Family members, church members, friends and business associates of Rev. Dr. Samson Adebayo graced the recent 60th birthday celebration of the amiable general overseer of Divine Help Ministry, Idimu. Lagos.
The celebration featured empowerment of 20 widows by the celebrant with a sum of N2million (two million naira) to boost their petty businesses. Adebayo, an accomplished apostle in the market place, described his silver jubilee birthday celebration gesture to the widows as the core reason for his 60th birthday celebration.
“One thing a man can enjoy is accepting Christ. I promised God if He spares my life to clock 60 years, I would celebrate it by empowering 60 widows. My intention was to empower 60 widows today, but only 41 people responded to my appeal for support to empower 60 widows. The 41 people, including widows, contributed a sum of N800,000 (eight hundred thousand naira) to support my empowerment of 60 widows on my 60th birthday. This sum didn’t meet my N6million (six million naira) target to empower each widow with N100,000.
“So, we have to break the empowerment into batches, with 20 widows as the first batch we are empowering today with a sum of N100,000 each. By the grace of God, we will empower the remaining 40 widows as the Lord provides. The money given to the 20 widows is meant to boost their petty businesses. My prayer is the money will be multiplied in Jesus name. The empowerment of the first 20 widows is the core reason for my 60th birthday celebration today. We hope to continue this gesture to widows as a foundation,” Adebayo expressed.
Blessing Munachi, a widow of about eight years and foodstuffs seller, also thanked God and appreciated Dr. Adebayo for the financial empowerment the philanthropic celebrant extended to her to boost her business. “I am into a small scale business and God has been taking control. I thank God and appreciate the man of God for the N100,000 support he gave to me. I have not counted N100,000 this year. I am so happy and wish the man of God long life and prosperity. I will invest the money in my foodstuffs business,” she said.
Mrs. Adejobi Falode, a young widow and mother of three children, called her financial empowerment by the celebrant the grace of God. She tells her story: “This December 2023 made it a year I became a widow. I sell drinks and foodstuffs. My financial empowerment by the celebrant is the grace of God. I was selected by the grace of God as a young widow to be among the beneficiaries. I am not a member of his (the celebrant) church. I only passed by his church and saw the banner of his 60th birthday empowerment of 60 widows. I bless God for the N100,000 the man of God gave to me on his 60th birthday. I will invest the money in my business.”
Mrs. Georgina Ibeme says she has been coping by the grace of God since she lost her husband and became a widow 12 years ago with four children. “It has been God. The scripture makes me understand that the Lord will take care of me if I keep myself as a widow. I have accepted the life of Christ. I live to worship him. He has been there for my children and me. I was wowed by this financial empowerment the man of God extended to me. I wept for joy and couldn’t hold myself. I bless the Lord and pray that the man of God would be blessed more. I’m not a member of his church. I worship at the Assemblies of God Church. I will invest the money in my business; believing that God who has used the man of God for me will also bless my business to profit more.”
Pastor Victor Ayo Philips, in his exhortation on the 60th birthday of Rev. Dr. Samson Adebayo, extolled the virtues of the celebrant whom he described as a humble and kind-hearted man of God. Speaking on the topic: Celebrating the Hand of God, the preacher says no one achieves any success in life without the hand of God.
“What we are celebrating today is the hand of God in the life of His servant, Rev. Dr. Samson Adebayo. By the hand of God man was molded. By the hand of God we fulfill purposes in life. The Bible says when the hand of the Lord was upon Elijah, Elijah was able to overcome. Today, the Lord has invited us to celebrate His hand in the life of His vessel, the celebrant. We are here celebrating the man of God who is fulfilling his purpose. He listens to God and depends on the hand of God upon him to receive direction for his life and destiny,” he said.
Victor Adebayo, the celebrant’s first son, eulogized his father on his 60th birthday. He described his father as a selfless and sacrificial giver. “I am a software engineer. I run a professional business in Lagos state. The best word to describe my dad is selfless. He sacrifices a lot to bless people. He lives for others; always ensuring other people live a good life. He doesn’t mind starving himself to ensure others survive too. As a father, he is a disciplinarian. Growing up, I used to think he was too hard on me. But today, it’s different narrative, now that I have grown older. I realized he was hard on things that were needed for life. He is a father that thinks ahead. He instilled a lot of morals in me that make me stand out among my friends. He is a very wise businessman.
“No one knows when his business is up or down. He runs his business in a way that he is able to manage its ups and downs. He has been running his business for over 20 years. He is a very sacrificial husband. He has been happily married to my mom for 29 years now. Since they got married, I have never heard a fight between them. They have a way of settling their differences. As a father, my dad puts us, his children first. He denies himself to give us the best. He lives an exemplary lifestyle. As a man of God, my dad is an honest man of God. He is a man of truth. He stands on and for the truth at all times. He does not compromise,” Victor eulogized his father.
David Adebayo, the U.K based second son of the celebrant, tells Christian Benefits about his father at 60 years old thus: “My name is David Adebayo. I work in advertising marketing. I’m also a master’s student in the United Kingdom. My dad is an image of consistency. He exemplifies consistency in every aspect of his life; family, ministry, business; and also in words and character. My prayer for him at 60 is for him to see the next 60 years in joy and happiness. It is also my prayer that he reaps the fruit of his labour. If I am to come to the world again, I would still choose him to be my dad because he is everything that I need in a dad,” David said.
Mr. Ojo Kolapo Temitope, a relative of the celebrant, said he was happy that Adebayo clocked 60, which he described as a very special age. “It’s a privilege! I thank God for his life. God will continue to keep him. He is like a father to me. He means so much to me. He carries people along. He avoids segregation. I celebrate him. I pray the Lord will give him long life to see his great grandchildren. The Lord will continue to bless him. As he has impacted lots of lives, the Lord will impart his life and that of his family in Jesus name,” Temitope prayed