Apostle T.O OBADARE

Obadare, Timothy Oluwole

1930-2013

Christ Apostolic Church (Aladura) , World Soul-Winning Evangelistic Ministry

Nigeria

Introduction

Ogo ni fun Olorun l’oke orun. Mo tun wi leekan si pe ogo ni fun Olorun l’oke orun. E jeki a gbadura (Glory be to God in heaven. And I say once again, glory be to God in heaven. Shall we pray?

This slogan echoed over the Nigerian airwaves, especially in southwestern Nigeria, for close to four decades. Each time it echoed, those who were familiar with it easily identified the voice of Apostle (Dr.) Timothy Oluwole Obadare, one of the indigenous prophets of the land, who was the General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) (Worldwide); the Executive Director of World Soul-Winning Evangelistic Ministry (WOSEM) and the President of the Interdenominational Ministers’ Association of Nigeria (IMA). Formerly of The Apostolic Church (TAC), he worked with the church for a period of four years, 1953 to 1957, before he was brought into the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) by Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola in 1957. Having joined the CAC, he worked with the Church until his death on March 21, 2013: a period of fifty-six years.

Birth and Early Background

Missionary Christianity was the first brand of the faith that came into Nigeria. Years after, the reaction of Nigerians to this form of Christianity (especially in the southwest of the country) produced other expressions of the faith. First was that of the Ethiopian Churches which occurred from 1888 to 1917; the second produced the African Indigenous Churches otherwise referred to as Aladura Churches; while the third gave rise to the Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches. Within the south-western zone of Nigeria otherwise known as Yorubaland, another reaction inspired a handful of indigenous charismatic figures or prophets who laid claim to the call of God. Prominent among these was Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola, whose ministry in latter days blossomed into the Christ Apostolic Church.

While western missionaries introduced Christianity into Nigeria, the credit of contextualising, that is adapting it to the African milieu so that it would reflect the aspirations of Africans, goes to these indigenous churches and their prophets, many of whom dramatically demonstrated the power of God in their ministries. Such a man was Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola, whose church, the CAC, became a force to be reckoned with within Nigerian Christendom and continues to be so to this day. Babalola and David Odubanjo led the CAC for some time before they both passed away in 1959. However, shortly before Babalola’s death, he brought into the church a young evangelist who would later propel it to greater heights. This young evangelist became widely known in later years as Prophet Timothy Oluwole Obadare. His ministry contributed immeasurably to the expansion of the CAC.

Timothy Oluwole’s date of birth is uncertain. While some documents have 1925 as his birth date, others assert that he was born in the year 1930. The 1930 date seems more likely as more documents allude to this date than the 1925 date. He was born at Ise-Ilesa, in the present Osun State of Nigeria, to Pastor and Mrs David and Felicia Obadare of the Apostolic Church of Nigeria. His father David was initially a farmer before he was called to be a minister of God, while his mother Felicia was a petty trader. Obadare’s family could be described as ecclesiastical or Levite, as his four brothers were all ministers of God and his only sister was married to a clergyman. Timothy’s father later relocated to Oke-Eso, Ilesa, where he continued in the service of God as a pastor in his denomination..