Senior Lady Leader (Barrister) Tosin Otunaya, who is a member of the media committee of Isokan @40, tells EMMANUEL ABODUNRIN, how the campus fellowship of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church Unification influenced her life and prepared her for a life of service to God
Talking about Isokan at 40, do you still have some nostalgic feelings about your time in school, especially in your campus fellowship?
I would say the feeling was like ‘home from home’. It was interesting because since when I was in SS2, I had started going to ‘Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye). I had an elder sister who was an undergraduate there. Also, I’m a native of Ijebu-Igbo, which was just 15 minutes drive to Itamerin where the campus fellowship was and still is to date. That was why I said it was relatively home from home for me.
What would you say you missed about the campus fellowship?
I miss the oneness like no other. We had untainted love, undiluted worship, qualified discipline, healthy spiritual rivalry, flexibility, training, sub-conventions and conventions of campuses etc.
Would you say God of Isokan has been faithful since you left school?
Yes, He has. All I have been opportune to do in my life and my ‘Mother churches’ have been through the grace of God of Isokan. Those experiences moulded me and they have sustained me since I left school. I’m hoping and praying my children would experience all I experienced over and over through God of Isokan.
As one of those witnessed the 20th-anniversary celebrations, what significant part of the programme could you remember?
It was tagged ‘Grace 2000’ and it was held in our fellowship; Olabisi Onabanjo University chapter, which was the second oldest chapter. I met so many lovely people; I was part of the welfare department and the choir. The significant part was the star song I led through God’s grace as the lead vocalist. Through the song ministration I led, the late Baba Ara (Roland Olubukola Olomola), of blessed memory, named me ‘Mama Ara’. Its unfortunate death took him away. I can’t forget how he embraced me and took pictures with me and other choristers after the ministration. It was beautiful.
How did the contact you had with Baba Ara influence your music ministry or have you stopped being in the choir?
I’m still a chorister and I’m the choir secretary in my church to God’s glory. My contact with Baba Ara didn’t really influence me because it was just a few moments, but his music and lyrics were best to none. They were divinely composed through the Holy Spirit and the book of Psalm. Largely, I waited on God and the Bible too for my musical compositions, like Baba Ara.
Could you describe how you felt the presence of God descending on the arena where the 20th convention was held when you took the lead song?
The 20th convention was tagged GRACE 2000, and the title of the song led was ‘Behold the Lamb of God’. The presence of God, His grace and splendour were all over Ago Iwoye, Oru and Ijebu-Igbo. It was the first of its kind. The Holy Spirit ministered through me before thousands of undergraduates, graduates and guest artists. Glory be to God for all He has done.
What impact would you say the C&S Unification Campus Fellowship had on the C&S church in general?
Great impact! C&S church, in general, is moving away from the church of perceived illiterates, ritualists and mediocre people to a Bible-believing church, and this was made possible through the training and exposure to logos and rhema words of God. Our youths from different campus fellowships also inculcated this and it has helped the church as a whole.
A number of unificationists dump the church after graduation for other non-white garment wearing Pentecostal churches, what can be done to address this?
Yes, some did because some of our ‘Mother churches’ refused the implementation of modifications, flexibility and amendments the young members experienced as undergraduates. Hence, they leave for churches that will absorb, celebrate and empower them. However, this can be addressed if our fathers and mothers give room for our youths to come on board to serve before God and be a part of decision-makers.
What’s your opinion about the church today as compared to when you were still in school?
The church is growing and expanding. There is more awareness that C&S Unification campus fellowships exist on our campuses, so parents should encourage their children to attend.
Tell us about your days as an undergraduate and how you manage to ensure that your activities in the fellowship didn’t affect your academic performance?
I studied Law and graduated in the 2003/2004 academic session. For any serious student, the activities of the fellowship should not mar but make academic performances better. Our primary aim on earth is to serve God. The major service was usually on Sundays while the last Friday of the month was for vigils. So, lectures and personal studies were even encouraged and sometimes organised by the fellowship.
What advice do you have for undergraduates in our fellowship vis-a-vis combining fellowship activities with their studies?
What is worth doing at all is worth doing well. The combination must be well designed for the best result. Time for lectures and reading should not clash with time to fellowship with God, time to rest, sleep, have casual conversations, pray and even cook. If you commune with God daily and study daily too, heaven, and not the sky, is your limit.
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