Toyin Adebola is the CEO of Lakeside Energy, a petroleum trading, marketing and consulting company he started few years ago after leaving paid employment. He is a gospel artiste and is also behind Toyin & Friends, a group of people who put together a show quarterly to worship God. In this interview with UZEZI ADESITE he talks about his inspiration.
(This interview was conducted in 2011 and previously published in Business Hallmark Newspapers)
What is Toyin & Friends all about?
Toyin & Friends is just a group of people that were birth by a vision I had sometime in 2005 to do Christian music in a very different way. We wanted to create a relaxed platform where not only us but a lot of young aspiring and even established musicians could come and minister to people outside of a church or regular Christian gathering experience; where people can actually enjoy and participate in very deep worship. It has nothing to do with entertainment really. It is just so much fun because we have a ball. We have people who come and sing praise or worship songs. We just enjoy ourselves in God’s presence.
What is Toyin & Friends all about?
Toyin & Friends is just a group of people that were birth by a vision I had sometime in 2005 to do Christian music in a very different way. We wanted to create a relaxed platform where not only us but a lot of young aspiring and even established musicians could come and minister to people outside of a church or regular Christian gathering experience; where people can actually enjoy and participate in very deep worship. It has nothing to do with entertainment really. It is just so much fun because we have a ball. We have people who come and sing praise or worship songs. We just enjoy ourselves in God’s presence.
What inspired you to begin and what keeps you going?
Before that time, I knew there were a lot of people who had tried to do something similar. They will start like 2 or 3 events and then fizzle out. But I knew that people in church needed an atmosphere of relieve. Somewhere you go where there’s no regiment that we are going to do praise first or worship, then the word or offering and all that. From personal experience and relating to others, I knew we needed that kind of atmosphere to worship God. No one knows what’s coming next, but you know that whatever comes, it’s going to minister to you or help you minister to God. What keeps me going is simply what got me started in the first place. Every time we have Toyin & Friends, I go back to view the pictures and videos and know it has to continue because you can see people on their knees, crying, worshipping God without being told, lifting up their hands towards heaven. They are not concerned about who’s on their left or right. We have done this for six years now and I have noticed that we keep growing and we have over 2, 000 people in attendance at our events now. We have almost like a committed following and its very inspiring and we don’t want to disappoint them because they believe in us and what God has asked us to do.
Before that time, I knew there were a lot of people who had tried to do something similar. They will start like 2 or 3 events and then fizzle out. But I knew that people in church needed an atmosphere of relieve. Somewhere you go where there’s no regiment that we are going to do praise first or worship, then the word or offering and all that. From personal experience and relating to others, I knew we needed that kind of atmosphere to worship God. No one knows what’s coming next, but you know that whatever comes, it’s going to minister to you or help you minister to God. What keeps me going is simply what got me started in the first place. Every time we have Toyin & Friends, I go back to view the pictures and videos and know it has to continue because you can see people on their knees, crying, worshipping God without being told, lifting up their hands towards heaven. They are not concerned about who’s on their left or right. We have done this for six years now and I have noticed that we keep growing and we have over 2, 000 people in attendance at our events now. We have almost like a committed following and its very inspiring and we don’t want to disappoint them because they believe in us and what God has asked us to do.
How would you describe your walk with God?
I relate to God much the same way anybody would relate to his father. A father have expectations of his children and I’m privileged to have 3 children of mine and I know I always have expectations and almost all the time, they fall short, but I love them because they are my children and I keep trying my best to guide them and I believe that is how God relates to me and that also mirrors how I relate to Him. He is my father and has given me His word and servants to guide me. But because I have a mind of my own, I sometimes go my own way, but still, I can go back to Him knowing that whatever He says, or whatever direction He points me is for my own good because He knows better.
I relate to God much the same way anybody would relate to his father. A father have expectations of his children and I’m privileged to have 3 children of mine and I know I always have expectations and almost all the time, they fall short, but I love them because they are my children and I keep trying my best to guide them and I believe that is how God relates to me and that also mirrors how I relate to Him. He is my father and has given me His word and servants to guide me. But because I have a mind of my own, I sometimes go my own way, but still, I can go back to Him knowing that whatever He says, or whatever direction He points me is for my own good because He knows better.
Considering the state of our economy and the level of corruption around, how should Christians uphold their values and morals?
For me, there are two things I constantly put before me. I look at God’s expectation for me and how what I do affect those expectations or affect the next person, like someone who is close to me or not even close to me. When they are far away they look at you and go, ‘ha, he is a Christian and all that’. But those close to you know you and your weakness. If I don’t uphold the word of God, how is it going to impact on those people? I think that is how every Christian should think. No one is a 100% perfect, but I think in everything we do, we must consider God, not upsetting Him and at the same time think how our testimony affects the next person, because at the end of the day, we might be the only god someone will see that will lead him to God, so if we don’t think that way, there’s going to be a problem. Like I said, no one is perfect, if we are then we don’t need Jesus, we won’t need Grace. But at the same time, we should understand we are the salt and light of the earth and if we now become hopeless, not upholding those qualities, there is a problem. That’s why when we fall short, there’s the grace of God that we can go back to. So we have the Holy Spirit and the grace of God to help us. The most important thing is, at the end of our lives, can we look back and say I think I did God and those who look up to me proud?
For me, there are two things I constantly put before me. I look at God’s expectation for me and how what I do affect those expectations or affect the next person, like someone who is close to me or not even close to me. When they are far away they look at you and go, ‘ha, he is a Christian and all that’. But those close to you know you and your weakness. If I don’t uphold the word of God, how is it going to impact on those people? I think that is how every Christian should think. No one is a 100% perfect, but I think in everything we do, we must consider God, not upsetting Him and at the same time think how our testimony affects the next person, because at the end of the day, we might be the only god someone will see that will lead him to God, so if we don’t think that way, there’s going to be a problem. Like I said, no one is perfect, if we are then we don’t need Jesus, we won’t need Grace. But at the same time, we should understand we are the salt and light of the earth and if we now become hopeless, not upholding those qualities, there is a problem. That’s why when we fall short, there’s the grace of God that we can go back to. So we have the Holy Spirit and the grace of God to help us. The most important thing is, at the end of our lives, can we look back and say I think I did God and those who look up to me proud?
What are the future plans for Toyin & Friends?
We are taking one day after the other. God should take us to where He wants us to go. The fact that we have been six years is God’s grace. Each event cost us about N3m to N4m. We are not writing letters or passing envelopes that people should help us. We would love to have some sponsors in the future, but God has been taking care of His own business. How and when is difficult for me to say. We only plan for the next one or two events.
We are taking one day after the other. God should take us to where He wants us to go. The fact that we have been six years is God’s grace. Each event cost us about N3m to N4m. We are not writing letters or passing envelopes that people should help us. We would love to have some sponsors in the future, but God has been taking care of His own business. How and when is difficult for me to say. We only plan for the next one or two events.
There’s an understanding you are interested in setting up a music label.
I have been privileged to have God release songs like ‘10, 000 dreams away’ through me, but the platform we have right now in this country is not attractive enough for me to say I want to get on that commercial band to market my music. Secularly, you have mega brands like Guinness, Nigerian Breweries, MTN, Airtel. They are promoting a lot of local artistes and have helped a lot of them to grow but we don’t have such in Christendom. A lot of my friends like Samsong, Cobams, Buchi are talented people who are in their own states generals, as far as gospel music is concerned, but what is happening to their music? We don’t have corporate promotion for our music. So my ambition is to set up a gospel label within the next one or two years to promote artistes. I have met a lot of young talented Christian singers since I started doing Toyin & Friends.
PS: the next edition of Toyin & Friends 'Worship Unscripted' comes up Feb 26th
I have been privileged to have God release songs like ‘10, 000 dreams away’ through me, but the platform we have right now in this country is not attractive enough for me to say I want to get on that commercial band to market my music. Secularly, you have mega brands like Guinness, Nigerian Breweries, MTN, Airtel. They are promoting a lot of local artistes and have helped a lot of them to grow but we don’t have such in Christendom. A lot of my friends like Samsong, Cobams, Buchi are talented people who are in their own states generals, as far as gospel music is concerned, but what is happening to their music? We don’t have corporate promotion for our music. So my ambition is to set up a gospel label within the next one or two years to promote artistes. I have met a lot of young talented Christian singers since I started doing Toyin & Friends.
PS: the next edition of Toyin & Friends 'Worship Unscripted' comes up Feb 26th
