3 months ago
6
Popular poet and playwright, Williams Shakespeare once described the world as a stage and each person plays his part and leave. Just like yesterday, August 24 makes it 10 years that a phenomenal and quintessential preacher, the president and founder of Gospel Apostolic Church (GAC) worldwide — late Rev. Samuel Akinbode Sadela, left this ephemeral world at the ripe age of 114 years and triumphantly joined the saint.
Indeed, there is a time to come and a time to leave, when Rev. Sadela died, a shadow was cast on the Christian community. There was an eclipse in God’s vineyard. His demise pierced the hearts of well-wishers. The enthralling odyssey of the Rev. Sadela shows he did not stumble on prominence by accident but intricately sketched his way to the top.
During his lifetime, Rev. Sadela was a man of many parts, and significantly, he left indelible footprint in the sands of time. Baba Sadela as he was popularly called by followers and teeming admirers, held the evangelical ministry by the storm.
He was a man of many parts, yet his role in Pentecostalism, societal and youth development is worthy of mention. Rev. Sadela wore so many caps, played many roles but surprisingly, like a skilled performer, he played all his parts so well, so efficiently, as to earn applause.
While many have attempted to chronicle or perhaps capture the momentous career of Baba Sadela in a single volume, this tribute is just a feeble shot at Baba’s exceptional and spiritual exploits.
A deeper insight into the life, work, ministry and milestones of Rev. Sadela shows how he squarely influenced the course of Christianity in Nigeria and beyond. Rev. Sadela was not just as man of God but man from God. He preached tirelessly despite his age, until death.
Not many are aware of the cleric’s ministerial journey. Like the best of his contemporaries, he began his primary education at St. Paul’s Anglican Primary School Ifon, but his education was interrupted as a result of certain factors. He migrated to Sapele in the present Delta state where he spent years working as domestic help for expatriate colonial administrators. He served as a houseboy to Captain Pullen, the British District Officer. He also served Captains Balmour and Gavin as house help.
In 1918, he returned home and finally completed his primary education in 1920. He was an active member of the Boy Scouts. He narrowly missed an opportunity to travel to England in 1925 as part of the Nigerian Contingent of the Boy Scouts. He could not make the trip because his father was indisposed. Many years later in 1946, he passed the Senior Cambridge examination, and later the London University Matriculation in 1949. He studied Law by correspondence with University College London and was scheduled to travel to London for a nine-month law course preparatory to being called to the Bar before his educational pursuit was, ironically, obstructed by the call of God.
Undeniably, Baba Sadela’s ministry impacted the society, and this has shown in the multitudes of souls converted from their old ways to Christ. Evangelism was his real passion. During his lifetime, he preached tirelessly, and every day.
Baba Sadela was one of the greatest teachers. He will always be remembered for generations to come for his in-depth exposition of the word of God, his passion for evangelism, his commitment to Christ and his life of purity and self-discipline.
In his ministerial sojourn, Baba Sadela was a quintessential preacher who was very much articulate, energetic, vibrant, unrelenting and tireless in preaching the gospel, his voice on the pulpit was no less sonorous in old age than it was in the early day. Rev. Sadela’s longevity was always an interesting subject of discussion, especially because he combined it with unusually robust health.
Despite his travails, Rev. Sadela continued to inspire both faith and perseverance through consistent demonstration. Rev. Sadela intuitively represented the body of Christ in many ways. He understood the dynamics and urgency of reaching young people with the gospel, especially because of their fundamental role in the sustainable growth of the church of God.
Rev. Sadela was a visionary leader, a strong man of faith who was passionate about God and service to God. He believed so much in the efficacy of the word of God and the power embedded in it. He was a go-getter who never gave up on whatever he believed in.
Despite his relative position of privilege, he was deeply and unpretentiously respectful. Everyone has a story to tell of Rev. Sadela’s warmth, compassion, friendliness, and his open displays of affection for others.
Baba Sadela stood firmly as the defender of the faith despite the series of odd situations which provided him the opportunities to prove his mettle in the good fight of faith.
Deeply studying Baba Sadela through his many sermons, one who understand how he lived a life that beckoned on all to follow biblical examples and great teachings. Under Rev. Sadela’s leadership, the church has recorded phenomenal growth.
He was a voracious reader of the scripture. Based on his effectual teachings, the church has experienced monumental growth, locally and internationally.
One of his many renditions — “O’n se temi, Baba n’se temi lowo”, still resonates till today. Baba Sadela stood as a lonely and strong voice during his lifetime, because he was disinterested in priestly accoutrements or empire building, yet ministering to members from a single church. His capacity for life and impact remained matchless.
Baba Sadela was untainted by scandal and perceived by his followers to be radiating righteousness, he was regarded with much respect, sometimes with awe, not only by sections of the public but also by people in power in the country who regularly sought his counsel and prayers.
Of course, the devil attacked Rev. Sadela, hoping to break him. However, the more he was afflicted; the more he preached the gospel even in pain. He fought many battles. Rev. Sadela was indeed a role model to many – Muslims and Christians alike.
But despite his fair share of life’s tribulations, Rev. Sadela rather than live the later part of his life in relative quiet and solitude, he fought tirelessly to remain strong. What is however certain is that tragedy would never diminish Rev. Sadela’s phenomenal life of outstanding achievements.
Of course, Rev. Sadela will be remembered for many things but top on that list was sincerity of purpose, passion for holiness, commitment to excellence, tirelessness in evangelism, and tenacity in integrity, made him stand out amongst clerics.
Today, the church Baba Sadela founded has grown exponentially, and still expanding. He reimagined the church, and his vision is that it can be further reimagined.
He remains a role model because of his endearing qualities, and a man who abandoned lucre and all it represents — power, position and popularity — to serve the body of Christ selflessly.
But one thing remains clear, Rev. Sadela lived a life that was action-packed, purpose-driven and God-ordained. He left this world like a candle in the wind, and only his memories remain. For Baba Sadela, it may be curtain calls, but he leaves behind some virtues that endeared him to many till date.
Alao Abiodun, a journalist, writes from Lagos.
English (US) ·