Pastor Otabil advocates industrial revolution for Africa’s youth
“This is the most important moment for Africa’s economic emancipation and the entrepreneurial empowerment of its young men and women,” General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Pastor Mensa Otabil, has said.
He was delivering a message at the annual Greater Works Conference of the church titled: ‘It’s Coming Down’.
Pastor Otabil cited Joshua 10 verses 7-14, where Joshua and his army fought the Amorites to possess a piece of land as documented in the Bible.
He described how the passage used anthropomorphism – the use of human language to describe an act of God.
According to him, God routed the Amorites and moved them noisily to break and destroy their camp.
He said hailstones, though universally deployed, were intelligently manipulated to protect and give Israel an advantage.
Relating it to current times as the world battles the COVID-19 scourge, Pastor Otabil said the pandemic “is a hailstone that could give Africa an advantage, and we need to seize the opportunities it presents”.
The highly respected theologian was of the view that “the time to motivate Africa to raise captains of industry is here because a new opportunity has opened.”
Pastor Otabil prayed that African leaders would seize the opportunity to position the continent to catch up with the rest of the world and bridge the developmental gap.
“This is not a time for discouragement. This is the time for encouragement because a door of opportunity has been opened to us”.
He challenged Africans to avoid a self-defeating mindset but instead strive to increase wealth.
Pastor Otabil wondered how the African continent appears not to have been overrun by the coronavirus pandemic, as previously predicted, compared to other more endowed countries with superior health infrastructure.
Having copiously read literature that seeks to explain the phenomenon with various theories, he said that his only possible conclusion, albeit not scientific, is that God’s hand of mercy is on a people who comparatively seem to have nothing.
Pastor Otabil believes God is telling the rest of the world that this is Africa’s season and time for a shift.
The night also saw musical performances by Harmonious Chorale, Lumina, the Greater Works Hymns Choir and the ICGC Praise Team.