Pa Josiah Akindayomi A man of vision and Power

             

      
 Although i was born and bred in an Anglican church, but i began to love the history of Redeemed Christian Church of God when i went to serve in the north. I attended RCCG Malumfashi,precisely and that really make a lot of stories in my life.
So,here comes the story of the founder of Redeemed Christian Church Of God, Pa Josiah Akindayomi.
      Pa  Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi was the founder and first general overseer of what is today known as the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The church, today acclaimed as the fastest growing Pentecostal church in the world, started in 1947 as an independent prayer fellowship, the Glory of God Fellowship. This group blossomed into the Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1952.

        The formative years of RCCG started as an Aladura church and ended as a Pentecostal church in 1952.Ojo(2010:19) observed that the Redeemed Christian Church of God is a “Church with an Aladura background which had undergone remarkable transformation under an educated charismatic leader to become a Pentecostal Church”. In other words, there is connectivity between the Cherubim and Seraphim Church and the RCCG.


                 The Birth of Pastor Josiah Akindayomi
The initial name of Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi at childhood was Ogunribido Akindolie. His father’s name was Eleyinmi Akindolie and his mother was named Olakunle Akindolie. The date of his birth is still being contested. Some would claim 1905 while others would cite 1909.
According to Owoeye (2011:9) the date on the programme of funeral rites of Josiah published in 1980 stated July 1905.The Church on its website indicated 1909.At the time of his death on 2nd November, 1980; the church official document indicated that he was 71 years old. The confusion on his actual date of birth was as a result of lack of regular registration of birth in the country and effect of illiteracy of his parents.
The home address of Josiah Akindayomi was no 12, Odo Alafia Street, Odo Jomu in Ondo town of Ondo state (Olaleru, 2007:27).His parents were peasant farmers and worshippers of Ogun divinity. At baptism, he dropped the name Akindolie and adopted the name Josiah Akindayomi. He was baptized in the Anglican Church in Ondo and was opportuned to attend the elementary education provided by the church which could be equated to kindergarten education. The education he received was not enough to be called a formal education.
       From early childhood Josiah's parents noticed unusual things about him. When he was sick, allegedly his sickness, that usually defied traditional medicine-the most common treatment for sickness in those days-would abate and subsequently disappear once he was bathed with ordinary water. Josiah himself also had an inkling that he was different, for although he grew up in an environment where the worship of Ogun (the Yoruba divinity of iron and war) was prevalent, he was aware of the existence of a greater power and yearned to know the true God who created the earth and everyone in it.
      According to Olaleru (2007:32) in 1931, Josiah at the age of 26 left the Anglican Church to join the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement which was newly introduced to Ondo as a visionary and prophetic church in Yorubaland by Prophet Moses Orimolade in Lagos in 1925.
Ayeku (2008:51) quoted Ajayi who interviewed Josiah’s wife thus:
I was truly happy that at last I had found the right place to worship my God. As at that time, the Cherubim and Seraphim Church was standing alone on the word and promises of God, they weren’t even taking tablets or any drugs. If anyone got ill, we would pray for him or her and God would answer and heal the sick.
        A few years later he began to hear a voice inside him declaring that he would be a minister of God. He was not at ease with this voice, which he identified as God's call to full time ministry. For seven years he ignored it, since he had never intended to be a pastor. During this period, virtually everything went wrong for him. All his business ventures failed; heavily in debt and without peace of mind, he found himself totally dependent on the grace of God.

The turning point for Josiah came when, in 1940, he dreamed of an old man scratching his leg. He woke up the next morning with a sore on his leg that deteriorated significantly within a short period of time. Then he heard the voice inside him telling him to submit to God's will and to serve him. When he asked for signs to confirm that the call was from God he was given the following passages as confirmation: Jeremiah 1:4-10, Isaiah 41:10-13, and Romans 8:29-31. Without the use of medication, the Lord healed the sore on his leg. This marked the beginning of a definite relationship with God. Totally broken, he yielded to God, saying, "Lord I will go wherever you want me to go." The Lord assured him that he would provide for all his needs as he would henceforth receive no salary from anyone. This promise from the Lord was a comforting reminder to him during his trials in subsequent months.
                               

          It is therefore necessary to mention that Josiah also had the experience of the Mission church before he went to the Aladura and finally moved to the Pentecostal Church. The circumstance that led to his conversion from the Anglican Church to Cherubim and Seraphim was not too clear. However our informants indicated that an incident in Ondo made him to join the Cherubim and Seraphim. “Ogunribido particularly loved the Cherubim and Seraphim sect because it was given to the practice of fasting, dynamic prayers, visions and trances”. These are some of the features of Aladura Churches. These characteristics were later adopted by the RCCG.
Josiah left Ondo for Ile-Ife in the present Osun state in July 1940(Olaleru,2007).He joined a branch of the Cherubim and Seraphim church at Igbo-Itapa.It was at this location that he had a religious transformation. An illiterate man started to read and write in Yoruba language!
This act may be interpreted as a divine intervention of God in his life. According to Onibere (1982), quoted some scholars on the concept of revelation. According to him, revelation means self disclosure or divine disclosure. Revelation per excellence means God communicating and revealing himself to man. Rudolf Otto opined that in the worship of human beings there is the experience of the divine. 
This divine he has called the numinous or numen praesens (divine presence).He went further to say that man encounters the numinous with fear and trembling, i.e. he is afraid of the numinous. At the same time, man is attracted by the numinous. The two sided phenomena is known as mysterium tremendium et fascinans (i.e. a mystery that is terrifying and at the same time fascinating).
His experience at Ile-Ife was a turning point in his life.
Josiah met his first wife named Esther Egbedire at Ile-Ife in 1941. Ayeku (2008) referred to the woman as Esther Awofisan.The couple left Ile-Ife and became members of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Oke Sioni, Ebute-Metta, Lagos where they got married.
It is necessary to correct some earlier studies that the marriage ceremony was conducted by Moses Tunolase Orimolade, the founder of Cherubim and Seraphim Church. Omoyajowo (1982), an eminent church historian observed that Moses Orimolade died on 19th October 1933, therefore he could not have been responsible for the conduct of the marriage in 1941.His successor, Prophet Abraham William Onanuga was the one who solemnized the marriage at Mount Zion branch of the Church, Ebute-Metta.
Josiah was a leader of a Prayer group known as “Egbe Ogo Oluwa” (the Glory God Society).The members of the group were twelve in number. Some informants believed that the number was in conformity with the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. We believe that it was a coincidence or intentional because Nigerian Church leaders always like to give any action a religious coloration and interpretation.

He was a devoted and a prominent member of the church, however he parted way because of doctrinal issues with the Cherubim and Seraphim Church. Josiah also complained that it was unbiblical for the leadership of the church to venerate and consult the late Moses Orimolade in his grave before certain decisions were taken in the church. It was also claimed by some informants that some members of the leadership of the church became un-comfortable with his popularity; hence there was envy and persecution.
The wrangling and disagreement led to his exit from the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in 1952 and consequently led to the emergence of RCCG.According to Olaleru(2007) “He was accused (among other things) of “anti-church” activities such as organizing Bible Study outside the C&S ambience, with the motive of sheep stealing”. With this development, Prophet Josiah left the C&S church finally and permanently before the close of 1952” (sic).A piece of land at no 9 Willoughby Street became the new address of the church. However, the Church later moved to 1 Cemetery Street both in Ebute Metta,Lagos.The following twelve members constituted the pioneers of the Ogo Oluwa Society(Glory of God Society).These were:J.A.Fakunmoju,Makun(the first ordained Pastor of the Church),J.A.Adekoya,S.K.Padonu,S.A.Olonade,Fadiora,Ilenusi,Okuwobi,Fetuga,Adefeso,G.A.Adefunwa and Matiluko.
 An important event in the history of the young fellowship was taken by Pastor Josiah on the issue of restitution. In other words, as a polygamist (with three wives), he decided to send away the last two of his wives because of his new understanding and interpretation of the Bible. The names of his three wives were Esther, Deborah and Sisi Mi (a nickname given to the third wife)(Olaleru,2007).
Polygamy as a way of life in Yorubaland is an accepted mode of living which enhances the status of a man. Omotoye (2007:336) argues elsewhere that “polygamy was neither a religious matter nor a moral issue.” The idea of one man one wife was introduced by the Christian missionaries in the 19th century.  The European missionaries could not make a difference between Christianity and their cultural practice. Hence, monogamy was made a condition in accepting the new religion.
Josiah accepted the European marriage custom of one man one wife. We believe that the issue of restitution for a polygamist could be sociologically inimical to the welfare of an extended family in Yorubaland. It is one of the ways by which child abuse could triumph in any society. For a man to send a married woman and her children away from home in the name of religion was to the extreme and inhuman. One of the women divorced expressed her feelings thus:
            When Woli (i.e. Prophet) without any quarrel asked me to go because of what he said his God was telling him,and all my pleading did not change his mind, yet l really loved him,l decided to take to take him to court. He did not contest it, so the court asked me to return the #12:6s he had paid    as my dowry back to him.Woli said I should keep it to take    care of our little son with me at the time of this separation    but I tell you l can never forget Akindayomi. He was a very
handsome man,a faithful lover and a very impeccable man. He’s a good man. I know we shall meet again. (Olaleru,2007)

The above experience was an expression of agony of a woman who was un-ceremoniously and disgracefully divorced by Josiah because of his new understanding of the gospel!
 Pastor Akindayomi had a brief association with the Apostolic Church before he severed his relationship with it. Ayeku (2008:60) recorded thus:
            When Baba (Josiah) gave his life to Christ (that is, ceased from being a C&S prophet), he was exposed to Faith Tabernacle of U.S.A. And Faith Tabernacle and the Apostolic Faith have many things in common and because of this, you can imagine the strict nature of RCCG during his time as General Superintendent.

The Redeemed Christian Church of God.

The RCCG was formally inaugurated as a Church in 1952.As a result of the charisma and healing powers of the founder many people became attracted to the Church. One of such people was the current General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye and his wife. They joined the Church in 1973.He was given an assignment as an interpreter of the gospel in English; while Josiah was preaching in Yoruba.Gradually, the mantle of leadership was relinquished to Enoch Adeboye.
   The founder revealed in 1979 to a group of few members of the Church who were with him on a trip to United States of America that Pastor Adeboye was to succeed him after his demise.

       One day the Lord revealed to Akindayomi that it was time for him to die. He then sent for Pastor Adeboye and spent several hours with him, sharing the details of the covenant and the plans of the Lord for the church. A year earlier, the Lord had revealed to Pastor Adeboye that he would be Akindayomi's successor, but it was too difficult for him to fully contemplate such an awesome responsibility. Akindayomi died in 1980 at the age of 71. Thereafter Pastor Adeboye's appointment was formalized and he has since been the general overseer of the church.
         Today God is still doing powerful work through the Redeemed Christian Church of God worldwide. In 1981 there was an explosion of growth in the number of parishes. At the last count there were about 2,000 parishes of the church in Nigeria. The church is also present in other African nations, including: Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Gambia, Cameroon, and South Africa. In Europe the church has spread to England, Germany, and France. In the Americas there are U.S. parishes in Dallas, Tallahassee, Houston, New York, Washington, and Chicago, and in the Caribbean states of Haiti and Jamaica. One prominent program of the church is the Holy Ghost service, an all-night miracle service, held on the first Friday of every month at the Redemption Camp at Km. 46, Lagos-Ibadan expressway. The average number of those who attend the service is about 500,000. The Holy Ghost service is now also held in London on a quarterly basis.

 The opinion of Ojo (2010:21) is correct when he said that “Charismatic organizations are nevertheless significant because they are concentrated in a highly articulated and highly prestigious group of people. In addition, they are led by the educated elite, which though small in number, exert considerable influence in the society”. The formal western education which the founder of the church lacked was judiciously and maximally used for the organization and new innovations introduced by Pastor E. Adeboye.

 

FEAR NOT 2

Faith and fear are enemy but the fearful shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Below is a short story of a christian who battle and become a victims of fear. Pastor Michael came back from a church service, as he was trying enter his house; he saw a car knocking down a road cleaner in front of his house and ran away. He quickly ran to see the man knocked down and found out that he’s almost dying. He taught within himself, how can I help this man, if I should try to rush him to the hospital and he died on his way, I will be locked behind the bar.

If I leave him alone and I allow him to die in front of my house. I will be arrested for I will be the first suspect. Then he quickly carried the man away from his house before the corps arrives. And dump him behind a bush. As he was dumping the man, the man was crying and asking for help but Pastor Michael ran away. After two hours some people passing by saw the man and quickly called for emergency and the man was rushed to the hospital. 30 minute later the Man died and the doctor said, if they have brought this man 2 hours before now, he may have survive the accident, but now, the wound is too deep that blood has flow to a place it should not. That was what causes the man’s death. 

Satan has worked seriously most on the forces of every country. He has used them to impose fear into the mind of people and cause them not to want to do what is right in sight of God and Man. Pastor Michael allow fear to rule over him which cause the death of the Road Worker Man, and he’s guilty of an innocent blood. Michael end up in hell because he fail to save his neighbors life and allow fear to rule his life instead of faith. Is it not better to obey God and end up in jail?
 

He fail to help his neighbor as the Lord instructed him but allow fear to rule over him, forgetting the promise of the Lord that he will not lead you to temptation but deliver you from evil, you forgot that the Lord said he will not lead you into the trap of the wicked, you lack faith and you allow fear to rule over you. Faith and Fear are enemy and the fearful shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Revelation 21:8) Pastor Michael, your hand is stain with an innocent blood and you are guilty.

Fear, The Faster Killer Of Christian Faith And Life.
The world has turned darkened in such that Satan is the one ruling the countries. In the olden days, when someone had an accident, people will rush to rescue him or her, but today, even if anyone collapse in front of your house or shop, they will quickly closed their shop and run away or drag him away from their house as pastor Michael did. Because if the police come, they will arrest the owner of the house that he was the one who killed him even when they know he is innocent. The best lies in the whole world are found in their mouth. Their camp is full of innocent blood. Many are in their custody for doing good and what is right.

Much innocent blood has being shed by them. Their go is go and their come is come, they do not care to do proper investigation, all they know is we saw him, so he must be the criminal we have being looking for. Many Children of God has end up in hell because of fear to fall into the hands of the Police. They fail to help their neighbor because of fear to be locked behind the bar. Many Children of God has turned into Bribe giver because of them, for Satan is using them seriously as a stumbling stone against the children of God.

FEAR NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Psalms 34:3-11 (KJV)

4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

He exhorts to the fear of God

     11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

                                                     

Fear grabs our attention. It gets us ready to fight—or flee. Whether we mask our fear with macho bravado or slink away to seek refuge, it can have a powerful effect on our thinking, decisions and actions.
A healthy fear can keep us from harm. But too often fear keeps us from doing what we want—or need—to do. Sometimes it provokes us into wrong or dangerous responses. Biblically speaking, fear can contribute to obeying—or disobeying—God’s law.
Why does fear seem so pervasive in society today, and what can we do to control it?
Increasing troubles in the world and our neighborhoods can make us feel like we are living in a fear zone. Politicians and hucksters of every stripe play on our fears for their own benefit, but that doesn’t mean the underlying dangers are not real.
Terrorism, mass shootings, spreading warfare, violent crime, disease epidemics, natural disasters, deadly animals—all of these are in the news and too often in our entertainment and our nightmares.
Some high-profile dangers we tend to overplay (like fear of sharks, flying and mass shootings), while other much more common killers we tend to downplay (like auto accidents and germs). Many of the things we fear never happen to us, and even when they do, all our anxieties and worries generally have done nothing to protect us.
The Bible does not minimize many of the things we fear. In fact, it shows that the world will become more dangerous and frightening as the end times approach.
But it also shows how we can deal with our fears—both the good and the bad.

Fear of the Lord

First, the good fear.
The Bible does promote an exceptional fear—a reasonable fear that actually allows us to eradicate all the deceptive and destructive fears. This healthy awe and respect for our Creator puts us on the path to spiritual knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; Psalm 111:10).

Fear vs. faith

The Bible instructs God’s people many times to “fear not.” God does not want us to be debilitated by fear.
For those who have the proper awe and respect for God and who strive to obey His commands, God makes some wonderful promises:

• “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10)
• “All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you” (Isaiah 54:13-14).
• “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).
• “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31).
• “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
• “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
• “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

As we grow in the faith to believe these promises, we can increase our ability to turn our worries over to God.
Consider the following biblical principles and examples in your battle with fear:

Go to God with your fears

We can ask God for His strength and peace. David, a man after God’s own heart, faced many frightening situations. After escaping one terrifying incident in the midst of Philistine territory, he wrote, “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).
The apostle Paul, no stranger to fears himself (2 Corinthians 7:5), gave this advice and reassurance: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Seek God’s Spirit

God gives His Spirit to those who repent and are baptized (Acts 2:38), and one fruit of His Spirit is peace (Galatians 5:22). Paul also said it is not “a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). God’s Spirit empowers us to control our thinking and to do the right things for the right reason.

Our trust in God is based on His promises and His faithfulness. The Faith Chapter, Hebrews 11, is full of stories of men and women who grew to believe that God would do exactly what He promised. Their trust in the faithful God helped them face their fears and act in faith. It helped them wait patiently and courageously endure terrifying trials.
The greatest example is Jesus Christ Himself. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
We can ask God for more faith (Luke 17:5; Mark 9:24). We should then act on that faith in obedience to God, since “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). If our focus is on God’s Word and His eternal promises more than the temporary physical circumstances, we will increase our faith and decrease our fear. 

Focus on the positive

Like the faithful people of old, we should focus beyond this fearful world on the positive future God has in store. We can also meditate on and appreciate the comfort and peace God gives now.
Paul directed our thinking toward the positive: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
He also often extolled the importance of gratitude: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Perfect love casts out fear

On our spiritual journey we must never forget our foundational fear of the Lord—our reverence for Him; our recognition of our dependence on Him. This proper perspective should lead to appreciation and praise—and a deeper love of the God who has given us everything we have and ever will receive. He loved us so much He even gave His own Son!
So our relationship with God grows on that foundation. “We love Him because He first loved us,” John wrote (1 John 4:19).
What does that love do? If we follow His steps and let Him live in us, we will not need to fear the only thing worth fearing: God’s day of judgment (verse 17; Matthew 10:28 God bless you!!!!

Preparing for the Presence of God

“Prepare the way for the Lord;

make His paths straight!

. . . and everyone will see the salvation of God.”—Luke 3:4, 6

If we are to receive the powerful presence of God, we must prepare ourselves. John the Baptist was God's messenger to help people prepare to receive the Savior of the world. John preached unwaveringly: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven at hand!” (Matt. 3:2). Those who heard John's message and prepared their lives recognized Jesus when He came, and they left all to follow Him. This was especially true of the disciples, whose hearts God Himself prepared (Matt. 16:17). Preparation must precede God's presence!

God's instruction for preparation is specific: repentance! This involves a complete change of mind, heart, will, and behavior toward Him. He is Lord, and your life must be prepared to receive Him as your Lord. Anything less is inadequate. Some were obviously unprepared to follow Jesus and missed the opportunity (Luke 9:57–62). The religious leaders of Jesus' day were largely unprepared for His arrival. They knew the Messiah was coming. They even knew where He would be born (Matt. 2:4–6). Yet when word came that the Savior had been born, they made no effort to join Him, preferring instead their religious ritual.

If you are unprepared, you, too, will miss the opportunity to experience Jesus. You may practice religion, but you will miss God. While others encounter the Lord personally in worship, your heart will remain unmoved. As others receive a fresh word from God, you will experience a painful silence. Religious activity can never substitute for a heart that is pure before Him. Purity comes only through repentance. Pray, as the Psalmist did, that God will examine your heart and reveal your need to repent of your sin (Ps. 139:23–24).

Who Are You?

The evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize—but who are you?”—Acts 19:15

There is no secondhand spirituality. No one else can develop Christian maturity on your behalf. A strong Christian heritage is an asset, but it cannot take the place of your own vibrant, growing relationship with Christ.

Paul had a powerful walk with God. God used him so mightily that extraordinary miracles occurred through his life. Cloths that touched Paul were taken to the sick, and the sick were healed (Acts 19:10–12). Evil spirits were cast out. Paul's preaching and teaching were instrumental in building a strong church in Ephesus. Paul's ministry was so impressive, in fact, that others tried to duplicate it.

Seven sons of the chief priest, Sceva, attempted to cast out demons the way Paul did. They confronted an evil spirit and attempted to exorcise it “by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” These men were trying to use a spiritual power that Paul had acquired after years of walking closely with his Lord. They could imitate Paul's words, but they could not duplicate the power that was his through his personal relationship with God. The evil spirit retorted, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” The demon then viciously attacked them and humiliated them. The evil spirits were fearfully aware of Jesus (James 2:19); they were familiar with Paul's influence over the powers of darkness. But the demons had no knowledge of the seven sons of Sceva.
You can duplicate the words and deeds of a spiritually mature Christian, but you cannot inherit his or her walk with God. Christian maturity takes effort; it comes over time. If you ignore the place of prayer and if you neglect your relationship with Christ, you will not grow in your faith. Imitating the faith of others will not give you victory. Only as you nurture your own relationship with Jesus will your life be filled with spiritual maturity and power.

Sing Like Drey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God created us to be unique and special, He fashioned us to be a tool in  his vineyard. 

Psalm 139;14 I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are your works; and that my soul knows right well.

So I'm not saying that you have to be like Drey, but you can develop yourself.
He was born in the 80s and he has been a chorister for many years. He is currently the choir warden of King's Anglican Church Choir Lagos. 

     He is a bass singer that have motivated a lot of people. He will never look down on anybody and he is a great motivator. 
    Drey have a spectacular voice and that is what we are talking about today. 

  

               HOW TO ENHANCE YOUR VOICE IN EIGHT STEPS.
You can learn how to care for your voice and get the best out of it. We’ve gathered the 8 best tips on how to improve your voice. Some vocal tips may seem obvious, some might be new for you. Let’s get started. 

1. Take care of your health to improve your voice

1. Make sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. The membranes which produce the sound function best when hydrated.
2. Whenever the throat feels scratchy, stay silent and let your voice rest.
3. When having a cold, try not to sing. Drink some tea, eat cough candy and be quiet instead.
4. Quit smoking if you want your voice to be better. Smoke damages your lungs and throat. You don’t need it for the smoky voice either – learn how to sing with smoky voice without cigarettes.
5. There are also some foods that might affect your voice. Those are spicy food, coffee, alcohol, milk products, and nuts. Try out if they harm your voice.

2. Warm up before singing (Voice Training)

Are you having cracks in your voice when singing? Does the throat hurt after singing? That’s a sign you need to warm up (more) next time. Your vocal cords need a warm up, just like your body muscles before doing sports.
What is a vocal warm-up? A set of exercises which prepare the voice and body for singing or speaking. It includes the following:
No worries if you haven’t done it before: It’s not difficult and many people have recorded tutorials showing warm up exercises.
How deep or high you start, depends on the type of your voice. Make sure to warm up both, the chest and head voices. This video brings it to a point and shows a set of exercises.

3. Sing at least 30 minutes a day

How to improve your voice? By practicing! Just like every other workout, you need to train your voice daily. A short daily practice will make your vocal cords stronger. Day by day, your voice will become better. If you can afford, try to sing for a couple of hours daily.
Take care before important gigs and auditions: Don’t overdo the night before. You need your voice smooth and rested when performing. Better sing just a little the day before.

4. Record your voice to listen to yourself

In order to know how you really sound when singing, you need to record yourself.

• Use the computer or smartphone or even an online free song recorder.
• Sing a song you know well – so you can concentrate on HOW to sing it instead of what to sing.
• Listen to the recording you made. At first, you probably won’t like it. Get over it and listen to your mistakes to learn from them. Notice what you did well, too.
• Compare the way you’re singing to the original recording. What does the singer do better? What can you change to sound more unique?
• Practice some ear training exercises – the better your ear, the better you’ll be singing

Alternatively, you can use this famous trick. Grab behind your ears or close one ear to listen to your voice the way others hear it.

5. Sing songs you are comfortable with

Respect your limits and choose songs you are capable of singing. When exercising, choose something a little challenging but manageable. For performances and auditions, it’s even more important to stick to pieces you’ll manage.
Choose also songs you really enjoy singing. That way it’s more fun. Find out how to use the backing track library of 1000+ songs.

6. Express emotions while singing

This is one of the dullest tips I ever got from my vocal teachers (get yourself a teacher, by the way!): You have to feel the song. And she was right! You can totally hear the difference if somebody is singing from the heart or simply repeating the words and the melody. So singing with emotions is a huge factor to improve your voice.
Try those steps:

• Choose songs you can relate to.
• Use your facial expression to stress what you’re singing about.
• Sing in front of the mirror and look for eye-contact of your audience.
• Try out different stressing, record your voice and check which one you like most.

7. Sing quietly

Singing quietly is probably the most challenging part of the singing process. Many amateur singers try to sing very loud to make up for wrong notes. Try to avoid this. It will damage your cords. Additionally, too loud singing sounds cranky instead of powerful.
In any case, avoid screaming and don’t strain your voice. A soft voice is achieved by correct body language and breath (point 8).

8. Use your body & breath to improve your voice

1. The body is the most important instrument for a performer. The best tips are to avoid tensions in neck and shoulders. Unlock your knees and control your breath.
2. It’s best to breath into your belly instead of your chest. Don’t move your shoulders when breathing in. Ken Taylor explains how it works in a pretty nice way: 
   
3. Think down when you are singing high notes. There is the tendency to lift the chin at high notes. Resist the urge and also think of adding some weight to the notes to support your voice.
4. Keep your chin down to sound better. You can practice in front of a mirror and record yourself to hear a difference.

How to train your voice to sound better? – a quick exercise

1. Stand in front of the mirror.
2. Stand upright, without tension in your knees or neck.
3. Start slowly breathing in and out through your belly.
4. Start singing some scales in a comfortable pitch to slowly warm up your body. First, sing them with a closed mouth and the letter “m”. Then move on to “na”. And then to a “la”.
5. After you warmed up, choose a song you can comfortably sing. Sing it in front of the mirror and watch your body language and mimics. Try to sing the text of the song to yourself, as if you would talk to a lovely friend. Do you notice any difference in your voice?
6. Watching or recording yourself might be odd in the beginning, but it will truly help you. Especially, if you are not taking vocal classes with a teacher. 

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