former hook line and sinker. The older people are said to be superior to and wiser than the young for the fact that they are advanced in age. No interruption or objection therefore is welcomed when the opinion of an older person is being aired be it in the public or private places.

This is an abuse of authority. While I respect cultures and honour age, I believe that Bible is the standard for Christians. It’s our culture. A culture that doesn’t pick its picture from the scripture will lose its future. The young David left us a blueprint on the subject of age and authority. As the baby of the house he was preferred by God to his older brothers to serve Israel as her second king (1 Sam. 16:11-12). This implies that authority is not in age. At Israel’s battle against the giant Goliath, older people were enrolled not the young (1 Sam. 17).

For forty days the Bible recalls that the giant was harassing the army of God but the troop, men of age were powerless. At the peak of the battle was David’s arrival, a young lad of seventeen. Inquiring who the giant was, the oldest brother, Eliab, an army official who had been powerless for forty days felt insulted (1 Sam. 17:23-29). Why? Because the young mustn’t have counter opinion to older people’s opinion. The irony of it is that for the past forty days the so called older brother had no word. Why then the aggression when the lad has an answer to the problem? Misconception of authority.

At the long run, David’s word counted. He puts the Philistine to flight while he remained unthreatened. Authority is not in age. Of what use is the age if it doesn’t worth dying for? In those days, age was an object of pride. When confronted with an issue, older people’s response would be of what use am I if I can’t tell the truth at this age? They weren’t afraid of death to stand for what they believed to be right.

The reverse is the case in our era. People want to be respected for their age when there is nothing to show for it. Am I derogating age? No! The first command with a promise is honour your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land that your Lord God has given you. The law is unchanging. My stand however, is to stress the fact that age should be combined with substance so as to command respect not to demand it.

Position is another form of misconception of authority. Leaders are assumed not to be checked. They are believed to be right at all times. They are to be endured even when it’s obvious that they are not leading in the right direction. Conflict abounds in the offices, governments, and homes because of leadership with no result. Wife’s right to check the husband is denied because man is the head.

Members of the public have no right to check the government because they are subjects. This to God, is an abuse of authority. Men fail to know that when such situation reaches climax in God’s measure, death is the end result. Pharaoh made himself unquestionable and uncheckable for the Israelites such that his name was a terror to the people. God wiped him off together with his army (Ex. 14).

Nabal was a heartless husband of Abigail (1 Sam. 25). Her testimony of the man to David was his portrait both at home and in the public. It took God himself to strike him dead so as to free the innocent Abigail. As closely related as authority and leadership are, one precedes the other. Idi Amin of Uganda made himself an emperor over the nation but he was wiped out. His name is an anathema in the history of the nation till date.

General Sani Abacha was the first Nigerian president to experience mysterious death while in power. The forbidden became the food, government workers were denied their salaries, mass and silent killings were the order of the day. His termination was solely God’s. Amidst securities, he died