Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
A youth group known as ‘New Seraph Initiative’ in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church worldwide has launched an empowerment scheme for about 800 youths in Oyo State.
The group, powered by the Dr. Oluseye Yomi-Sholoye Foundation, also used the occasion to advance reasons for the backwardness of the church members especially its youths and preferring solutions to them.
Convener of the group, who doubles as the Deputy Primate of Faith Mission, C$S Church Satellite Town, Lagos, Dr. Oluwaseye Yomi-Sholoye, stated this at the inauguration of the Oyo State chapter of the initiative, on Saturday at the En-Hakkore Church (Aladura), Felele area, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
She added that efficacy of prayers and good teaching of the word of God should be topmost in the hearts of all Seraphs.
According to Dr. Yomi-Sholeye: “There is the need for us to advance the fate of our members as seraphs. This leads me to empowerment of our youths.
“Many of our youths today lag behind their peers in the scheme of things in the society of which we seraphs are part of.
“So, in order to correct this imbalance, there is need for aggressive youth empowerment programmes, scholarships to youths from well-to-do seraphs, vocational and skill acquisition training for them, donation of educational materials to those not so privileged among our youths.
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“When these are done, there will be creativity and innovations from the youths, which in turn, will advance the course of our church and its people.
“Our women too need to be empowered. Many of our women in the church go through harrowing experiences trying to assist their penurious husbands to make ends meet at home.
“As a church of the 21st century, we need to improve the economic power of our members generally.
“We need to develop projects that will improve the economic power of our members so that they can be self-sufficient and also compete favourably in the larger society and also directly contribute to the growth/stability of the Church.”
She added that the modern day C$S church had deviated from the core mandate of the founding fathers.
“Let us remember that the chief mandate of the founding fathers/mothers of the church is envangelism if we must tell ourselves the truth.
“We have not been so forceful and pushful in carrying out that mandate today, like of old. Fact is, we have been ‘sleeping’ for too long.
“It appears we are fast derailing from the mandate and that we are trying to emulate those who take the riches of the world as their core mandate upon which their denominations were founded.
“Ours is to preach the word, evangelise to win souls for Christ and his coming kingdom,” she added.
Also speaking at the event, Bishop Femi Adepoju, who is also one of the international coordinators of the group said, the New Seraph Initiative is not out to break away from the unification of the bigger C&S church, but an attempt to sensitise the youths on areas that could bring unity in the church as a whole.
Adepoju maintained that the Ibadan launch marks the third state that the group will be inaugurated noting that other states in Nigeria and outside the country will be launched.
He said, “New Seraph’s empowerment program is facilitated by Dr. Yomi Sholoye from the Faith Mission.
“She embarked on the programme after realising the dearth of empowerment opportunities among youths of the church. She wants to teach the youths on how they can fend for themselves through the empowerment.
“In Lagos, not fewer than 200 youths has been trained and they were provided with working tools and cash to establish themselves.
“The Lord has been using her in this wise and we give thanks to Him. We learnt people are suffering and a reason this empowerment is set up to alleviate their suffering “, he stated.
The event was witnessed by many notable C&S church leaders from across the state.
