Former Anambra State Governor, Chinwoke Mbadinuju, has opened a new chapter in his life by stepping out of the soap box and onto the pulpit as an evangelist.
Although he once wrote a book on politics, titled, How I Governed Anambra State, most of his books are on religion. His new publication is titled, Who Then Is This Jesus.
He told TheNiche that he now spends more time on his calling, which he exercised even while in office as governor.
“Yes I am an evangelist and not a pastor,” Mbadinuju confirmed. “I travel to churches and workshops with Christian groups and they always ask me to teach and preach the Word of God.
“They invite me to their churches to help spread the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
“But you can also remember that while I was governor of Anambra State I started the programme of Monday morning prayers in all markets in the state and prayers at the state secretariat for public servants.
“On most of the occasions I led the prayers and delivered sermons. You can see that it had been in me before I became an evangelist.”
He said his books “are through the inspiration of God Almighty” and “once the inspiration comes you cannot avoid it at all. With the divine Spirit of God in you, you cannot avoid doing what God has asked you to do.
“I, as a mere mortal, have no other option than to work in God’s vineyard.”
But Mbadinuju explained that he has not totally abandoned politics, saying nobody can stop worshiping God simply because he is a politician. “In fact, it makes you a better politician when you are with God.”
He said his new book points out practices by Christians that are not in tune with Biblical injunctions, such as “the doctrines of Trinity and baptism.”
He added: “All argument as to the Word of God must be resolved in the chapters and verses of the Bible. Anyone who goes outside the Bible must be on his own and God will not be in it. The Bible is the only authority as to what Christians must teach or speak.”
Mbadinuju, who has written several books on Christianity, argues in his latest book that water baptism by mere sprinkling it on the head is wrong.
He maintained that Jesus Christ was baptised by full immersion in the River Jordan. “We do not need to go to the River Jordan, but we must be baptised according to Christ’s example.”
Mbadinuju governed Anambra from 1999 to 2003. He was the only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor who did not get a second term ticket in 2003, which his supporters described as injustice.