CAC Nigeria and Overseas at the Crossroads of Truth: Ezekiel’s Prophetic Rebuke and the Call to Shepherd the Flock in Righteousness
By Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola
On Wednesday, 19 August 2026, as I studied the Scriptures in prayerful meditation, the Holy Spirit led me unmistakably to the prophetic message of Ezekiel 34:1–11. The passage struck me with unusual force, not merely as an ancient rebuke to Israel’s negligent leaders but as a living word for the Christ Apostolic Church Nigeria and Overseas in this critical hour. The Lord’s indictment of Israel’s shepherds mirrors the condition of our Church in seasons where truth has been suppressed, covenantal order distorted, and the flock left vulnerable to confusion, misrepresentation, and administrative rebellion. The prophetic burden of Ezekiel is not historical commentary; it is a present summons to repentance, restoration, and righteous leadership.
Ezekiel’s Rebuke and the Condition of CAC Today
The Lord said to Ezekiel: “Israel’s leaders are like shepherds taking care of my sheep, the people of Israel. But I want you to condemn these leaders and tell them, “I, the Lord God, say you shepherds of Israel are doomed!” You take care of yourselves while ignoring my sheep.” (Ezekiel 34:2–3, CEV). This divine indictment exposes leadership that prioritises personal comfort, institutional dominance, and political manoeuvring over the welfare of the flock. The prophet continues: “You have never protected the weak ones or healed the sick ones or bandaged those that get hurt. You let them wander off and never look for those that get lost. You are cruel and mean to my sheep.” (Ezekiel 34:4). These words pierce the conscience of any leader who has allowed CAC to drift into confusion, division, and misrepresentation.
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The scattering of the sheep described in Ezekiel—“They strayed in every direction… without anyone even bothering to look for them” (Ezekiel 34:5–6)—reflects the fragmentation that followed the rebellion of 1990, the distortion of CAC’s constitutional identity, and the subsequent decades of administrative confusion. When shepherds abandon truth, the sheep scatter. When leaders pursue personal agendas, the flock becomes vulnerable. When authority is misused, the Church becomes prey to wild animals—false doctrines, deceptive narratives, and manipulative structures.
Correcting the Historical Record: 1918 Is Not Our Birth Year
The Holy Spirit’s illumination of Ezekiel’s message compels us to confront the historical misrepresentation that has plagued CAC Nigeria and Overseas. The recent attempts to anchor CAC’s centenary in 1918 are historically misleading and spiritually dangerous. The year 1918 is indeed significant, but it marks the rise of the Precious Stone Society in Ijebu-Ode—a precursor movement, not the covenantal birth of CAC Nigeria and Overseas. To equate 1918 with CAC’s centenary is to confuse heritage with covenant, precursor with foundation, and history with constitution.
The Christ Apostolic Church, One Fold One Shepherd, with Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola as the first General Evangelist, emerged through the fire of revival, the authority of the 1943 Articles of Association, the legal identity of the 1985 Certificate of Incorporation (No. 147), and the apostolic mantle that shaped its prophetic identity. These are the covenantal pillars upon which CAC stands. Therefore, the true centenary of CAC Nigeria and Overseas is 2030, and this is precisely what the Supreme Council stands for and with. Any deviation from this truth is a distortion of history and a betrayal of covenant identity.
False Centenary: A Monument of Misrepresentation
It was on 24 November 2018 that the General Executive Council publicly staged what they called the “Centenary Celebration” of the Christ Apostolic Church. Yet this event was not a celebration of covenant truth but a monument of misrepresentation—an opium of deception designed to pacify the public and consolidate undue domination. The celebration was premature, historically inaccurate, and spiritually misleading.
Scripture warns against such distortions: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.” (Isaiah 5:20). To celebrate prematurely is to call darkness light. It is to substitute deception for truth. It is to mislead the faithful into false remembrance. CAC must not build monuments upon misrepresentation. Revival cannot be sustained by false milestones. The Church must return to the old paths of truth, holiness, and covenant fidelity, not invent new paths of deception.
Truth Versus Threats: The Battle for CAC’s Soul
The shepherds condemned in Ezekiel’s prophecy fed themselves without feeding the flock. They used the sheep’s wool, drank their milk, and butchered the best ones for food. This imagery reflects leadership that exploits rather than serves. In CAC’s recent history, those who resist truth have not produced evidence—because there is none. Their claims collapse under scrutiny. Their narratives evaporate before documentation. Their arguments crumble before Scripture and covenant history. Instead of repentance, they have chosen intimidation. Instead of evidence, they have chosen noise. Instead of truth, they have chosen threats.
But Scripture is clear: “If we say we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth.” (1 John 1:6). And again: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isaiah 8:20). When men cannot produce evidence against truth, the Bible concludes that there is no light in them. This is not my verdict. This is not CAC’s verdict. This is the verdict of the Word of God.
The Folly of Fading Numbers
Those who fight truth continue to rely on their numbers and influence—but these are already fast fading. Scripture warns, “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help… but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 31:1). Numbers without righteousness are vanity. Influence without truth is emptiness. Power without covenant is futility. The fading influence of rebellion is proof that God is dismantling false altars, exposing divided hearts, and calling His Church back to covenant obedience.
Anlugbua: A Constitutional, Moral, and Ecclesiastical Imperative
The prophetic rebuke of Ezekiel also illuminates the crisis surrounding the occupation of the Anlugbua property in Ibadan. The land was graciously gifted by Baba Oba I. B. Akinyele to CAC Nigeria and Overseas under the Supreme Council, the only body recognised by the 1943 and 1985 constitutional instruments. The continued occupation of Anlugbua by the General Executive Council is therefore unconstitutional, morally indefensible, and ecclesiastically untenable.
There is a subsisting court judgement mandating all factions to maintain the status quo and prohibiting any group from building on or appropriating properties acquired before the 1990 rebellion. Anlugbua falls squarely within this category. To occupy it is to violate the law, distort history, and undermine ecclesiastical order. Ezekiel’s rebuke—“You refused to watch them… you fed yourselves without feeding my sheep” (Ezekiel 34:8)—applies prophetically to any leadership that appropriates what belongs to the whole Church for factional dominance. The Lord Himself declares: “I will rescue my sheep from you and never let you be their shepherd again.” (Ezekiel 34:10). The occupation of Anlugbua must end, not out of sentiment, but out of obedience to truth, law, and covenant.
Reformed Renewal Theology: Returning to the Covenant of Light
Reformed renewal theology insists that revival is not a human invention but a divine intervention. It teaches that God restores His people when they return to covenant obedience, embrace holiness, and walk in truth. The Old Testament declares, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34). The New Testament affirms, “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2). Renewal is therefore both moral and spiritual, both doctrinal and experiential. It requires repentance, truth, and obedience. CAC must embrace this theological foundation, recognising that revival cannot be engineered by committees, celebrations, or monuments. It is birthed by the Spirit of God and sustained by covenant fidelity. The Church must return to the light of Christ, for He alone is the source of true renewal. As Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12). CAC must walk in this light if it is to fulfill its prophetic destiny.
The Lord’s Promise: “I Will Look for My Sheep Myself”
Ezekiel’s prophecy does not end with condemnation; it ends with hope. The Lord declares: “I will look for my sheep and take care of them myself.” (Ezekiel 34:11). When shepherds fail, God intervenes. When leaders mislead, God restores. When the flock is scattered, God gathers. This divine promise is the hope of CAC Nigeria and Overseas. The Lord Himself will shepherd His Church. He will rescue His flock from deceptive leaders. He will restore truth, revive holiness, and re‑establish covenant order.
Conclusion: The Covenant Shall Stand
The Christ Apostolic Church was born in revival. It must be restored in truth. And it will be sustained by the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The premature celebration of 2018 cannot alter covenant history. The misleading use of 1918 cannot redefine CAC’s identity. The unlawful occupation of Anlugbua cannot stand against constitutional truth. The true centenary of CAC Nigeria and Overseas is 2030, and the Supreme Council stands firmly with this truth. Those who resist truth must either produce evidence or repent. If they cannot produce evidence, repentance is their only path to light. If they refuse repentance, Scripture itself declares that there is no light in them.
May the Lord grant CAC Nigeria and Overseas courage to stand for truth, humility to embrace repentance, and grace to walk in the light so that the Church may rise again in purity, power, and prophetic integrity under the eternal Lordship of Jesus Christ.
JESUS IS LORD.
PROFESSOR Ojo Emmanuel Ademola is the General Evangelist, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Nigeria and Overseas