Monday, 26 August 2024

Right Reverend Jacob Olabode Kehinde Olowokure

Church of Nigeria, the Clergy colleagues of Rt. REV. J. O. K. Olowokure, family friends and other associates joined the family members during the glorious final rites for Baba Bishop.

Commendation Service at Ikare in Akoko Diocese
https://youtu.be/IEnJT9rkxO0?si=VkTXDxWB69WVh14k

Funeral Service at Ijebu-Jesa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba08Ii3DkfE 

THE RIGHT REVEREND JACOB OLABODE KEHINDE OLOWOKURE (1929-2024)
Inimitable family man, Conscientious Teacher, Proficient School Administrator, Visionary Priest, Diocesan of Repute and an unforgettable Godfather
By
Seye Adetunmbi

Most of the first generation of the Nigerian consecrated Lord Bishops in the of Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, rose through the ranks as full time clergy men. A number of them started with basic academic qualification as a catechist and made it to the top while enhancing their education qualifications along the line. By the time Ekiti Anglican Diocese was created in 1966 and the Right Reverend Michael Osanyin became the first bishop, more well educated priests with university degrees evolved at entry level. There were a number of them who were full time teachers at the same time an ordained priests after passing through the seminary college. At some point, some of these university graduate priests left full-time teaching career to face the church ministry squarely as full time clergymen. One of them in this category who made it to the peak of his career in the Christian ministry to become a bishop was the Right Reverend Jacob Olabode Olowokure. He could be classified among the second generation of lord bishops produced in the Church of Nigeria who were university graduates and he made his mark as a distinguished diocesan
Background
The Right Reverend J.O.K. Olowokure, like most of the successful men of his generation, had a humble beginning. Whatever he achieved in life was through dint of hard work and the grace of God which was adequate for him. He was born as an identical twin on September 10, 1929 in Ijebu-Jesa in Osun-State of Nigeria into a Christianfamily. His twin brother, also got to the peak of his career as an academician, Professor Theophilus Olatunji Taiwo Olowokure. He had his primary education in Osun-State and obtained basic qualification which enabled him to work as a teacher in elementary schools. He worked as a pupil teacher at St. John's Primary School, Iye-Ekiti in the early 1950s and a number of other schools within Ekiti District. He gained admission to the University of Ibadan in the early 1960s where he graduated with Bachelor of Arts with honours in 1965 and Master of Arts in 1970. He also held Diploma in Theology from the Emmanuel College, Ibadan. 
Inimitable Family Man
Right Reverend J. O. K. Olowokure met his beloved wife, Mama, Abigail Kehinde Olowokure in Iye-Ekiti. Through the grace of God, the ordained encounter with a lady-twin from Ekiti led to marriage at St. David’s Anglican Church, Iludun-Ekiti in 1954. To the glory of God the almighty, the marriage had been blessed with three successful children: Pastor Mrs Mary Moji McCauley, Pastor Mrs Modupe Adetunji and Mrs Yetunde Ogunrinde.

Conscientious Teacher and Proficient School Administrator
He worked in various schools before  rising to become the Vice-Principal of St. John/Mary's College, Owo and the Principal of Ado Grammar School where he retired from teaching service in 1976. To underscore the fact that he made the difference as a school principal is evident in this extract from the comment of one of his old students, Wole Olujobi in Ekitipanupo Forum on September 4, 2011 and I quote: "....the great Ado Grammar School, where I learned how to build something out of nothing through role models in those days. Bishop Olowokure our principal built my future in just five minutes, instilling in me the spirit that even though the start of any venture could be daunting and full of difficulties, the end would be praises to the Almighty and story of successes to tell. But let me confess here that I was just a symbol of several others in the school who have the same story to tell. I am happy to be among other students who witnessed the transformation of the school under Bishop Olowokure and Chief Gabriel Adejuwon when the school changed her status from trouble brewer to a citadel of academic excellence and sports development."
Servant of the Lord - Well Done
Bishop Olowokure was formally ordained as a deacon in 1961 and became a substantive priest in 1962. His first posting as a priest was to St Michael's Anglican Church, Ifaki-Ekiti in 1962 and he was the first ordained priest of the parish, which had been under the watch of catechists and deacons since 1905. In 1973, he was elevated to the rank of a reverend canon and he served diligently as the Chaplain of St. John/Mary's College, Owo for many years. In September 1976, he was appointed the vicar of All Saints' Church, Ogbonkowo in Ondo and the Archdeacon of Ondo Archdeaconry where he served meritoriously for ten years. His tenure recorded some feats which include launching of an endowment fund, reroofing of the main church with steel structures, building of a modern vicarage, administrative block, church hall, conference room/library, construction of a belfry etc. Two schools were founded during his tenure, All Saint's Grammar School, Oka, Ondo in 1979 and St. Luke's Primary School, Oka, Ondo in 1984. The Right Reverend J.O.K. Olowokure was consecrated as a Lord Bishop in the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion in 1986 and became the Diocesan of Akoko Diocese. 

He was acknowledged for his good works during his tenue in office some of which include the building of the Bishop's Court and the secretariat for the diocese. In 1988 and 1998, he attended the famous Lambeth Conference of Bishops which was convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury and held in England. He retired as the Lord Bishop of Akoko Anglican Diocese on September 8, 1990. He remained active in the service of God thereafter by supporting church work in the Diocese of Ijesa North where Bishop Olowokure Anglican Church had been built in his honour. He single handedly coordinated fund raising for the building of the vicarage for the church. He mentored a number of priests some of whom are bishops today to the glory of God. He was a true servant of God and worshipped God with a deep conviction. Every Wednesday was his seclusion day when he stayed in his room on a spiritual note for most part of the day.
Laying of the foundation of the vicarage of
Bishop Olowokure Anglican Church  
Unforgettable Godfather
Baba and Mama Olowokure were my godparents. I was born in July 1962 when Baba Bishop became the vicar of my parents' parish, St. Michael's Anglican Church, Ifaki-Ekiti and I thank my parents for naming them my godparents. Interestingly,  their last born, Yetunde ("my twin") came in August, two weeks after that I was born and the two families became good family friends since then. As my fond memories of Mama Olowokure remain indelible in my mind, Baba Bishop would always be my unforgettable godfather. He was there for me when my biological parents were alive and after their departure to the world beyond. His was there for every member of my family in his lifetime. At every opportunity whenever I travelled through Ijebu-Jesa, I stopped over to see him. He too was always looking out for me. Baba was very generous and loving. From his pension, he would still give me money when I visited him. Giving was in his DNA. I looked forward to spending the night in the house because family worship in his chapel before we went to bed and early in the morning meant a lot to me. When my family came from Lagos to spend a weekend with him and Mama in Ijebu-Jesa, it was one of our best stays outside our base.
Transition
The time of Baba Bishop came on May 7, 2024. He has gone home to rest. Laalaa alagbase pari. May God uphold his family that he left behind - His children, his twin brother, Baba Prof who has lost his best friend and uterine twin brother that they have been together for over nine decades. The family, all ranks of the clergy, members of the episcopal clan, family friends and other associates are going to bid Baba Bishop farewell on Friday, October 18, 2024. May God keep the date and grant all travellers journey mercies in the mighty name of Jesus.
FINAL RITES IN PICTURES 
Prof Taiwo Olowokure at the lying-in-state of his beloved identical twin and best friend for over 90 years. It is well....
Commendation Service at the Cathedral Church, Ikare in Akoko Diocese

FUNERAL SERVICE AT THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH, IJEBU-JESA 


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