IJERO, OMUO CHURCH 1


HISTORY OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH  
IJERO, OMUO EKITI
Pa Ayanwale was a native of Edugbe quarters in Omuo Ekiti. As a result of tribal war, he left Omuo and later settled at Otun Ekiti where he got married. He was blessed with three children namely- Adegbenle Ayanwale, Jacob Ayantoye and Adeniran.
          When Pa Ayanwale grew old he decided to return to his native town, Omuo Ekiti with his children.
          When they were at Otun Ekiti they had accepted the Adventist faith. They continued to practice the Adventist faith by keeping the Seventh-day Sabbath. This arouse hostility from the Anglican Church (CMS) church members. For this reason, Pa Ayantoye went back to Otun Ekiti to report to Pastor D. B. Alabi and Pastor W. G. Till. The report prompted the above named Pastors to come with Pa Ayantoye to Omuo Ekiti in 1934.
          Pastor W.G. Till preached the gospel to Omuo people while Pastor Alabi interpreted for him. As Pastor Till was preaching, there was heavy cloud as a sign that the rain wanted to fall. One traditional chief came out and boasted that the rain would never fall because they were celebrating traditional festival. He commented that when ever they were celebrating their festival it never rained.
          But Pastor W. G. Till replied affirmatively that the rain would fall. Miraculously, after the preaching, it started to rain from the evening of that day till day break of the following day which was January 1st, 1935 (1-1-1935).
          Very early the following day the traditional chief came to greet Pastor W. G. Till who told him that “Whenever God wanted to do something, no human being could stop Him”.
          As a result of this public outreach in Omuo, few people accepted the Adventist faith. Notable among them was Pa Daniel Ogunjobi a native of Irun Akoko who released his sitting room which he was using as a Tailoring workshop to be used as fellowship centre.
          As the church was progressing they erected a small hut roofed with thatched leaves in a place called Apole Ijero Omuo.
          In 1952, the Adventist worshipers moved to Ijero Omuo quarters where they are till date. Pa Daniel Ogunjobi told Pastor W. G. Till that he and his wife would join the church fully if High Chief Ajero Ogundana gave his consent for the establishment of Adventist Church in his domain and to release his servant to join the church, because everybody feared him at that time.
          Base on that advice, Pastor D. B. Alabi went to the High Chief to request for his permission for the establishment of the Seventh-day Adventist church in his domain with the release of high Chief’s servant. Ajero Ogundana gave his consent and gave his servant (Idowu Jayeoba) to join the church.
          The first set of notable people who accepted the Adventist faith in Ijero were: Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Ogunjobi, Idowu Jayeoba, Jacob Ayantoye and Adeniran Ayanwale. As the church was progressing, the members of CMS and Catholic churches started hostility against her members. As result of this hostility, high Chief Ogundana sent Daniel Ogunjobi to Pastor Till and Alabi in Otun Ekiti. Pastor D.B Alabi decided to come to Omuo with Daniel because Pastor W.G. Till was away to Kaduna. Unfortunately, Pastor D. B. Alabi could not reach Omuo because they had an accident on a hill called “Oke Agarial” between Itapa and Osin Ekiti.
          Based on that incident, Mr John Kayode was sent to the members of the church in Omuo to narrate the reason, the Pastor could not come to Omuo. John Kayode spent ten days with the members of the church in Omuo and went back to report his experiences to Pastor W.G Till and Pastor Alabi.
          The reports of Mr. John Kayode gladdened the heart of the Pastor and prompted them to send Pastor J.A. Adeogun to Omuo as the first resident Pastor.
          During the camp meeting at Otun in December 1935, the little church sent two (2) delegates late Pa Abraham Apata and Late Sephaniah Adeola who trecked for four days from Omuo to Otun.    
          In 1986, the Ijero Omuo church was organized. It is now the District head-quarters for Omuo District with many churches under it.
          When Pastor Adeogun was transferred in 1944 the following church members followed him to his station. They were:
1.       Late Emmanuel Oludumila
2.       Late Doctor Ademola Omojola
3.       Elder Moses Popoola
Under listed Pastors have served in Ijero Omuo since 1936 till date.
1.       Pastor J. A. Adeogun              -        1936-1944
2.       Pastor T. K. Olufemi
3.       Pastor A. O. Oyinloye             -        Teacher & Pastor 1948
4.       Mr. Emmnuale Abioye            -        Pastor
5.       Pastor J.D Owolabi                 -        Pastor
6.       Mr. Olayinka                           -        Teacher & Pastor
7.       Mr. Awoyemi                          -        Teacher & Pastor
8.       Mr. Owolabi                            -        Teacher & Pastor
9.       Mr. Adeshina                        -        Teacher & Pastor
10.     Mr. Alabi                               -        Teacher & Pastor
11.     Pastor J. F. Familusi               -        1967-1974
12.     Pastor J. A. Alade                  -        1974-1976
13.     Pastor E. A. Adebayo             -        1976-1979
14.     Pastor S. O. Ogungbesan       -        1979-1981
15.     Pastor J. A. Omolewa             -        1981-1985
16.     Pastor S. O. Ogungbesan       -        1985-1988
17.     Pastor Adesina                      -        1988-1991
18.     Pastor Owolabi                      -        1992-1995
19.     Pastor Isola Taiwo (Baba eta) -        1996-1998
20.     Pastor J. O. Ojo                     -        1999-2004
21.     Pastor J. A. Olawumi              -        2004-2008
22.     Pastor S. B. Dada                  -        2008-2012
23.     Pastor E. O. Aina                              -        2012 till date