We cannot talk about the establishment of the Redeemed Campus Fellowship without Christ the Redeemers Ministry (CRM) coordinated by the General Overseer, Pastor E.A Adeboye. It is an important and influential parachurch group in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). It is through this Ministry that the first set of educated elite of the church was recruited. Christ the Redeemers Ministry, has been characterised as a core change agent of the RCCG which started activities in 1977 but was formally registered in 1985 saddled with the responsibility of introducing new operational modalities into the church. It represents the evangelistic arm of RCCG, executing the church’s revival and
proselytising programmes and is also the training arm of themission, which “was started for the purpose of gaining the world for Christ”. Such programmesthat made the CRM include church planting, establishment of study centres, missions and students’ outreaches and student fellowships within
tertiary institutions in Nigeria. It is through this Ministry that the Redeemed Campus Fellowship came about.
The university campus was the first arena that Adeboye demonstrated his zeal after his “born again” experience. Soon after Pastor Adeboye’s appointment as General Overseer and while still a lecturer at the University of Ilorin, Pastor Adeboye said, “I decided to start a fellowship with my secretary, typist, messenger andcleaner. I realised I already had a church. Soon other people joined us, my office became too small and we had to move into a lecture room. At the time, University authorities cancelled lunch-hour fellowship programmes. The proscription of the lunch-hour fellowship by the University authority did not occasion the demise of the fellowship; it was transformed into a more standard Campus Fellowship under the auspices of CRM. The Redeemed Christian Fellowship (RCF) is the arm of CRM in tertiaryinstitutions in Nigeria. Adeboye inaugurated it on the Saturday following the Holy Ghost Service in September 1988. On this occasion, the General Overseer of RCCG addressed eighteen universitystudents and encouraged them to initiate fellowships in their respective institutions.This event
was the beginning of the RCF.
The Redeemed Christian Fellowship is a Pentecostal Fellowship whose belief system is consistent with mainstream evangelical denominations. The establishment of the Fellowship was instrumental in spreading the Gospel of Christ and increasing the number and strength of members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. It was founded with the mission to reach out to the youths and help them to make heaven, to take as many people with them which involves sharing the unfailing and unending love of Jesus to students and the surrounding community, to help others grow in the process of knowing and loving God as a friend and Father, to fellowship with others in prayers and meet the needs of the community. It is the vision of the Fellowship to see hearts of both young and old reconciled back to God through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. They operate based on the values to care about every need of individuals spiritually and physically and committed to fostering a safe community where life is shared, prayer is done for one another, and the love of Christ is built.
As a result of the transitory nature of students in higher institutions who graduate and leave after about four years of studies, it is indeed difficult to establish full-fledged ministries or branches of churches in these institutions. Because these institutions also go on vacations that may last for about three months at a time in some cases, rigid parish structures are deemed unsuitable for them. Therefore, the fellowship structure, with its fluid and flexible format is recognised as fitting to the sometimes-fragile environment in which students live and study. In terms of organisation, campus fellowship groups with up to a hundred registered members are
recognised as RCF, while those with fewer members are called “Campus House Fellowships”. All tertiary institutions in the country are divided into four zones according to geographicallocatios: North, East, West and Middle Belt. The RCF has branches in over 90 campusesof higher institutions in the country.The zones are headed by a zonal leader who reports to a National coordinator. The zonal leaders manage activities in their zones and submit monthlyreports to the National coordinator. Apart from the usual Sunday worship services of RCFs on the
campuses, they also organise such programmes as career, marriage and counselling seminars, outreaches, drama and “any other programme”.
The establishment of RCF has been instrumental in redirecting and waning university students from “campus secret cults” (CSCs) activities on campus, rehabilitating and providing them a safe haven to exercise and cultivate their skills and talents in constructive ways. The Fellowship is usually headed by a Pastor also called “President” or “Coordinator” who is assisted by a Vice President, General Secretary and Treasurer.. Within the Fellowship, there are different subgroups, each having their coordinators. The subgroups include the choir, prayer, publicity, decoration, ushers, writing arm, media, protocol and welfare. They operate according to the vision and mission of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and also take part in the Holy Ghost Congress, Convention and Holy Ghost service. They don’t hold services on those days but join others at the Redemption Camp or establish a viewing centre for students in the community.
The RCF is the seedbed for the recruitment of educated clergy for the RCCG. Students are givena foretaste of what it means to lead a religious group, its responsibilities and benefits. When members of RCF graduate, they are expected to join Redeemed Christian Corpers Fellowship(RCCF) as they embark on the compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corp (NYSC)scheme. The mission zeal cultivated during student days is sustained and sometimes transformed into full-fledged RCCG missions and parishes through the RCCF. The establishment
of RCCG parishes in Northern and Eastern Nigeria was a direct effort of some members of RCCF. Specifically, the congregations of RCCG established in Zamfara, Bauchi, and Niger states were the work of RCCF members on NYSC programme in these areas.
The Redeemed Christian Fellowship is regarded as a major Fellowship that seems to be present in all tertiary institutions within and outside the country. Since it’s establishment, it has grown in strength, number and administration and keeps going strong.
SOURCE
Azonzeh Franklin-Kennedy Ukah.
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