How it all started...
Guiding Light Assembly (GLA) was founded as a small fellowship of believers, who desired to worship God, but because of work constraints did not have easy access to a “Living Church".
For many years, GLA remained the only Living Church on the island of Ikoyi, and held fellowship in a living room. What started with a group of 5 believers was soon transformed, into a congregation of over 50 regular members, by which time we had outgrown a living room and clearly needed alternative accommodation.
Through the aid of Justice Adefarasin (RTD), the then chairman of the Trustees of St. Saviour’s School, Ikoyi, we were able to secure the use of the school hall for our Sunday services. We could only use the hall from 11.00 am on Sunday’s and for some time this led to some dislocation in our membership, however soon we started to witness greater growth and within a few years we had outgrown the facilities of the school making another move inevitable.
For many years, GLA remained the only Living Church on the island of Ikoyi, and held fellowship in a living room. What started with a group of 5 believers was soon transformed, into a congregation of over 50 regular members, by which time we had outgrown a living room and clearly needed alternative accommodation.
Through the aid of Justice Adefarasin (RTD), the then chairman of the Trustees of St. Saviour’s School, Ikoyi, we were able to secure the use of the school hall for our Sunday services. We could only use the hall from 11.00 am on Sunday’s and for some time this led to some dislocation in our membership, however soon we started to witness greater growth and within a few years we had outgrown the facilities of the school making another move inevitable.
The St. Saviour's Years
During the years at St. Saviour’s School, the Church continued with a midweek meeting, which moved to our home for a few years. The years of meeting without a proper base and office from which to streamline our activities began to tell and compelled us to pray for our own office accommodation, and a place to hold our weekday meetings. By 1991 we could afford to pay for one half of a duplex in ikoyi, and this building doubled as office and a weekday meeting place for us, we were there for four years till 1995.
The years at St. Saviour’s hold many fond memories, quite a number of the hard core GLA members joined us during these years, and most remain committed to this day. It was also during these St. Saviour’s days that GLA took on a corporate identity when we registered in 1993 with the Companies & Allied Matters Commission as a church. Men like Pastor Sam Okoro joined us in 1992, and even became ordained into his pastoral office at GLA, Pastor Israel Abam, Pastor Ademola Ademuson, Pastor George Omonubi and Pastor Wale Ola, all joined us during these St. Saviour’s years. Today some of the children that were part of Pastor Israel’s children’s church, have now graduated, some have married and all of them seem to have benefited from the years in which a solid Christian foundation was laid in their lives. We conducted a number of weddings at St. Saviour’s we were limited to Sundays but I am pleased to say that these marriages have blossomed and continue to bear fruit.
Those who date back to the St. Saviours years have different memories, some relish the greater intimacy we enjoyed in fellowship with each other as everybody knew everyone else in the church, some may remember the mornings when 7days a week we were at ‘The LightHouse” our church office at 5.00am to pray for at least 2 hours; I believe that God birthed much of what the ministry has accomplished today in those times of prayer.
The years at St. Saviour’s hold many fond memories, quite a number of the hard core GLA members joined us during these years, and most remain committed to this day. It was also during these St. Saviour’s days that GLA took on a corporate identity when we registered in 1993 with the Companies & Allied Matters Commission as a church. Men like Pastor Sam Okoro joined us in 1992, and even became ordained into his pastoral office at GLA, Pastor Israel Abam, Pastor Ademola Ademuson, Pastor George Omonubi and Pastor Wale Ola, all joined us during these St. Saviour’s years. Today some of the children that were part of Pastor Israel’s children’s church, have now graduated, some have married and all of them seem to have benefited from the years in which a solid Christian foundation was laid in their lives. We conducted a number of weddings at St. Saviour’s we were limited to Sundays but I am pleased to say that these marriages have blossomed and continue to bear fruit.
Those who date back to the St. Saviours years have different memories, some relish the greater intimacy we enjoyed in fellowship with each other as everybody knew everyone else in the church, some may remember the mornings when 7days a week we were at ‘The LightHouse” our church office at 5.00am to pray for at least 2 hours; I believe that God birthed much of what the ministry has accomplished today in those times of prayer.
The Miracle Tent
In 1994 when it became apparent that we had to leave St. Saviour’s school, we started to look for alternative accommodation, we desired a plot of land of our own, but were fastidious about our calling to Ikoyi, where the cost of land was simply beyond our reach. Land was offered in other parts of Lagos, but we refused to budge, it was Ikoyi or nothing. God’s providence shone through when late in 1994 we were offered a plot of land for a song, it was size-able (Just what we needed) and its price though much higher than we could afford was cheaper compared to other alternatives that were available on the market. The problem was that our land was part of the Ikoyi Lagoon, and it would take dredging and sand filling to reclaim it from the lagoon, but our faith was strong. Somehow that St. Saviour’s group was able to get the funds together and we paid for the land, then we were served with notice to quit St. Saviour’s school, and though we were the proud owners of a plot of land it was still submerged under water.
What would we do with our plot? It would be years before our building was complete. What would we do in the meantime? Divine inspiration can come suddenly and with such simplicity. What about the marquee? The idea of a tent grew and after a few enquiries we ordered one from South Africa at a cost of US$20,000.00 a feat for us in those days. By March 1995 our tent was up, not yet on our plot but on sand filed land close to it, and the days of ‘the big miracle tent’ began. Moving to the tent was like moving into the wilderness, it was sand, just sand everywhere, some people dropped out at this point, it was too big a price to pay, they couldn’t even drive their cars to church because it was just sand everywhere. The faithful soldiered on though, and today we are witnesses to development all around us.
The tent had its problems, it was hot, too hot, and like most tents it didn’t like being buffeted by the wind but after a couple of false starts we finally got the tent to stand and to the glory of God the tent stood for five years till we were ready to move our meetings into our own premises. Life under the big miracle tent was exciting, we had to provide our own toilets and waste disposal, we fabricated some and built them into a container, and we needed a steady source of power, because by now we were holding all our meetings under the tent, and it would be sometime before the public supply of power would reach us. How would we secure all these, generators, a fuel dump etc. all in our wilderness. We sorted our chairs and other accoutrement on site and hired guards to watch over them. Gradually our responsibilities were growing as we employed more and more staff and as the ministry increased our overheads grew and yet we still had to start building our very own church.
What would we do with our plot? It would be years before our building was complete. What would we do in the meantime? Divine inspiration can come suddenly and with such simplicity. What about the marquee? The idea of a tent grew and after a few enquiries we ordered one from South Africa at a cost of US$20,000.00 a feat for us in those days. By March 1995 our tent was up, not yet on our plot but on sand filed land close to it, and the days of ‘the big miracle tent’ began. Moving to the tent was like moving into the wilderness, it was sand, just sand everywhere, some people dropped out at this point, it was too big a price to pay, they couldn’t even drive their cars to church because it was just sand everywhere. The faithful soldiered on though, and today we are witnesses to development all around us.
The tent had its problems, it was hot, too hot, and like most tents it didn’t like being buffeted by the wind but after a couple of false starts we finally got the tent to stand and to the glory of God the tent stood for five years till we were ready to move our meetings into our own premises. Life under the big miracle tent was exciting, we had to provide our own toilets and waste disposal, we fabricated some and built them into a container, and we needed a steady source of power, because by now we were holding all our meetings under the tent, and it would be sometime before the public supply of power would reach us. How would we secure all these, generators, a fuel dump etc. all in our wilderness. We sorted our chairs and other accoutrement on site and hired guards to watch over them. Gradually our responsibilities were growing as we employed more and more staff and as the ministry increased our overheads grew and yet we still had to start building our very own church.
By now our lease at the duplex had expired and we moved our offices first to Pastor Wale’s house and then to Awolowo road where we leased a building for N1 million per annum. This building was our office home for 4 years from 1997 till we moved into our own building in June 2001. The big miracle tent ushered us into another realm of ministry and we had conventions to which we invited such great men of God as Pastor E.A. Adeboye of RCCG, Bishop John Francis of Ruach Ministries in London, Bishop Francis Wale Oke of Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Pastor Joe Olaiya amongst many others to minister. Eventually as people overcame their fears and hang ups about worshipping under a tent we began to grow especially as Parkview Estate witnessed tremendous development and a surge of new residents.
The GLA Church Building
The project was commissioned when the foundation stone was laid in March 1997 by Pastor E.A Adeboye , however it was not until 1999 that work actually commenced on the project. The building was far bigger than any of us imagined and today it is a testimony to the glory of God that we have been able to accomplish what you can see here today. I remember the day that we signed a N62 million contract with the building contractor we had only managed after four or so years of saving to set aside N3 million of the project cost, yet in the months ahead our faith would be tested as we would have to find the rest of the contract sum to keep the project going.
Tears were freely shared when in March 2002 we moved into our newly roofed auditorium when Pastor Eastwood Anaba returned to us after seven years for our 2002 convention.
At that meeting and for the next couple of years we met in an auditorium without windows, without seats and we were open to the vagaries of the weather, however to the glory of God there was never an occasion when the weather disrupted our meetings, which it so easily could have. Having church and offices in the same building has helped us attain steady growth, and with Parkview Estate expanding, we are witnesses to more people coming newly to our church.
Tears were freely shared when in March 2002 we moved into our newly roofed auditorium when Pastor Eastwood Anaba returned to us after seven years for our 2002 convention.
At that meeting and for the next couple of years we met in an auditorium without windows, without seats and we were open to the vagaries of the weather, however to the glory of God there was never an occasion when the weather disrupted our meetings, which it so easily could have. Having church and offices in the same building has helped us attain steady growth, and with Parkview Estate expanding, we are witnesses to more people coming newly to our church.
Expanding the vision...
It had always been clear to us that GLA had an extraordinary mission.
Jesus was himself a Guiding Light; a guiding light must of necessity be distinct and separate from other light, and it must be above and beyond approach. The essence of Guiding Light Assembly is our calling to exemplify the conduct which we so espouse. As leaders in the Church we must lead by example, as leaders in commerce and industry we must lead by example, we must each be an example of godliness in our different spheres of influence.
At Guiding Light Assembly we believe that the word of God must be at the very foundation of our lives and that it is by faith in the revealed word of God that we must base our lives. We also believe that God is taking the gospel into the marketplace through what some will call the lay ministry. Our conduct will win more people to Christ than our sermons.
Jesus was himself a Guiding Light; a guiding light must of necessity be distinct and separate from other light, and it must be above and beyond approach. The essence of Guiding Light Assembly is our calling to exemplify the conduct which we so espouse. As leaders in the Church we must lead by example, as leaders in commerce and industry we must lead by example, we must each be an example of godliness in our different spheres of influence.
At Guiding Light Assembly we believe that the word of God must be at the very foundation of our lives and that it is by faith in the revealed word of God that we must base our lives. We also believe that God is taking the gospel into the marketplace through what some will call the lay ministry. Our conduct will win more people to Christ than our sermons.
The House of Prayer
The Lord had emphasized our calling as a church to prayer, and at times when we gave priority to prayer we enjoyed great individual and corporate growth. However today I can testify that if we are not watchful and neglect prayer our spiritual life will decline.
We are in the midst of a prayer revival at GLA and I’m confident that we will enjoy blessings of God as fruit of our prayer lives. Prayer is fundamental to the growth of any ministry, but I believe that God has a special place for prayer in this Church, and that as we yield ourselves to prayer we will experience so many fulfillments in every facet of our individual and corporate lives.
We are in the midst of a prayer revival at GLA and I’m confident that we will enjoy blessings of God as fruit of our prayer lives. Prayer is fundamental to the growth of any ministry, but I believe that God has a special place for prayer in this Church, and that as we yield ourselves to prayer we will experience so many fulfillments in every facet of our individual and corporate lives.
The Years Ahead
“We have been blessed with key officers in government, I am confident that one day the President of our nation will be a member of Guiding Light Assembly. Governors will be raised from this assembly and we shall see more and more of our members being called higher and given greater responsibilities in leadership”
— Pastor Wale Adefarasin.
— Pastor Wale Adefarasin.