For most members of the Redeemed Christians Church of God (RCCG) within the environs of Okunola in Egbeda area of Alimosho LGA, City Changers Zonal headquarters under the Lagos province 27 ranks among top parishes of the RCCG family arguably with the Dominion Cathedral, Gowoin Estate and Overcomes parish on Abule-Odu road famous with its Tuesdays anointing services host by Pastor Kalejaiye.
City Changers is strategically located on Okunola road, Egbeda just few block away from the Aregbesola Health Center, built on a land mass of not less than three plots of land or even more, that once housed a bakery before with capacity of comfortably parking up to fifty cars or more before its recent structural development, this ambience has over the years attracted more members from far and near across all works of life.
The parish had also enjoyed the leadership of some of the best pastors of the RCCG amongst are its current pastor in-charge Pastor Charles Akhideno, Pastor Shade Paul also pastored it before its most recent out gone pastor, Rotimi Oloruntoba an Assistant Provincial Pastor of Lagos Province 27.
The first term of Pastor Charles according to some old parishioners was the period the parish witnessed its landmark achievements that included the purchase installation of air conditioners amongst other as his stay was cut short with the usual RCCG annual transfers and was replaced with Pastor Shade Paul who played his bit within his brief stay too that herald the coming of Pastor Oloruntoba that spent close to a decade, that left many wondering why his was different.
The coming of Oloruntoba saw the church grew in numerical cum financial strength as the parish which has a number of churches under it being a Zonal HQ, as the church achieved the construction of its children and teen churches while its main auditorium also witnessed upgrading of its ceiling to POP ceilings with a better lighting. What many ascribe as his major achievement during his almost a decade reign as the Pastor in-Charge is its annual praise concert that grew from 24 hours up to 62 hours of praise before the advent of Covid -19 that disrupted its last two editions.
Aside these physical achievement which is insignificant to the Kingdom of God, the pariah witnessed great migration of members and breakdown of so many marriages with Oloruntoba’s reign which also saw most of his right hand men moving abroad.
With his long period, most parishioners had anticipated that with his position as an Assistant Provincial Pastor in Charge (APICP LP27) and with his “goodboy” status with his boss that may be; City Changers was on the verge of emerging a new province but all that changed with the 2021/22 RCCG transfers thwarting those permutations as he was finally transferred to yet to be identified parish by our correspondent.
The news of his transfer came with missed feelings as most of the parishioners believed that he had over stayed despite challenges his tenure witnessed as majority of the members he inherited had either left the parish or in some cases left RCCG, a parishioner who spoke on the condition of anonymity noted that he failed in managing marital crisis under his reign that led to number of marriage breakups, also in what seem like lost of trust in leadership most lieutenants systematically migrated out of the country.
While another parishioner was sighted openly expressing his joy on his transfer and pledging to return to City Changers, though in what seem to look like a membership drive, the new regime has already set in motions means of reaching out to some members that left without reason through an engagement exercise.
He went further to add that Pastor Oloruntoba should try and stay away from marital crises in his new parish as he lacks the wisdom to handle such rather he should set a mechanism to handle such.
When the news broke of his exit and what seem like a second missionary journey for Pastor Charles, more ex-parishioner have expressed their willingness to return back to City Changers.
Another member recounted how he frustrated some members from attending his wedding because it shared date with his birthday.
With Pastor Charles’ return to City Changers it yet another time to reinvigorate that spirit of truly City Changers through mending the broken hearts with the Word which he is well endowed.
We cannot but wish his new reign that of new heights and grace to restore as many homes that were wrongly managed under his predecessor.
