Some have wondered how the pastors whom they look up to actually met
and “toasted” their wives. Well don’t wonder much, as I bring to you a
list of some famous Nigerian Pastors and how they met and wooed their
wives.
PROPHET TB JOSHUA
How I met TB Joshua… He proposed to me 45 minutes after we met – wife
The popular Prophet has a very beautiful wife. The wife narrated how the Prophet wooed her. Hear her.. .
The year you met
Twenty
three years ago, I visited a sister somewhere at Ikotun-Egbe, and, then
they were talking about a particular man, a prophet to be precise. It
was a kind of meeting to be precise. And it’s like everybody in that
gathering, or at least half of the people in the room, had actually
visited him. So, they were saying a lot of good things about him. I was
thrilled. At the end of the whole thing, I called a sister outside and
asked whether she could take me to the prophet. I didn’t ask to go there
out of curiosity. I actually needed a guide at that point in time.
And before then, you had not told him anything about yourself?
No,
we were just looking at each other until he, at a time, wrote my name
on the piece of paper. So, we started talking. He told me a lot of
things about myself, both things that I knew, and those that I never
knew. I was shocked. He told me about my family, about my past, my
present and my future. Altogether, we spent about 45 minutes. At the end
of the whole thing, he spoke to me in Yoruba and said: Joo ma binu o.
Ma ro pe bi mo se nba gbogbo eniyan ti o ba wa s’odo mi soro ni eleyi o.
Mi o ni ale, mi o dee fee ni ale. Sugbon, se oo fe mi? (Transliterated,
this means: Please, don’t be annoyed. Don’t think this is how I talk
to everyone that comes to me. I don’t have a concubine, and I don’t
want to have a concubine. But can you marry me?)
Just like that?
Just
like that. It was strange, but that gives us an insight into what the
Scripture says that the Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are
God’s children. I think that was it. That was how I met him. Some months
later, I asked him why he thought it was right seeing a lady for the
first time and going on to propose to her. He said he had seen me four
days before that very day.
TUNDE BAKARE
How did you and your wife meet?
I
was in the office, El Shaddai Chambers, my last office after I left
Rotimi Williams, when one of my friends, late Segun Onabule, came in,
bringing the news that his wife just had a baby and there was a party
for it. A bank was at the lower floor of my office. He said a lady who
worked at that bank, was invited by one of his friends to the party. So,
he wanted to stop to say, “hello.” He saw me in the chambers, and I
was seeing him off when I saw this lady, (who later became my wife),
whom he said attended the party.
Another day was when my friend
Jide came to my office. His father had died and he wanted to change his
old notes into new notes before the funeral. He asked me to be of
assistance since I worked close to a bank. I took the money and I gave
it to this lady to help me get new notes. It was on Thursday. I got back
to the chambers and my boss told me that I would be handling a case in
Port Harcourt, I ran to the airport, flew to Port Harcourt, handled the
matter. On Friday, I returned to Lagos and I went straight to the bank,
but the lady had closed for the day. Luckily, she left a note. I took
the note and went with my friend and located the house address in Ikoyi.
When we knocked, a six-footer man answered with a husky voice. I humbly
answered and stated my mission; I later found out that he was her
father. I collected the money and left. I learnt that he called his
daughter and asked; ‘who is this man?’ she answered him that there were
two, one tall and the other short. Jide is taller than I. He asked her,
the short one. She told him that, he just met and asked her to change
old notes to new ones, that is all, there was nothing between us. He
told her that as soon as he came in, ‘I saw an illumination around him
and the spirit of the Lord told me that he would be your husband.’ It
was later she told me that I was the first man her father would allow to
come inside the house. So, my father in-law knew first before anybody.
After
that, we didn’t talk again. One day she walked in to the chambers to do
notary public thing. Then I was distributing some telephone tracks. I
gave her one and she asked if I was a Christian, I told her that I was
born again. From there I spoke to her to dedicate her life to Christ.
And one day it was revealed to me that she would be my wife and when I
spoke to her, she said, ‘What, my father said so the day I came to their
house ’. That is the story.
AYO ORITSEJAFOR
“I Went With A Friend For Him To Pray For Us, Then The Holy Spirit Said He’s My Husband – Wife
The
wife of Pastor Ayodele Oritsejafor, the President of the Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Presiding Pastor of the Word of
Life Bible Church. While discussing with KEHINDE OYETIMI, Pastor (Mrs)
Helen Oritsejafor, spoke about how she met her husband.
Your husband while granting us an interview gave an interesting story of how you guys met. What is your own side of the story?
It appears you never gave him any resistance.
My
friend told me that a man of God was around and that she would like us
to call on him so that we could be prayed for, I agreed. When we got
there and Papa stepped into the room where we were, I was very
captivated by this man of God. Customarily with my training, when a man
steps into an area, it is immodest for the woman to get up and greet.
You could greet while seated. It was amazing to know that when Papa
stepped in, I was on my feet. After a while, he prayed for us. At the
point of prayer, it was as if I was taken to his side and I heard a
voice saying ‘this is your husband.’ He was only praying generally
for us.
I went with my friends for him to pray for us and then I
met my husband in the process. I never planned to marry a pastor. I was
already exposed to people as pastors and I saw what a lot of them go
through. But when he showed up, he captivated me with his physique and
personality. That was not my arrangement in life. The Holy Spirit
ministered to me at that point that he would be my husband.
I was
not the only person he was praying for at that moment. When that
happened, I decided to put myself on a fast for one week. Because then,
the first thing that came to my mind was that God I never planned to
marry a pastor. I was doing very well in my career. I was in business
and a director in a bank; I was doing quite well before I met him. It
was a rude shock to me. At the seventh day of my prayer, I had a call
and it turned out to be him, introducing himself.
That was how
the relationship started. It was quite a struggle because I remember, I
was wondering what would be of me. But God spoke to me specifically that
that was his will for me. I have never regretted that since then. I am
so glad I married him.
Your father never raised any objection?
He
was very happy when I was going to marry him. The first thing he asked
me was ‘Do you love him.’ I said ‘Yes I do.’ Then he asked
‘Does he love you?’ I said yes. Then he asked ‘Can you take a
bullet for him?’ I said ‘Yes I could.’ Then he said ‘If that is
it, then you have my blessing.
BISHOP MIKE OKONKWO
I Was Very Shy, Didn’t Have The Boldness To Woo Her, Sent My Sister To Woo Her For Me – Bishop Okonkwo
Bishop Mike Okonkwo is the presiding pastor of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) and he is married to Bishop Peace.
How long have you been married?
Mike: This is our 34th year. We got married in 1980.
When and where did you meet?
Mike: We met in the church, at the United Church of Christ. It was at the youth fellowship.
Was there any opposition when you wanted to marry her?
Mike: No, there was none. Everybody in my family loves her.
Peace:
Then, he was not earning any salary and had resigned from a bank job.
He had already turned a pastor when I wanted to marry him and my people
were concerned and asked if he would be able to feed me and train our
children. But I went with a child’s faith and it paid off.
What was the attraction?
Mike:
I was a very shy person and found it difficult to speak to women. When I
saw her, I fell in love but we were like cat and dog in the same youth
fellowship. When the Lord laid it on me to approach her for marriage, I
didn’t have the boldness and I told my sister, Rev. Mrs. Iloh, who had
developed a relationship with her, to help me. Later, I told my parents
and they were happy about it.
Peace: I felt he was arrogant at
that time because he was driving his father’s car. Then, he came to the
fellowship and would be fiddling with the car keys in his hand! But I
noticed that he is a very transparent, honest and serious-minded person.
He is very caring too.
How did he propose?
Peace: The
sister spoke to me. He gave his sister a gift to give to me. She said to
me, “My brother likes you and he wants to marry you.” I said, “Okay.”
Later he told me, “I like you and I will like to marry you.” Again, I
said, ‘Okay’. Then, we quarrelled a lot and anytime he said anything, I
would oppose him. Not because he was not right but I felt he was proud.
APOSTLE ANSELM MADUBUKO
“I Met Her In One Of My Trips Abroad, She Refused My Advances Initially”
The
General Overseer of Revival Assembly Church, Apostle Anselm Madubuko
opened up to Daily Sun on how his path crossed with his Kenyan wife,
Emmy Kosgei.
“I met her in one of my trips abroad. We were both
invited as guest ministers in an event. I was to minister as a preacher,
while she as a music minister. When she ministered, I liked her spirit.
I said to myself that this girl has a good spirit. Later, I invited
her, as one of the guest artistes to perform in Azusa and to the glory
of God, she was a hit. People loved her and her kind of music. So from
there, we became friends. I never knew things would turn out this way.
“I
mean that I never knew my wife would pass and I will, one day, propose
to her, which I have done. She has a clean and good spirit. Her nature,
views, music and everything impressed me. People think I had something
with her before, but I didn’t. If I did, I won’t be marrying her. She is
morally strong. Her father is a bishop and she has been into evangelism
since as a little girl, following her father to crusades. So she has
strong bible principles. Many pastors have come to pray and agree with
me,” he stated.
“The truth is that God brought her to me… When
my wife passed on, I was completely clueless and I began to pray. God
showed her (Emmy) to me. She refused my advances initially but after
some time through prophesies and so on, she said yes.”
BISHOP DAVID OYEDEPO
1. He met her at a Motor Park
2.
She was a university student – GREAT IFE while he was only a
Polytechnic student in Kwarapoly (Remember the discrimination) – she
could have snubbed him – but she responded.
3. His friends
complained that he was carrying Christianity too zealously as if he was
the only Christian – she became zealous too.
4. He took her to
church in 1976 and made her sign an agreement (SAILING UNDER SEALED
ORDERS) to marry and follow him whether he becomes blind, lame or
handicapped… she signed.
5. Just before he married her, he told
her God had sent him to LIBERATE THE WORLD (while he was still hopping
between jobs) and went on to resign his job; his elder brother lambasted
him, she stood by him.
6. He told her God had shown him the key to prosperity – she believed.
7. He told her they would build a 50,000 capacity tent and preach the gospel from private jets-she believed her dreamer lover.
8. He was too ‘buoyant’ to afford a hotel room on his wedding eve, he slept in his rickety Volkswagen Beetle – she married him.
PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE
Pastor Mrs Folu Adeboye is the wife to Pastor E.A Adeboye; the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
How she met Pastor Adeboye
She
met Adeboye in 1965 and they got married on September 8, 1967. Said
Adeboye on their courtship, “the only challenge I would say we had
during our courtship was probably the strictness of her dad who was a
minister in the Methodist Church. I could only visit her daughter when
someone was present. If we went for a stroll, it had to be for a very
limited time. Looking back now, I am very grateful to God for this
because the old man was following the examples laid down by the
scriptures.”
TAIWO ODUKOYA
“We Met In London, My Pastor Tried To Match-Make Us”
Pastor Taiwo Odukoya had lost his first wife, Pastor Bimbo Odukoya on the 10th of December 10th, 2005.
However, in January 2010, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya married South African, Miss Rosemary Simangele Zulu at the Civic Centre in Lagos.
Pastor
Nomthi Rosemary Odukoya, wife of the founder of the Fountain of Life
Bible Church, Taiwo Odukoya, had opened up on how they met.
Narrating
how they met, she said, “He came to minister at Triumphant Church
International, London where I worshiped. I did not have my eyes on him,
because like every other minister that had come before him, I saw him as
a man of God. I found his message amazing and absorbing. I even bought
one of his books – Home Affairs. After the conference, my pastor told me
someone was interested in me. I declined because I was seeing someone
then. The relationship eventually did not work out and I informed my
pastor but not immediately. To cut the long story short, Pastor Taiwo
had a stopover in London and that was the first time we met. Before
then, my pastor had given him my telephone number and he had called me.
When he proposed to me, I did not like the idea of getting married to a
widower. I took my time, prayed about it and I became convinced it was
what God wanted for me. Being married to him is amazing and it has
brought out potentials I never knew I had. I don’t have to pray and say
Lord help my husband go to church today. There is no struggle.”
MATTHEW ASHIMOWOLE
“We Met When He Was Posted To My Dad’s Church, But A Lecturer Warned Me Not To Marry Him” – Wife[/b]
So, how is being married to Pastor Matthew like?
First
and foremost, I thank God that I never listened to the Unilag lecturer
who warned me against marrying Pastor Matthew otherwise I would have
been probably in a one corner room here in Lagos. But see how my life
has turned out to be traveling all over the world to preach and
minister. The lecturer never saw any future in Pastor Matthew as a
Pastor but the lecturer is late now.
I didn’t know that marrying
Pastor Matthew will end this way even I didn’t want to preach when I
married him, I just wanted to be a full house wife but he was the one
who really discovered me, and saw the beauty of God in my life. So, he
mentored me to be what I am today. And I never knew that KICC would be a
big church that it is today.
How did it all happen between you?
Okay!
I can still remember vividly, it was January 1980, when Pastor Matthew
came to my Dad’s church to assist him as an Assistant Pastor. He just
came out of Bible School as a fresh graduate then and he was immediately
posted to Foursquare Bible Church as an Assistant Pastor to my father
even though he had CAC background. And I saw this young vibrant man who
was posted to my Dad’s branch. I remember, we were having a serious
challenge at that time and we were worshipping outside because our
properties were been thrown outside by our landlord over land problem in
my area at that time.
It was at this period of time that this
young and fresh man (Pastor Matthew) came. This man was so committed and
the way he was serving God swept me off my heels. Then I told God that
God, if only you can give me a man like this young and vibrant man that
is newly posted to work with my Dad for a husband but must not be a
Pastor, then I will forever be grateful to you. It was his commitment to
the Lord that attracted me to him. This young man was so committed to
the things of God.
Was it love at first sight?
Not
really because he was a Pastor and I didn’t want to marry a Pastor but I
was only attracted to him when I saw him. I must also confess, marrying
Pastor Matthew is the best thing that has happened to me. But you know,
as a Pastor’s daughter and having 2 Uncles as Pastors, I wasn’t
interested in another Pastor again. But I thank God I married one now.
DR DANIEL OLUKOYA
Dr Daniel Kolawole Olukoya is the
General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries. He holds a
first class Honors degree in Microbiology from the University of Lagos,
Nigeria and a Ph.D in Molecular Genetics from the University of
Reading, United Kingdom.
When I was in secondary school, I didn’t
have a girlfriend. I was not interested. I read more of my books and I
served God. I didn’t do random sampling trying this and trying that. I
just relied on God rest assured that when the time comes,
He
would show me whom to marry. That was how it was until I met her. I met
her in the course of my ministration. She was a chorister in another
church I was invited to minister. It was the first time I met her and
nothing happened then.Were you attracted to her when you saw her
ministering in the choir?
Let me simplify it. The first time I
met my wonderful wife was when she was singing as a member of a choir in
a church I was invited to minister . That was how I got to know her.
Later, I was in a place called Tresting. It’s somewhere on the mountains
in Italy. I went there for a conference. One night too, as I was saying
my prayers I prayed about marriage.
I asked God for a woman who
would want to work and fit into what God wanted me to do and the Lord
brought her image. I wasn’t sleeping o. It wasn’t a dream, and God said
“this is the woman”. Again, I prayed three times and got the same answer
“ this is the woman”. That was my first testimony. My father , who was a
pastor also prayed. He had never seen her, but when he visited Lagos
and saw her for the first time, he said “… this is the woman I saw too”.
It’s not a question of I feel led, or I think so, I heard and I saw
before I took a step.
Wife’s account
When G.O came, did he quote the scriptures or did he say I love you? What exactly did he say?
When
I first met my husband, I was a chorister. I was very inexperienced and
all I knew was to serve my God. I was brought up that way. He was then a
music director who came to our church to improve the performance of the
choir . We used to call him brother Daniel. There was really nothing on
my mind than we had a nice brother who was coming to teach us in the
choir. He was down to earth and straightforward. Anytime he came we
enjoyed his teaching. We always wanted him around because we learned a
lot from him; more than the songs he taught us.
At a time, he had
to go overseas in pursuit of his education. He went for his doctorate
then. We didn’t know much about that. We were young and just coming to
church. We expected him to come, but he didn’t and we learned later that
he had traveled. It was like a little child eating a nice piece of cake
and somebody came from the blues, snatched away the cake.
At a
time, he now came to the church, not as a music director but as a
preacher. That was the time he met me. I met him when he was a music
director he met me when he was a preacher. Bro Daniel returned to the
country , but now as a firebrand. We wanted to grow in the Lord. We
always wanted to learn from him. He had that pleasant aura, just
magnetizing people to the knowledge of God. I was even invited to the
fellowship then in the house. We prayed and I had to leave again to
pursue my education. I was far away in Ife. On one of his visits, I
think he was going to Ondo town then. I think at that time he had
received the vision. I hadn’t received anything then. I was just living
my normal life I think, but he proposed to me before I left for Ife.
What
was it like as he proposed to you?It was like he was maybe prophesying
or speaking in tongues. It wasn’t the kind of language you would expect
from young people… you know something like, I’m in love with you. That
day, he called me and we were in a small room where we normally had our
fellowship. He used to do his counseling there too. I was thinking
within me when I heard he wanted to see me and I wondered oh my God,
have I done anything wrong? What has the man of God got to say to me
today?
I was on dry fasting as well trying to see a man of God.
In preparation for that visit, I was praying and wondered oh God, what
is this meeting all about? And he said to me “simple”. Just as he writes
his books, he’s a man of not too many words but but action backed up by
the power of God. I’m not praising anyone , but I’m saying the truth
from the bottom of my heart. That day, he talked to me and he said, “God
is laying it in my heart that you are my wife. Simple”. It was like I
was in another planet trying to come back. Before I said anything, he
just said to me, “you have enough time, you go and pray”. I had to leave
for Ife then.
When he visited, it was like an inquiry about what
went on after the appointment. The result of my prayer and things like
that. When I got to Ife, it was like God prepared that place for me to
have a personal encounter on the issue. To me, it was a matter of life
and death, because of our Christian background . We prayed over
everything, committed everything into Gods hands. We didn’t do anything
without hearing from God. For the first time in my life, we did marathon
fasting. I fasted for 3 days just to ensure that I was getting it
right.
Just to get a yes or no. While I was praying, I had the
idea of having a very pleasant marriage and a man I can call my brother,
my friend. True love comes from the heart . I prayed to the Lord that I
didn’t want deceit, I didn’t want to make a mistake. I wanted a happy
marriage and God confirmed his word. God confirmed it by showing a
revelation to me . As an artist , I was able to do a sketch for my own
future reference. God showed him to me. I was actually presented to him.
That was when I knew God had a hand in it. I was not really matured
enough to say I heard God’s voice . God gave me that revelation and gave
me witnesses as well to back it up. I prayed to God and I was happy. I
had peace within me and I could see the future becoming bright.
I
was confident that I was doing the right thing. I told him what the
result of my prayers was and he asked when was my next birthday. I told
him and he said to me, you share the same birthday with me. The
relationship was not based on maybe because we shared the same birthday.
We actually knew about that at that point in time. It made the
relationship even more special to me and from there we started. We
attended prayer meetings together. At first, we were meeting on Tuesdays
. Then he gave me topics to talk about .He was a very good moderator,
and he gave me just10 minutes to speak on a particular topic. We
discussed and we prayed together. We enjoyed every bit of our courtship.
How long was the courtship? Were you tempted to indulge in pre-marital sex?
Pastor Olukoya:
The
courtship lasted about a year and a few months. Like I told you, before
I got born again in 1974 the Lord had been helping me. I never got into
trouble like other people did.. So, the question of temptation did not
come in a way that most people talk about temptation now. When we meet,
we are meeting on purpose to study the word, discuss and go.