Lagos Atlantic Conference
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Lagos Atlantic Conference ADEJOKE O. OYEWUNMI, AND JACOB E. UMORU Adejoke O. Oyewunmi is professor of law, University of Lagos, and legal adviser, Lagos Atlantic. Jacob E. Umoru, Ph.D., is president of Lagos Atlantic Conference. The Lagos Atlantic Conference is of great historical importance to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria. This is due to many reasons: its strategic geographical territory, which encompasses, among others, the Apapa Seaport and its environs. It was at this port that the ship that conveyed the first Adventist missionary to Nigeria, David Cladwell Babcock and his fellow pioneers (R. P. Dauphin and S. Morgue), berthed in March 1914.1 To all intents and purposes, therefore, Lagos Atlantic Conference has the distinction of being the territory where the Adventist missionaries first landed on arrival in Nigeria. It was from there that they made their way into the hinterland to commence their evangelistic mission before later returning to Lagos to spread the Advent message.2 Territory The Lagos Atlantic Conference field stretches across twelve out of the twenty local government areas of Lagos Atlantic Conference headquarters, Lagos, Lagos State, Lagos State, while also extending to Ado-Ota Local Nigeria. Government in Ogun State. The 12 local government Photo courtesy of Jacob Umoru. areas are Ajeromi/Ifelodun, Apapa, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Mushin, Oshodi/Isolo, Surulere, Amuwo Odofin, Ojo, Eti Osa, Badagry, and Ibeju Lekki.3 The conference is bordered in the southwestern part by the Republic of Benin and in the southeastern part by the Atlantic Ocean. The church has a presence in virtually all the local government areas covered by the conference by virtue of the various established churches and companies, as well as diverse other means through which the conference has strategically raised awareness of the Advent message among different groups, including the vulnerable and disempowered. Thus, beyond physical churches, outreaches of various types, including through literature evangelism, prison ministry, health seminars/hospital ministries, vacation Bible school, and empowerment programs have all helped to promote the visibility and enhance the impact of the church in the territories making up the Lagos Atlantic Conference. Evolution of the Conference The vision for the creation of the conference originated from the (then) North-Western Nigeria Union Mission Executive Committee headed by Pastor (Dr.) Oyeleke Owolabi. During the Union constituency meeting held at Babcock University, Ilisan on December 15--18, 2010, it was voted to reorganize the territories under the Union into smaller administrative units, with a view to promoting the growth and development of the church.4 At that time the territories comprising the Lagos Atlantic Conference were domiciled in the former West Nigeria Conference, alongside other territories in Oyo, Osun, Kwara, and Kogi state, and headed by Pastor (Dr.) Ezekiel Oyinloye. Following the 2010 constituency meeting, active steps were taken toward the implementation of the reorganization initiative, and on December 17, 2011, at a combined service held at the SDA Church, Festac, the Lagos Atlantic Administrative Unit, was inaugurated under the leadership of Pastor Jacob Umoru (director), Pastor Yussuf Imam (secretary), and Mrs. Folashade Ogungbesan (treasurer).5 The secretariat of the unit was and remains, to date, 37 Queens Street, Yaba. The conference, at the time of its inauguration, was made up of nine districts and about twenty churches, nineteen companies with a total membership of 5,549.6 It had a total of 14 ministers (twelve credentialed and two licensed); four missionaries and five pioneers.7 The pioneer district pastors who helped coordinate the nine districts were Pastor Joshua Ayinla (Ajangbadi), Pastor Adeniyi Adebara (Apapa), Pastor Ogbonna Ogechi (Badagry), Pastor A. O. Aramide (Ejigbo), Pastor Adetiloye Oloyede (Festac), Pastor Adebomi Joseph (Ilasamaja), Pastor Emmanuel Ogungbesan (Lagos Island), Pastor Yusuf Imam (Orile), and Pastor (Dr.) Jacob Umoru (Yaba).8 The journey toward attaining the status of a conference commenced immediately after inauguration. In August 2012 a West-Central Africa Division evaluation team comprising Pastor Onaolapo Ajibade, Elder Emmanuel Manu, and Pastor Daniel Opoku-Boateng visited the Lagos Atlantic Administrative Unit to assess its preparedness for conference status. To the glory of God, the verdict was positive, and on January 19, 2013, the Lagos Atlantic Conference was officially inaugurated at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. The officers of the former Lagos Atlantic Administrative Unit, Pastor (Dr.) Jacob Umoru, Pastor Yusuf Imam, and Mrs. Folasade Ogungbesan as president, secretary and treasurer respectively, formed the kernel of the administration to continue to steer the ship of the new conference.9 Directors were also named, and the Executive Committee was duly constituted. The team worked hard to establish and grow the new conference. During the second Conference constituency in October 2016, a new secretary, Pastor Olajide, was elected to serve alongside Pastor Umoru and Mrs. Ogungbesan, who were returned as officers for the new term.10 Directors were also appointed and the Executive Committee duly reconstituted. During the first tenure of the administration, the need to have in place a befitting headquarters building for the new conference was pressing. The task of identifying a suitable location for the proposed headquarters was entrusted to a seven-member committee headed by Elder Abraham Ahutu. The committee worked hard and came up with some proposals. However, the prohibitive cost of procurement of land in the readily accessible parts of Lagos led the West- Central Africa Division (WAD) Evaluation Committee headed by Pastor (Dr.) Onaolapo Ajibade to recommend that the young conference should look inwards by developing the existing site at Queens Street. Consequently, the Conference Executive Committee at its meeting of April 14, 2013, set up an Implementation Committee headed by Elder Isaac Fatade to midwife the construction of a befitting edifice to house the conference. Other members of this committee were Elders Victor Oyenuga, Ugo Emerole, Remi Oyewunmi, Yinka Kolapo, Sola Akerele, Wilfred Oseghe, Mrs. Adebola Ajide, and Pastor J. E. Umoru (ex-officio).11 The buildings on the Queen Street premises were demolished and replaced by a modern four-story structure that currently houses the conference offices, an events hall, guest apartment, and parsonages for the three conference officers.12 Through the divine blessing and the sacrifices of an enthusiastic church, the conference secretariat project was completed well within the stipulated time frame of 16 months. During the period of construction, the secretariat was temporarily relocated to Number 56, Olorunkemi Street, Bariga, where it occupied a rent-free flat, courtesy of Elder and Mrs. Yinka Kolapo.13 The conference also successfully acquired, in 2018, a 65-acre piece of land at Epe to be used for the development of an estate (Adventist Village) comprising of the Lagos Atlantic Conference permanent campsite, worship center, residential plots for church members, as well as commercial, health, educational and recreational facilities.14 Evolution of the Districts and Some of the Pioneer Churches in Lagos Between the early 1930s when the first church in Lagos was established in Yaba and the present time, the churches in what has now become known as the Lagos Atlantic Conference territory have grown from a single church to about forty-nine worship centers comprising churches and companies spread across the conference territory. For administrative purposes, Yaba had remained the only district in Lagos State for many years. Thus, until 1996 all the churches in Lagos operated under Yaba district. However, as many churches were established in Lagos during the era of the defunct West Nigeria Conference, it was decided in 1996 to reorganize Yaba into two districts.15 At this point Apapa district was carved out and inaugurated in the month of February 1996 under the headship of Pastor J. O. Eregere. The churches made up of Apapa district then were Apapa, Badagry, Festac, Ilasamaja, Orileiganmu, Orile Company, Ejigbo, Okokomaiko, and Isheri-Osun churches. Subsequently, in 1999, Kirikiri was handed over to Apapa district by Maryland church, while another church, Olodi Church was established in the same year. Around 2001 Festac district was carved out of Apapa district. It is currently one of the biggest districts, while the Festac church auditorium is the largest in the conference. The churches under the district include Okokomaiko, Iba, and satellite churches. In 2005 Ilasamaja district was created out of Festac district. In 2012 four new districts were inaugurated. These were Orile district, carved out of Apapa; Badagry and Ajangbadi districts, carved out of Festac district, and Ejigbo district carved out of Ilasamaja district. At present two new districts have been added to the nine previously in existence, to make eleven districts. These are Lekki and Zion districts, which were carved out of the existing Lagos Island and Yaba districts respectively in 2013. There are also plans afoot to create a new Ijanikin district out of the Badagry district in January 2020.16 One of the earliest converts in Lagos was N. A. Coker.17 Pastor John Ojo Adebayo and Mama Felicia Abiola Adebayo were converted in Ibadan but from the late 1930s worshiped with their children, including Pastor S. K. Adebayo at Yaba church.18 Some of the pastors that contributed to the evolution and early growth of the church in Lagos included Pastor J. M. A. Adeoye, Pastor D. K. Omoleye, Pastor J. E. Adewoye, Pastor R. P. Dolphin, Pastor J. D. Owolabi, Pastor Majolagbe, Pastor J. A. Adeniji, Pastor I. O. Adewusi, Pastor D. K. Omoleye, Pastor E. A. Akintunde, Pastor M. O. Olayemi, Pastor G. A. Solademi, Pastor J. O. Eregare, Pastor (Prof.) A. A. Alalade, Pastor (Dr.) J. A. Ola, Pastor O. Oladini, and Pastor H. O. Oyeleke. Early outreaches in the form of public evangelistic efforts by C. D. Brooks, C .D. Henri, Dr. S. A.