Recently, I was at a Parish harvest to officiate and while in the Altar, I took a critical review of all aspects of our harvests over the years, from concept to implementation and I sadly came to the conclusion that we are; wasteful, extravagant, lack financial intelligence and frugality. Honestly, for us to be really taken as a progressive Church, we need to urgently address the lapses.
Let me highlight a few of the factors that seem to paint us black:
PRINTING/PUBLICITY
It’s very wasteful in this era of social media which necessitates “paperless” operations to still find parishes expending huge funds on printing; Invitation, Flyers, Posters, Programme Brochure and Garlands which have very little lifespans. These run into several hundreds of Millions in Naira yearly throughout the CCC worldwide. We have failed to realize that a design pushed through the various social media handles is worth more than millions of handbills dispersed from a flying chopper or Aeroplane. This is a lot less expensive but most effective. The waste from these items can beautiful families, Church members, Clergies, visitors and Needies that abound around the Parishes.
FEEDING/HOSPITALITY
This aspect has become too extravagant and ironically bring sorrows to some people who attend harvests. The rat race is now about the number of cows slaughtered as a show off whereas it is no sign of achievement. Many Shepherds don’t mind approaching the Devil to be able to get cows. Many allow unhealthy competition among parishioners that don’t even have the means of buying such commodity. Many come on the social media to display the herds of cattle procured for the harvest not minding that many Parishes can’t even afford Kote fish. Some who are able to accrue as many as over 10 cows will go ahead to slaughter ALL even when their crowd is not much thus giving room to pilferage. Furthermore, parishes now allow members to privately feast their guests which has provided avenue for indecent competition and UNCELESTIAL acts. Many will want to satisfy their worldly guests with items which the CCC condemn. Go round such places following morning and one will find empty bottles of alcoholic beverages and extended wraps of illicit drugs. We don’t usually think that many people attend the harvest who are not sure of the meals of their children for following Monday morning. What about the demonic convergence called “After Harvest Celebration” where all manners of evil practices are perpetrated. Praise nights are also similar to this as a “free for all night”.
HARVEST MUSIC
It’s disheartening that the Parish choir that has ministered to the congregation for 51 out of the 52 weeks in the year suddenly become inadequate for the harvest thus necessitating the influx of mercenaries into the choir barricade. Many of them are unruly, unprofessional and they usually import their satanic manipulations into the harvest and they are usually paid in addition to what they have pilfered during ministrations. Why can’t the church address the inadequacies in the choir immediately after a harvest in preparation for the next harvest. These external hirelings are having very negative impact on the church as a whole. Please imagine the type of “Gloria” they have brought into the church stylishly. You will be wondering if we are now an arm of the Catholic/Anglican Church. We now have “Alleluyah Chorus” as ‘Special number’ which we all see but no one complain.
HARVEST SUTANA
What obtains now is the craze for highly expensive fabrics specially for the harvest. Am not against good looks but must be in moderation with consideration for the less privileged in the Parish. Is it not shameful for us to see brethren come over the social media begging for harvest SUTANA. Members prefer expensive fabrics and makeup to; harvest levy, thanks offering or family wellbeing. How can someone get a fabric of +#10k per yard where there are many children wearing “Awa yoo dupe” version of sutana. It a collosal loss of priority. Strangely, Ankara and T-shirts have become part of our official celebration garments.
SPIRITUAL MATERIALS!
At a recent harvest, I had to caution the Onibodes on incense burning which was carrid out at the start of every hymn and prayers. In the past 6 months, the prices of major spiritual materials have more than quadrupled.
LET’S EMBRACE CHANGE!!!
With all the foregoings, the Church is being portrayed as lacking purpose hence we tend to allow abuses.
The Church has several beneficial projects globally begging for funding; what about the Celestial City Project, Clergy’s Welfare and Members wellbeing.
We need many quality “not for profit educational institutions” for members and the public. It’s a pragmatic Evangelism strategy. If leading denominations can do it, our God is more able.
CCC BUSINESS VENTURES:
This is not about entrepreneurship but Community Social Responsibility and Human Capital Development. The Church has a huge population of Youths who are majorly idle and jobless. Many have ideas but no enabling environment to operate. Nothing stops the Church from establishing a “business Incubation Centre” in Imeko where there will be infrastructures to assist them to be empowered.
AGRO INITIATIVES:
From June every year, there is usually a huge demand for agro commodities needed by the Church. CCC does not have; an Apiary (Honey production), Orchard (Fruit production), Cattle ranch, Water production and even perfumery. All these gulped tonnes of millions of Naira which mostly go to non-Celestian such as; Hausa herders, Cybele Cosmetics (Grace perfumes) and Bush & Co (Miss Paris) etc.
EVANGELISM:
We seem to have relegated Evangelism as inferior to Harvest. Little is given to Evangelism while Harvest has become the real thing.
ROBUST WELFARE PROGRAMME ALL THROUGH
Harvest should not be “a Day feeding” event. We can be more impactful by arranging foodstuffs as takeaway to the less privileged after eating. I recently learnt about a “Purpose Driven Parish” that has established a ‘food bank’ within the Premises with so many big plastic drums. The parish distributes foodstuffs frequently to the less privileged without consideration for affiliation to the Parish.
Please let us turn a new leaf and ensure that the Church becomes more focussed in necessary acts to cleanse the world. Our current attitude will hamper the achievement of our collective purpose.
May the God of our Patriarchs continue to pilot His Church.
Snr. Evang. Oludare Abolurin FCCA
