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1. What have you found most challenging as a church leader?

As a Church Leader, what I can say I have found most challenging in all my years leading people, especially young people will be what I can call "The error of presumptions".

The assumption people hold silently and sometimes openly that makes them reluctant and seldom not open to change, instructions, corrections in the bid to first try it their own way, or make their own mistakes, when the onus of compassionate leadership wouldn't permit one to standoff without presenting a more better way, by scriptures, whereby life can be lived in a more fulfilling and glorious way.

A few still struggle with their grasp on personal liberty in the light of scriptural wisdom, as if, their ambition and dreams might be threatened if they get to surrender it all to God, but if God were to be a silent partner, who only gets called in when there's trouble, then, they can still feel free and responsible for life.

They are quick to presume at the expense of their daily outcomes especially when in contrast to the standards of God's word.

To such people, it becomes very challenging to influence in the right direction, and when you do get the chance to, it is almost never without a painful story or avoidable scar they would have incurred in the process of sheer disobedience by being presumptuous.

I pray as we lead by God and under God, the word of God finds quick and permanent residence in the hearts of men, so they can be freed from the errors of presumption even when they literally mean well. Presumption will kill every good intention any day, any time.

God help us all.

2. How did you become a church leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

This is a wonderful question.

Where do I begin? Well, I grew up in Church, My parents were very devoted. All my siblings were taken to Church from childhood and we had to take part in the different departments in Church as we grew older.

As I grew in Church, I found the Lord personally and intimately as a teenager at the age of 15 and became more committed to God.

My love for God was flamed and this endeared our then Church leaders to me, and they drew me closer and began to entrust me with leadership responsibility gradually, and from then I became a Minister in Church into my early twenties.

And in my pursuit of God and his purpose for my life, I began to discover my path in destiny through several encounters and heavenly visions, and I was certain of what the Lord had called and assigned for me to do.

All the while, I found myself being entrusted with leadership in schools, and the campuses I have been to, outside my leadership role in the local Church.

My first Pastoral Role began in the Polytechnic in 2007, and by God's grace, I have gone from one leadership role and assignment to the other.

And by 2017, I was privileged of God to pioneer the Bridechamber Church Abuja, and lead God's people to their God given destiny by the Spirit of God.

Leadership has been a most wonderful adventure for me from my childhood till now. So many believe it comes natural but I believe I learned a lot and grew into it per time.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

My work days have a very simple but impactful structure.

Early hours of the day is for Personal and Family Devotions and this is everyday. But for the work days, runs between 5am to 8am.

My office hours run from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday. This is where I do my study and attend to all I need to attend to.

After the office, on selected days in the week, I proceed for Meetings in Church, and go home from Church.

Between 9pm to 10pm, I should be home from Church. On any week day without Church Services, then my office hours extend much longer to accommodate as much as possible.

So when home, I try to catch up with my family, have dinner, and fellowship before we close for the day.

That's basically the flow on weekdays.

Although when my travel itinerary comes up, the flexibility of work hours comes in, to accommodate ministerial duties outside my base and all.

4. What's one book apart from the Bible that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

They are a number of books, and I can begin to mention them that have impacted my life in so many ways.

But when it comes to leadership, the one book that comes to mind so easily, and that has had a very good impact and impression on me for so many years since its release is one of the books on Leadership by John C Maxwell titled "The 360° Leader".

It gave me quite the clarity that we are all leading and entrusted with leadership responsibility from any status or position of life we find ourselves.

When we have to follow people, those we look up to, when people follow us, those that look up to us, and when people work alongside us, those on the same lane as us, to encourage each other on our journey. We have a leadership role and assignment to make the work of leading easy for those we follow, and easy for those who follow us, and also easy for our contemporaries by exemplifying great leadership virtues and examples that makes a positive difference in our world.

Everyone must be seen with a leadership spectrum and with a leadership perspective. That's why leadership must be a very important subject to be taught and embraced at every stage of life, from families, to schools, to institutions, to churches, and to the society at large.

5. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

In recent time, the most significant leadership lesson I have learned is on "Distraction".

How it is so easy in our day to be very distracted from our goals and focus as leaders. Especially with all that flies around in this internet world, the load of information, the many things in life already calling for attention, if strong steps are not made to guard against distractions, leadership goals and visions will go unfulfilled.

It is very profound to learn that anyone can be distracted, it has to be a conscious reality to guard against distractions and maintain unparalleled focus for leadership visions to be accomplished.

6. How do you develop a healthy leadership pipeline in a church?

To develop a healthy leadership pipeline in a Church, one will have to follow the Acts 6 model.
We have to do the following;
1. Observation: observe the people and detect those exhibiting leadership qualities or interests.
2. Investigation: you need to do some primary research to know them outside the four walls of the Church Building or setting, be certain about their new birth Experience, their love walk, and the kind of person they are when no one is looking.
3. Delegation: Give opportunity for them to lead in one capacity or the other or test them with certain tasks, and see how well they perform, and how far they are willing to go to get the job done. And finally.
4. Pray: By intercession, let the Holy Spirit reveal the intentions of the heart and let the Holy Spirit lead you as you make leadership choices in the Church of the Living God. Our efforts to enquire, observe, and scrutinize is not yet thorough until we subject our findings to the ultimate leadership and leading of the Spirit of God at work within us.

Leadership in Church is never a natural affair, it's a Spiritual Obligation and Responsibility, it must never be taken lightly. It definitely has ETERNAL consequences how we lead in the Church of Christ.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a church leader so far?

A meaningful story that comes to mind from my time as a Church Leader:
Many years ago, I joined one of the Polytechnic Christian Fellowships and attended as a member. I found lots of loopholes and decided to make myself extremely useful to the leadership team I met there then, especially the President of the fellowship, who found me a timely help and encouragement.

Little did I know when their leadership tenure was going to end, the little tasks I was doing here and there for work and programs in the fellowship not to slack, got everyone's attention including the General Overseer of the Church that has primary oversight functions on the fellowship. So, I was nominated by the outgoing fellowship executive, to be part of the incoming fellowship executive. While they were screening us and scrutinizing us, I was just grateful to serve, and wasn't expecting much responsibility to be added to me, especially because I was doing a National Diploma program, and not a Higher National Diploma program in the Polytechnic at the time.

I was speechless on the handover day, when I was appointed and ordained as the Fellowship President even above students already running their Higher National Diploma.

It was such an awesome Experience and that was what gave me my first actual Pastoral Role, outside my leadership roles in my local Church then.

It's a lesson in humility, diligence, and leadership by example.

When I remember the story, I know leadership above many things must be done by example. Without examples, nothing for the followers to imitate.

I hope this my short true life story inspires you into exemplary leadership.

Thank you.