Prophetess Omomowo Motunrayo Sadiat talks about her conversion from Islam, her experience in the C&S church and her life as a servant of God
You were born into a Muslim family and you were even a student of a Quranic school, what motivated you to join the C&S Unification Church at The Polytechnic, Ibadan?
I was born into a Muslim family in Ibadan, Oyo State, and I attended Arabic school. When I got to The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Eruwa Campus, in 1996, my roommate then was a member of C & S Church. In collaboration with some people, they started what they called Unification Campus Fellowship there. Due to loneliness at that time, I had no choice but to follow them whenever they were going to church, and that was how the journey started for me. It became a great experience.
Did you face any antagonism from your family for converting to Christianity?
I faced a lot of problems with my family when they got to know about it. The extended family rose up against me. In fact, my dad threatened to stop financing my education if I didn’t stop going to church. As if that was not enough, I was sent out of the house by my uncles before friends came to my rescue, coupled with partial support from my dad. You would ask why my dad allowed it if he was still showing me some support? My dad was the youngest in the family and he always obeyed his senior ones. That happened when I was having my Higher National Diploma. When I went back home after my National Youth Service Corps programme, some family members and uncles would tell me they would not attend my wedding if I should bring a Christian home as a husband.
How would you describe your experience in Christ since you converted to Christianity?
Knowing Christ is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Joy, peace and greater achievements have been my testimony. If not for Christ I would have been consumed. I’m also happy that through the Church, my dad was saved from untimely death, and not only him, many of my siblings as well. We have recorded a lot of success through Christ and the new life we found in Him.
What did you study in school and how did the Unification impact your growth in Christ?
I studied Mass Communication, broadcast major, to be precise. And to your second question, if not for the Unification Church, I wouldn’t have known so many things I know about Christianity today, especially the foundation of the church, which is Christ the way, the truth and the life. In addition, Unification Church made me know the efficacy of prayer and that prayer works without rituals. I remember that as students then, without any prophet, we prayed to move mountains. The Unification Church so much impacted me that no one could tell me there is any power anywhere except Jesus and it works for me. I have seen a lot in this journey as a prophetess and pastor, but having Christ as my foundation, through Unification, keeps me going.
What fun memories do you have about the Unification Church while you were in school?
A lot of fun memories; convention time was fun; brothers and sisters’ week was always exciting; drama and many other programmes were interesting. We had a lot of spiritual exercises as students and we were happy doing them. We all became a family and it was fun.
You met your husband in the church; could you tell us how it started?
When I was in HND 1, my husband was the president and he was in HND II then. I remember I was going through my call session from God and I had some difficulties due to my ignorance. It was during a period like that and I needed to be taken to the church from my hostel. I met the president asking God to show him his wife. On getting to church, God told me that was my husband and I started crying, because I didn’t want his type. He asked me why I was crying and I told him what God told me.
What attracted him to you?
He already asked God that whoever would be his wife should say it out with her mouth. When he asked why I was crying, I told him God said you are my husband but I don’t pray for your type as my husband and that was the reason why I was crying.
Why didn’t you pray to have a man like him?
Nothing attracted him to me. I didn’t want him. Even though God chose him, I was adamant for a long time before I later accepted what God has given me.
What are the Christian virtues you have built your family on that the young people in the Unification fold can learn from?
Christ, prayer, trust, love, contentment and understanding.
You are now a prophetess. How did you know you would be in the prophetic ministry and when were you anointed?
I never knew I would be any of the two. I was in HND 1 when I started having a strange feeling. I was hearing voices, seeing things, and above all, even though I didn’t know the Bible then, a voice used to tell me Jeremiah Chapter 1. The voice kept telling me that before you were formed in your mother’s womb, I have known you. But I did not understand. I was going about telling people about Jesus and repentance. In the end, the voice would still refer me back to that Jeremiah 1. He said I have made you a prophet for nations and that I should not fear. That was how it started. I find myself doing the things of God anywhere I found myself and I have continued on that path. I was ordained as a prophetess in the year 2018.
What do you think about prophets and prophetess who are not strong in biblical knowledge?
All I need to say is they should retrace their steps and dig deep into the word of God rather than searching for powers and digging deep into the seven books of Moses. Before my ordination as a prophetess, which I never knew would come. On a Saturday morning, I woke up and told my husband I wanted to start Theology School. That was how I started pastoral school and my ordination as a prophetess came before I finished it. The three years I spent in the school also was a success. We were ordained at Iragbiji Mountain in 2019 as pastors. If you are a prophet/prophetess and you don’t have the word of God in you, you will end up becoming a ritualist. Jesus is the word and if you don’t know the word you don’t know.
You studied mass communication but you haven’t really practised, what have you been doing outside ministry work?
The only time I practiced was during my Industrial training exercise. Immediately after I graduated, I got a job at Wema Bank where I worked for 11 years. And I worked in different departments. It was due to my calling that I had to quit forcefully because God told me I should leave. That’s a long story. God told me to leave but due to pressure from my husband and advice from some persons, I stayed back. But God forced me out eventually. I asked God what He wanted me to be doing immediately after I left, and what I did was to devote that first year to God. I remember I spent most of my time in church every day. God then opened my eyes to Aso Oke business and other things related to fashion and designs. To the glory of God, the business has been successful in less than two years. What I could not achieve in my 11 years in the bank, I have achieved from this business, through the grace of God. It was if one had known, one would have done it earlier.
How did you get into the Aso Oke business?
God actually showed me this vision, and that was how it started. And it has been very profitable.
Are there challenges you are facing in the business?
The major challenges include the fact that most of the weavers are not literate and that affects the business a lot. They don’t care even if a customer is disappointed or not. Another challenge is getting raw materials and this is a serious issue. In fact, we have been on that since last year. To get colours of thread is now a major problem. Apart from those, we are good.
How do you combine being a mother, wife, prophetess and businesswoman?
It has been the grace of God. Thank God I am blessed with my own husband. He is very supportive. Aso Oke business is seasonal and it comes anytime you least expected. For example, during Christmas in 2019, I was working. In fact, I worked from December 25 to late January and thank God my children and my husband understand the nature of the business. They are very supportive when the business is at its peak and that is for a certain period. For the ministry, I set aside two days in the week to attend to spiritual matters. Moreover, I have workers and staff members in the office. However, I’m deeply involved when it comes to taking orders, tidying up the orders, preparing the orders and final delivery. Outside that, I have more time for myself and I do work from home. Overall, my business does not affect spiritual activities and my role as a mother. It’s a personal business that does not require leaving the house early like when I was in the bank. I take care of the children, take them to school and attend to domestic matters. Also, I attend to customers online and most importantly, the time I set aside for my father is not affected in any way.
What is your advice for young Isokan females on choosing their partners?
I strongly advise that our females should be more patient and see beyond their present situation. Some of them do not know what the future holds for them, so they focus on the present. I’m sure that if not for God’s calling and his purpose for my life I would have missed it too because I was looking at the brother’s situation at that time. I saw him as being too spiritual then and I felt he wasn’t social. But I thank God that the journey of 15 years has been so good. Though we have ups and downs, in all, God is faithful. A lot of our unmarried sisters that are of age already pushed who God destined for them away because of impatience. My advice is that they should trust God and see beyond now. God of Isokan does not fail except we don’t follow his instructions. Wait on God, be of good courage and listen to him. Disobedience is disastrous. I pray God will remember those who trust Him for spouses. The Lord will be merciful unto them and give them their right partner in Jesus name. To those that are not yet married, I pray God to provide them with their right partner in Jesus name.
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