HOW IT ALL STARTED
Welcome on board! You are about to feast at the table set by the Lord Himself. You are about to know some basic truths about Bible Pattern Church as I quickly tell you some stories.
Though Pastor Z. A. Ogunsaya (the General Overseer of Bible Pattern Church) gave his life to Jesus in 1976, he had always been very close to Church. His grand father was the leader of the Anglican Church in his village, his father was also an elder in the church. After his conversion, as a Church worker, he was very close to his pastors.
He attended a full-time Bible school, where because of their previous exposures, they were made to attend classes during the weekdays, take part of Church activities almost every evening, and go to pastor local assemblies at the weekends. He was an assistant pastor, at Ode-Aye, a town very close to Okitipupa, in Ikale Local Government of Ondo State of Nigeria.
Immediately he graduated from Bible School, in August 1980, h was sent to pastor a Church at Ikole Ekiti, in the then Ekiti North Local Government of Ondo State, now Ekiti State. He pastored the Church between August1980 and early 1983, when God told him under a seminar at Ibadan, to go and start a Church that would not only be a gospel Church but also a holiness one. This was why he originally called the Church “Holiness Gospel Church.” Today, it is called “Bible Pattern Church.”
Bible Pattern Church started in July, 1983, using an abandoned cocoa store, at Otunja in Ikole Ekiti. We later built our own worship centre at Ara road, in the same town. We moved the headquarters of the Church to Lagos in 1988. We have opened and closed branches in places such as Lokoja, in Kogi state, Ikare Akoko, in Ondo state, and also in Ijesa-Isu, now in Ekiti State. And we are still opening more branches today.
THE RESOLUTION OF BIBLE PATTERN CHURCH
The progress of the Church has not been very fast. The reasons for this are obvious: among them are,
- Our resolve not to do anything in the name of progress that is contrary to our understanding of the word of God
- Our resolve not to solicit for financial assistance from outside Bible Pattern Church
- Our resolve not to make anybody anything in the Church, just because of his influence in the society, his educational background, zeal, interest or his financial contributions to the Church
- Our resolve to always acknowledge our mistakes and make corrections and if need be, restitutions as well
- Our resolve to always emphasise repentance, salvation, restitution, sanctification, holiness and other neglected requirements of God, whatever the consequences
- Our resolve to always discipline erring members and ministers whatever their position in the Church
- Our resolve to make our benches very uncomfortable for the unrepentant sinners and professional bench warmers
- Our resolve not to mix with ministers whose relationship with God we are not sure of, whatever progress they may be making and whatever may be available for us to gain through them
- Our resolve not to wish or accept for ourselves, whatever God does not wish for us, however good such a thing may be
- Our resolve not to promote ourselves at the expense of the work of God or salvation of men
- Our resolve not to use just any available “pastors” to pastor our branches
- Our resolve not to use any unbiblical method to gather anything for the use of the Church
- Our resolve not to copy anything from anyone or any Church, that we are not sure God will approve
- Our resolve to always spend good time in the presence of God, to worship, to pray and to study His word, whether the flesh likes it or not
- Our resolve to always labour for God with everything we have: our time, our hands, our money, our energy, and every other thing we have
- Our resolve not to allow our branches to be operated as entertainment centres but as real workshops of God, where the lives of men are always and truly transformed
- Our resolve not to allow just anybody to preach behind our pulpits
- Our resolve not to ever use the professional money collectors to help raise money for any project of the Church Etc.
- All of these contributed to our slow progress. Our progress is slow, and yet, I like to say that we have not been backward.
To buttress the authenticity of these resolutions, the following are practical evidences over the years as quoted from one of the writings of the General Overseer of the church.
“Many of the methods pastors are using to get good money for their churches, I have never tried to use since I became a pastor. For example,
- We have never used levying to raise money for any programme or project.
- We have never sent any letter to anybody to solicit for any form of financial help.
- We have never printed envelope to use to collect money from anybody.
- We have never organised any programme (such as launching or fund raising) for the purpose of raising money.
- None of the books I have written (though I have written up to 50, if not more by now) has ever been launched so as to raise money.
- Neither I nor my wife has ever celebrated birthday, to collect gifts from people.
- All the children I gave birth to, since I became a G O, were named by my church workers. I did not invite any outside pastor to name any of them.
- Of all my children that have married, I did not give any invitation card to anybody or used my mouth to invite anybody, except for the announcement made in the church.
- I did not permit the husbands of my two daughters that have married, to bring anything to my house, though the two weddings were done in my church (no money, no wine etc.). Freely God gave them to me and freely I gave them in marriage. And they are very peaceful and happy.
- We have never done annual thanksgiving, to collect money from both members and none members alike, as the custom of most churches are, though I do not see this to be totally wrong.
- Etc.
“Bible Holiness and the use of Jewellery Page 195″
HOW FAR WE ARE
Today, apart from the branches in Lagos (Over 20 in number), we also have branches in Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ekiti, Kwara, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers States of Nigeria, and also in Abuja, the Federal Capital of Nigeria.
We also have a small branch in Ghana, United State of America, Italy and by the grace of God, we are still matching on.
