Like his predecessors in the leadership of the Apostolic Faith Mission in Africa, Brother Paul Oge Akazue was a gift of God to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and mankind. His road to faith was a fulfilment of God's promise in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.'' His unsatisfied hunger for the Truth kept him searching until he found The Apostolic Faith that happy day that fixed his choice and quenched his thirst.
Brother Akazue had no interest in half measures. Whatever he decided to do, especially in the service of his Lord, he did with unalloyed commitment. He was a quintessential disciple who, like every other faithful follower of Christ, had his own share of trials and afflictions but he maintained his loyalty to the Master through them all. By constantly ensuring the presence of Jesus in the vessel of his Christian life, he smiled triumphantly through every storm. He humbly and devotedly rose through the ranks of the church's organizational hierarchy and by the time he became the third Africa Overseer of the Church on October 3, 1999, he had learnt and practised the secret of being a good and successful leader: being a good and faithful follower. He was also already a tested and proven soldier of the Cross.
Brother Akazue's faith and courage did not admit of any impossibility. He was a firm believer in His Master's words in Mark 9:23, ''All things are possible to him that believeth.'' He would never shy away from challenges or even danger for the cause of the Gospel. As the country Overseer in Ghana, he built a befitting national headquarters church in that country in the face of a very formidable opposition by a high-ranking military officer who laid claim to the church land.
As Africa Overseer, he blazed some trails. Besides his strong commitment to the church's mission of evangelism, through the leading of God, he diversified into another frontier of social service with the establishment of secondary schools and a university. He termed this development a new dimension in evangelism in the sense that it would reposition the church to impact young lives more effectively for the Lord.
Moreover, this diversification was also informed by the desire to help the church contribute her quota to the alleviation of the ills plaguing Nigeria's educational system. God granted him the favour of seeing the first-fruits of his efforts in this regard as these institutions including Crawford University were already graduating God-fearing products with qualitative education before his transition to glory.
Another trail blazed by Brother Akazue was the bold and uncompromising movement of the church's annual International Camp Meeting to the vast area of land acquired in Igbesa by the first Africa Overseer, Brother Timothy Gbadebo Oshokoya, as a future camp meeting site when Anthony Village Campground was getting too small for a convenient use. Brother Akazue was a man in a hurry (in his own words) as if he knew that he did not have a long time to live. Movement to Igbesa was a rather unpopular idea at that time but Brother Akazue was led of God to hold his ground resolutely. He moved the annual camp meeting there, domiciled Crawford University there and christiened the new site Faith City. Being the ardent optimist that he was, Brother Akazue always saw the opportunity in every difficulty rather than a pessimist who would see the difficulty in every opportunity.
His giant leap of faith has been greatly rewarded by God with the phenomenal progress of camp meetings, the success of Crawford University and the rapid growth of the adjoining town, Jesus Reserved Area (JRA), all in Faith City. We all, including those who did not see the wisdom of movement at that time, are thanking God today that the church moved to Faith City when she did.
Brother Akazue led a disciplined, victorious and exemplary Christian life. His hatred of sin was about his most salient characteristic. In his own word, he would hit sin with a sledge hammer anywhere he found it. He was Heaven-bound and his life reflected the joy of Heaven on earth. Consequently, he was in high spirit during the health challenges of his closing days. His attitude indicated that, like Apostle Paul, he found going to be with Jesus far better than earthly life.
This was clearly demonstrated in his last camp meeting sermon on Sunday 29th August, 2009. In his apparent parting farewell to the brethren he intoned, ''When I say I love you, I mean I love you. I want to see you in Heaven; I want to see you at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb; I mean I want to fellowship with you during the Millennial Reign. If we do not see here on earth again, let us see at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and, there, our meeting will never end! Let us see during the Millennial Reign and let us dwell together in the New Heaven and New Earth! God bless you.'' Similarly, his dying words on May 7, 2010, were ''Thank You Jesus! Thank You Jesus!” What a vivid confirmation of the reality of the eternal reward awaiting overcomers!
'Bayo Adeniran
District Superintendent,
West and Central Africa (WECA)