As Archbishop John Alagbala Adebayo Osa-Oni celebrated his birthday July 13, 2024, Christian Benefits brings to memories how the charismatic Founder/Archbishop of Vineyard Christian Churches rose from an Oro (idol) dancer to a global preacher of the gospel, and also how he almost ate his own excreta to quench his hunger as a poor undergraduate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and lots more about his humble background as he shares with Christian Benefits. Among the touchy emotions of his humble past, John Osa-Oni reveals: “Actually, my father didn’t want me to go to school. He wanted me to be a farmer like him. But I insisted I wanted to go to school. My younger brother was already going to primary four when I started school.” Excerpts.
Just for formality, sir, how will you like to be introduced?
I am John Alagbala Adebayo Osa-Oni, the Presiding Archbishop of Vineyard Christian Churches.
How was your upbringing like?
My upbringing was a good one initially. My father was a farmer. So, I lacked no good food growing up. We ate pounded yam about four times daily. My father had cocoa farm, rice farm, coco yam farm and rubber plantation. But at a certain point I left my father’s house to live with a distance relative who took me up to train me and send me to school in Benin City. When I got to the city I began to hawk crayfish among other wares. In the process food became luxury I was being fed with three -day to one-week old eba with maggots-infested soured soups. You see will the maggots swarming in the soured soup. In the morning, they would ask me to warm the soup and eat it with the eba they had piled up for a week. Whereas, that same morning, as tiny as I was then, I had grounded pepper and fried the stew for the rice they would eat. But I won’t be given out of the rice. It was so tough that it came to a time I couldn’t bear it anymore. Unfortunately, I didn’t know the way back to my town. In the process, I devised a mean for my survival. Whenever I was given wares to hawk, as I get close to the market, I would fall down and the wares would scatter on the floor. I often took from the sales of the wares to eat and my guardian would thoroughly beat me. Most of the houses in those days in Benin were mud houses. So, I had to use my mouth to scrap the wall of our mud house so that it looked like I was very hungry. But it came to a time that I didn’t want to continue that. So, I ran away. In those days, people didn’t sell two days old bread. They gathered such bread and burned them. So, I began to go to where they set fire on such bread and picked them and ate. So, I ate from the garbage while growing up. But I must tell you, in those days it was very sweet. It is only God that has brought me to where I am today.
In spite of this, how did you pay your way through school?
Actually, my father didn’t want me to go to school. He wanted me to be a farmer like him. But I insisted I wanted to go to school. My younger brother was already going to primary four when I started school. I had to do odd jobs to go to school. Immediately after school hours I farmed for people for money. I cleared bushes for people in their cassava and yam farms. I will forever be grateful to the now late Chief Obafemi Awolowo for his free education programme in the western part of Nigeria from which I eventually benefitted. He was truly the best president Nigeria never had. Nigerians should regret that the late Chief ObafemiAwolowo was never allowed to rule this country. We felt his impact in the western part of this country.
While growing up did you have any inking you might become a servant of God in the future?
Laaye (Never)! There was none! I actually grew up as an Oro (idol) dancer. I never imagined that one day I would be a minister of God.
Share with us how you eventually encountered Jesus Christ from Oro (Idol) dancer
It happened that I fell on the charm set on the floor on the way to school one early morning, and that charm affected me. But you know it, I took ill and fainted seven times. I was down for about three hours. And the people went into the forest to dig my grave because the Oliha, the Ojomo, the Aro and all the powerful people in the town had done all they could do ritually to revive me to no avail. Eventually, they began to console my dad that the boy was not his own. If he were his own he would have lived. Traditionally, the people don’t bury teenagers around the house. So, they went into the forest to go dig my grave. But in the process I felt myself jumped through my father’s window and went to the coconut tree at the back of the house. There is this leaf they call the blood of Jesus. It is like cocoyam leaf. I plucked the leaf in the right hand, picked a black snail in the left hand and started shouting: “Mo tiri! Motiri! Mo tiri,”which means I have seen it! I have seen it! The people asked me, what have you seen? They felt maybe the ancestors wanted to device a different mean of worshipping and serving them. It was later years that one Cherubim & Seraphim (C&S) member explained the experience to me when I told him I saw a man drove me back to go and work for him. The C&S man told me the Man is Jesus Christ. From that moment my desires to dance for idols ceased. The only desire I have is to serve God. I Later left my town for Benin. When I got to church one day, they gave me the New Testament Gideon Bible. When I got home,as I was reading the Bible, I got to the confession part. Immediately, I knelt down and said the confession. All this happened in 1972.
How the did you receive the call into ministry thereafter?
Despite that encounter all my passion was to make money. After I graduated from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) I worked in different places until it finally dawn on me that I have a calling into ministry. In the early 1980s when we received the call into ministry you have to go to Pa Elton in Ilesa and tell him, sir, I sensed a calling. So, I visited Pa Elton in Ilesa and stayed with him overnight. Early in the morning next day he called me into his living room and told me you are called. I was so excited. But he gave me some places I should go to work. He said those places are possesed of Jezebel spirit. When Christ Chapel International Churches (CCIC) started, because a lot of women worn trousers to the church and also left their hairs uncovered there, people labelel it Jezebel spirit. They never understood the new move of God. When new moves come, older believers resist them. Christ Chapel did awesome things in those days. Before I returned from Ilesa, Dr. Tunde Joda, the Founder of Christ Chapel International Churches (CCIC) had got to my place then at Papa Ajao, Mushin. He invited me to come and work with him. We used to be prayer partners on campus. He just loved me and wanted me to come and work with him as one of his Associate Pastors. So, I started my mnistry at Christ Chapel international Churches (CICC). The only church where I worshipped before I came into ministry was Church of God Mission of the now late Archbishop Benson Idahosa. From there I moved to Foursquare and later dabbled into Williams Brenham in 1976. I was one of the first set when Pastor W.F Kumuyi started the reteat at Molete, Ibadan. The only church I really attended for a long time and worked is Christ Chapel International Churches (CCIC).
Who were those you picked as your mentors or role models when you came into ministry?
Apart from Pa Elton, I did’nt actully pick anybody. I was completely sold out for Christ. But I love the passion with which Dr. Tunde Joda was doing minsitry. That was the person I grew up with in ministry. I was with him from the very beginning of Christ Chapel in 1983 before I left the ministry in 1987. I love Dr. Joda’s passion for God.
I recall you said sometime ago that you almost ate your own excreta as an undergraduate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG). What exactly happened then?
Well, nobody sent me to school. I was there on my own account, and I ran out of money. And what made me ran out of money was that I was stupid. My boss at UTC Motors, Mr. Adenekan, the financial controller, told me that I should still come every month to collect my salary when I informed him I had gained admission into UNILAG. I did that until when I listened to Bro. Kumuyi’s message about collecting money you are not working for. I felt challenged in my conscience, and went to my immediate boss, Tunde Sulaimon; a leader in Deeper Life, and we both went to Mr. Adenekan and told him about the message. He drove me out of his office., So, since I did’nt collect thar unjust money any longer it became very difficult for me to survice on campus, although my friends on campus were helpful. Campus fellowships in those days were very strong. As a member of any of the fellowships then, whether you had money or not, you will survice. But thank God I had to do a part-time teaching to survive on campus. I did coaching classess for WAEC and GCE candidates to make a little money at the end of the month to survive.
How did Vineyard Christian Churches eventually start?
Before I left Christ Chapel in February 1987, I heard a voice, your time is up, and I became restless. After I finally resigned from Christ Chapel I was going for a job interview at Royal Exchange Insurance when the Lord suddenly told me, “I told you to leave the work. I did’nt tell you to leave me. And I turned back disappointed. It was very painful. I went into 40 days fasting and prayer before I started the commission. Fasting has always been part of my life. Till date I don’t eat more than one meal a day. Even whenever I travel abroad I take only salad without cream. Thanks to Rev. Tony Akinyemi who introduced me to a certain oil to add to my salad without cream.
What is the mandate of Vineyard Christian Churches?
The mandate is to get the people out of poverty. Jesus said I have come to give you life; even more abundantly. We are supposed to live abundant life that glories who we serve. We are called to preach the word of faith There is no message I preach without ending in prosperity. I am called to raise people of destiny.
What is the greatest lesson you have learned over the years?
One of the greatest lessons I have learned is respect for everybody; give everybody the due honour and respect because you do not know whom you are dealing with. That’s why I play with everybody. I love everybody. You do not know who is who tomorrow. I have seen people that many have despised became great people. My humble background taught me not to look down on people.
