- LADI THOMPSON
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Rev Ladi Thompson is the General Overseer of Living Waters Unlimited based in Anthony Village, Lagos, Nigeria. He is an activist within the church promoting the cause of the kingdom. He founded Macedonia Initiative, a body committed to promoting love in the Body of Christ and giving succor to those who have been affected by persecution in the country. Today, he is leading another revolution in the church asking church leaders to come back to the gospel of the kingdom. He reasons that many churches have been satisfied with preaching part of the kingdom message and not the entire message of the kingdom. In this interview with Gbenga Osinaike, Thompson gives an insight into the Pentecostal Church and the need for a shift to the gospel of the kingdom.
At what point did you encounter the Pentecostal movement?
It was in the 80s. But we should not forget that Pentecostal movement in Nigeria started in the 1920s, and its influence went round Nigeria. It did not really rise to prominence until the 70s. That coincided with the austerity measures in the early 80s. As hardship increased in Nigeria, it forced a lot of people to do a rethink. There was an army of unemployed people and people who had been retired prematurely around that time.
So, it became necessary for people to seek God. At that time the orthodox representation of the church was not singing any new song. But the Pentecostals were saying water could still come out of the rock. Such hope message was the mainstay of many people. That was when the orthodox began to call the Pentecostal churches mushroom churches but they did not realize that God had moved on. People started trooping to the Pentecostal churches because the Pentecostals made it a point for people to adhere to the word of God more than tradition and cultural celebration which orthodoxy was still holding to. So, naturally the kingdom of God had to move forward. We were a part of those who were in the early movement. There was the Christ Chapel in Lagos which gave birth to so many Pentecostal preachers. It made a lot of sense for us then because what the Pentecostals were saying had corroboration with the scriptures.
Are you saying in essence that the Pentecostal movement was a product of the downturn in the economy of Nigeria?
Not really. It started in the 20s as I said. So the downturn in the economy did not really give birth to it.
I mean the loudness of the movement?
Oh! You are now introducing another dynamics to it. Well initially, as long as the movement stayed on the word of God, things went well. In those days if you wanted people of integrity you go to the Pentecostals. If you wanted an accountant that will not steal your money you look for Pentecostals. Foursquare Church for instance had excellent foundation course for believers. However, from orthodoxy there had come the idea that started about 1800 whereby piety was equated with poverty. So many fathers of faith started research into that, and soon discovered that God has his own welfare package which talks about living well and good. The Pentecostal body then championed that cry that abundance was not a sin. The only challenge again is that there was a swing from abject poverty or poverty being associated with piety to a swing to another end of the pendulum where the indices were such that one could equate gain with righteousness. This swing coincided with the years of deep corruption coming from the high places.
In the history of the church there has been confusion on the issue of handling wealth. The world at a point began to see that there seemed to be no difference between it and the Christian. They began to see that the measure whereby they were measured and that of Christians were the same. But my position is that any gospel that you cannot preach in Dubai to a Sheik and have him consider cannot be authentic gospel.
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