International Ministers’ Family Conference Holds September 15th in Lagos

Mary Nnah

A faith-based non-governmental organisation, Family Booster Ministry (FBM), is set to hold an International Ministers’ Family Conference which aims to examine the challenges ministers and church leaders face while carrying out their ministerial jobs.

The event which has the theme, “Excellent Family, Excellent Church”,  is billed from Thursday, September 15th to Saturday, 17th at the RCCG Maratha Church, Gbagada, Lagos.

The co-founder of Family Booster Ministry, Pastor Bisi Adewale, said the conference is borne out of the desire to look deep into the lives of pastors and church leaders.

Adewale said further that findings at FBM revealed that many pastors, church leaders and ministers are passing through many challenges that they find it difficult to discuss with anybody, adding that some of them have issues with their marriages, and emotional battles, while others it is deep health issues and some needs new knowledge to drive their ministry.

“We also discover that the majority of pastors’ wives are not happy with the state of things at their homes. While lots of pastors’ children are turning against their parents and many youths are turning their backs on the church.”

He said therefore that for these reasons,  it was necessary to help stir up conversations about pastors’ health, marriage, finance and family life, to help strengthen these men and women who are attending to the need of others building our society.

He said Family Booster Ministry will be gathering experts to dissect issues that affect pastors and their families.

Adewale revealed further that the three-day conference, with a focus on ministry, family health, faith, parenting, marriage, finance and others, is for all categories of pastors, reverends, apostles, primates, bishops, prophets, evangelists, church leaders, church workers and their wives.

He said, “Pastors are special people, they are the ones that most Christians call first whenever they need help, they are consulted for almost everything, at times they have to act as marriage counselors, financial counselors, psychologists, trauma healing experts, guarantors, lawyers, accountants, health experts, fathers, pillars and so on. Despite all these they are still grossly undervalued, underrated, not appreciated, not recognised, abused, maligned, hated and not well paid.”

Adewale said further that the pains of pastors are much, with many being the subject of bitter gossip in churches, yet they must not be angry but continue to smile as they suffer, wondering where pastors go when they need help.

“Who talks to them when they are down? Who will help them if they have a marital challenge? Most Pastors are lonely, sick and poor but work 24/7, some without vacation or time to rest. Over 70 per cent of ministers report not having a close friend or someone to talk to when they need to”, he added.