In view of the succession disputes and leadership storms that often follow the passing of church founders, Apostle Dr. Rotimi Emmanuel Akintade shares with Christian Benefits how the late founder of The Apostolic Church of Christ (TACC), Apostle Rufus Olatunji Ruwashe, carefully put his house in order long before his transition to glory in December 1998. According to him, the founder had already raised and certified him as his undisputed successor well ahead of his passing. Excerpts:
How would you like us to introduce you?
I am Apostle Dr. Rotimi Emmanuel Akintade, the General Overseer of The Apostolic Church of Christ in Nigeria.
Kindly share briefly about your background, including your salvation experience.
I grew up in The Apostolic Church of Christ in Nigeria. The founder of the church planted a branch in our town, Ode Aye in Ondo State. It was in that branch that I joined the church through an open-air revival conducted by the founder under a tree in the town.
Most of us who attended the revival were children. I was about eight years old then. After the revival, we followed the preacher while singing:
“Abore o Jesu, ajise to ran wa, abore o Jesu.” “We give thanks to Jesus, the One who sent us a messenger; we give thanks to Jesus.”
In those days there was no electricity. We used gas lamps for lighting. One of us carried the gas lamp as we followed the revivalist, singing down to the small local church. By the grace of God, that small church has now grown into an Area Headquarters in Ondo State. As I mentioned earlier, most of those who followed the revivalist were children because the adults had already returned to their homes. When we got to the church, the revivalist began asking each of us about our parents and writing down our names. When it got to my turn, he discovered from my surname Akintade that I was related to one of his uncles. He even knew our family house. He then specifically asked my parents to allow me to join the church.
My parents were members of the Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S) Church. However, the revivalist insisted that this young boy—referring to me—should be allowed to join the church. That was how I became a member of The Apostolic Church of Christ, Ode Aye Branch.
Immediately, I joined the church choir at that tender age of about eight.
I practically grew up in the mission house. Baba (the founder) appealed to my parents to allow me to stay there to serve the then branch pastor, Pastor Owoeye. The mission house was not far from our own home, so my parents agreed.
Growing up in the mission house, I rang the bell at 5:00 a.m. every morning to call people for early morning prayers, among other services. Whenever Baba visited from Lagos, I served him—fetching water and running errands for him until he departed. He bought a Bible and hymn book for me. However, the point where I truly had my salvation encounter came years later during my secondary school days.
While I was in Form One at Methodist High School, the Association of Visiting Secretaries (AVS) from Apostolic Faith visited our school to preach. After their message, they asked those who wanted to give their lives to Jesus to come forward. Many of us students responded.
They taught us songs such as: “All the things I used to do, I do them no more;
There’s a great change since I was born again.”
They also distributed tracts and gospel materials. Unfortunately, as youths, after they left, the impact of the message faded and we returned to our youthful mischief.
Later, in 1982, I gained admission into the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) to study Agriculture. During the convocation activities welcoming new students, several Christian campus fellowships came to invite us.
It was during one of those fellowship meetings that the sermon deeply touched my heart. That was the point I made a firm decision to follow Jesus Christ. Since 1982, I have continued in that commitment. I later joined the Deeper Life Campus Fellowship at the University of Ife. In those days we attended the Deeper Life Annual Easter Retreat at Ayobo, Lagos, where transportation, feeding, and accommodation were freely provided. That was the period I consider my true salvation encounter.
How would you describe your life before accepting Jesus Christ?
As I mentioned earlier, I was raised in a mission house, so I was not as free as many of my age mates. I had a very strong moral upbringing. Daddy always warned us to stay away from girls, alcohol, cigarette smoking, and other immoral habits. Because of this upbringing, even while I was in secondary school and later at the university, I never engaged in many of the sinful habits common among my peers. I spent much of my time reading the Bible and praying. In fact, while in secondary school I sometimes had visions concerning some of my classmates. However, although I had strong moral discipline during those years, I did not yet have a personal salvation experience until 1982, when I gained admission into the University of Ife. Later, during my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year in 1987/1988, when I was posted to Sokoto State, I had further spiritual experiences in my walk with Christ.
May we have a look at your ministerial profile leading to your appointment as General Overseer of The Apostolic Church of Christ (TACC)?
After graduating from the university and during my NYSC year, I joined the Nigeria Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF) in Sokoto State.
My primary assignment posting took me to a very remote community in Zuru Local Government, which at that time was in Sokoto State but is now part of Kebbi State. When I arrived there, I searched diligently for a church where I could fellowship. Eventually, I found a branch of The Apostolic Church. The pastor, who was also from Ondo State, welcomed me warmly.
At that time, he needed someone to help oversee the church while he went for a training programme. So he entrusted the church to me during his absence.
Interestingly, I was also appointed Zonal Coordinator of NYSC Corps Members in Zuru Local Government. Zuru was a very large local government area, so I had to coordinate several stations of corps members in different communities. During that period, I devoted much of my time to evangelism and soul winning. That was my first major experience in leading people spiritually and shepherding the flock of Christ. After my NYSC year, I returned to my church in Ondo State where I served as the choir leader. Later, I was ordained as an evangelist.
In pursuit of professional opportunities, I moved to Lagos. When I arrived, I joined our church headquarters in Okota, Lagos. The church was still small at the time. However, the founder later instructed me to seek ministerial training elsewhere. He eventually revealed to me that God had shown him in a vision that I would one day lead the church, but for that to happen I needed broader exposure.
Following this instruction, my wife and I relocated to Oworonsoki, where I joined The Redeemer Apostolic Church (RAC) as an evangelist. Nevertheless, I still visited our headquarters in Okota from time to time. Unknown to me, Baba had already informed the founder of RAC—his longtime friend who had worked with him under Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola in the Christ Apostolic Church—about me.He told him: “One of my spiritual sons is in your church. Please train him for me because he is the one God has shown will succeed me.”
The RAC founder then instructed the pastor of the Oworonsoki branch, Pastor Taiwo, to personally train me. During my time there, I served as his interpreter both in church and on television broadcasts, and I was also the youth leader. By 1996, the founder of our church wrote formally through the General Evangelist of TACC, Pastor Oyedipe, requesting that I be released back to my original church.
Pastor Taiwo was reluctant to release me because my wife and I were deeply involved in the church’s growth. I was leading over 35 vibrant youths, and today about 95% of those youths are now pastors in various churches. Eventually, I returned to The Apostolic Church of Christ in 1996, not knowing that Baba was already preparing to go home to be with the Lord.
Two years later, in December 1998, he passed on. However, before his transition, he had left video recordings and written documents confirming his choice of successor. After his passing, these recordings were played before the entire church leadership. In the recordings, he explained the vision God had shown him years earlier—that I was the one who would succeed him. He had also personally signed my certificate appointing me as General Overseer before his transition. Since 1998, I have served as the General Overseer of The Apostolic Church of Christ(TACC).
Although there were storms and disputes after the founder’s passing, by the grace of God we have continued to move forward.
Academically, I studied Agricultural Science initially but later realized my true calling was ministry. I therefore pursued theological training.
My qualifications include: Diploma in Theology at Holy Spirit Bible College, Oworonsoki, Ministerial training at Redeemer Apostolic Church Bible School, Ibadan; Degree in Theology at Holy Spirit Bible College and Master’s Degree and PhD in Theology from a foreign institution.
I also attended Deliverance Schools and the Holy Ghost School of Evangelism in Ilesa under Evangelist Ajeigbe, where I was appointed a prefect over more than 300 pastors, even though I had just arrived that very day. That experience confirmed to me that positions in my life have always come by divine grace rather than personal ambition.
At what point did you receive the call to ministry, and what is the mandate of your ministry?
My call to ministry began with a revelation in 1976 when I was in Form Two in secondary school. I had attended a revival programme in a Cherubim and Seraphim church where I was staying at the time. After the programme, I slept and had a dream. In the dream, I found myself on a straight untarred road. On both sides of the road were countless white birds (egrets), called “Lekeleke” in Yoruba.
I was wearing a white garment, holding a Bible, and preaching Jesus to the birds. They were listening attentively and clapping their wings. When I reported the dream to our church founder, he told me: “That is the work God has called you to do.” At the time, I did not believe it because I was focused on my education.
Later, in 1992, I had another dream while I was working as an Agricultural Science teacher at Aunty Ayo International School, Ikoyi, Lagos. In that dream, I was driving an extremely long luxury bus filled with people. Surprisingly, the bus had no tyres, yet it was moving—flying across Lagos and other cities in Nigeria. When I shared the dream with Baba, he explained that it meant I would lead a large ministry. These and many other revelations confirmed my divine call to ministry.
What are some of the gifts God has endowed you with for ministry?
By the grace of God, I am a gifted singer and revivalist. I started as a chorister and later became choir leader in our church. As an Apostolic church, we often compose spontaneous songs during services. Give me any sermon topic, and I can easily create songs around that theme before preaching. I am also particularly gifted in revival ministry and prayer. Whenever I minister, I often begin with songs aligned with the message before moving into the sermon. God has also given me the grace to pray according to scriptures and prophetic songs
Please share some of church programme and testimonies from them.
We have three major programmes in our church: Liberation Night, Olubori Prayer Meeting (every Wednesday morning) and Miracle Anointing Service (first Sunday of every month). One testimony occurred during the Olubori Prayer Meeting. While ministering, I said, there was a woman present trusting God for the fruit of the womb, and that God would give her a baby boy. The woman held onto the word and did not miss the programme for that month. Eventually, she conceived and delivered a baby boy, whose naming ceremony I conducted. The child was named Samuel. Today, that same boy is a choir leader in our church. His father later joined the church and is now one of our pastors. All their children, including twins, are members of our church choir.
Another testimony involved a woman who was planning to terminate her pregnancy. During the programme, I declared that there was someone contemplating abortion and warned her not to do it because the child was destined for greatness. Years later, the woman testified that she was the one God spoke about. She kept the pregnancy, delivered the baby, and I also conducted the child’s naming ceremony. Today, that child is in the university and a very anointed singer. The entire family is now part of our church, and the husband serves as one of our ushers. There are many other testimonies like these, and we give all the glory to God