CITATION OF THE MOST REVEREND (DR.) PROPHET SAMUEL ADEFILA ABIDOYE JP,CHAIRMAN AND SPIRITUAL FATHER, CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM MOVEMENT CHURCH WORLDWIDE,AYO NI O*
The Most Rev’d (Dr.) Prophet Samuel Adefila Abidoye was born on June 26,1922 in Omu Aran,Ifelodun Local Government area of Kwara State.His father was Odetundun Abegunde,who was a Kabiyesi,Oba Olomu of Omu Aran,which was in Ilorin province at the time. His mother’s name was Tinuade Tinuola,daughter of Niniola,a princess of Oponda.
He started Schooling in May 1934,but lost his father on the Valentine day of 14th February,1938.Which made the 'Lovers’ Day' especially memorable to him personally.Around 1938,a revered Man of God,Senior Apostle Prophet Oyinloye from Rore,near Omu Aran, introduced Baba Abidoye to the Cherubim and Seraphim Church.
Meanwhile,just as other converts in other folds,this new convert and others were made to memorise the Catechism,which they had to repeat before Baptism. Thereafter,he was given the grace of seeing in his dreams,our Lord Jesus Christ,Apostles Peter and John in trance in 1958!
In 1940,he was one of the students transferred from Native Authority(N.A.) School(Primary school) Omu Aran,to a Secondary school in Ilorin called “Ilorin Middle School”.He was also among those that were later moved from Ilorin Middle School to Bida Middle School.
After schooling,he began work with the Nigeria Railways in 1944.He worked with the Railways from 1944 to 1958,during which period he rose to the position of Second Class Station Master.When the Nigeria Railways became a “Corporation”,he was one of the few people who refused to work for this new Corporation and were retired.
After this,he moved to Kaduna and secured another employment with the Ministry of Agriculture, Kaduna,from 1958 to December 1960.In Kaduna, he worshipped at the National Headquarters of the Holy Order of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church.As a church worker, he served with the Secretariat as Tithe Collector.
It was at this period that Baba Aladura Abidoye developed a very close relationship with God.In Kaduna,his spiritual life became defined,with noticeable spiritual development.He was one of the founding members of Ifeloju Band at the National Headquarters Church, Kaduna.
In 1960, he decided to travel to London to study Photography.He left Kaduna and sailed out of Nigeria to London on 5th January, 1961.He arrived England wearing his Prayer Gown (Garment).During the two weeks sail on Sea to London,he fasted three times before arriving Liverpool.Throughout his approximately 48 years in England,he observed Lenten Period and never missed a Fast even before the first Cherubim and Seraphim Church was founded by him and some fellow sojourners in the Whiteman’s land.
In 1965,a number of Faithfuls,including Special Apostle Olorunrinu Ogundele,Special Apostle Solomon Olu Ajibode,Late Senior Apostle Pro. Rose Ozasuwa (first Church Secretary),Late Special Apostle Dr. G. O. Fakeye, Late Special Apostle J. B. Opaleke,Late Baba Aladura Ifesowapo Ijaodola,Late Special Apostle Peter Korode and Baba Aladura Abidoye started the Holy Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement in London.
At a point,when his employers gave him the option of either choosing to attend church and worship his God or jettisoning this and retain his job,he chose God and lost his job.He however worked with the British Railways from 1961 to 1965.Although Baba Aladura Abidoye arrived England virtually broke,with special benevolence of God,he and his wife bought their house at 18,Arlingford Road, London SW2 2SU,in August 1963.Coupled with starting a church in 1965.
His training for the post of Baba Aladura by God,became more pronounced when he started representing the Cherubim and Seraphim at meetings of World Council of Churches in 1976.He was able to learn a lot from other Churches when he started interacting with heads of these churches,through Church Together in Britain and Ireland (CBI).
However,it was his Ordination as Special Apostle in 1977,which put him firmly in a position to become a Baba Aladura.
Meanwhile,in 1970, the Secretary of the church, MSA Prophet Peter Korode, and Baba Aladura Abidoye as the Spiritual Leader, registered the Church in the United Kingdom.
In 2005,by the grace of God, The Most Rev’d Dr. Samuel Adefila Abidoye was unanimously appointed the Spiritual Father of this great Church,during the Ibadan Conference.His official installation took place in May,2006,during the Mount Horeb Ascension celebration in Kaduna.He is married with children.
ACHIEVEMENTS AS SPIRITUAL FATHER:
In order to reform the office and ensure that competent hands were available to support his drive for change in the Conference of our Church,Baba Aladura Abidoye created more offices and employed fresher and younger hands. As stated above,this was meant to revitalise the International Secretariat and turn it around.The strategy paid off and now we have a more dynamic,proactive and improved Secretariat of our Church.
THE HEPHZIBAH PROJECT BLUEPRINT:
The Hephzibah Project Manual is the Roadmap for the Administration of Baba Aladura Abidoye.It is an Action Plan that focuses on the transformation of the Church.With the Hephzibah Project blueprint,the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church Worldwide was poised for a evolution and revolution she had.
CREATION OF NEW UNITS AND ORGANS:
With this awesome workbook,the first 10 years administration of The Most Rev’d Dr. S. A. Abidoye successfully created new groups like the Girls’ Brigade,Pastors’ Council, Evangelical Council, Children Evangelical Ministry,Youth Fellowship and Women Fellowship.
Programmes like the Night of Total Transformation,A Night With Jesus,Youth Convention,etc were also introduced.Also,Boards were created as veritable platforms for rubbing minds on programmes of the Conference,as well as bringing innovation into the operation of the Church.
Baba Aladura S. A. Abidoye happens to be the most travelled Spiritual Head of this Church till date.He has visited almost all the Districts he met on the ground (both the ones within Nigeria and those abroad). He was physically present at the inauguration of all the districts he created.He met 45 Districts and created 35(as at 2015).I am sure that by the time he clocks 20 years as Baba Aladura, he would have pushed the number of our districts from the current 80 to 120.I am convinced and you will agree with me that these achievements are due mainly to the benevolence of God almighty,unto whom we return all glory.
GALILEE LAND:
The Galilee,where the Church's Conference Events now takes place,Orile-Igbon, near Ogbomoso,in Oyo state,came by Divine Mandate.God told His Grace,Baba Aladura Abidoye,to take members of this glorious Church to the place where he is waiting for them.Where God foretold in 2009 has now become the 'Mecca' of our Church;a place of refuge,where divine encounters takes place every time programmes are organised there,either by units and organs of the Church or the Conference at large.The presence of God is very heavy on our Galilee and we pray that what will take away His presence from this Land will never happen in Jesus Christ name,amen!
Due to the vision and sagacity of our Baba Aladura,a Farm Project was begun at Iragbiji,but was later relocated to Asileke near Ogbomoso due to difficult topography of Iragbiji.Incidentally,the Farm at Asileke is very productive. As we speak,more than 400 large pigs have been sold from the farm.The Poultry Farm is producing high yield of Fowl and Eggs.In fact, more than 200 Chickens from the farm were sold during the just concluded Mount Horeb Ascension.
There is also a commercial Printing Press in Kaduna and a Medical laboratory. Also,at our site by NNPC Junction,Kachia Road, Kaduna,a 32-Shops Shopping Complex project is on-going.We hope to generate good money from these investments as time goes on.
Baba Abidoye is a prolific writer and wrote many books when he was based abroad.He has also written six others within the last ten years of becoming the Baba Aladura.Currently,he is running a weekly column on Ecclesiastical topics in the Sun Newspapers.
I believe that this Church is lucky to be blessed with this humble,visionary, resourceful and highly spiritual man at this time in our history.I want to crave your indulgence for a standing ovation for this giant achiever,His Grace, The Most Rev’d Dr. Samuel Adefila Abidoye!"
Post Script:
Baba Aladura Abidoye has also revolutionized many hitherto conservative spheres of the Church's Administration,Ordination,Doctrines,etc.He introduced the novel ideas of Model Parishes,Pastoral training,Collarised-Dressing of ordained Pastors, encouragement of better visibility for Female members as Leaders-in-Charge, Supervising Prophetesses,etc!He also reinvigorated the idea and mobilization for the take off of the Moses Orimolade University,Omu Aran,Kwara state and many,many more achievements to his eternal credit
ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
Lest I forget,immense APPRECIATION to Most Senior Apostle Remi Iirekigbe,the Personal Assistant(Spiritual) to His Grace,Baba Aladura Abidoye,for his prompt response to my request for His Grace's Profile,for the benefit of our members,who did not know much about Baba Aladura's Biography and achievements,since his assumption of office,in 2005.May the almighty God continue to count Alagba Iirekigbe worthy of the entrusted responsibilities,in Jesus name,amen!
-SPECIAL APOSTLE OTUNBA AKIN ADARAMOLA
