Bishop Adewumi Solomon Adesina is a medical practitioner and general overseer of Essence Christian Church. In this interview, the chancellor of Kingdom Diplomats University, Virginia, USA, shares the story of his life with TUNDE ADELEKE.
How did you make your transformation from medical practice to the vineyard?
I found myself in the nursing profession accidentally; it wasn’t something I planned, but I found myself there. I have been there for quite a while, only to realise that it was a means to an end for me, and now I realised it was the time to fulfil the calling of God upon my life. And I have been striving so hard to achieve that purpose. As a result of that, I began to work for myself and I started the church. In the process, I needed to prepare and equip myself to become a leader in the Lord’s vineyard. Now, that has been fulfilled by the grace of God. That is what I am wired to do going forward.
How was growing up for you?
I had a very humble beginning. I was born some decades ago. I started my early education in the early 70s and post-primary education in mid-70s in Èkiti. Just like any other person on the street there, who actually has the mind of achieving or making it in life, my growing up was full of ups and downs. I remember when I finished my secondary education; I had to pick up a job at a place other than where I grew up at Epe Plywood Industry in Lagos State. That was a very interesting period of my life, my first exposure to the world. It was rough and tough, but here I am today by the grace of God. Then, after that I began to think about doing something worthwhile for myself, I went back to school in the hope of becoming a better person in life. As I said, my growing up was full of ups and downs then, but I thank God I am still standing. Just like anybody on the street, there were good days, bad days, good times, bad times, good seasons and bad seasons, I went through all of those, and by the grace of God, I faced it squarely, because I knew I had a goal to achieve.
Can you throw more light on your educational background?
That’s a long story, because when I finished secondary education, I really longed to go back to school and I went into nursing after which I proceeded to do my post-basic nursing at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. I finished from there and felt the need to continue my education. I went to the Medical University of the Americas, The Nevis, in the West Indies. So, I finished that and still felt the need to further my education and I went to obtain my Master’s degree at Capella University, USA. While doing that, I was working to sustain my education. After that, because I had to move from where I was to heed my calling as an instrument in the hand of God, I then went ahead to obtain my doctorate degrees in Theology and Christian Counselling. That’s where I am right now, fulfilling the call of God upon my life.
What about your career trajectory?
As I mentioned earlier, after I finished my basic nursing education, I started my own hospital in Lagos and it was very successful before I travelled out of Nigeria to the USA. That is what I have been doing. Everything just scattered all over the place –school, job, and in the process, I got married in 1994 and I have two beautiful children, who are grown up now and independent.
So, how did you find love?
We (my wife and I) actually belong to the same profession. We met at Seventh-Day Adventist Hospital, Ile-Ife where we worked together as staff nurses. We met there and one thing led to the other until we got interested in each other and we got married.
What can you recall as the major challenges you have faced?
Life itself is a challenge. The challenges I would say I faced are just what any person trying to grow up and make it in life would face. I wouldn’t say the challenges I faced were extraordinary but, to God be the glory, the challenges that came my way were all surmounted. The challenges I faced were overcome by the power that is in the spirit of God. Since I have relationship with God Almighty, I really don’t regard any challenge as a big deal. Whatever challenge that comes my way, I resort to prayer, trust in God and God has never failed me. He has been so good to me. That is why I am where I am today to the glory of God.
What can you say is your most memorable moment?
Well, first of all, when I finished my basic nursing programme, having obtained some education that could qualify me to practise on my own was memorable to me. And I had a successful practice in Lagos. Travelling out of Nigeria to the USA was also very memorable. Without necessarily discussing it, the event that led to it was horrible but I overcame it with the power of prayer through the relationship I have with God.
Then, getting to the United States, another phase of the challenges of my life started; I began my career, my educational career all over again. So, people think it’s not easy to make it in the USA, and that Nigerians are some of the most educated people in the USA. I actually wanted to be part of them (the most educated people); so, I stayed on course and I believed I could be part of the most educated people in the USA and I went to school. I remember when I went to the University of Theology, I met people who had had two, three, four PhDs there and I was just coming newly to the school! It’s like ‘how do I cope with these people?’ Not quite long after I started my doctoral class, I was made the chaplain for my doctoral class. It’s like ‘how would I cope here? How would I be able to communicate with this calibre of people with higher degrees written after their names?’ But God saw me through because He loves me so much. Not quite long after I was made the chaplain of my class at the university, I was called one day that I would be the chaplain for the entire university. So, that’s what happened! I remember my school president telling me ‘why don’t you start your own university?’ To me, that’s a big thing! Of course, he knows me very well and knows my capability. I then asked ‘Are you serious?’ He said ‘yes.’ And before you know it, after finishing my first doctoral programme, he said, ‘What are you waiting for right now?’ To me, it is scary to start a university. He then said if I didn’t feel I could do it then, why didn’t I finish my PhD? And that’s what I did. And shortly before I finished, he asked again ‘Why don’t you start now?’ I said if you want me to start, why don’t you tell me how you started your own? Then, she wasn’t ready to tell me how she started it. I had to connect people and to the glory of God and through prayer, I started Kingdom Diplomats University. Right now, I have students here in Nigeria and in the USA. Those are memorable events in my life that I cannot forget and will be eternally grateful to Almighty God for.
How has it been working in the Lord’s vineyard?
That’s another thing I would not be able to describe because it’s rough and tough too. Like the doctor in the hospital deals with all manner of illnesses, the same way we deal with all manner of issues –spiritual issues– being an instrument in the hand of God. It is really tough. In other words, one has to completely surrender his life to God and allow Him to take absolute control of whatever one is doing. That’s what I believe I did and I am still doing, but I want to let you know that it’s not an easy assignment. It takes the grace of God to survive it. If you’re not prayerful, if you’ve not surrendered yourself to God, there’s the tendency for one to fail. It’s not as simple as people see it. Many people want to become pastors; they want to be this or that in the Lord’s vineyard, but we need to think twice before making the decision because we have seen great prophets, great pastors who took up the mantle, but failed. And we have seen people who took the mantle and succeeded. I want to succeed because it’s a process. The fact that you are standing today doesn’t mean you can’t fail. By the grace of God, I will continue to stand. Ministry assignment is not a child’s play. Already, if you’re not committed, you may stand for a while, but there is the tendency to fall. But through prayer, keeping with the dictates of the word of God, one is sure to stand because God is not tough with His children. One might go through a lot of challenges, but you are confident that God is in the midst of His children. Anyone who does that will succeed in the ministry.
How do you cope as a servant of God, family head and proprietor of a university?
The devil finds work for an idle hand, as the saying goes. If you’re busy, getting involved in many things, there is the tendency to succeed in life. I am a family man, a responsible one for that matter by the grace of God; a leader of a ministry, and a chancellor of a university. Of course, that’s a lot, but I give God the glory, I have been able to do all things in Christ, who sustains me. If you want to succeed in life, let God be your guide and guardian because He is faithful abundantly beyond what we can think He can do for His children. Just trust Him, and He will be there for you.
Do you listen to music at all?
The idea of listening to music is kind of relative. The devil is so funny and would want to derail people. People who go to church and are not really born again are into listening to music more than prayer or studying the word of God. I want to react to that question based on what happened to Apostle Paul and Silas when they were in Macedonia, in the region of Philippi, imprisoned. They were chained together, but instead of reacting badly to their situation, they were praying. When they had the conviction that God had delivered them, that God had answered their prayer, they began singing and praying. Praise is very developmental in our lives. Before you sing, you have to pray hard; we should make prayer more important in our lives than listening to music. Music is something the devil has been using against most people in the church; that’s why they don’t even have relationship with God. All they do is to listen to music. I am not saying they shouldn’t listen to music, but we should make prayer and the word of God more important than listening to music. After you’re convinced that you’re in spirit with God, God will give you a song, and the kind of music you’ll listen to will just come to you. You don’t have to listen to music for the sake of listening to music, be sure God is in your midst.
Amidst all these, how do you recreate?
I still find time to relax. What I do daily or every other day is that I go to the gym. I go to the gym for one or two hours every other day. I do that and that has been extremely helpful. I am mentally and physically alert to do what I have to do out there. So, it’s a very good thing to have some form of exercise that would keep you mentally and physically alert.
