Deeply embedded in charity is the concept of selflessness
Indeed, it was a memorable encounter that provided a viscera thrill for the Editorial Crew of your soar-away, MFM News Digest who were the guests of Dr. Folashade Elizabeth Olukoya, the graceful wife of the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Worldwide, Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya and the National Coordinator of the Women Foundation of the Ministry. With a countenance that is always tranquil with winsome smiles, she welcomed the editors of this magazine to her sparsely furnished office, with fevered and whooping delights.
As she flicked a smile at them, her face was flushed with unbridled excitement and pleasing temperance. Surely, she exemplifies a visionary leader whose humility is simply humbling. Dr. Folashade who leads an idyllic existence is not only blessed with beauty and vivacity but a devout servant of God whose words match her deeds and her behaviours also mirror her values.
She spoke feelingly with a blend of fermented passion as she took these journalists on a voyage of memory of far-off days how the MFM Women Foundation was established and its huge impact on womenfolk across the globe. She also finessed the meeting with pearls of wisdom as she spoke about the foundation passionately with no –hold barred. This nothing less, reveals her knack for service to God and humanity.
Without any gnawing doubt, she is a voracious seeker of the truth and with a sublime devotion, she had determined to serve her God diligently, even at a relatively younger age. Surely, her modesty, exemplary conduct and unflagging principles are a rarity in the contemporary modern Christendom of today.
As a wife of the General Overseer of a ministry like the MFM, with global trapping, she lives by precept and straitlaces. She never exerts unnecessary influence but stands firmly on the personification of kindness. Even as a mother and coupled with the leadership responsibilities of this ministry where other things are competing for her attention, her deep desire to put smiles on the faces of women especially the vulnerable and less privileged globally takes precedence in the scale of preference of her wishes. This is highly commendable.
The empowerment programmes she exhibits at home and abroad contribute immensely to humanitarian relief and also enhance the betterment of life for womenfolk so that they can fully actualise their potential. This is in a way, also very germane to nation-building, having represented an achievement that can move society forward in significant and progressive ways. Despite this, she remains unsparing in her efforts and in this line of thought.
Still, she does these with tireless devotion and competence. Without any claim to a paragon, Dr. Folashade Olukoya who combines elegance, trenchant wits and knowledge of God, is perhaps a paradigm to this generation. No wonder, she makes her life essentially noble and never given to piddling issues. This reminds us that we can also make our lives sublime and leave behind a noble imprint.
Her life opens our minds to understand the sacred truth that often, we reduce the meaning of charity to the act of giving alms or donating a sum of money to those who are economically disadvantaged. She believes that charity in its purest form involves so much more. She explained that it includes giving of our hearts, minds and talents in ways that enrich the lives of people regardless of their social status. To put it succinctly, charity is selflessness.
True enough, every human being is created with a purpose, the purpose of Dr. Folashade Olukoya has become her passion and it influences her thinking and pursuits. More than before, as a result of the social and economic morass that engulfed the nation, many women are stuck in a time warp and as a result, they are dispirited and many are still groping in the desultory of thought.
To ginger women to the awareness that they are created wonderfully with glory and that God has deposited the potential in them from their mothers’ womb explains why the Foundation is churning out empowerment programmes that cut across all the regions. Hence her impassioned ambition to see women fulfilling their destinies is thumping in her heart.
Pastor (Dr.) Folashade Olukoya took out time to field questions from the editors of MFM News Digest, bothering on the MFM Women Foundation.
News Digest: First, we congratulate you on your steady service delivery in the house of God and the MFM Women Foundation, for the past 17 years. What would you say influenced the setting up of this Foundation?
Pastor Shade Olukoya: Based on the fact that women are different, in stature, cultural beliefs, and upbringing, there is diversity in women. We had a gathering of women, who, at a point encountered new birth in Christ and if they have not, we are to lead them on that road. Based on the fact that women’s needs are not different throughout the ages, countries and nations, the MFM Women Foundation set out to be an inspiration given to us by God, to be a voice for women and to create a platform for women to actualize their God-given potentials, regardless of who they are. The Foundation is meant to mould women and it dwells richly in the fact that God uses and will continue to use women to make changes. Why? Because women are designed as helpers, as helpmates. Adam symbolizes structures, many things that could come together, to form a nation, etc. God created Eve as a helpmate; so, for every woman, your first name is a ‘Helpmate’, middle name ‘Woman’ and that is your calling, well defined and that is why we are working hard to help our women. A helpmate works hand in hand; she is not a slave; that is the position, focus and strength of the MFM Women Foundation and over the years, we have been able to achieve this. The world might be changing but the blueprint and Word of God are not changing, like the word of God says.
News Digest: The programme of the MFM Women Foundation is to improve the physical and spiritual well-being of women in the Ministry. How would you describe how far we’ve come, what have we achieved thus far?
Pastor Shade: With the Foundation, God has been good to us in many ways. He has been our source of help and Provider; He has helped us through His words and the inspiration He has given us. I believe we have moved forward from somewhere. God has helped us in establishing various groups as well within the Women Foundation. Just recently, we added more groups and worked around what we had on ground to bring in things.
Here, we deal with real issues and because of that, we have been able to get to the bottom of many issues that would have been problems through the various groups. By the Holy Spirit, we have been able to establish various groups. We have groups for charity in Women Function and also to assist in regards to desired needs and goals.
Also, women can be fulfilled as women of purpose. For example, we have Destiny Builders’ Group which has a mandate to empower women, based on socio-economic issues. There is also a group of diverse women to help women actualise their economic potential; we have women in business, diverse kinds of places, doing well and impacting other women in the group in nation-building. To build a woman, to equip a woman, to help a woman, is to build a healthy nation. So, we help the women to help.
Like I tell men, help to equip your helper, to get maximum help from her. There are other groups, like the health group, that specialise in women’s general health and well-being. Importantly, women need to be well informed and equipped; that is why we are trying to help men and women understand that women are helpers, simple and clear. Women are a whole and easy workshop and not for evil, it is just the way her body is wired. All the different groups take care of these. We have women, who are good in the medical fields and from their different areas of specialty, they help women as well. We have midwives, gynaecologists, health workers.
We also have the women empowerment group, which helps women to get loans; helping women to be economically judicious, so that wherever they find themselves, they are helpers to the communities and the world at large. We have the Evangelism Group, where members preach and are fed with the Word of God and are an extension of God’s word to other women with godly wisdom. We also have an operational 24/7 online presence, who are always on ground to help women with issues, like domestic abuse, at any time. We have many more groups; the leading women, the intercessors and lots more.
News Digest: You talked about empowerment; how do you get across to regions outside the MFM International Headquarters?
Pastor Shade: That is the essence of our annual global conference; no minister is left out, they are all there to get all this information from a central voice and take all the pieces of information back. They will always refer to the headquarters because it all started from here. They are free to come back to the headquarters if they are faced with challenges and they will get help. There are things that regions are not financially buoyant to do, so they come here (international headquarters) for help and they get help and they are to implement the things they are told here.
News Digest: In your explanations, you said there is a kneeling group and there are quite many women in the Church, who need prayers; so how functional is the group?
Pastor Shade: It functions in different ways. Some women do this on their own; they benefit from this group officially but there are normal counselling groups. Some of these groups are just starting to function because they were introduced not long ago and as we continue to make announcements; many women will be aware and be a part of it.
News Digest: Concerning skills acquisition and vocational training, how far has the Foundation gone?
Pastor Shade: When it comes to the issue of money, we should note that MFM is a non-profit Christian organisation and we are committed to serving God and supporting people in nation building and we look up to God solely for provision. The regions are aware that when they are in need, they should reach out to the headquarters for assistance.
News Digest: 17 years down the line, what would be your assessment of the Women Foundation, as the president?
Pastor Shade: We have different people who handle different things in the Foundation; so, for us, we have an extension of actualising the vision God has given. For me, I believe things are a lot better than they were; we have a clear definition of what women can do. I am happy and fulfilled that women have started and in the last 17 years, we have done a lot. We are not stopping, or relenting our efforts, because we know the devil is always afraid when a woman is educated; so, we are nurturing the seed of God in women to nurture the seed of the Church and nation. I am happy that we have started this and things are getting better. I see beyond our generation, how God’s hand is extending over women in many ways.
News Digest: You have impacted so much, do you have anything in place to help the vulnerable women in this Ministry?
Pastor Shade: When we talk about vulnerable women, it depends on the type of vulnerability you mean. We have a group taking care of people who are into fornication as a trade; there is one handled by Sister Ayanfeoluwa, who takes care of prostitutes, she takes them off the streets, rehabilitates them and provides them with a trade. For single ladies, who happen to be a victim of accidental pregnancies, they have a department in the counselling unit, that handles that. We do not want anyone to be lost in the crowd and that is why we announce different teams, who are available to help vulnerable women at any time. If the need to experience the change comes, they have to talk to someone. There is also a group that gives relief to people after service. All these are now under stricter supervision, to be able to attend to the genuine cases.
News Digest: You have organised your life around some unique virtues and purposes, are you really fulfilled with what the Foundation has done to humanity over the years?
Pastor Shade: Yes, I would say I’m happy but not 100 per cent satisfied, as there are still a lot more to be done. Things have improved and they can surely be better. There is a food bank in the UK (United Kingdom) and I am very happy with it, as they provide relief for families and communities. Another MFM branch in the UK got permission from the council to provide food for the people in December. Some were going to old people’s homes, like I also did and the people were grateful and there was impact on their lives. Here, they go to orphanages, get their lists of needs and provide such. Through this, I am fulfilled with the change we are making in society and not keeping our resources but spreading them around.
News Digest: In the next five to ten years, how and where do you see the MFM Women Foundation, ma?
Pastor Shade: I can see the Ministry that is flourishing and growing positively. They will continue in the line of what they have been taught and have learned over the years. Women Foundation is a community of different age groups, so we can see the younger generations learning from us and practising what we have done over the years. We always encourage our women to speak the ministry of the Holy Spirit baptism to operate according to the will of God and maximise their God-given potential.
News Digest: What are your expectations for the women in MFM in general?
Pastor Shade: We are expectant that many more ideas will come for us because we rely on God for all our resources and ideas to continue to be the pacesetters that we are. So, we never go dry in God, our source.
News Digest: Many of our sisters are not involved in the activities of the MFM Women Foundation. What are your plans to bring in more women?
Pastor Shade: Some are showing great interest and some are not there yet. Whatever we see here is still about women’s attitude towards things and we shall continue to see this character in women who want to grow spiritually and those who do not. Different bodies suffer and enjoy different levels of grace. Women are different. A lot of things go on. We shall keep encouraging women to get more involved.