WE WERE MOCKED BY ORTHODOX CHURCHES AS MUSHROOM WORSHIP CENTRE
Prof. Isaiah Issong, Prelate of The Believers
Assembly (Evang. ) Nigeria (BAN)
How did you overcome all these challenges?
Well, by prayers, supplication and fasting, the Lord gave us the grace to overcome after well over 10 to 15 years. We were mocked as mushroom churches by orthodox churches. But by consistency, tenaciousness, we overcame, as we kept on studying the word, enduring the persecutions, the afflictions, studying the Bible and believing victory in Jesus’ name at the end of it, they all disappeared. And today, those who were our persecutors have taken over the many aspects of the ministry they were against.
How was Believers Assembly started?
Well, formerly, or originally, let me say this; it was in the room of one Evangelist, Nathaniel Umana, in his mother’s house at Ikot Umo Essien. It was by then known as Ufok Akam Urua Edet. (The House of Prayer at Edet market), Ikot Umo Essien, because the house was quite close to the market.
We started then, not as a church, it was a mere prayer and evangelistic group, where we were moving from house to house, street by street; evangelizing.
From Ikot Umo Essien, then to Ikot Ekpene, that was in the early 1970.
Then we started worship service on Sundays as a church, because I was no more comfortable going back to my old denomination that I left since that 1970 when I gave my life to Jesus. So by 1973, we decided to start holding Sunday services on Sundays, Bible study classes on Tuesdays, midweek services on Wednesdays, prayer meetings on Fridays, and Sunday services on Sundays.
That was the beginning of the explosive growth. And then around June of that 1973, myself and my late brother named Etuk took the crusade to my hometown, Ndiya. That was officially a second-main branch, second-main branch after Ikot Umo Essien at my hometown.
At my hometown, I faced series of persecutions from the traditional Orthodox churches in my area, plus even my biological mother, because of the miracles they used to witness during our meetings, as a lot of healings and deliverance used to take place.
They suspected that we were using the Sixth and Steventh Books of Moses to command and do some invocation. It continued that way until I moved from my hometown to Calabar, where I had both the admission into the university, as well as having an appointment in the same university.
So we continued that way. I was the explosion of the whole thing.
Then from Calabar, I came back to this part, and we continued with evangelism, bit by bit, bit by bit. We started establishing branches here and there, until a little drop of water becomes a mighty ocean as it is today.
What has God revealed to you about 2025?
2025 comes with a Prophetic theme, My Year On The Other Side.
With this prayer involved, “Oh! my Father God, take me from where I am to where you want me to be.”
If I have to say furthermore, 2025 is going to be a year that the God of signs, miracles, and wonders has intimately and personally assured me to turn the joys of all our enemies into shame and sorrow. I repeat again, 2025 is going to be a year that the God of signs, miracles, and wonders has intimately and personally assured me to turn the joys of all our enemies into shame and sorrow.
And such enemies may be man, woman, boy, girl, animal, angel, demon, moving and unmoving creatures, powers, principality, thrones and throngs, rulers and leaders of the unseen and unknown dark kingdoms. All of them, the Lord will turn them into shame and sorrow. Because the Bible says the enemies we are seeing today, we shall see them no more tomorrow.
Leaders and Associates of The Believers Assembly (Evang.) Nigeria (BAN).
L-R: Archbishop Udeme Simon, Associate, Apostle Dr. Friday Imuk, BAN Administrator,
Apostle Prof. Abasiodiong Thomas, Secretary General, Apostle Dr. D. D. Ekong,
National Director, Missions & Evangelization, Archbishop Dr. Uyioata Kingsley, Associate
