[Memory Lane] : An Exclusive Interview With Pastor Olufemi Olutayo-Salawu

In 49 days, CAC Revival Centre will celebrate its 42nd anniversary—an occasion that has become the center of attention across the length and breadth of the world. 

As everyone from all walks of life therefore counts down to this very big and historic day, Polity Reporters wants to take a trip down memory lane to revisit an exclusive interview with President Pastor Olufemi Olutayo-Salawu, conducted by the Anniversary Magazine Committee in 2022, few days before the 40th anniversary.

Read the full interview below:

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH PASTOR

In this interview, we asked the president questions about the ministry in light of his vision for it, as well as the preparation done before heeding the call to be the number one citizen of the church, home and abroad.

Magazine Committee: You were officially announced as the President of this ministry on October 1st, 2016. Have you seen it coming?

Pastor Olufemi Olutayo-Salawu: On October 1, 2016, months after the passing of our Father in the Lord, I was named President of the Nigeria Centre for World Mission, CAC Revival Centre. And my emergence as President was simply a fulfillment of my father’s public prophecy on October 11, 2009. On that day, my father, after he had ordained me as a pastor in the presence of the entire congregation, made a prophecy that I and my wife would take over from him when the time comes. According to Baba: “When the time comes, you and your wife, will be taking the church forward.” So, he anointed me and my wife. And that was the first confirmation.
A further development that validated my confirmation as president took place circa May, 2016. I was at a Friday vigil when my pastor approached me and told me that “very soon, the whole world will hear your voice.” I actually mistook his prophecy for a job-related one, not realizing that the time had come for me to heed the Lord’s call. Even after learning of my father’s passing, I still resisted the Lord’s call because my initial thought was to simply build the mausoleum and go back to my private life. But one fateful night, my father appeared to me in a dream to confirm that he is still alive. In the dream, he gave me what seemed to be a drug capsule for me to take. After using it, he reaffirmed that he had provided me with the wherewithal, necessary for the ministry to advance. After instructing me to “go and do the work,” he disappeared into heaven. Since then, I make bold to say that a lot of things have changed about me, and those changes served as the real proof that I have been called to pick up where my father retired. And we give thanks to God who is the owner of the ministry for moving His church forward ab initio.

Magazine Committee: And how has been the preparation since 2009 that you were anointed into priesthood ?

Pastor Olufemi Olutayo-Salawu: As I previously stated, I was unprepared for the ministry. I only want to support it with the resources God has given me. Also, I didn’t see the need for me to be prepared because I didn’t even consider that my father would pass away at that precise moment because I didn’t see such a man of God dying. In fact, I said that it could never be possible when I learnt of his passing. However, his passing actually came as a huge shock to me and his innumerable admirers. The only preparation I can partially credit should be the faithful and obedient service I rendered while under the leadership of Pastor Abraham Ekebafe, to the extent that he knew nothing about my status as a prophet’s son because I and my wife were serving so devotedly. In that sense, I would describe that as being my only preparation.

Magazine Committee: You’ve told us about your spiritual confirmation. Could you also tell us about your legal confirmation from the Board of Trustees?

Pastor Olufemi Olutayo-Salawu: The Board of Trustees only named me President; God appointed me to the position because only God places men in positions. And when God puts someone in a position, it makes it very easy for that person to progress. Moreover, it has been legally documented that the main lineage of Baba Salawu would be the President of the Ministry, with the exception that such person is not born again; has not matured; and the board of trustees has determined that such person is not capable in any way. In response to this, Baba Salawu’s prophecy that I would take over the ministry when the time comes gave them the green light to name me President. Hence, Baba’s prophecy and the ministry’s Charter validated my announcement as president both spiritually and legally.

Magazine Committee: What challenges have you faced and/or are you still facing six (6) years later?

Pastor Olufemi Olutayo-Salawu: I have never faced any difficulties.

Magazine Commitee: Really? Tell us more about that sir.

Pastor Olufemi Olutayo-Salawu: See, there are no difficulties as far as God is concerned. The church is God’s, not mine or Baba Salawu’s. You will only have headaches and challenges once you see the church as yours. God, the owner, continues to smoothen every process required for His church to fly. My role therefore is simply to manage it; God is the one who directs it. And which I know for sure God can never have difficulties with. If you asked me if I face persecution as a person, I would say yes. I’m being persecuted. And the first persecution I faced was when I joined as a young man. Some people are still puzzled as to how “that young boy can now be directing us. That little boy. That Femi.” While some people even find it difficult to refer to me as a pastor, some find it difficult to refer to me as President. The second persecution is that many people regard my father as a prophet, whereas I am a pastor. And this is where many people go wrong. They only see a prophet as a seer, not realizing that a pastor can also be a prophet if he or she possesses the prophetic gifts. By God’s grace, I have prophetic gifts, but I was not called to be a prophet, but rather to be a pastor. Pastor Adeboye, for example, is both a pastor and a prophet because he now prophesies into the lives of the people with the assurance that it would come to fruition. My father was not called to be a pastor, but he pastored a large number of people. He preached the gospel. He was also a teacher. So, just because someone is called to a specific office does not preclude him from possessing gifts from other ministerial offices. That’s why my father always claimed to be both a prophet and a seer.

Magazine Committee: There are rumours that the majority of those funding the church and its numerous projects are outsiders. How do you react to this, sir?

Pastor Olufemi Olutayo-Salawu: That is false. It’s inaccurate. Permit me to state unequivocally that majority of God’s people attending this church are primarily responsible for funding the church as they give sacrificially every sunday and weekly service. Would there have been any infrastructure development if they had not given?

Magazine Committee: Okay sir. Thanks for correcting the misinformation through this in-depth clarification. Sir, we want to ask, how have you worked to raise leaders over the last six (6) years?

Pastor Olufemi Olutayo-Salawu: See, when I first arrived on August 18, 2016, I was given the task described in Isaiah 49:6 by God. And as it is what God has asked me to do, that is currently my vision and mission. He appointed me to the ministry of raising men and restoration. That is why the Holy Spirit, through me, always center the majority of my messages on Love, Unity, Encouragement, Possibility, and a Focus on God rather than any man because he asked me to restore Love and Unity. The mission is also timely as I’ve noticed that many people put too much emphasis on Baba and forget that Baba was a human being, to the point where they think that whatever Baba says is final. The truth is that I am wholly committed to the task God has given me, which is to restore and raise men.

Magazine Commitee: You want to speak to us about the relationship that exists between CAC Revival Centre and the CAC Supreme Council?

Pastor Olufemi Olutayo-Salawu: The relationship is a cordial one! We meet and have discussions as occasions permit.

Magazine Commitee: Given this, is CAC Revival Centre now under the authority of CAC worldwide?

Pastor Olufemi Olutayo-Salawu: CAC Revival Centre would be under the authority of CAC worldwide the day CAC unifies and becomes one.

Magazine Commitee: In five years, where do you see the Church?

Pastor Olufemi Olutayo-Salawu: What I can say and which God is doing is that people now know and believe God rather than man. And in contrast to the primitive days of putting complete trust in one man, our church members now rely on God, even as our teachings remain to be spirit-filled. And the rate at which we are teaching them and allowing them to focus on the word is encouraging, as people are finally grasping the full meaning of the Bible and getting to know God personally. I see the church progressing to the point where we will be able to build a faith-based church. Aside from that, God has placed many things in our hearts concerning infrastructure development, and by God’s grace, we will accomplish them step by step.

 

 

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