Bro. Ibe: Leader, mentor & worthy example

When Paul said, "Be ye followers of me", it was because he himself was a follower of God. During the FAITH CLINIC days, many "followed" Bro. Ibe because he was a lover and follower of God. He personified the love of God and was both accessible and approachable by many that came to him.

Almost everyone I have interviewed so far remember the days of eating bread and coke after a long night of ministration. If you did not know who Bro. Ibe was, you would not be able to distinguish him among the workers as they all sat and enjoyed fellowship together. He had a sense humour that sometimes made people crack up in laughter. Such was the down-to-earth nature of this man of God.

What drew people to Bro. Ibe? The character of God, which is love. He was also secure in his love for and relationship with God that he did not mind raising and promoting other ministers around him. And he raised many young men and women, giving them the opportunity and platform to serve God. There was no competition or conflict of interest; everyone gathered to serve God and minister to His people. There was no difference when Bro. Ibe was around FAITH CLINIC and when he was not. The atmosphere was the same; the miracles always happened.

Bro. Ibe led by example. He led a life of servitude, sacrifice, humility, faith and passion. He set a standard that challenged those around him. He was firm when correcting those who erred, but did so in love and with much encouragement. He was also sold out to the cause of Christ. He gave his generation all that God gave to him.

There are many leaders in the Body of Christ today, but so few worthy of emulation. Bro. Ibe is one of those to learn from, and that is why his story is more that due to be told.

FAITH CLINIC Ibadan: An untold story of God's move

There have been different moves of God since the history of the world. These divine activities of God through passionate souls have advanced His purpose on the Earth and set multiplied thousands free from satanic bondages. Unfortunately, many of these moves are unknown to generations afterwards because not only did the moves subside after a while, their details were not documented for the inspiration of others. One of the reasons, therefore, why God commands the documentation of events is for the continuity of spiritual life, knowledge and momentum.

Faith Clinic Ibadan and the ministry of Bro. Ibe was a move of God. Certainly, this was the case. It is not possible to estimate the number of people who were saved, delivered from demons and filled with the Holy Spirit at Faith Clinic. What about the number of those who studied at the Bible School or the number of ministers that were raised through the ministry? This lack of information, to a large extent, is not the fault of those who were involved with Faith Clinic. They were caught up with the responsibility of being a channel of deliverance for those who sought God's touch and were the least interested in promoting themselves through the media.

Faith Clinic spread without any press release or advert. Rather, the news of what God was doing went ahead of the ministry and attracted more people every week. Bro. Ibe loved God and His people. He gave himself totally to the work of reaching others. It was not about him, but about God's love setting people free from bondage. There was no preoccupation on how to take advantage of what God was doing. It didn't even cross the mind. This is one of the marks of God's move, when those involved are able to truly give all glory to God without putting themselves in the centre of it.

Well, the task is on, to piece lots of information together about the decade-long Faith Clinic revival. Many still need to learn about what God did and how He did it. Many still need to be set free so that they can serve the purposes of God for their lives without fear. May the world be blessed with the knowledge of God's glory that broke out through the life and ministry of Bro. Ibe.

Amen.

Why write about FAITH CLINIC and BRO. IBE?

It was about three years ago when the Lord told me to write about the things that happened during the FAITH CLINIC years. I could not deny that I had received the instruction, but I really did not do anything about it other than make mention of it to Rev. Victor Amosun, one of Bro. Ibe's right-hand men during the FAITH CLINIC years.

Of course, the expected response to God's instruction is obedience, and I repent for not doing anything until the instruction was repeated again last December. It was clear, concise and full of purpose. The Lord said to me, "All of my moves on the Earth are documented. There are documentations of the FAITH CLINIC move in heaven, but no copy on Earth." I knew I had to get to work straight away.

So, why write about FAITH CLINIC? First, because God commanded me to. Secondly, there is almost nothing written about the great things God did through Bro. Ibe and the FAITH CLINIC ministry. I searched through the internet and found nothing, just two or three ministers who claimed FAITH CLINIC as their ministerial roots. I ordered for and read a book about the growth of Christianity in Nigeria from the 70s to the early 90s, and there was not even a mention of Bro. Ibe or FAITH CLINIC. At this point, I understood clearly what the Lord meant and why this work needs to be executed.

Only those who were at FAITH CLINIC during its peak days (1983 - 1993) will know that this was no small work. It was a move of God. Many thousands were saved and many more set free from demonic strongholds. Think about it: if the move of God in FAITH CLINIC happened in the West, our bookshops will be full of books about it; books for and against the move. Heaven will be full of surprises; so many moves of the Spirit are going unreported (and some that we think are divine moves have no trace of the divine upon them). The story of FAITH CLINIC must be told; it is about time.

More than just reporting happenings, there's an entirely new generation that needs to know what happened at FAITH CLINIC. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. The Word says, "This shall be written for the generation to come; and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD" (Psalm 102:18). We need to raise a new generation who know their God and are equipped, willing and ready to do exploits. The account of the life of Bro. Ibe and the FAITH CLINIC revival will play a part in raising this end-time people.

If you attended FAITH CLINIC Ibadan at any time between 1983 and 1993, please get in touch. Join the group on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_153273448051108&notif_t=group_activity OR just search for FAITH CLINIC). Invite others to join. If you have a testimony, an experience or want to help in the research, please email me (israel@bookswithamission.org). This is not a research for one person. When I started at the beginning of the year by visiting FAITH CLINIC for the first time after seventeen years, I realised that the scope of the this work was so wide, much wider than the mind can imagine.

I thank you in advance for your participation and for your prayers.

Israel Emmanuel