By MARTINS AZUWIKE

Our paths crossed in the early 1990s somewhere around Cele Bus stop, Aladelola and Love All streets in Ikosi, Ketu, Lagos. It was neither stray nor incidental. You and your assistant, Pastor Divine Agboare, were out in the Lord’s vineyard, spreading God’s living word in an environment then dominated by the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC).

In the course of this, I was preached to and invited to the newly established church. Perhaps, casually, I committed to honouring the invitation. God helping me, I did. By the grace of God, I had already been converted before then.

The venue was the open field acquired by the CCC around Cele Bus stop at the intersection of Aladelola street and Love All street for crusades and other events.

The church was named Overcomers’ Chapel. It was an arm of the Light Of Life Ministries. Though a CCC property, the space was also used by a few other churches for events that were tied to their faith.

From what we gathered at the time, it was not long you (then Reverend Dr Fidelis Itsuokor) left your ‘tiny room’ in Agege (as you described it) for Ketu. At Ketu, Dr Edward Fapohunda had assigned two rooms to you at the open space, having appointed you the Rector of the college of theology established in the compound by him. He also gave you access to the next building, a hall with benches, to serve as lecture room. That also served as temporary auditorium for the church in its formative stages.

Membership was scanty. Many members had no job, and those who had one earned so little. Only brother (now pastor) Muyiwa Amode had an old Volkswagen beetle car, a development we all held in high esteem.

I still reminisce that at various points, you visited several big ministries to appeal for support to enable the church acquire microphones, public address systems (loudspeakers), amplifiers, and other instruments of music. Most of those outings generated dismal results, but by faith, and with guts, you trudged on, believing God for greater accomplishments to come. At some point, you told us that God laid it in your heart that what was needed to run the ministry was in the church. Please, pardon me if I either failed to hear you well, or or quote you correctly.

Part of the accomplishments is the Power Cathedral that was dedicated over the weekend at the Ikorodu permanent site of the church.

On this, I appreciate the grace of God for his divine backing that has made it possible. I also congratulate you, your family, the entire congregation, friends and associates who were involved in various ways and capacities in making this happen.

I still recall a bit of the conspiracies that led to vacating the open space venue of the church for a literally abandoned warehouse on Ikorodu Road. After so much work was done, resources deployed to give value to the property and make it conducive for worship and service to God, other limiting factors, including incessant rental increases, resentments, and multiple oddities that toughened the environment worked in league to make the environment harsh. The last incident that necessitated the exit of the church was the storm that blew off the roof of the warehouse in one fell swoop on that fateful afternoon. With this, the church was under necessity to go in search of another venue.

It was yet another misused piece of land in Ketu, which the church leased and built a structure on. Some brethren were exhausted in the process of clearing the debris on the land to bring the space to the church’s minimum taste. But God was available to revive his children and complete the work. No permanent structure was permitted by the owners of the property, so, the church settled for a temporary structure built with corrugated iron sheets (zink) on wood, commonly referred to as pako among the Yoruba.

We were all elated when you acquired your first car, a Volkswagen Jetta, which you gave a unique name, TSW, meaning ‘to start with.’

Those were the days of humble beginnings that cannot be ignored. Other cars, including Mercedes Benz V-boot, Lexus 300, Toyota Highlander, and more later came.

From the human perspective, it was a move against all odds as many had told you at that early stage, that Ketu, especially Ikosi side, was a tough environment that should be avoided for evangelism, what’s more, with the undiluted end-time gospel message you were coming with. But it was divinely arranged, and with heavenly backing fused and laced with faith and spiritual gut, you came, saw, and conquered. It was not easy, though. The environment was harsh. There were daunting allegations, organised attacks, complex conspiracies and other secret plots and footwork even by your immediate neighbours (remember Mr Effiong), aimed to frustrate the work at that nascent stage. Attempts were even made by the adversaries to dispossess the church of some benches that the few members overstretched their meagre resources to make as the property of the ministry. This also failed.

Once, during a vigil, worshippers witnessed armed robbers who attacked a building nearby. Not scared, they raised their voices in prayers. The robbers who were not comfortable with the development ended their operation abruptly and did all they could to escape.

Oddly enough, the vigilance men in the environment who were scared stiff to the point of not being able to lift a finger while the malefactors operated came to accuse the church of harbouring the robbers who had escaped in response to the boldness of the worshippers to avoid being caught. They threatened to burn down the church in the morning. However, they failed again, and it was such fun to see Satan lose.

I still remember how, with uncommon mastery and artistry, you beat the local drum to which we also responded with unique dance steps at that stage. Glory be to God that these have changed now for the better and the church planted overseas.

Certainly, it’s a long narrative with many other milestone accomplishments that have been made, which for space constraints, I may not be able to accommodate in this piece.

However, I remain positive and believe that God would grant the grace to make it possible to touch base with the church again and possibly be better furnished with more information and updates for more in-depth presentation.

Once more, I congratulate you, your beautiful wife, Pastor Kerina, the entire congregation, family and friends, in appreciation of God’s faithfulness. I salute you, dear Archbishop Prof. Itsuokor. God is God and is good.

PROFILE OF ARCHBISHOP PROFESOR FIDELIS OSHIOMUOFUOYA ITSUOKOR J.P.

Archbishop Professor Fidelis Oshiomuofuoya Itsuokor was born on June 5, 1963, to Mr Umoru John and Mrs Margaret Ego Itsuokor of Ivhiochie quarter Ogbona, Avianwu clan, Etsako-Central Local Government, Edo State, Nigeria.

An eminent religious leader, scholar, and humanitarian with a significant career that spans more than three decades, he is also a prominent figure in the Christian community with uncommon evangelistic zeal, academic excellence, and leadership prowess. He is a renowned revivalist, author, scholar, and theologian with experience in the religious and academic communities, proven track record of leadership, evangelism, and humanitarian services, skilled in public speaking, teaching, and administration.

Archbishop Professor Itsuokor attended Imhakhena Primary School, Ogbona from 1971-1977. He gained admission to the prestigious St. John’s College, Fugar in 1978 and graduated in 1983.

In 1985, he wrote and passed the entrance examination into the Nigerian Paper Mill Industrial Training Institute to study Pulp and Paper Technology. He worked briefly at the Nigerian Paper Mill Jebba. It was while here that he felt a strong burden for full-time ministry. The hand of God was so strong upon him for evangelism.

In response, he left Jebba for Lagos where he attended International Ministerial Bible College where he studied for a Diploma and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology, graduating with a first-class and set an academic record in the school that has not been rivalled after many decades. He was retained as a lecturer in the school and recommended for a master’s in theology degree at Faith Christian Theological Seminary, an affiliate of Ogun State University.

He gained admission to study for a master’s in theology at Faith Christian Theological Seminary and earned a Doctorate Degree in Theology at Faith Theological Seminary in 1992.

His quest for secular academic knowledge drove him to the University of Lagos where he studied Industrial Relations and Personnel Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management. He also studied Master of Business Administration MBA Marketing at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

Prof. Itsuokor is a Doctoral Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management and a Professor of Christian Theology. As a Scholar and Theologian of high esteem, he has lectured in various Bible Colleges and Seminaries. He was a Rector of Pentecostal Theological Seminary for many years.

Prof. Itsuokor is the President/Founder of Light of Life Ministries A.K.A. Overcomers Chapel with headquarters in Lagos and branches in South Africa and Canada.

He was ordained a Bishop and later elevated to Archbishop by the West African College of Missionary Bishops.

He Is a prominent leader in the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), and is one of the few privileged Nigerian preachers to have faced over a million audience in a single night in Reinhard Bonnke’s crusade in Lagos in 2006. Fidelis was the pioneer chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Kosofe Local Government Area, Lagos State. He was also Director of programmes in (PFN) Lagos State for several years. Recently, Archbishop Itsuokor was appointed a board member of the State Advisory Council, the highest decision-making body of the PFN, Lagos State.

He has taken the gospel to several countries of the World including the United States of America (USA), Israel and South Africa.

As an Evangelist, Fidelis held his first crusade in Ogbona in 1986. He is one of the earliest pioneers of Pentecostalism in Ogbona. It is noteworthy that the first-ever medical outreach in Ogbona was his brainchild, he shared the vision with people who he knew could buy into it and it was executed.

Now what is burning in his heart is how to render humanitarian services in the form of welfare, and empowerment of the less privileged, widows and the disabled in Ogbona.

He has a dream to see Ogbona develop, and her sons and daughters become so great that everyone is contributing their quotas to the development of Ogbona. He has participated in most of the major crusades and prayer programmes for Ogbona. Because Ogbona is so dear to his heart, he is a member of the Ogbona Christian Association. His wealth of experience and maturity is always seen whenever he makes his contribution.

Prof. Fidelis is married to Pastor Mrs. Kerina Fidelis (nee Eleta). Though they waited on God for the fruit of the womb for twelve years, today they are blessed with three boys, Marvellous, Miracle and Moses. Fidelis has great visions and plans for Ogbona, and believes strongly that God will do great work through him in Ogbona. He has initiated many ideas of how Ogbona can be won for Christ and believes that at the appointed time God’s will shall be done in Ogbona.

Fidelis is the author of the best-selling Christian books Rekindling the Fire of Pentecost and Victorious through Prayers. He is a recipient of several awards such as the Long Service Award, and Meritorious Award, by the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Lagos State. His classmates ’83 set at St. John’s College also gave him an award due to his immense contributions to the activities of the class.

Recently, Prof. Fidelis Itsuokor was appointed as the adviser on National matters to the President of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). He is also the National Vice President, Mobilization and Inauguration of the National Coalition of Apostles, Bishops and Archbishops and Cardinals (NCABAC).

Note: Information on Archbishop Professor Fidelis Itsuokor is adapted from Ogbona Elites.org, Profiles of Some of Ogbona Men and Women.

•Martins Azuwike is a believing believer, an economist, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and a member of the Guild of Public Affairs Analysts of Nigeria (GPAAN).