A Jar of Clay, Part 1: Made In Nigeria

Chapter 1: 1971

As soon as the worship session drew to a close, Pastor Dejó majestically emerged from the side of the stage to thunderous and hysterical applause. You could immediately sense the expectation and excitement among the congregation. Pastor Dejó was well-built, at least six feet tall, fair in complexion, he wore a permanent smile, and his whole person oozed confidence and assurance. He looked like an athlete, and regarding physical exercise, he followed the discipline of one too. Wearing a blue suit over a yellow shirt and a pair of shoes made out of the finest of ostrich leather, he paced around the stage. He shouted on top of his voice "God is good!" and to a man, the whole congregation replied "all the time!" "Praise the Lord!"', he hollered. "Halleluiah!" they hollered back.

Pastor Dejó surveyed the hall. It was jam-packed with more than 1,500 worshippers. The auspicious occasion was the opening ceremony of Kingdom of Dreams Ministries' new worship centre. Artificial lights illuminated the main auditorium. Dejó stood in front of the crowd, backing the gigantic LCD screen that continuously displayed a wide range of colourful animation to suit the current mood. Beams of twinkling light of various colours rotated around the room casting their spectacular rays on the stage and around the hall as a whole. The excellent acoustics in the building alone cost thousands of pounds. The whole setup left you with the impression of being at a top-notch concert hall.

That was the moment Dejó lived for the last 10 years, since the first day he set his foot in the United Kingdom. He was well prepared and had paid keen attention to every tiny detail and spotted a brand-new haircut, well-manicured nails, perfectly trimmed eyebrow and sideburns. This was not a problem for Pastor Dejó as he had always paid a great deal of attention to his appearance.

As a student in the university many years ago, Dejó would part his hair into small squares. Applying different quantities of hair gel to each alternating square resulted in the appearance of a chessboard. This made him the centre of attention as he negotiated his way around campus. He had always loved to be the star of the show. The congregation looked on adoringly. Building such a fantastic facility was not a mean feat for a group of mostly first-generation immigrants drawn largely from middle income and lower paid strata of society.

Dejó continued speaking but reverted to his natural soft-spoken and authoritative voice. He thanked the people for their commitment and faithfulness over the years and their sacrificial giving. "It is only God that could have provided this magnificent campus. This really shows that as the scriptures said, 'with men, some things are impossible, but with God, all things are possible'. We are in a new era. This is just the beginning. This is a sign to you that all those impossibilities in your life can change just in one moment, in the twinkle of an eye. Who would have expected an atheistic authority to grant the permission to build here? Nevertheless, we achieved that!"

"We need to thank God, who made this possible, so I am going to take an offering. Please be generous as you select your gifts today, our God loves a cheerful giver, and you will be sowing on fertile ground. Is it not great that we have built such an awesome facility?" He asked the congregation. "Yes, it is!" they replied. "It is good to complete what we started. Today, I want you to give a unique offering, a sacrificial seed into this fertile ground", Dejó continued. "This seed is just a commitment to sow a pound a week into this great work, in total the sum of 52 pounds, to be fulfilled before the end of the month. For all those who sowed this seed, we will trust God with you that just as we have completed this work, you also will finish all the things you laid your hands on".

John and Sarah Lar were listening with rapt attention. Like most of the members of the congregation, they were first-generation immigrants from Africa. John and Sarah grew up in the Northern Nigerian city of Kaduna. Both were raised as Christians in the Evangelical Community of West Africa, ECWA. Married for seven years, they were still trusting God for the 'fruit of the womb' (the conception of a child). Things were challenging financially for the family because John lost his job five years ago just as the UK crashed out of the exchange rate mechanism and had been doing odd jobs ever since. Although 52 pounds was just a pound a week, it was a great deal of money for a family on a low income. He cast a furtive glance at Sarah: has she raised her hands to make a pledge? With immense relief, he realised her hands were safely on her lap. The voice of Dejó cranking on the pressure with a story of a trip to Australia woke him up from his train of thought.