In April 1995, the then Harvest Fire telecast debuted on the Nigerian Television Authority, Ibadan. Many thanks to Brother Wright who was introduced to me by my brother Sam. He schooled me in how to effectively communicate with an audience of one. I had planned to record messages alone in a studio and speak into people’s homes imagining millions watching me all at once. Unbeknownst to me, they would mostly listen as individuals.

My plan to wear the garb of an evangelist and preach up a storm would only constitute an assault on their quiet souls seeking peaceful entertainment as they flipped through their channels at weekends. I wish I could get this message across to every shouting preacher on YouTube and on television today who sits alone on set and yet is yelling at us at the top of their voice.

It was exciting to work with a professional at the Claver studious behind Awolowo house in Ikeja at the time. The producer was an African American man who had visited Nigeria during the Festival of Arts and Culture in 1977 and chose to stay in the country. The quality of production at the time introduced a level of excellence unprecedented in my humble city of Ibadan, Nigeria.

My mind was full of ideas but I remember choosing to stand akimbo by a pulpit on the set, not making reference to my bible as I preached on the Revelation of Jesus Christ as my opening series, quoting copiously from the Bible as I was trained my Pastor, the ‘mobile bible’, George Adegboye. In a day, I recorded eight 25-minute episodes. What an energetic young man I was, I would say, looking back today! I was only 26 and was passionate to take the world for Jesus.

The end of the telecast was the most exciting for the audience as I clasped my hands together saying, “Till I see you next time, ‘Keep the fire burning’”. This mantra would become a nickname of mine in the city; some would see me and call me ‘the fire man’ to my amusement. I quickly became a recognizable face with no hiding place in Ibadan. The joy of it was meeting a few people who had given their lives to Christ.

I would never forget Sola, who on listening to a broadcast of a service as we later did on BCOS station, converted from Islam to Christianity and ended up getting all her siblings converted and also bringing them all to our local assembly. Almost 30 years later, they continue to love the Lord. A woman brought her 5 kids to church and shared with me how the previous Sunday they had all been sick at home till the Lord healed them through the telecast. I could go on and on but I’m smiling at the idealist I was at the time.

The mantra, ‘Keep the fire burning’ was supposed to be for everyone to maintain a fire(passion) for evangelism perpetually. This ideal that I wanted for my television audience, I also desired for members of Global Harvest Church. I brought the mantra to church and hoped I could get everyone winning souls daily and maintaining that fire all the time. It’s certainly easier said than done. My sense of calling to remind the body of Christ of her responsibility to win the lost to Christ inspired the naming of the telecast and our annual convention ‘Harvest Fire’. It remains my heart’s desire that the church will stop being full of religion and realize the Great Commission is our supreme task as God’s people.

Jesus remains the only way to the Father (John 14:6) and the gospel remains the only means to salvation (Romans 1:16). The Church remains the only body of Christ on earth and is responsible for the propagation of the gospel (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). We remain on earth for this mandate which must be fulfilled before the Lord Jesus returns to the earth (Matthew 24:14, Mark 13:10). Any focus of a local church apart from this is secondary. Wherever the propagation of the gospel of Christ is forsaken, such a church has lost her way and God will require it of their pastor to give an account at the judgement seat of Christ.

A heart baptized by the fire of the Holy Spirit is baptized with several holy passions from Him, including a passionate desire to rescue humanity from the perils of the lake of fire into the joy and bliss of God’s eternal kingdom. A heart that has grown cold towards the lost has grown cold towards God Himself.

The task of soul-winning can be carried out in different ways. From the simple invitation of Andrew to Nathaniel to “Come and see”(John 1:39-41), to Matthew’s dinner party for his friends with Jesus present (Matthew 9:10-12), to Peter’s confrontational sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-39), to Paul’s intellectual reasoning and debate with the Athenians in Acts 17; every personality in all walks of life can find one way or the other to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

May the Lord ignite our hearts afresh with His fire and may we also love the world that God so loved that He gave His only Son.

Victor Adeyemi