What The Enemy Meant For Evil, God Turned It Around For My Good – Bishop Dr. Joe Idem
Bishop Dr. Joseph Jack Idem presents an admirable personage. Smart and confident, Joe Idem, as he is popularly called, is a quintessential Christian leader, with strong seminarian backgrounds. Joe Idem knew his purpose was total dedication to the preaching of the Gospel and went straight into it buoyed by the flames of the 80’s revival that reverberated across the cities of Nigeria.
In 1985, he started the United Christian Bible Church, Lagos, a body he has utilized effectively in soul-winning. His evangelistic gifts led him to found Joe Idem World Outreach (JIWO) and Gideon 300 Prayer Army International. Though Lagos was his birthplace of Ministries, he has maintained a strong connection with his hometown, Ikot Eyo, Nsit Ubium, Akwa Ibom State, where most of his outreaches and prayer outings take place.
Joe Idem has authored many books, including Three Things You Must Not Forget On Your Way To The Top and Marked To Live. But the most intriguing title is the upcoming book, Two Rivers To Cross. He holds a doctorate degree in Church administration; a fellow of National Christian Fellowship Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
October 4, 2025 is the day for public presentation of the book. But which of the rivers is this gentle clergyman refering to? In an interview with Bishop Joe Idem and wife, Rev. Mrs. Grace Idem, the couple vehemently concealed what the content is all about until after unveiling it on October 4.
That’s when the Rt. Hon. Unyime Idem, Chairman of the occasion and His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno, PhD., will unveil the mystery rivers. Also, Bishop Joe Idem will hold a special thanksgiving service in gratitude to God for surviving 42 bullets shot into his head by unknown gunmen who waylaid him, while going about his ministry work in Lagos.
The bullets caused extensive injuries on his head but strangely, they did not penetrate his skull, which would have resulted in brain damage and eventual death. The incident shook the Ojo, Lagos environment where he lived and ran his church activities. In this interview, Bishop Joe Idem and wife, Grace, shared their interesting stories with IMA NKANTA and EME ARTHUR, as excerpted here.
You have been a minister of the Gospel for over 30 years now. Can you recount the events that led you into ministry and the attack by gunmen?
First of all, I must express gratitude to the Lord for his goodness in my life, family and ministry since he called me in 1985 and I started pastoral ministry at Bible Believers Mission.
Then, in 1990, I had a very terrible incident that 42 bullets were fired into my head; you can notice the marks of the surgery on my head down to the neck. So, I fell into a pool of my blood. After the attackers left, I was rushed to St. Anthony Medical Hospital opposite Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos.
The medical director, Dr. Osakwe, with a team of doctors, conducted surgery my head and brought out 42 bullets. It was a miracle that none of the bullets was able to get into my brain or broke my skull. The bullets were lying on the surface of my skull, it was the hand of the Lord that protected me, because that same day, my neighbour was shot on his shoulder and before he could get to the hospital, he bled to death. But in my own case, 42 bullets were fired into my head at close range but God protected my skull from being crushed.
What really happened? Was it a robbery attack or was it assassination attempt?
I cannot definitely say but that period, some ministers of God were killed. I remember one popular man of God, Bishop Iloputaife, was killed and among others. I wouldn’t say whether it was my own turn to die but even if it was; the Lord nullified it. I was shot at a close range around 5am when I went to open the gate for my wife and members of the church who were returning from choir and all night prayer meeting. So, as I opened the gate, those evil men noticed me and hid themselves. Afterwards, two among them walked towards me, I mistook for night guards, until when they yelled at me. “Who are you?” They asked, and I replied that I was a pastor. The next thing I heard was gunshot. My wife and the choir members had to run back to the church.
They ordered me to my house, and I did not resist them but moved quickly. One of them was very much on me; he came closer to me and marched me to the house. So, I went into the house, and opened the burglary proof. I don’t know whether he thought that I saw his face, I don’t know, when I turned to open my house door, then at a very close range from behind me, they started firing at me, then I fell down and was unconscious.
As my spirit left my body; I saw a being standing before me, he wore a long gown. He said to me: “Do not fear!” I tried to lift up my head to see his face. But the more I tried to see his face, the more he was turning away from my sight. He was a very tall being. He said to me, “Fear not, for I am with you.” Then another being came to me and said in my dialect, “They will not be able to kill you, I am with you, and you are alive.”
Then, that same being told me that the person that shot me was still standing and watching me, and that I should not move my body, because he will keep on firing bullets at me if I moved my body. The being also told me that the gunmen were many, that some were coming into the house. The being kept telling me that I should not move; and that he was going to throw a spell of confusion on them, and that they would not remove any tangible thing from my apartment.
That very day, the money of the church was in the house, with new instruments, we just purchased but they came in, ransacked the whole house, they did not see the money and they did not take any instrument.
While the robbers were searching my house, blood was gushing out of my head, my mouth and my nose, as I lay motionless on the pool of my own blood. I was rushed to the hospital after the robbers left. There, they opened up my head, and the doctors discovered that none of the 42 bullets were able to penetrate my skull, they were all lying on the skin. So they removed those things and the information went to Ojo police station.
Immediately the police team went to the house and saw the burglary iron that bullet pierced through; the bullets cut the iron burglary into pieces. The police officer who led the team found me at the hospital, and said; “We are just from his house, he said, is this the man?” He added, “But how come? Does it mean the head of this man is stronger than the iron that the bullet cut into pieces?
But it cannot penetrate to this man? He said, I did not believe those things they call miracle.” But today, I believe in miracles.
Were the police able to apprehend any suspects?
I don’t know because I was lying in a critical condition in the hospital; my prayer was that I survive the injuries. I became a spectacle of all eyes, as the NTA, newspapers carried the news of my attack. People were lining up in the hospital to see the bullets extracted from my head and how I survived.
One Islamic cleric who visited me in the hospital, looked at me and said, “Pastor, you survived because your hands are clean; if your hands were not clean, you would not have survived this attack.”
My medical doctor friend, Dr. Osakwe, told me that in the world of medicine, they have not come across the type of case like mine. In another trance experience, I saw someone like a nurse who stared at me and said that the attack on me was the starting point of my ministry. That supernatural being said to me that I should not be anxious about the attack because people like Paul the apostle and Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai had such experiences.
Years after when I look back at that near death incident, I feel the love of God to me. What the devil thought that he wanted to eliminate me, God turned it for good. I believe the devil has regretted because the incident opened doors of the Gospel to me. Many churches in Nigeria and outside Nigeria hosted me for revival meetings, just because of the testimonies of how God delivered me from the attack that left 42 bullets in my head.
If the devil knew that the attack will open doors of preaching the Gospel for me, he would not have done it. This incident also confirms God’s word that, “No weapon that fashioned against you shall prosper…” Isaiah 54:17
You’re marking 40th year anniversary in marriage. You hardly find couples who stay this long and are still very close and loving as I see you and your wife. What is your secret of successful marriage?
The secret is Christ, because he’s the author and finisher of our faith and marriage. Marriage institution is older than the church; God gave us principles to live and the secret of marriage success involves understanding, nobody is perfect in marriage. There are people who are more than 40 years, 50 years, or more in marriage and there are people lower than 40. Whether someone starts today or wedded last week, all what he needs is the word of God and reliance on God; there should be openness and not selfishness; the couple should be transparent to each other.
We should be able to tolerate one another and we should be able to have understanding that no marriage in the entire planet is perfect. We keep on learning, we keep on understanding ourselves, and we keep on forgiving one another if there’s any offence. So this is my practical experience.
In 40 years, have you ever come to a time where you feel, oh, if I had known, I wouldn’t have married this woman?
I would say No! This is because I knew that marriage is for life. Secondly, I had made up my mind before I married my wife. I called her and told her that, I wouldn’t want any third party in my marriage. I wouldn’t like my issue to be judged by people and up until today, I don’t invite people to come and judge and settle us. I believe that if there’s any misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit, who is the comforter, who is the adviser, will do it. And when he does it, nobody will hear it.
The Holy Spirit will not go and report to anybody, but if he’s a human being, he may settle you, and before he gets down there; they will ask, ah: “Where are you coming from? “Oh, we are from brother Idem’s place, went to settle our fracas.” News has started, So the best thing is, you stomach it and let the Holy Spirit and the word inspire you, it’s a matter of understanding. We learn every day, even till now, I’m still learning in marriage.
But do you have any cause to disagree?
Yes, as human, there’s no need of being sentimental or exaggerating. If any married person on earth tells you that he never disagreed with his wife, he’s not telling you the truth. It is in that disagreement you discover yourself; and there must be something for you to disagree. But don’t disagree and leave yourself on disagreement. Bring yourself back to agreement and the way to bring it back, you allow the Spirit of God to bring you into the world that is inspired by the word of God. When you join marriage, God gives you the catalogue to follow how to live your life.
If you were to speak to young people about relationship, marriage and God, what will be your take?
When someone wants to marry, even traditionally, we should acknowledge the originator of marriage – God. He is the one that brought marriage into existence. We should learn from him what the principle that guides marriage is? What is the word that he gave to us about marriage? Why people get into problems in marriage is that they married according to their culture or tribe.
There’s something unique about REV’D MRS. GRACE JOE IDEM. It is her discerning prowess that helped her decipher between the real and the rest.
Young as she was 40 years ago when she got married at the age of twenty, she made the best choice of her life, and today she can look back and thank God for her choice of the husband she married.
She shares her thoughts on marriage and what young people should actually go for in relationship.
You got married to a handsome man 40 years ago. How were you able to cope with sisters in church?
When we came together, we said we were for ourselves alone. I didn’t worry about the sisters because my husband told me in confidence that there will be no room for an intruder. So, I didn’t put my eyes on that and actually, it has turned out to be beautiful. You know you’re bound to be tempted, those things will come your way but God, who has been the foundation of the marriage, knows how to keep us in the time of temptation.
We should rather marry based on what God has said. Marriage doesn’t require academic knowledge; it’s a matter of the fear of God. It is you that will face the world of marriage, so you should know what is expected of you in marriage. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. It doesn’t mean that when people got into marriage, they don’t miss themselves, even in our marriage, we miss ourselves.
So in marriage, no person is perfect, there are ups and downs in marriage, but the issue is not the ups and downs but the way to handle the ups and downs. The issue is not the crisis, but the way to handle the crisis and the way to handle it is not by our human energy but by the fear and wisdom of God. For younger generation, let’s allow God to lead us into marriage. We must also learn how to forgive one another; we learn how to understand one another.
40 years after, you are still looking sparkling. What is the secret?
Absolutely, I see God, because He’s the one who made us. He knows our frame; He knows that we are fragile. It’s love, actually, because God is love. It’s the love of God that has kept us. That is why He says He will renew our age as that of eagles and that is what He’s been doing for us. We married very young, I was 20 years old, just leaving secondary school then, but God has kept us all these years. In marriage, when you come across problems, you just smile. In God you keep smiling in the face of problems. There’s a song that I sing when problems come. It says, “God has smiled on me, He has set me free. God has smiled on me; He’s really been good to me.” So, it’s God all the way through the 40 years of marriage.
Did you not have any fears of marrying a pastor; at that time it was not popular for beautiful women to marry pastors for fear of how to cope with finances?
Really, I wasn’t afraid because I was out for God, I wanted more of God and in fact, to be candid, I told God that I wanted someone that will know that by 10 o’clock I’m in the church, and by 12 we are done, and then I’ll be back home. I never had it in the mind that my husband would be a pastor. So, when he met me and asked for marriage, I just accepted him because I loved him at first sight, and that is the foundation of our marriage. When you love somebody with all your heart, you will see that love radiating. Before he came, I had asked God to give me someone that will understand me, someone that I will love.
When I saw him, there was that evidence in me; I was convinced he was the one. There were other people, you know, as a young lady; you have people coming your way, actually.
Your husband happened to be a very meticulous person; both in dressing and approach to things. How do you cope with such a man?
Yeah! It’s a matter of patience, and because I have loved him from the foundation, so, everything about him is beautiful for me. I loved him because of his person. When I saw him, I loved him, you know, to a fault. So, because of that, even when he does, maybe one thing or the other, when I look at him, I will just melt because I love him. In our early days, when I had cause to say, “Oh, will I be able to cope with this?” But when I looked at him, that same mind of love just changed everything.
