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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
A Kaduna based Pastor of the Apostolic church, Paul Olorunfemi has given an insight into why conflict has infiltrated Christendom in recent times like the conflicts in political segment of the society.
However, Pastor Olorunfemi said there are ways out of the conflicts that could cement unity and relationships among the folds of Christianity.
Launching a book he authored at the weekend, the Automobile Engineer turned Pastor said Christendom is passing through difficult times because of leadership and personality conflicts which has left church of nowadays fragmented.
The idea to write the book, “Conflict in Church, The Way Out”, according to Pastor Olorunfemi was nurtured about seven years ago, having been called to the pulpit about twelve years ago.
Guests on the occasions were apparently happy as the Author also marked his 70th birthday along the launching of the book.
The man of God said, “I wrote the book based on what is happening in recent times in Christendom that you find conflict in church as you find it outside the church. And if you follow the Biblical injunctions there shouldn’t be conflict in the church. But conflict is inevitable. One of the causes of conflict in the church is personality clash.
“The Christendom is indeed passing through difficult times, almost making it the worst ever in terms of leadership and personality conflicts that have left the church of nowadays fragmented as a result of of the style of leadership and personality differences.
“The division in the church today is not essentially on doctrinal issues as we had it in the early church, but lack of willingness to be subordinate or mentored to the right level of maturity.
“People are not ready to serve, but to be served. We now find among the young generation, those possessed with vaulting ambition, power drunk and incurable high taste for material things for this present age”.
On the way out of conflict, Pastor Olorunfemi illustrated thus, “In the congregation, we have the Sanguine and the Choleric who are known to be extroverts and task oriented individual.
“In the same congregation, we have the melancholy and the Phlegmatic who are known to be introverts and people oriented individual. These four groups of personalities still carry different ways of behaviour with their areas of strength and weaknesses.
“So, ministers of God must recognise this diversity and manage it well in order to minimise conflict in the church”.
Quoting from 2Timothy 2: 24-26 to back up his advice on way out of conflict n Christendom, the clergyman said, “And the Lord’s Servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will”.
