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‘How to become a successful motivational speaker’ – ANULI AUSBETH-AJAGU

REV. (Mrs.) ANULI Ausbeth-Ajagu is the President of Divine Heritage Gospel Ministry.  She equally runs an NGO, Youth and Gender Network, which is basically for youths and women who are interested in development and attaining their goals.

On Saturday, January 15, 2011, the visionary woman hosted a conference, High Impact Women’s Congress 2011, with the theme: The Woman and Her World.  The well-attended event took place at the Bankers’ House, on Adeola Hopewell Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

ENCOMIUM Weekly had an interview with her after the event and she talked about her ministry, NGO and the way forward for our youths.

 

How did the journey start as an evangelist?

It started by my getting born again and then, growing in faith.  It’s been a long journey where I learnt a lot about serving God, about living a life that is worthy of His praise and glory. I’ve been broken, crushed, trained and processed by God.  And along the line, the Lord empowered me for ministry work. I began revealing and sharing my passion for God to people in various ways.  I didn’t even know that I was going to be ordained one day to formally commission me into the work of the ministry. So, that has been the story so far and I thank God for how far He has brought me.

What is Divine Heritage Gospel Ministry all about?

Divine Heritage Gospel Ministry is an inter-denominational multi-media gospel outreach.

What are its mission and goal?

Our major thrust is impacting the Word.  And we do this by reaching out to various groups, including women, youths (teenagers) and the general public. Our vision is to positively impact people so that they become positive change agents.

As a successful motivational speaker, what does it take to be a good speaker?

You must believe in God and then, in yourself.  You have to discipline yourself, listen to what people say and equally observe them.  You also have to listen to other people’s CDs, read materials (books) and equally learn from their experiences.  You equally have to undergo training, whether formal or informal and then, practise always by making contributions during meetings so as to become more efficient.

Anuli Ausbeth-Ajagu author (2)What has been your driving force all these years?

The grace of God, the mercy of God and the wisdom of God.  Really, it has not been an easy journey.  Doing anything in the ministry genuinely involves sacrifice, perseverance, long suffering, patience, humility, faith and trust in God.  So, I’ve been doing that and God has been helping us.  Even when we get frustrated and want to give up, He shows up.

What are the challenges you encounter in the course of your career?

I am a multi-faceted woman; I do a number of things at the same time.  Concerning the ministry, the major challenge I’m facing in it is finance and human resource.  That is, finding people to support the work both financially and physically.  I equally have the problem of partnership.  People are only interested in what they will get from you thereby sapping you dry and abandoning you.  But I thank God for His mercy.  Another one is having people who are willing to help in ushering, registering and serving people during programmes.  But in all these, I thank God for He has started giving us people who are willing to serve Him wholeheartedly.  And I believe that with the vision they have, God will raise them to be mighty men and women that will rise up to be the leaders of tomorrow.

As a good facilitator, what advice do you have for the youths who are the future leaders of this great nation?

Youths should partner with God.  They should not give up on themselves and their God-given purposes because of the challenges they are facing today.  My advice to them is that there is something God has deposited within them that He can use to launch them out into their generations as positive change agents. It all depends on them for they have to believe in themselves, be humble to develop themselves and equally learn from those that have gone ahead of them, rather than thinking of how to acquire what they have struggled for years to achieve.  They should learn, become teachable, take up a job or become an apprentice to somebody.  They should also go to school, whether formal or informal, so as to learn certain important things.  Finally, they should find somebody that can believe in them to support them and also cut off the negative delinquent and deviant behaviours that might lead them to destruction.

What is your opinion on the issue of some men and women of God who are abusing the gospel?

I will take the issue of the abuse of the gospel from the aspect of some prosperity preachers who fail to let people know that there is a proper process of getting rich, rather than by hook or crook.  We have a lot of people who are into advanced fee fraud and some that don’t have legitimate businesses, but pay their tithes regularly.  The preachers bless them without caring to know how they get the money.  But I believe that ‘such blessings are not from God’ since the process through which they got their money is perverse.  Another aspect is the act of greediness on the part of the preachers.  Some of them are so selfish that all they care about is to keep on increasing in wealth and multiplying their bank accounts, forgetting that God blessed them so as to be a blessing to others and equally solve problems in the society.  There is equally the issue of contentment that is lacking in some of our preachers’ lives.  They forget that they ought to be grateful for what God has given them today and at the same time, continue to look unto Him for more.  The last one is the need for balance in their messages.  They should also preach about righteousness, living in holiness and glorifying God, supporting the genuine work of God in addition to their prosperity messages.  God expects them to be accountable for money coming into their ministries and be good stewards.

Your NGO, Youth and Gender Network, what’s it all about?

Youth and Gender Network is a non-governmental organisation which is basically into youth and gender education, development and empowerment.  The difference between it and the ministry is that while the former reaches out to a wider sector, the latter only has to do with the gospel. We don’t over spiritualise the Youth and Gender Network in the sense that it’s a non-governmental organisation and we’re doing social work.

Who are the beneficiaries and what is its mission?

The young people (youths), women and people that are interested in development and goal, they attend our programmes and get impacted and they also go out there to become positive change agents in the society.  We are also mentoring the youths to become responsible and future leaders par excellence.  Again, we’re reaching out to youths in some deprived communities thereby making them to know that in spite of their degradation, they can still become successful if only they are willing to follow the right process.

How do you combine your career as an evangelist, a writer, facilitator with motherhood?

It’s all about balance, wisdom from God, planning and prioritising your goal.  But most importantly is time management.  I equally delegate things to people because I can’t be everywhere.

So, where do you see Divine Heritage Gospel Ministry in five years?

Sincerely speaking, it’s up to God.  Man proposes but God disposes. We believe we have a lot to do and we are working.  But if God does not help us, who are we?  So, we are trusting Him that He will indeed make us a ministry that will be relevant, not only in Nigeria alone, but in Africa and all over the world.

Tell us a little about your background.

I am from a family of four children, though my kid brother is late.  I am married to Ausbeth Ajagu whom I love so much and we’re blessed with three children.  I am a graduate of University of Jos.  I also have a Master’s degree in Mass Communication and Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism, which is why I do a lot of writings in the media.  I’m still developing myself.  Currently, I registered for my Ph.D at the University of Jos, but I have not been very faithful because of the Jos crisis.  But above all, I’m a child of God.

  • This story was first published in ENCOMIUM Weekly on Tuesday, January 25, 2011
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