INTERVIEW Peace Okonkwo @ 70: Impacting Lives Words By - Yemisi Suleiman Bishop Peace Okonkwo, the Resident Pastor at the International Headquarters of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), is one woman of God who is living a life of impact. Her exceptional love for women and children, and the need to impact humanity, gave birth to the International Women Prayer Conference (IWPC), an interdenominational monthly meeting for women, not only across the different states within Nigeria, but in countries across the globe, where her ministration has continued to touch lives. Amongst her numerous projects is The P.E.A.C.E (Providing Early Attention to Cervical Cancer Everywhere) Campaign, under the aegis of the Women of Global Impact (W.G.I) which raises awareness as well as, provide medical screening for women against Cervical Cancer; a silent killer amongst women, thus improving maternal health and reducing mortality rate. Not relenting in her efforts to impact society, Bishop Okonkwo founded the Rehoboth Homes & Skills Acquisition Center in Lagos and Ogbunike town, a rural part of South-East Nigeria. Both initiatives provide shelter for indigent ladies and empowers them with the necessary skills to become selfsustaining members of the society. The Matriarch of TREM, turned 70 years on Friday, June 10, and part of activities lined up to mark the birthday celebration was the TREM Community Impact Day, where she reached out to the less privileged in the community with medical interventions, distribution of food and educational materials for free. Married to Dr. Mike Okonkwo, the Presiding Bishop of TREM, Bishop Peace in this interview, talks about life at 70, her days of humble beginnings, the act of benevolence, domestic violence amongst other things. Congratulations on your 70th birthday. What is the secret of your looks and strength? Everyone says so. I would tell you, apart from the few things I do, I think, it is the grace of God. When God gives you grace to know things you are suppose to do and to do them, you will glow. God has given me that grace. I also eat right (I suppose), and I do walking exercise. Sometimes, I walk round my compound. What lessons have you learnt about life so far? So many lessons, where would I start? Life is ups and downs, good and bad, but you just have to trust God. We have passed through a lot. You just believe God for the best. No matter how bad it is, it would get better. What was your experience like growing up? My father died when we were very young. It was my grandmother that raised my siblings and I. It was not so wonderful but we waded through it. We were living with our grandmother, she was the one that sent us to school, and God helped us. Look at where we are today. What were your childhood fantasies? When we were growing up, we just looked up to God. My grandmother, every Sunday evening after service, she would ensure we read the bible. I couldn’t say I wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer, No. we just followed God as he led us. Would you say then that, you were prepared by your grandmother for what you are today? Yes, so to speak. She taught us the bible the much she knew at that time, and we tried to live by it. At that time, we just wanted to live and please God. She will tell us everything we are seeing is made possible by God. So, we thank God for making it possible. What informed your decision to become a pastor, or did you become a pastor by marriage? No. I didn’t know I was going to be a pastor. When my husband, came to marry me, he was not a pastor. I liked to work behind the scene. I was a prayer warrior. The pastorate just came. God has a plan and purpose for each and every one of us. He had a plan for me which, I can see now in the way he took me and worked it out. I just married Bishop and the rest started to unfold. Even the day he made me a Bishop, I cried my eyes out because I knew I don’t know much. I said, for what, what am I looking for? I just wanted to serve God. He said God told him. Thank God he didn’t tell me at home because if he had told me, I wouldn’t have come to church. How do you feel in a position that some men believe women are not supposed to be? Who told you that? We have a lot of women Bishops. At that time, I didn’t feel I was ready or fit for it. There are things the Bishop wants to do that he doesn’t discuss. He just came that day and said, the Lord told him to make some people Pastors and Bishops. When he called my name, I almost fainted. Tears were rolling down my eyes; I was shocked to say the least because I was still trying to pastorate. However, I gave in and started trusting God. Bishop helps me a lot, in words and in prayers, he told me that God told him so, and once he said God told him so, he caught me. I just closed my eyes and just followed what God said. So, the office of a Bishop is not only for men? A woman can be a Bishop. A man can also be a Bishop. It depends on your calling. Was there an event in your life that made you found the International Women Prayer Conference (IWPC) and how has it impacted the society? When I started the ministry, I started with counselling; I was more tilted to the women. A woman would come to talk to you about her problem, if you get to my table, you will see a box of tissue. The woman would not talk but instead she would be crying and this would continue for about 15 or 20 minutes. When it became too much, I took it to God and said, Lord, what do I do? I’m a woman, I believe in prayers a lot. He said gather them together and let them pray unto me and I would answer. One day, while were still at the old church, the late Dr. Morris Cerrullo had a programme. One of his assistant said to me, “do you know you have a healing ministry?” I just smiled. He didn’t tell me what they were planning. But when they came to the service, few minutes into the programme, he called me up and said, “I need you to pray for healing for this people.” He told the congregation “if you are sick come out” I was shocked. I was taken aback of what God did that day. People were testifying of miracles that happened instantly. He said go and use this to work for the kingdom. I started praying for wisdom on how to go about it. That was how we started. People started coming from outside Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and other places. News started flying. After a while, God said to me, start going to them, not all of them can come to Lagos. That was how we opened Abuja, Port Harcourt and other places. I have coordinators in those places. As we kept on going, African countries opened up, European countries opened up. Last month (May), I ministered in London. We have to continue to pray for women. Women go through a lot of things. Like what? Like battering and abuse. But women abuse men too? It is on the lower side. This other one is on the high side. Women suffer the most. What advice do you have for women who suffer abuse? I tell them to speak out. Before the recent case that led to the death of a popular gospel artist came out, I just felt in my spirit that we should discuss the subject. In that meeting, I told women that so many of them are being abused but are hiding it and that they will die if they do not speak out. In the congregation, one mama about 80 years old, opened up on what she has seen over the years. Then women started speaking up. We are going to have the second edition soon. Don’t die for nothing. Speak out. There are cases of some women who stay back in abusive marriage because of their children, and what 4 / June 12, 2022
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