By Joan Chioma Obinagwam
The world today is evil and it is evil in all parameters. Beyond evil it is a bitter world earnestly waiting for salt.
The Provincial Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Lagos Province 40 (LP 40), Pastor Bola Odutola, said during a Thanksgiving Service held at Solidrock Parish, Lagos.
He said: “You are the salt.”
Odutola added that as humans your life is either invested or wasted.
Citing Hebrews 11:13-15 and 11:26, he recounted how the heroes and heroines of faith—whose lives were like salt to a bitter world—lived lives of impact and service against all odds. Confiance News gathered from the scriptures, which he read, that despite not receiving all that had been promised to them, they still clung firmly to their faith.
Essence of Salt
In this bitter world, something is missing. Something essential. The bitter world is waiting for salt.
You are the salt.
Salt preserves. Salt purifies. Salt heals. Confiance News also learnt that in ancient times, salt was more than seasoning—it was a symbol of covenant, of value, of life itself. And in a world that is rotting from within, the presence of salt is not optional—it is urgent.
To be salt is to stand against the decay. It is to confront evil not with more evil, but with righteousness, courage, and truth. It is to be a healing agent in a wounded land. Importantly, It is to live a life of impacts and service to humanity. And history has shown us what salt looks like when it is poured out with purpose.
The Provincial Pastor referenced Mary Slessor and Pa Sydney Granville Elton as some of Nigeria’s heroes and heroines of faith who have demonstrated the quality of salt in a bitter world.
Mary Slessor: Salt that saved lives
In the late 19th century, Mary Slessor, a Scottish missionary, arrived in Calabar, Nigeria, and encountered a horrifying tradition: the killing of twins. Twins were believed to be evil omens, cursed children, and were often abandoned or murdered. But Mary, moved by compassion and conviction, refused to accept this bitter reality.
Confiance News learnt that she did not just preach—she intervened. She adopted twins, protected mothers, and challenged tribal beliefs with love and truth. Her life became salt in a bitter world. Through her tireless work, the practice of twin infanticide was gradually abolished, and generations of children were saved. Her legacy still echoes in Nigeria today.
Reacting to Slessor’s legacy, Odutola said that Malinda Mgbafor Okereke, who died at the age 115 (on March 5, 2025, after a brief illness) was the last surviving female twin that was rescued by her.
“You have a sacred duty to force yourself into the inner circle of saints. Somehow, somewhere, someone is waiting for your ministry. If you are living only for yourself, you should be troubled,” he quipped.
Pa S.G. Elton: Salt that shaped a nation
Decades later, another figure emerged—Pa Sydney Granville Elton (S.G. Elton) a British missionary who arrived in Nigeria in the 1930s. But unlike many, he did not come to dominate—he came to disciple.
Pastor Odutola revealed that while Pa Elton was still in Britain, he received a revelation about a place called Ilesha in Nigeria, where he was destined to evangelize. After confirming the location, he sailed to Nigeria with his wife and only daughter, Ruth Elton. In Nigeria, Pa Elton mentored young believers, inspiring them with a vision for spiritual revival and national transformation.
He was a father to many of Nigeria’s future spiritual leaders, including those who would go on to shape the Pentecostal movement across the country. His teachings emphasized holiness, purpose, and the power of the Holy Spirit. He did not just build churches—he built people. His life was salt that preserved the spiritual destiny of a nation.
Confiance News has learnt that his only daughter, Ruth Elton, a polyglot, followed in her parents’ footsteps by continuing their missionary work. She chose to remain unmarried and celibate, dedicating her life to service—a true testament that a life devoted to service is not lived in vain.
In the words of Odutola,”We didn’t come here to buy cars; we came to serve.”
Cover Photo (L-R): Mary Slessor. Photo credit: Leisure & Culture Dundee. Pa Sydney Granville Elton. Photo credit: Christian Today
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