From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
Christ Royal Family International Churches has announced date for the 18th Edition of her annual programme titled Reigning in Life Conference.
The theme of the conference which will hold on Sunday, 7th of August, 2022, at the Lagos Airport Hotel, is ‘It’s War’.
Bishop (Dr) Tom Samson, General Overseer of the church while speaking to Journalists at one of his churches at Egbeda recently said his ministry is 30 years old and the iconic programme ‘It is War’ started 18 years ago in 2004.
“We started little, 30 years ago in this facility with barely nine people. 30 years we have gone global, impacting communities, internationally and worldwide. ‘It is War’ is an iconic programme, when I started 18 years ago the whole Lagos was, what is this? War coming to Lagos, Nigeria, and it was held at Lagos Airport Hotel.
“People asked, what is this? This is the first time of seeing this, first time we are seeing a man of God put on Camouflage and declaring war. The question is, why war? “Why is he fighting war? I remember the first edition of it, there were so many military people at Lagos Airport Hotel, the whole Lagos, posters, billboard in 2004, all the TV in Nigeria, everybody carried the advert,” he reminisced.
On how the vision for ‘It’s War’ originated, he said “God said to me, son, my children are in bondage, go out there; take the programme outside there. It is war, declare war against demonic powers frustrating destinies; declare war against forces of darkness making me a liar in people’s lives. When I received that word, I was wondering, I needed to make it look like a war. If I said it is war and I put on tie, what has tie got to do with war? I now got that concept, now that it is a deliverance programme overcoming demonic powers in people’s life I came out with army camouflage and I made it to be dramatic. When we started, it is war in the lips of every family. I dressed in military camouflage, it is war, I jumped down from the aircraft, I came out from the fire, everybody started asking what is happening, this man is bringing war down to Lagos and the crowd was enormous. Everybody wants to know, and I didn’t disappoint them, I came out of the smoke and preached the word, we went to Port-Harcourt, Abuja. The programme took me to Paris, I have travelled around the world because of ‘It’s War’”, he said.
Giving a brief background of how the church began and its landmark and meteoric rise, Bishop Samson said “We started from Egbeda here, and with over 15 branches in Lagos. We have 100 acre city in Ota with College of Education, and proposed Monarch University that will soon be approved. I am founder of so many Nursery/Primary and Secondary schools in Lagos and Ogun States. We have hospitals, printing press and a foundation with construction equipment where we rehabilitate so many roads, we give transformers to communities, sink boreholes for communities.
Speaking on how the church is able to fund all their numerous projects he said “Moving to Lagos in this little place, under a little canopy, God was using me to set people free, many people that joined me here those years back have excelled in their various professions. We have raised men. We have directors in companies through this programme.”
Disclosing how the ministry commenced Bishop Samson disclosed “I started at Ekpoma, Abraka as Campus Fellowship. The vision God gave me is setting the captive free, notably Ekpoma was known for cultism, and when I gave my life to God in1985, I was watching Idahosa on TV, I met people like Chris Oyakhilome on campus, operating healing, I followed them, I saw the move of God in Ekpoma, all those Ishan environ, then you see there was so much anointing upon me, we were moving from village to village Irekpe, Okpoji, Okpila, and God was using us for deliverance. Give me marine persons, they would vomit it. God told me I will use you for deliverance. God used me mightily in the villages and on campus. Many people in Back Arks, Buccaneer, Aye would come dropping their guns, giving their lives to Christ. That was the journey down in the university,” he disclosed.
