My background
I was born in the city of Zaria, in Northern Nigeria March 17, 1952. My Dad was in the Army….I was trying to read to do A’ Levels; as in those days, we did our A’ level at the age for twenty or twenty something, so that I could go to the Nigerian Defence Academy.
But while I was doing that, I found myself drawn more to the Bible. I couldn’t sit for the A’ level exam because I couldn’t study for it. Not long after that, an evangelist came to my church and asked a simple question. “You look like someone the Lord is calling for his ministry”….I went to Bible School in 1974.
How I started my ministry
Well, I always counted my years in the Ministry from the day I stepped into the Bible School. That was from January 1974, because that was when I became a Minister of the gospel. But then the Bible School helped in teaching, in shaping, in training…I graduated in 1976 and reported at the Foursquare Gospel Church, Shomolu, Lagos, Nigeria and became the Assistant Pastor.
Within four years, I became the Resident Pastor of that local Church. Within those four years, I became a Speaker for different Universities and Colleges at the early stage of my ministry. I was just getting calls to be a Speaker. That was how the Ministry began. And the Lord began to bless my work, and I was an Assistant Pastor.
Starting KICC in London
I was a Pastor in Nigeria between 1974 and 1984. The denomination I was working under decided they were getting a lot of letters from their members abroad saying they want a Church established in London. They decided they needed a Pastor. So I came really as a missionary
I came with an employment visa as a Missionary sent by that Church denomination.
My desire was to do Masters Programme in Canada; in fact, I had paid School fees for my Masters programme in Canada. I had already done all my checks with the embassy to go and collect my visa when the denomination said I should forget about the Masters and come to London to be a Pastor of a Church they were starting.
So they sent me to London. I arrived London February 11, 1984 to take over 11 adults and three children. I started in London pasturing 11 adults and three children. So it all started in 1984 that this small group of people from Dalston and I became the Pastor.
Growth of KICC
The Church I met in 1984, I stopped Pastoring in 1992. I Pastored the Foursquare for eight years. And from 11 adults, six children to six hundred in total, but God began to speak to me that it was time to move but I did not understand.
So I kept quality time before the Lord. In fact, God spoke to me to start fasting for 75 days at the end of which I believe the Lord clearly spoke to me that the river He is about to give me is bigger that the one in which I was serving.
So I stepped out of the Church denomination, handed over the Church and started Kingsway International Christian Centre. Of course 200 adults from my previous work decided to be in my ministry and that was how KICC took off December 6, 1992 with 200 adults, 100 children and God began to bless the ministry.
By the time we were a year old, by September 1993, we were already thousand two hundred in capacity. By the time we were two years old, we were already 2,500. Our growth in the first five, six years is meteoric. So by the time we were six years old, we were already clocking 7000. So God blessed the work that started in September 1992.
I have preached in Portugal, Holland, Ghana, Nigeria, United States of America and France. I have without my physical presence in Zimbabwe.
I was on National Television in Ghana, before other preachers were allowed. I think I am proud to say I am the only one on Television in Malawi and through the God’s channel, we were in so many stations going to Israel, East Africa, some parts of the Mediterranean as far as Yemen and then into all of Europe.
Biography of Matthew Ashimolowo
Life happens while we're busy making other plans
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