Elder Femi did not attend church service on a particular Sunday. Pastor called his phone to know why he didn’t come but he didn’t take the phone call. Pastor decided to visit him at home.

He was happily watching his favourite programme on television. As soon as there was a knock on the door and he discovered that it was Pastor, he suddenly switched to a sullen mood.

“Bro Femi, I didn’t see you and your wife in church today so I decided to come and know if all is well.”

He let out a long sigh and answered, “There is no problem. It is just that I don’t have money for offering today. And I don’t want embarrassment.”

“Ha! Even if you don’t have money, it shouldn’t make you not to attend church. God understand that you don’t have,” Pastor explained.

Elder Femi smiled without mirth. “I know that God understands but Pastor, do you understand?”

“I don’t get your point sir,” Pastor said, looking at him for explanation.

“The way you always emphasize on giving, it seems that when people don’t give, it makes you angry,” elder Femi explained.

“No sir, you are misunderstanding the whole issue. Remember that the bible said that if you give, it shall be given unto. If I encourage you to give to God, it is for your good. If I know that truth and refuse to tell you, God will be angry with me. Do you understand?”

“I have heard you. But why do you make people to pass through in a row to give their offering, while people that don’t have stay behind. The best would have been for the ushers to pass offering bags around and people will give. With that, you will not know who gave and who did not give.”

“I am not the person that started this method you are complaining of. It was being practiced here even before I was posted here and you are aware of that. Beside even if someone does not have money, that person can give clap and dance offering.

So nothing stops the person from joining the queue and dance around to the glory of God,” Pastor explained.

“Another issue is the uncountable numbers of offerings we give each Sunday. Can’t you do something about it?” elder Femi continued unwaveringly.

“Elder to be frank with you, I am surprised at the things you are saying. You are a leader in the church. Nothing is hidden from you. I never initiated any of these offerings and you know it. All the same, if you have any complain, please raise it in church elders meeting.”

Elder Femi rolled his eyes “Did you call me a leader. I don’t think so. I am a servant. Better still, an errand boy. Monkey dey work baboon dey chop. That is exactly what is going on in the church.”

Pastor was stunned. “You seem to have a lot in your mind. All the same, if there is any way I have offended you please forgive me,” pastor pleaded.

“Pastor, you did not offend me oooo,” elder Femi said, raising his two hands.

Pastor was silent for a while thinking of what to do, to ease off the atmosphere and change the on- going controversial topic.

“Elder you did not even entertain me with drink. Please get me water to drink.”

“We don’t have water,” elder Femi answered absentmindedly.

“You mean you don’t have drinking water,” Pastor asked in a surprise tone.

“Yes, that is the situation we have found ourselves. The bible says: ‘when the righteous is in power, the people rejoice. I don’t know why your righteousness does not affect your members positively,” he said sarcastically.

Pastor was dumbfounded and at a loss.

“Elder you are sounding rough. You are not being fair to me. My heart cry each day is that my members should prosper on earth and still make heaven at last. However, God has his principles The bible says “if you are willing and obedient , you will eat the good of the land’ (Isaiah 1:19) . Another is that you believe God and your prophet to be established and also prosper’ (2 Chronicles 20:20).

Since the bible has confirmed that God wants us to prosper, all we need is holiness, faith and patient. It will surely come to pass.”

Pastor brought out some money from his pocket and offered elder but he rejected it.

“Please don’t bother yourself. My younger brother has paid in money to my bank account. I will withdraw it with my ATM card.”

“It does not matter, the blessings of God comes in multiples. Don’t reject my little gift please,” Pastor pleaded.

“Pastor don’t worry. I appreciate your concern.”

“It is okay. I have to be on my way,” Pastor told him.

On his way going home, Pastor was so worried. He kept on ruminating over the discussion that he had with elder. He knew that elder was seriously angry with him. But the challenge was that he does not really know what he did that is attracting such level of anger and resentment.

Immediately he stepped his foot inside his house, he sank into a nearby chair and requested for a chilled cup of water. As his wife was serving him the water, she noticed that all was not well. She had to sit beside him and requested to know what the issue was. Pastor was reluctant to talk.

“Please talk to me. It is obvious that all is not well. How is elder and his family?”

“They are fine,” Pastor answered and kept quiet again.

“If elder and his family are fine, then what is the issue? Something is wrong,” Mama Ephraim insisted.

Pastor was silent for few seconds, afterwards he sighed and started responding to the question.

“My dear, I am worried about the flock that God handed over to us to tend. All is not well. And you know that when there is a crack in the wall, there is already danger. Elder Femi is not happy with me. I can’t figure out what my offence is. Minutes ago while I was in his house, he literarily told me that I am the cause of the problems in church.”

“How?”

“He said that when the righteous is in power the people rejoice but on the contrary my members are suffering. Indirectly, it means that I am not living a righteous life.”

“You mean elder told you this? Beside how many of the members are suffering. To the glory of God, many of the members have been blessed through our ministry. The testimony is everywhere. Why would he say such thing?” Mama Ephraim queried

“Hmm! He really said a lot. He said that I get angry if people did not bring money to church. Could you believe that his reason for not coming to church today was because he does not have offering?”

“How could he? Is he baby Christian?” Mama Femi wondered aloud.

“My dear the truth is that even some of the elders in the church are still babies in the Lord. One of the major challenge in the church today is the leaders. Some of them are not born again. Number of years that someone have stayed in the church does not make that person a child of God. One can be in church for thirty years, even memorize the whole scripture without having an encounter with Christ. So the answer to your question is yes. Elder Femi is a baby Christian. From the moment I stepped my foot into this church, I noticed that some of those elders are not born again. God has revealed a lot of things about them to me. There is nothing I could do than to be praying that God should touch them. I can’t remove them, because it was the members that voted for them.”

“That is the challenge. A lot of things are going wrong in the church these days. The members are not allowing the Holy Spirit to control them while voting in election,” Mama Femi lamented.

Pastor smiled. “The truth is that majority of the members are not different from some of the elders. They have to produce leaders like them. It is only a member that is filled with the Holy Spirit that will desire to have a spirit filled leader. It is only God that will help us. We will keep on asking for Gods wisdom to handle them.” Pastor Ephraim told her.

“Don’t you think that power issue is part of what is making elder Femi angry. I want to suggest that you allow him to connect to the electricity in the church for peace to reign.” Mama Femi suggested.

“My dear I will not allow that. It is even better to take the responsibility of paying the electricity bills in his shop. Remember that he is not the only member. If you give him that privilege, what happens to other members?

If we dare this, that is when you will see real confusion in church. As far as I am concerned, all my members are important to me. None is more special than the other. As God gives me grace, I will treat them in that manner,” Pastor said firmly.

“You are right. It is just that elder Femi is influential. I don’t want him to spoil the mind of other members against us. Please my husband, let’s try and appease him.”

“Sure we have to treat him with utmost care and respect. You know the husband that you married. I will try my best to win him back with love. If it means going down on my knees to beg, I will do it. But what I will not do is to please any body and displease God. I want you to strictly take note of this. If we are in the right track with God, no one can dent our ministry,” Pastor told her.

Pastor held his wife’s hand and they started praying.