TWC to celebrate 10th anniversary, unveils free digital training for over 1, 000 students in Ogbomoso

Image caption: Rev’d (Dr) Niyi Adebayo, the founder and lead pastor of True Worshippers Church (TWC), with the anniversary clothe

TWC to celebrate 10th anniversary, unveils free digital training for over 1, 000 students in Ogbomoso

Niyi AJALA

True Worshippers Church (TWC), Ogbomoso, Oyo state, will between May 1 and May 7, roll out the drums to celebrate its tenth anniversary.

Unveiling the plan for the milestone Sunday during a press conference at the TWC auditorium (Amazing Grace Garden), Oke-Aanu, lead pastor, Rev’d (Dr.) Niyi Adebayo, informed TWC started May 1, 2016 at POAT area.

Rev’d Adebayo stated, “It’s been 10 years of grace, growth and impact.”

As part of the programmes lined up to mark the anniversary the church whose founder (Rev’d Adebayo) is also the proprietor of Zoe Schools (owner of Jacob Adebayo Afolayanka Resource Centre, JAARC), is a free digital literacy training for over 1, 000 students from selected public secondary schools in Ogbomoso. The digital training he added is in partnership with an unnamed non-governmental organisation and the Oyo state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

“From next week, we shall be partnering with an NGO to train thousands of students from various underserved communities in digital literacy FOR FREE. Within a year, no fewer than 1,500 students will be trained. We are taking our laptops and other gadgets to train them and prepare them for the future. That’s another area of community impacts this church is starting. We have agreed with the Ministry of Education, Oyo State to pilot with 5 government-owned secondary schools from next week,” Rev’d Adebayo said, adding this is informed by the discovery at the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) that many candidates though knew the answers but that due to their lack of digital literacy flunked them.

The anniversary will open with a lecture and celebration service (to feature Pelumi Deborah and other ministers), from 10:00am to 2pm on Friday, May 1.

On Saturday, May 2, “F’adura yin mi special” (with Prophet Femi Dairo and Evang. Elijah Akintunde a.k.a Olorun ko so Bee), will hold, from 8:00am to 12:00pm; on Sunday, May 3, anniversary thanksgiving service and get together (featuring Tunde Onijoba a.k.a. Emi Awon Woli and other ministers), will take place, from 8:30am to 2pm; on Monday May 4, miracle rally, hosting Paul Tomisin and other ministers, will feature, from 4:00pm to 7:00pm; and from Tuesday to Thursday, there will be outreach programmes to various places.

“We invite everyone in and outside of Ogbomoso to these events. Those outside of Ogbomoso can connect to our social media platforms to be parts of the anniversary,” the clergyman disclosed.

Adebayo recalling his ministerial journey said he first answered the call to the ministry in 1993, and that he went through a lot of phases along with his wife to establish the church after initially resisting.

According to the former Anglican Church member, “I started as a volunteer minister at Christ Gospel Evangelistic Ministry (Christ GOSEM) where I was until early 1997. I returned fully into the Anglican Communion as Prayer Co-ordinator, Crusade Director and EFAC President. In the course, God inspired me to start an interdenominational intercessory organization called The Kneeling Christians in April 1995, which was inaugurated on August 12, 1995 @ The Cathedral Church of St. David, Agbonin, Ogbomoso by Evangelist Mike Bamiloye. The association, which later gave birth to the National Council of Ogbomoso Prays still does fine till date. I had to step down as the President after leading the association for 18 unbroken years. This ecumenical aspect of my calling is that which connects me to the thrones and the nobles of Ogbomosoland. It’s the gate keeping part of my calling.

“My first major shot at pastoral ministry was the time I was assigned to pastor St. Maria Anglican Church, Oke-Aanu, Ogbomoso, later Anglican Church LAUTECH and then the chaplaincy of the Chapel of Grace LAUTECH (ASF LAUTECH Worship Centre) where I was until March, 2016.

“On November 10, 2006, my wife and I launched out with Campus Outreach Mission to evangelize Nigerian campuses. Assisted by other associates and brethren, the organization toured various campuses in different parts of Nigeria. The outreaches were greeted with massive attendance, massive conversions and abiding fruits. The fruit of one of such crusades in LAUTECH gave birth to Faith Clinic on June 23, 2008. Faith Clinic remains a vibrant interdenominational altar of mercy till date, still holding on every Monday till now. To God be the glory.”

He attributed his success in the ministry to “faith, trust, team spirit and hard work. Upon all, the secret is GRACE.”

“Since 1993, I didn’t struggle with any of these ministerial mandates until it was time to start True Worshippers Church. I didn’t seem to find that calling easy. I disobeyed for more than 6 years until I fell out of favour, albeit temporarily, with my father in the Lord, Bishop Francis Wale Oke. I didn’t like the church ministry. I saw it as a critical distraction to my flourishing itinerant ministry to villages, hamlets, towns and campuses. I lost so much to that disobedience. I thank my wife for talking to people, who graciously encouraged me to start.

“It’s worthy of note that we didn’t leave the Anglican Communion with grudges. We explained to the bishop. While the then Rt. Rev. Dr. Titus B. Olayinka was taking his time to pray and work on our replacement, we had to wait. He eventually released us after 1 year and 4 months. I was in Europe the very night His Lordship communicated his release to me. It was a night I won’t forget.”

From its temporary site at Jesu O Seun House, POAT area, the permanent site was built and commissioned by Bishop Francis Wale Oke (now the President of PFN).

Adebayo asserted the church has continued to make “significant impacts on lives spiritually, morally and in many ways. We have prioritized the Ministry of the Word, Prayers, Evangelism, Discipleship and Community impacts. This is tailored to reflect our mission: We evangelize the world to receive Christ and disciple the saved to reflect Christ. Our mandate is to turn an audience to an army of God using our 4 Fs approach: Finding, Fetching, Feeding and Fielding.”

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Reflecting, he submitted it had been “great and challenging.”

However, he affirmed, “God has been faithful. God has kept us together despite series of unprovoked battles and conspiracies. If you hate our church, it is because you hate growth, visibility, impacts and detests greatness. The only wrong you can accuse us of is doing things differently and excellently. Here, we do everything with the dignity of a king and the sanctity of a priest. Know this and start liking us. We’re not a perfect church, but we run a great church like a people helped by God.”

He also referred to the church’s Jesus Market initiative in which food items and other goods are sold at subsidized prices, and which also features free medical outreach, saying their social interventions have benefitted a lot of people, and that they desire to do more.

He subsequently charged on recommitment to the mission just as he invited others “to partner with this church. We charge our brethren in the diaspora to do more to support this church.”

Rev’d Adebayo concluded by expressing gratitude to certain ministers of God including Bishop Dr. Francis Wale Oke; Rev. Debo Adeyemo; Pastor Prof. Alohdeolu Afolabi; Evang. Mike & Gloria Bamiloye; Damilola Mike Bamiloye; Tope Alabi; Gbenga Akinfenwa; BJ Sax; Titi Euba; and Dr. Remi Badru.

Some others are Rev. Segun Babalola, Bidemi Olaoba, Tosin Bee, Bola Discovery, Oladosu Twins, Harmony Brass, HP Orchestra, Amokoko, Pastor Olu Victor, Dr. Deji Adisa, Prof. Simeon Kolawole, and Rev. Remi Muritala.

He also thanked late Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala (who donated the land the church stands today and also blocks and cement); Dr. Samson Adewale Adegoke a.k.a. Maigida (for roofing the church); Engr. A. K Ahmadu (Ahmak) (for donating burglar proofs); Hon. & Mrs. Segun-Toyin Odebunmi a.k.a. Bunvic (financial assistance); Senator Fatai Buhari (provision of solar lighting); Oba Samuel Babatunde Oyebamiji Amao II; Ambassador Matthew Adeyemi, Alhaji Monsur Ejide (financial assistance during Jesus Market) among others “who at one time or the other partnered with the church in any form.”