Samuel Adegboyega

Samuel Adegboyega
Born Samuel Gbadebo Adegboyega
(1896-04-01)April 1, 1896
Owu, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
Died October 23, 1979(1979-10-23) (aged 83)
Lagos State, Nigeria
Nationality Nigerian
Occupation clergyman
Years active 1916–1979
Spouse(s) Felicia Adegboyega (m. 1920)
Children 5

Samuel Gbadebo Adegboyega, MON (1 April 1896 – 23 October 1979) was a Nigerian Christian clergyman widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of pentecostalism in Nigeria. He is the first territorial chairman of the Lagos and Western/Northern Areas Territory (LAWNA) field of The Apostolic Church Nigeria.[1]

Life

Born into a royal family from Owu Kingdom in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, Adegboyega attended Methodist High School, Abeokuta where he completed his secondary education.[2] He got employed at the Nigerian Railway Corporation and rose through the ranks to become station master before he became a full-time Christian minister at a Methodist church in 1916 until in 1920 when he joined The Precious Stone Church which later affiliated with Faith Tabernacle Congregation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.[2]

During the revival that took place in 1930 at the Nigerian chapter of Faith Tabernacle Congregation, Adegboyega was adopted as a member of the Apostolic Church, a Christian group from Great Britain who were invited by Faith Tabernacle during the revival.[3] He later became one of the central figures who helped spread The Apostolic Church Nigeria throughout the country and beyond after a split by secessionists who founded Christ Apostolic Church in 1941.

Death

He died on October 23, 1979 at the covention ground of The Apostolic Church Nigeria in Lagos State, Nigeria.[2]

Personal life

He was married to Felicia Adegboyega née Olowe with whom they had five children.[2]

Recognition

During the celebration of Nigeria's independence in 1960, he was conferred with the national honor of Member of the Niger (MON).[4] In 2011, Samuel Adegboyega University was founded by The Apostolic Church Nigeria in his memory.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Enogholase, Gabriel (26 August 2011). "Oshiomhole lauds Adegboyega varsity". Vanguard Newspaper. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Israel O. Olofinjana (4 February 2011). 20 Pentecostal Pioneers in Nigeria: Their Lives, Their Legacies. Xlibris Corporation. pp. 36–. ISBN 978-1-4568-6682-2.
  3. Short History of the Apostolic Church (Lagos, Nigeria: The Apostolic Church Literature Committee, 1967)
  4. "Samuel Gbadebo Adegboyega". Dictionary of African Biography. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
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