HISTORY OF CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH THE GAMBIA
In the wake of this millennium Pastor Solomon Adakanmbi received the urge and the leading of the Holy Spirit to bring the church to the Gambia which he responded to and in January of year 2000, Christ Apostolic Church took off under his able leadership.
However, after one year of his fruitful toiling, the authority of the church from Nigeria under the leadership of Pastor EHL Olusheye (former President) called Pastor Adekanmbi Solomon back home andredeployed Pastor Gideon Adeoye from Batonu land in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara Stateof Nigeria where he worked among the Bariba people to take over from him.
I arrived in the land of the Gambia on November 26th 2001 and was received at the Airport by a set of leaders of the church most of them have since left the church to various locations around the globe. While some have left the CAC family, two are Pastors in CAC but are outside the Gambia.
It is of note that two of the pioneer members of the church then remained till today: Janet Okafor (Mrs.), and Evangelist Stephen Adekanmbi the National Secretary of the church, the son of the pioneer Pastor and now the Bakau Assembly minister.
GROWTH OF THE CHURCH AND HER SPREAD
Since my inception in November 2001, the church has grown from a household church to a local church in carpentry workshop, to a well over three hundred worshippers in functioning branches most of which are on their own land while others are on leased/rented apartment as listed below:
1. Bakau Assembly (The pioneer branch still on rented apartment)
2. Lamin (No. 1)- Assembly (With nursery school in the compound owned by the church)
3. Sandally- Assembly on her own land with uncompleted project
4. Jakoi- Paima-Assembly withHectares of land given to the church by the community
5. Lamin (No. 2)-Assembly on a rented property
6. Fajikunda-Assembly on a 5-year leased to expire by January 2018
7. Tallinding (King’s Palace OUR OWN PROPOSED HEADQUARTERS LAND)
EDUCATION: A MISSIONARY TOOL FOR EVANGELISM
As a tool of winning the people of the other faith in our society the church introduced nursery schools in both Lamin and Jakoi – Paima villages. Through this, many parents and kids are shown the love of Christ and hope to see them turn to Jesus soon. Though presently the schools (because of their environment where located) are yet to break – even financially, we hope it will bring financial support to the church in the near future. Also, it is hoped that through the schools many leaders will be raised for the nation and the church as kingdom values are inculcated into the kids.
LIST OF MINISTERS THAT HAVE SERVED & THOSE STILL IN SERVICE IN THE CHURCH
1. Pioneer- Pastor Solomon Adekanmbi 2000 – 2001 (Back to Nigeria)
2. Pastor Gideon Adeoye November 2001 – till date D/S
3. Pastor Stephen Ukhuleigbe 2009 – 2010 (Now in Nigeria)
4. Pastor Mathew Kayode Adedeji 2009 – (left us 2014)
5. Pastor – Titus Adeyemi Adeleye 2009 – (now in Israel)
6. Pastor – Abraham Odewale 2009 – (left us in 2014)
7. Pastor – Mansanneh Kolley 2009 –1st Gambian Pastor(Jakoi- Paima Pastor)
8. Evangelist Stephen Adekanmibi (left us in 2015)
9. Evangelist Anthony Mendy (Gambian, Degree Holder, sponsored by the
church now in Nigeria –CACTS
10. Evangelist Oladilpo Olawomo (Now in Nigeria)
11. Evangelist Ibukun Olusoji (The King’s Palace)
12. LADY Evangelist Deborah Adeoye (D/S wife)
13. Pastor – Samuel B. Akinremi 2009 he was in Denmark.
14. Pastor Wole Fawunmi (Back in Nigeria)
15. Pastor Daniel Adenusi – Now in Nigeria
DISCIPLESHIP/ LEADERSHIP TRAINING GROWN TO THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Every missionary from the Bible days is equipped with ability to discover, develop and deploy his/ her workers who will be able to sustain/ disciple others. In this spirit therefore particularly when faced with dearth of workers, what began as a discipleship classes in 2007 grew to become a Campus of CAC Theological Seminary with students drawn from within the church and from other denominations in the land. We are proud to say that we train our workers, our ministers and Pastors as well as trains for other missions-minded churches. As at today we have successfully discovered, developed and deployed few Gambian citizens serving in the Church and many serving in other churches in the Gambia.
VISION OF THE CHURCH / THE LEADER
1. To build a thousand- sitter magnificent auditorium with multipurpose hall, shopping, school, training center and accommodation for the workers (as seen in the working drawings)
2. To provide western secular education for the citizens with the mind of reaching out to the unreached kids and youth in every community where found with the Gospel of Christ.
3. To raise indigenous and foreign leaders and missionaries who shall be able to sustain the church and take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
4. To partner with the center to extend the church to our neighboring countries Senegal, Bissau and Cape Verde
5. To make the Gambia the center for missionary training for CAC Worldwide such that every missionary identified in our assemblies will be directed to the Gambia for training. This will provide enough manpower for the regional and global spread of the church.
6. To break the barrier of CAC not found in Asia and other continents.
7. To continue raising and mobilizing missionaries even at retirement for the church that we may join the global church in fulfilling the Great Commission.
OUR CHALLENGES
Despite our progress and our testimony, we are faced with many challenges which I will like to outline for the president and your dynamic entourage:
1. Financial challenge facing the field which has prevented us from living our dreams. Take for instance, for 14 years of existence the church has no befitting headquarters in the land. Many sons and daughters of the church are thriving in younger churches and ministries in the land.
2. Challenge of building this massive place of worship. We believe in God and that our dream of a befitting auditorium is a reality by faith in the shortest period. The Quantity Surveyor has put the total cost of the project to $1 Million US Dollars.
3. Challenge of finishing the Sandally church project where we have great potentials for the future of the Gambia church. This project was suspended since 2009 for lack of funds.
4. Integration of our local Pastors into Missions so that they can feel belonging particularly the citizens of the Gambia and as well other nationals.
5. The land we were given in Jakoi- Paima is without proper security and it is a great opportunity and an asset to the church in future.
6. The Primary section of our school in Lamin which has been of a great support to the church was shut down in 2012, because we do not have enough classrooms as recommended by the government. Many of our pupils were lost as a result of the exercise. We have not been able to fulfill this requirement.
7. Our drive towards expansion to Senegal has been difficult because of language barrier (Senegal a- French speaking country), if one of our missionaries wasting away in Nigeria is posted to us in the Gambia, we could work together to expand the Kingdom to Senegalese people.
THE JOURNEY OF THIS PROJECT SO FAR
The purchase of this land came a year ago February 14th 2013 and it is unique that in February a year later its foundation is laid. We know the one year has been a tough and rough journey to secure the approval of this piece of land from the government relevant authority. The Minister’s consent was secured only on Monday the 17th February 2014. In all we return the glory to God the giver of life and grace.
CONCLUSION
On behalf of the Pastorate, the Church leadership, the members and the Gambia people, I welcome you and your amazing entourage to the Gambia. I wish you happy staying in Jesus name. Amen and amen.