Encomium
The founder of Christ Apostolic Church, Agbala Itura, Prophet Samuel Kayode Abiara is arguably the richest clergy of the Apostolic Church Worldwide. He also commands the greatest followership in that domination. Today, the popular
ministry, Agbala Itura is worth over N7 billion and ranked among the top 10 ministries in Nigeria.
The ministry’s headquarters, both in Lagos and Ibadan are worth over N2.5 billion. The Lagos headquarters can conveniently sit over 20,000 worshippers with enough space within the church premises. And a 25,000 capacity church auditorium stands at New Ife Road, called Olode in Oyo.
He nets in an average of N10 million per month on tithe and an average of N100 million annually, via donations.
Prophet Abiara, as he is widely known, was called into the ministry of evangelism in 1963. Prior to his call, he was a clerk with the late Chief Agoro, who later became a great help to him in his ministerial adventure. He claimed he was called by God while working as a government officer as Okufo Farm Settlement, a village on the outskirts of Ibadan. He said that God called him to be a prophet. Thus, in 1963, he obliged the call and this gave birth to the Akufo church.
After some intensive preaching and revivals, his living room could no longer accommodate the large congregation, who saw the zeal and passion for leadership in him. He acquired a land and erected a church in Oke-Igbala, Oyo.
This church soon became so big that the founder had to relocate to the centre of the city. The significance of this relocation was that there was growth around the period.
CAC leaders such as Pastor Akindele and Budale used to visit Prophet Abiara at his Akufo base and encouraged him to join the CAC. This he did when he relocated to the centre of the city to form the CAC, Oke Imole, Agbeni in Ibadan, Oyo. This church was dedicated by CAC’s ministers. A land was further given to him as a gift in 1977 in appreciation of God’s divine intervention in the life of the donor, who had earlier expressed his gratitude by giving the preacher a huge sum of money which he rejected.
Abiara later shifted to the old Ife Road site and this became the site of the popular Christ Apostolic Church, Agbala Itura.
Thus, from a small and humble beginning, his personal ministry, Christ Apostolic Church, Agbala Itura became a force to be reckoned with in Nigeria’s ecclesiastical circle. From his living room, the international headquarters in Oyo can now boast of a 25,000 capacity church auditorium. It is worth about N1.5 billion.
At his international headquarters in Oyo, he nets an average of N10 million per month. The reason is that an average of 25,000 worshippers throng the place every Sunday and each pays an average of N100. They collect offerings about four times per service for different projects. That means they net an average of N2.5 million per service and four to five services in a month is N10 million. This is aside tithe and donations.
At Christ Apostolic Church, Agbala Itura, Lagos, they have an average of 20,000 worshippers. The Lagos headquarters is worth over N1 billon with administrative blocks. The ministry makes an average of N10 million per month and an average of N120 million on tithes per annum.
Meanwhile, the ministry abroad nets a huge sum of money because they believe so much in the clergy. He is constantly abroad for mission work. It is said that his ministry abroad which has so many branches nets an average of N00 million per month from donations, covenant partnership, tithes and offerings.
One thing that has helped Prophet Abiara is the extraordinary donations and gifts from worshippers. Insiders disclosed that his N500 million cathedral in Sango Ota was a donation from a worshipper.
Furthermore, he is the Chancellor of Christ International Divinity College (CINIDICO) at Brinmo, Osun State, Nigeria and it is an affiliate of Acadia University, Canada. This college has churned out a number of ministers under CAC and it’s worth N100 million.
As General Evangelist of CAC Worldwide and chairman of CAC (Agbala Itura), DCC Worldwide, Prophet Abiara has authored many books and audio CD tapes and DVD which have brought millions of naira to his ministry annually.
He is fond of expensive clothes, mostly African brocade, wristwatches and shoes. He has houses scattered around the nation but lives in a multi-million naira mansion in Ibadan, Oyo State. He has so many exotic cars and jeeps in his garage. He is married to Evangelist (Mrs.) Christiana Aduke Abiara, who is a partner, propelling the wheel of the gospel and the union is blessed with children and grandchildren.
-FEMI OYEWALE
