OLYMPICS LONDON 2012...AND THE WINNER IS ...

"In the end, the enemy won, or thought it did. KICC had to move out of its property and relocate somewhere else, eventually not too far away Were that to be the end of the story, I wouldn’t be writing this piece. But even as the Olympics opened last week Saturday in London, Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo and KICC were at the centre of things, even as he had desired. They are there courtesy of a door the Lord opened through Lay Witnesses for Christ International, LWFCI. The body presided over by Dr Sam Mings is currently running what it styles, “Bridging the Gap, UK Outreach 2012” with KICC at the core of it."

The Games of the 2012 Olympiad were still six years away. Visionary that he is, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo wanted Kingsway International Christian Centre to be right at the heart of things. And why not, the church, with a 9.5 acre campus right at centre of the site earmarked for the games, was already at an advantage.

Oh, yes, he knew it was going to be tough since approvals for the church to remain on that site had been continually refused and a deadline for vacating the place had been set for November 2006. But he wasn’t going to give up easily because as he put it then, “KICC wants to be a centre of an outreach to athletes, officials, media and spectators who visit London during the Olympics.”  I recall stating in a 2006 piece in this column, that while Ashimolowo saw in it “an opportunity too great to miss,” the enemy saw in it “an opportunity too great…to look the other way about”

We did say then also that if the enemy could do anything to slower the pace of KICC’s development, it would, because of the clarity and size of its leadership’s vision in these words:

“Apart from the battle for souls some eight (read six) years away, however, is also the spiritual battle the enemy inevitably must seek to wage against the current activities of KICC and its well-articulated vision. For instance, KICC with a current congregation of 12,000 members and a network of 22 churches around England and two independent branches in Africa projects to grow to 25,000 by the year 2010. Well known for its outreaches to drug addicts, prostitutes and the homeless as well as in after-school programs, literacy classes and food distribution…KICC also plans to open 1,000 Caring Heart Centres; pioneer city churches around the world; reach 100 nations through radio and TV specifically and generally to broadcast the gospel world-wide, using every electronic means.”

In the ensuing battle, Ashimolowo essentially played the love card with the London Development Agency. He and his team made some offers that should ordinarily be seen as public-spirited. This, according to him, included offering to “help London offset a reported $1.7 million funding gap between committed funds for the Olympics and its real cost…” be part of the Olympic legacy by building a basketball stadium, which is needed for the Olympics. The reaction we are getting does not make sense, but we know the reasoning behind it. As our church grows, there is a reaction in the spiritual.” The basketball stadium on offer then was estimated to cost $57million.

In the end, the enemy won, or thought it did. KICC had to move out of its property and relocate somewhere else, eventually not too far away  Were that to be the end of the story, I wouldn’t be writing this piece.

But even as the Olympics opened last week Saturday in London, Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo and KICC were at the centre of things, even as he had desired. They are there courtesy of a door the Lord opened through Lay Witnesses for Christ International, LWFCI. The body presided over by Dr Sam Mings is currently running what it styles, “Bridging the Gap, UK Outreach 2012” with KICC at the core of it.

Information available to this writer shows that KICC is playing host the LWFCI Team; providing for them a Regional Command centre at Darnley Road, in Hackney, and an Athlete Hospitality Centre at Hoe Street in Walthamstow, both in London.

The church's contribution, in this respect, it was learnt, includes provision of six computers; two of which are being used for streaming and the other four for administrative purposes. The church is also believed to be providing refreshments and meeting the transportation needs of the team and helping with the media requests for the Olympics.

In a personal message on this dramatic open door published on the KICC website, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo affirmed:

“We believe that our participation in the LWFCI programme has been God ordained. Proof of this is by the way in which Dr. Sam Mings first connected with KICC. When he came to KICC to ask for our support, his primary reason (apart from wanting the endorsement and support), was Kingdom focused. Our KICC church building is in close proximity to the Olympic venue…Prior to coming to the ministry he met Eddie Mapakau who he appointed the national director for LWCFI. At the time of meeting Eddie he was not aware the man he had connected with and wanted to give the leadership to was a member of KICC. It was later on that this was made known…As a consequence this meant from the beginning of our working together that there would be a flow of understanding, common purpose and unity of spirit. Good team work and structured plans have emerged which has resulted in a great programme being developed…”

And so, Ashimolowo and KICC are where they have always prayed to be, at the spiritual heart of London 2012. In my books, that is the most golden gold medal of them all.