ARCHBISHOP HUMPHREY BAMISEBI OLUMAKAIYE PhD, (28-01-1969- 30-10-2022)

Archbishop Humphrey Bamisebi Olumakaiye was born in January 28 1969, at Okenne, Kogi State to the family of the late Venerable Theophilus Akinbobola and Mrs. Abigail Olumakaiye, who hailed from Idanre in Ondo State. After his elementary and secondary education, he had his Theological training at Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan. He was ordained Deacon in June 1993, priested in December 1993; was preferred Canon in November 1999 and was also preferred an Archdeacon in 2000 by the then Bishop of Ilesa, The Rt. Revd. Ephraim Adebola Ademowo later The Most Rev Dr. E. Adebola Ademowo PH.D; FNAL; OON; The erstwhile Bishop of Lagos Diocese, Archbishop of Lagos Province and Dean Emeritus, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion.

As a priest in Ilesha Diocese, Archbishop Olumakaiye served outstandingly. He was always a go-getter and an unparalleled achiever. In any of the Churches where he served, his indelible footprints are very difficult to match, his human relationship, caring and pastoral spirit are second to none. His unequal service led to his election as the Pioneer Bishop of Osun-North East Diocese and was consecrated in July 12, 2009 and enthroned on Thursday, 16th July 2009 at the age of 40 at the Cathedral Church of St Philip’s, Otan Aiyegbaju, Osun State.

As a Pioneer Bishop, he turned a tick forest into a mega City. These are evident in: multi-million naira Bishop’s court, a chapel, a library and a Resource Centre, Diocesan Headquarters, a multipurpose hall, Bishop’s office Complex and Schools at different locations within the Diocese. To increase the spiritual lives of the priests and the congregation, he came up with the idea of building a prayer mountain and a prayer City which was named after Mrs. Oluranti Ademowo.

The Most Rev. Dr. Humphrey Olumakaiye, after a decade of faithful service at Osun North East, was translated to the see of Diocese of Lagos and was enthroned as the 8th Diocesan Bishop on the 30th July, 2018. The Diocese of Lagos was a prepared and a fertile land for the Archbishop Olumakaiye who came to continue building on the spiritual legacy of Archbishop Ademowo and to push further in Church planting and in human and material development. And within three years of translation, Archbishop Olumakaiye has taken the Diocese of Lagos to greater heights. He was translated to Lagos at the peak of the one hundred years of the existence of the Diocese. His unprecedented achievements can be categorized into six major headings: 1) Spirituality 2) Structural 3) Media) 4) Education 5) Youth Empowerment 6) Welfare of priests and the congregation.

1) Spirituality: At his enthronement as the 8th Bishop of Lagos, he came up with innovations that triggered the spirituality of the members of the Diocese. Some of these are: The foundation this is designed for the opening of the year with 14days fasting and praying. This is followed by the declaration of 21days of fasting and praying tagged, ‘The memorial’, it is another period of waiting upon God to renew the strength of worshipers and improve their spirituality.

As soon as he was enthroned, he made an episcopal visit to the entire Diocese of about 150 mega churches including the coastal areas (just like Nehemiah in the Bible). This gave the Archbishop Olumakaiye insight of the exact position of the churches handed over to him. Seeing the Bishops in most of these areas was like seeing God. He introduced and founded the divine mandate voices as well as the divine mandate Partners which he recognized at the start of the 100 years anniversary of the existence of the Diocese of Lagos.

He declared a five-fold-ministry of: priestly, pastoral, prophetic, prayer and praise ministry for the Diocese. He also started Healing and Charismatic Service in the Cathedral every first Sunday of the month at 4.00pm, as well as declaring the first three days of the month as power for the month in all parishes at 6.00am. Lenten Diet of 40 days for in-depth study of the word of God was not left out. In fact some of our members in diaspora are always looking forward to this. And to make the Diocese have one focus for each year, he introduced yearly theme. To further enhance the spirituality of members, there is a periodic festival of Hymns. He led street evangelism that has opened doors for raising more Evangelists among priests. The Emmaus Experience that takes place at every Easter season, is a booster to the faith as members are able to see clearly (during this season), the way of the cross and visit Gethsemane Garden where notable places in Jerusalem are replicated at the Centenary city.

2) Structural: The greatest of these monumental achievements, is the acquisition of 1,500 plots of land covering five kilometres for the Diocese of Lagos called ‘the Centenary City.’ In this city, there are: General TY Danjuma’s Low Income Estate, Gethsemane Garden, Chapel, Convention Grounds, Women and Youth Empowerment Centres, Low Income Housing Estate, Amusement Park, St. Luke’s Global Hospital, Games village, etc. Presently, work is ongoing on the site in an unprecedented way to the glory of God. Acquisition of Delight International Schools now worth about half a billion naira (#500,000,000.00). The school that was acquired with less than 200 students has now grown to a school with 1000 students within a session. The Archbishop Ephraim Adebola and Mrs. Oluranti Ademowo resource Center is now a world Class standard with the whole compound fully transformed. The Rocks Apartment (Old people’s home) at Ikorodu which was a gift by the Cathedral Circle, a society in the Cathedral church of Christ Marina, to the Diocese has since been renamed the Diocese of Lagos Hospital for Elders. It will be the take off point for St. Luke’s Global Hospital. Lives of individuals are touched to give to the development of the Diocese.

3) Media) Archbishop Olumakaiye was a televangelist. He invested so much in making the church occupy her rightful place through the media. It paid off during the invasion of corona virus as it became the only means of communicating with the members. Membership of most of the churches increased through social media platforms and this was also evident in the financial status of most churches. The procurement of a digital Bill Board at the Diocesan headquarters/Archbishop’s Palace in Marina for advertisement of Diocesan and Parish Programs was a great achievement. The establishment of 24 hours online radio and Television named Lagoon Radio and Lagoon Television was a big credit to the Archbishop Olumakaiye. All these new developments have offered job opportunities to over 20 youths in the Diocese. The Lagoon Radio and Lagoon television also serve as a learning place for students on Industrial Training in such field of study.

4) Education):  The Archbishop, being a scholar with a PH.D from the Premier University, believes so much in education hence with Mama Lagos, the Professor Mrs. Motunrayo Olumakaiye, teamed up to improve on Archbishop Abiodun Adetiloye Comprehensive College, Igboye Epe. Same is extended to Delight International Schools which recently acquired functional science laboratories, Basketball and Volleyball courtyards and Library. Now a new school (Episcopal Anglican College) is being established and the first set of students are due to resume in September 2021 for the 2021/2022 academic session at a temporary site at Aiyeteju area of Lagos, while the permanent site will be at the Centenary City, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. Archbishop Olumakaiye has continued to encourage first class graduates of the Diocese in all universities by a scholarship grant of one million naira (#1,000,000.00) each upon securing admission for Post Graduate studies in any part of the world. This he had fulfilled without fail. And two of these beneficiaries are already studying abroad for their Masters.

5) Empowerment: The Archbishop Olumakaiye  also made impact among the youths by his constant quest for improvement in the social status of our youths. Apart from providing job opportunities, he also follows strictly the path of his predecessor, the Most Rev, Dr. E. A. Adebola Ademowo by giving out non-interest loans to the youths in their businesses in form of empowerment. Every year, selected youths from various Archdeaconries are given between #250,000.00 (Two hundred and fifty thousand naira only) to #500,000.00 (Five hundred thousand naira only) each. Over 100 youths have been empowered since the take-off of this scheme. This is done at every synod in the Diocese.

6) Welfare of priests and the congregation. The creation of the Directorate of welfare came into being during the scourge of Covid-19.  Archbishop Olumakaiye was the first Cleric to stand by the Government with sum of #5,000,000. (Five million naira) to support the efforts of the Governor for palliative measures for the citizens and he encouraged churches to replicate this in their parishes. Hospital bills were settled for indigent members and priority is given to priests that have any health issue. All our youths with financial challenges had their medical bills settled by the Archbishop.

Other achievements of the Archbishop include the improvements in the clergy physical and spiritual development. Priests are assisted with interest-free loans for their personal house projects and are allowed to go for further studies. There is Continuous Clergy Education program to help in the personal development of the clergy. More Directorates were created to give room to all clergy to exercise their God-given talents in at least one of the Directorates. Archbishop Olumakaiye also introduced Clergy and Clergy-wives Christmas get-together that allows the clergy family to catch some fun and interact with themselves  every December.

All these achievements would not have been possible without the support of his amiable consort, the prophesying Professor, a praying machine and a Mission Partner, Professor Mrs. Motunrayo Olumakaiye, whose resourcefulness has added laurels to their pungent achievements.

Everywhere  Archbishop Olumakaiye had the privilege to serve had turned out to be a miracle centre hence the Diocese of Lagos is now a miracle centre to the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion. All the monumental achievements are the written testimonies of the Most Rev. Dr. Humphrey and Professor Mrs. Motunrayo Olumakaiye. To crown their testimony of the over four years of Episcopal reign and achievements in the Diocese of Lagos was the hosting of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) Standing Committee meeting which held from Monday 20th to Friday 24th September 2021 and having in attendance over 900 delegates comprising of Archbishops and Bishops, their wives, Chancellors, clergy representatives and women representatives across 170 Dioceses and affiliated Provinces and institutions. At the end of the Standing committee meeting, the Diocesan and Missioner, The Rt. Revd. Dr. Humphrey Bamisebi Olumakaiye, was elected the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos by the house of Bishops. With this new development, the Most Rev. Dr. Humphrey Bamisebi Olumakaiye became the Primus Inter-pares of Bishops in the Province of Lagos. At their recent meeting of the old province 1, in October 13, 2021, all the Bishops, clergy and laity pledged their loyalty to the new Archbishop who was set to translate all the achievements in the Diocese to every part of the Province of Lagos.

Archbishop Olumakaiye was the first Nigerian priest to preach at St. Merilebourne Church, London; and for four years (2011-2015) was an annual guest lecturer at St. Luke’s Central, Birmingham, UK. He was a man of international repute, a prolific writer and an author. He published two great books of international standard namely: Anglican Women: Position, privilege and prospects of women in the church and Inculturation and decolonization of oral and liturgical theology of the Anglican Communion, Nigeria. He has many other publications in journals to his credit. Until his call to glory, He was the Chairman Board of Governors, Immanuel College of Theology (foremost theological Institution in Nigeria), Ibadan. He is married to the Professor Mrs. Motunrayo Olumakaiye, Professor of Public Health Nutrition, former H.O.D of the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University. Ile-Ife and their marriage is blessed with a son, Richard; and many spiritual sons and daughters. In a nutshell, Archbishop Olumakaiye is an embodiment of God’s grace and testimony.

Without any iota of doubt, the Most Revd. Dr. Humphrey Bamisebi Olumakaiye was loved by people for his doggedness and love for the Youth, Elders and Evangelism. A pragmatic Evangelist to the core, a dynamic leader, a quintessential personality, a spirit-filled Archbishop, a prayer warrior, a born-again child of God, a man who  delivered so much in a little while that he became the Diocesan and Missioner of Lagos diocese. A pace setter and a go-getter, a dynamic preacher and a man with a large heart. We pray for the comfort of the Holy Spirit.