13/08/2026
It is a pity that everyone wants to wear a collar or start a church, while the sheep are groaning and crying.
May we not seek positions and titles while neglecting the people God has entrusted to our care. Wearing collar or suit does not matter before God.
May the LORD come!
INSTEAD OF OPENING A CHURCH AND CLOSING IT EVERY THREE YEARS, LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN DOING:
WHY NOT TAKE TIME AND FIND OUT WHAT IS TRULY YOUR CALLING:
IT IS NOT EVERYONE THAT CAN PAY THE PRICE OF FOUNDING A CHURCH:
THERE ARE SEVEN QUESTIONS TO ANSWER BEFORE YOU START A CHURCH:
STARTING A CHURCH IS NOT FOR EVERYONE:
Kenneth Copeland is the founder of Kenneth Copeland ministries, there is a church arm, but he is not the one who pastors that church. He has stayed with his regular conference hosting ministry. Not everyone can sit over a church, even if you found one.
Uma Ukpai was not a Sunday morning church founder.
Dr Mike Murdock is not known for church but known for itinerant ministry. Even though he later founded one that did not work out. A friend in America told me the other day, that he has sold off the church and the property. Whatever the situation is at the moment, one thing is very clear, church operation is not what he is known for.
Kenneth Haggins was not known for church but known for just writing books. I still bought about 25 copies of his books a few days ago at Airport road here in Warri.
T. L Osborne, Reinhard Bonnke, Billy Graham, and several other great names are not known for church operations.
Don't be ashamed to handover to someone and face any other passion you have. Instead of you starting and closing every three years.
You have closed about four churches now.
You will still close the fifth one.
Please Pause and find out, what is God saying to you, outside of opening and closing a church after a few years of trying.
SEVEN QUESTIONS ALL CHURCH FOUNDERS MUST ANSWER:
1. Are you fully convinced that God wants you to start a church? Your conviction is what will keep you going against all odds.
2. Are you married to a helper or to a destroyer. There is nowhere church ministry can work, if marriage is not working. Unless you first walk out of the marriage. You are gathering, your wife is scattering. Or your wife is gathering, you are scattering.
3. Do you have what it takes to tolerate people? Church operation is the headquarters of tolerance. You will even tolerate a member that is your problem. A member left our church a few months ago, no one is coming to talk to me about it. Because in the mouth of every member, Papa has taken a lot of nonsense from that member. Up to walking out on me on so many occasions. What elders can't do to me, a young boy did that on so many occasions. For ten years I tolerated that nonsense. It was the week I said, I have taken enough that he left. Imagine you have to stop tolerating everyone the same day. Some will stay, but many will go.
4. Do you have what it takes to sit in church every Sunday service and midweek services? You will later travel as you grow into that phase. But for a very long time, you will sit weekly without going anywhere. Can you do it? The first ten years of Answers Assembly, I only missed about six Sundays. Twice in America, one in south Africa, one in Kenya, and one in Nigeria. Now you can see me in town on Saturday night, and don't see me in church on Sunday morning. But from the beginning it was not so.
5. Do you have the character to stay with people for a long time without borrowing money from them, sleeping with them or doing anything evil with them? This is where church becomes very problematic. You will start avoiding church. Because you don't want to go and see the same people you have issues with. Most relocations are a product of too many problems between the shepherd and his sheep. Have you noticed that people don't fight you when you refuse to pay the money you are owing them, they just come and sit in church on Sunday morning. As you see them, your anointing will deflate.
6. In the event that the church did not work out in terms of crowd, cash, cathedrals, branches, success, results and every other thing your generation use in defining a successful church, will you still wait until God shows up, or you close and move on again. It is good to close and move on. But after a few closing and moving on, you have to pause and know if this is your destiny or your decision.
7. Can you do the same thing for the rest of your life. That is what it means to be a founder. Doing the same thing for the rest of your life. After some time, it will become boring if it is not your calling. Hear it again, it will become boring if it is not your calling.
Think about it.
Be blessed.
You will be fine.
Bishop Irabor Wisdom.
Presiding Bishop Answer's Assembly Warri Delta State Nigeria.
