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| *Prophet Kayode Abiara |
Isreal Abiara (a pastor/singer), the third child of Prophet Kayode Abiara – General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church – in a recent interview disclosed how Prophet Abiara raised him and his siblings
“It is a great privilege to be one of his children. One thing I cannot forget is that when we were younger, my father dwelt so much on the 10 commandments for us. We were always made to recite the 10 commandments offhand and we watched only Christian movies such as Jesus of Nazareth and Samson and Delilah.
He believes that it is only the word of God that can take a man to whatever height he wishes to attain in life. He also made us to know that he and our mother are the prophets that God has given us to make our journey through life successfully.
He made us to fear God in all our ways. He did not condone truancy and also encouraged us to be hard working. No child was allowed to be absent from school even if he or she was sick. Though we had some people who helped us with household chores, he ensured that we independently carried out our assigned household chores. If we refused, he would spank us. He whipped any child who missed Sunday School. I remember one day when some of us jumped the fence to pluck mangoes in a garden at the back of our house. He caught us in the act and beat all of us. My father used horse whip to correct us whenever we misbehaved. In fact, he used to say that until he saw marks on the back of the erring child, which he or she would show to his children, he would not stop the beating.”
Were there things your mates enjoyed then which your disciplined background denied you of?
Yes, there were things we were not allowed to do which our friends enjoyed. For instance, we cannot watch any kind of movies. They were censored. We cannot play any kind of music. It must either be gospel songs or nothing. But as our father began to grow older, the laws are becoming relaxed. Our movement was restricted. Boys were not allowed to receive female visitors likewise girls cannot invite male friends into the house.
How did he grow his children spiritually?
My father made us study the Bible always. He made it a rule that everybody must fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. No cook dared put anything on fire on those days. Even during holidays, he would make sure we were on the mountains to pray. He employed an elderly driver who would drive us to the mountains and bring us back. By the time we combined the prayers on mountains, summer school and youth meetings in the church, the holidays would have ended. I think my father was very spiritual in our upbringing. We studied hard and prayed hard as well.
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