Contrary to the rumours surrounding the unfortunate incident that affected the Christ Apostolic Church (Word in the World), situated at Wisdom Estate, Akobo, Olorunda Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, late last year, the presiding cleric, Prophet Joseph Kehinde Oyewale, shared his experience in an exclusive interview with SEYI SOKOYA, about the incident and how it has affected his life.
THERE were conflicting reports about the disaster that occurred in your church on December 13, 2024. What happened?
I am grateful to God for the gift of life, even after experiencing the devastating fire that destroyed everything I had worked for. What occurred on that fateful day was beyond human comprehension. The incident took place on the church premises during our Christmas carol service. I joined the service toward the end, as I had not been present earlier. They were supposed to conclude the carol service, but they waited for me because I usually distribute gifts during the event.
After quickly changing at the mission house, I rushed to the church, which was only a few feet away. As soon as I entered the church, I began preaching. As I prepared to distribute the gifts, my son alerted me that the mission house was on fire. We rushed outside immediately, and what I saw was unimaginable. It looked like a fuel tanker fire. Just as I stepped out of the church, the roof of the mission house collapsed. I could hardly believe my eyes.
I was unable to think clearly. I had sent someone to retrieve a laptop from the mission house, which is located near the church, and I couldn’t understand how a fire had broken out. I had just left the mission house a few minutes earlier, and there were no signs of anything that could have caused it. The person I sent for the laptop was also shocked by the incident, as there was no apparent reason for the fire. There was no electricity supply; the generator was off, and the solar inverter we used for the mission was switched off since we were relying on solar power to run the church and conserve battery life.
What could have led to the fire outbreak?
Honestly, I still can’t understand what happened. Our solar system has a breaker, and there is also a flame alarm on the church premises. Fortunately, my wife had advised us to stop cooking earlier in the week in preparation for our annual prayer mountain event after the Christmas carol. We moved the gas cylinders from the kitchen outside, and those were the only items that were saved from the incident. Additionally, everyone had eaten earlier that day, precisely around 5 PM, before the programme began, leaving us puzzled about the source of the fire.
Immediately after the fire started, people rushed to retrieve the extinguishers from different locations, trying to put out the flames, but all efforts were in vain as the fire was overwhelming. Confusion reigned as the entire building became engulfed in flames. The fire spread from the mission house to the church in an instant and also consumed the small church beside the mission house.
I am grateful that the service was still ongoing at the larger church; otherwise, there could have been a significant loss of life, with many people trapped in both the mission house and the smaller church.
What did you lose in the fire outbreak?
I would say I lost everything I had ever achieved to the inferno. It is truly heartbreaking to have lost all I worked for throughout my life. I owned only one house, and it was reduced to ashes. Everything belonging to those who lived with me was also destroyed. 16 international passports, numerous vital documents, new phones, home appliances, and generators we used for evangelism, as well as the new generators we purchased to empower people— all of them were burnt. The building materials for a church branch under construction, which included doors, sinks, PVC pipes, imported wiring, and other valuables, were also gone.
Is it true the incident cliamed lives?
I want to clarify that the rumours about the incident are not true. I am grateful that no lives were lost. Everyone, including my elderly mother, was in the main church auditorium at the time of the fire. I believe the reason behind these rumours is that it is hard to imagine such a large fire without resulting in fatalities. As I mentioned, we were all in church when the fire broke out. Policemen from Eleyele and Ijaganku came to verify whether any lives were lost, and a police rescue team from the Olorunda area also arrived at the scene that day. Therefore, contrary to the circulating rumours, no live was lost in this incident.
The firefighters tried to respond to the incident, which occurred around 9:30 PM, but the fire had caused extensive damage before they arrived. Over the years, I have worked hard to build myself as an entrepreneur, but the fire has shattered my dreams and the resources I have gathered.
What other steps have you taken to get back on your feet after the incident?
It has been a challenging time, but my family and I must move forward. The first step I took was to rebuild the damaged portion of the main church. I sold my car to raise funds for the restoration and to prevent further damage. My office, a part of the main church that had recently been upgraded for the 20th-anniversary celebrations, was also severely affected.
Although I am not ashamed to live under a tree or in the church auditorium since the incident occurred, my main concern is to restore the church to good shape to avoid any unforeseen occurrences. That is why I sold my car for N1.1 million to help cover the roof restoration, which will cost us N2 million, according to the estimates from the repair team.
Unfortunately, the money I withdrew from the bank to purchase bags of rice for distribution at the Prayer Mountain programme also got burnt. I cannot recall the amount of cash in hard currency lost in the flames.
How did you receive the call?
I am filled with gratitude for the way I received God’s call, no matter the challenges I face in life. I began my journey as a porter (Alabaru) in a market and gained popularity in Akure town. Eventually, I became the chairman of the porters in that market. Although my father was once a multimillionaire, our circumstances changed dramatically, and I would rather not focus on that part of our story.
When times became tough, I started working as a porter at the young age of 12. I often cried as I struggled to carry heavy loads, all to make ends meet. Despite the challenges and immense suffering, I found joy in this work. Amid these difficulties, my parents held on to their faith in Jesus Christ, and that strength was passed down to us.
This experience motivated me to live a Christlike life, which led me to the late Papa Olowere. I consider myself a product of Baba Olowere’s mentorship; he and his wife took me in as a son, and I lived with them. With his blessings, I was able to start my ministry. I entered the ministry without much, but I have grown significantly during my time in it. This is why my faith is so strong—I believe I will recover whatever I have lost from the incident through divine grace.
When the fire incident occurred, Mama Olowere and their children rallied round me to provide support. I think my close relationship with Baba Olowere led people to mistakenly believe the incident happened at his church, which is likely why it gained so much media attention.
I sincerely thank the Christ Apostolic Church authorities for sending a delegate to support me during this difficult time. Reverend Adebiyi Adams generously gifted me the first outfit I wore after the fire. The Regional Superintendent, Pastor Dada, provided me with pairs of shoes, as we were left with nothing. Additionally, the wives of ministers also offered clothing and essential items that we needed urgently.
I am truly thankful to the residents of Wisdom Estate, the Nigeria Police, and my spiritual fathers, especially our president, Pastor S. O. Oladele, along with the clerics in our neighborhood and all Nigerians for their tremendous support. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the Christian Association of America for their heartfelt sympathy letter.
Above all, I still need God’s help and support from others. I am struggling to recover from the devastation I experienced. My life and my entire household feel empty. It’s amusing that I now wear female slippers compared to the countless pairs of shoes I once had. However, I believe I have everything I need in Christ. I am grateful to everyone who has felt led to help me, and I pray that we will all be spared from experiencing such a fire disaster again.
What is your message to Nigerian leaders and citizens as we journey into the New Year?
My candid advice to all Nigerians, especially the leaders, is to ensure that the source of their wealth is righteous. Whatever you aspire to acquire or achieve in life should be through God, so, it does not lead to great lamentation on the last day. If I had not experienced what happened to me, I would have eventually regretted my choices. Let us all make God our beginning and our source.
I recall that I was already experiencing a partial stroke during the fire because I was aware of what I was losing to the flames. As soon as I noticed the side effects, I began to praise God, and some people joined me. This act saved me from being struck with a partial stroke. This experience taught me a spiritual lesson: you can overcome any challenge when you are rooted in God.
I want to take this opportunity to urge everyone to give their lives to Christ for the sake of the difficult days ahead because Christ is the only one who can help us stand firm in times of trouble.
What big lesson did you learn from this incident?
I want to share with everyone that if you haven’t given your life to Christ to secure your place in heaven, please consider doing so, especially in times like these. It is only God who has kept me standing through this difficult period. No sermon can alleviate the pain I’m feeling right now. Everything I worked hard for, enduring years of pain and hunger, went up in flames before my eyes. I can’t even recall some of the valuable items I lost. All my equipment for skill acquisition was destroyed.
Above all, I thank God for the gift of life. According to human reasoning, I may never recover from this loss. However, according to the Word of God, I have strong faith that there is nothing He cannot do. I believe God is aware of my situation. While I don’t claim to be perfect, I am confident I hold no grudges against anyone who would justify such a devastating loss.
My philosophy has always been to “do anything that will provide a solution to someone else’s problem,” which has always worked well for me.
How do you intend to recover from this, especially considering that you are one of the few clerics who do not make offerings compulsory?
I truly put my trust in God for a miraculous intervention, as I am unsure where to begin. During this time, many people, especially my spiritual mentors, have shown us tremendous support. I do not pressure anyone to give offerings because I believe the church is not a business. We rarely collect offerings; rather, I encourage people to serve God and contribute as they feel led by their hearts. My focus is on preaching righteousness and holiness, and I strive to live by those values. Our church is widely recognised as the “Church that Abolishes Sin” because we do not endorse anything that does not honour God. This commitment is a key reason our congregation is not large, even though we have a spacious auditorium.
God has sent me to preach holiness and share the Word of God, and I cannot stray from my calling. I understand that this path may lead to hunger, which is why I have a strong aversion to laziness. I work in various jobs and am known as a workaholic. I consider myself a jack of all trades, but unfortunately, everything I’ve earned through hard work was lost in a fire.
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