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| Pastor Paul Adefarasin |
But last Sunday’s service at The Rock Cathedral- the church’s ultra-modern one-stop Ministry Centre - was different and for good reason.
The congregation, among who were former Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Oluremi , a senator of the Federal Republic, the Chairman and Publisher of The Guardian Newspapers, Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, Minister of Culture and Tourism, Edem Duke, former Minister of State for Energy, Odein Ajumogobia and others. They all clapped and sang even louder than ever before since it was a thanksgiving service to mark the 50th birthday of the Senior Pastor, Paul Adeolu Adefarasin, who most people fondly call ‘Pastor Paul.’
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| Pastor Paul Adefarasin and family (Courtesy of Gist Us) |
But the best must be the Jubilee Song in which the choir sang and prayed for Pastor Paul.
“Today, we celebrate God’s grace in your life; You are God’s great general and we speak Peace, Joy, Blessings into your life”, the choir sang.
Not that anyone had any doubts as to how hugely blessed by God Pastor Paul is, as attested to in the tributes from all over the world on his Jubilee.
The wonder could only have been on how much more blessed he would be in the next 50 years.
Greetings came from the former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd.) Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, Pastor Ayo Orisejafor, the Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, wife of the governor of Lagos State, Dame Abimbola Fashola, wife of the Cross River State governor, Dame Obioma Imoke, Andy Jibunoh, internationally acclaimed gospel artiste , Don Moen, Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christian Centre as well as many others.
Deacon Tosin Oladeji, on behalf of the House on The Rock workforce , brought him ‘warm greetings for being a pastor, a father, bringing them up in excellence; a life coach challenging them to dream big.’
“If we had to choose again, you will still be the general we will follow to battle.”
Tributes were also showered on Pastor Paul for his striving to actualize his belief that the House on The Rock Ministry must come alive not just in the church and among members but also outside, in the larger society.
He was praised for his numerous interventions in Education, Prison Ministry and care for the less –privileged, especially orphans, all of which reflect his passion that lives could be changed for the better if only everybody who could do something.
Tinubu described Pastor Paul Adefarasin at 50 as a great leader , a man of perseverance, simple, honest sincere and committed to his people.
According to him, “I can attest to the fact that you are a great leader who is simple, honest, sincere and committed to a project. You are not just a dreamer, but a realist. You are committed to changing lives and also changing humanity to do good.
“You have moved us from a nation of lamentation to a nation of implementation,” the former Lagos State governor said,
He finally prayed God to grant him long life and that the good things that God endowed him with will be multiplied.
A childhood friend of Pastor Paul’s described him as a man full of passion, articulate, resilient, diligent, and with great obedience and faith in God.
He revealed the vow Adefarasin made before he started to build the cathedral not to borrow money for the project, which he kept and also not to build his own house until he has built a house for God.
Another of his friend, Pastor Irukwu of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, United Kingdom said that his passion to do things was always contagious and infectious to people around him.
He went on to say that when he gave his life to Christ in 1983, his friends thought that he had gone mad. He thanked God for what He has used him to do, thanked those who came to honour him and also his wife of 18 years, Ifeanyi.
Source: The Guardian Nigeria
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