The Redeemed Christian Church of God has underscored the need for people, especially Christians, to rise and vote during elections and not only to pray.
Pastor Timothy Olaniya, Deputy Rector, Redeemed College of Technology, Redemption Camp, made the call on Sunday.
Olaniya spoke during a seminar organised by the Directorate of Politics and Governance, RCCG, Oyo Province 1.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the seminar held in Ibadan and had as its theme: “Nigeria Politics and Governance: The Church Approach.”
Olaniya, also the Pastor-in-Charge of RCCG Lagos Provincial 12, remarked that the era was gone when the church would only pray and relax without taking further steps to vote.
He said: “The church has prayed and will keep on praying as part of its Christian responsibility for the nation.
“But after praying, we cannot just sit down.
“Prayer will not use leg to go and collect PVC and vote.
“It will take people to rise up and do so.
“Christians should rise.
“Let’s see how God will use us to rescue our country.”
Olaniya said the RCCG was following the directions of the Christian Association of Nigeria and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria to raise a department for politics and governance.
He added: “The Foursquare Gospel Church, Deeper Life, Redeemed Evangelical Mission and others have also started to establish the department.
“All over the 36 states, we have gotten the Directorate already under the CAN and PFN, not only the RCCG.”
He spoke on the need for the country to have leaders who are ready to serve selflessly with contentment, like Daniel in the Bible.
He said: “We need people who will make a difference, be trusted with money and power without compromise.
“Christians in politics must do the work righteously and maintain their integrity.
“More importantly, we must not leave prayers outside what we do to be divinely guided.”
Olaniya called on Christians to remove the mindset that politics was a worldly and dirty game, calling on them to participate, vote and be voted for.
Also, the Pastor of RCCG Oyo Province 1, Isaac Oyetayo, remarked that the department was established to sensitise people on the importance of participating in politics and voting.
Oyetayo said: “The directorate is established because the church has been sleeping over the years and shying away from politics, thinking it’s dirty.
“We need to sensitise members and mobilise them at the grassroots to get their PVCs.
“We have been praying, but they are not going to count our prayers, but votes.
“So we need to rise and act now.”
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