Pastor Akinola Oluwadamilare Akinwale (JP) is the Senior Pastor of Appealing Grace Assembly International, Lagos, and the immediate past Administrative Secretary of the national body of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).
Pastor Akinola Akinwale was born on July 26, 1964 in Ekiti State to Anglican parents. His father was a customary court chief judge while his mother was a petty trader. Unfortunately, the little Akinwale never knew his polygamous father who had died before he was born. He was left with his mother who raised him and his three older siblings; all of them boys, in the way of the Lord enforcing on them the Christian ethos till she also passed.
Akinola had his primary school education in his home town where he finished as the school janitor. He had his secondary school education at Ekiti Parapo College, and came out with unimpressive results in his first attempt at the West African Examination Council (WAEC) examination due to his troublesomeness. He waited four years at home because of financial challenge before returning to school at Ifeoluwa Grammar School, Osogbo, and became the best student in the school. He represented the school in literary and debating competitions and won many laurels for the school. Akinola had his second attempt at WAEC at Ifeoluwa, had distinctions and proceded to the famous Saint Charles Grammar School, Osogbo for his A Level. He furthered his education at Ondo State University and graduated with second class upper in banking and finance.
Despite his second class upper certificate in banking & finance with an ambition of becoming one of the best bankers in Nigeria, Akinola had a very brief stint in the Nigeria’s banking and finance sector as an account officer in a now defunct finance firm, and with a close prospect of working at ECOBANK, and also gunning for his master’s degree at the Lagos State University (LASU ) when the Lord re-ordered his steps to the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) to serve as Administrative Secretary, and he dutifully and meritoriously served the frontline Christian fellowship for almost 29 years till April 2024.
Before his duty call to service as the PFN Administrative Secretary, Pastor Akinola had given his life to Jesus Christ since 1998; leaving behind him a past of heavy boozing, childhood troublesomeness and as a tough student unionist at Ondo State University. He started his Christian race as a born again Christian at Christ Gospel Mission International (GCMI) founded by the legendary Pa Rev. Daniel Ogunkanmi (now late); one of the founding fathers of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).
Pastor Akinola Akinwale (JP), who is happily married to Pastor Mrs. Ibiyemi Modesola Akinola and blessed with a beautiful daughter after 12 years of waiting for the fruit of the womb, diligently served at GCMI for several years as a member, chorister, youth fellowship vice president, district treasurer and branch pastor before stepping out to pioneer Appealing Grace Assembly, Ayobo, Lagos, 17 years ago in the course of his services at the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).
Pastor Akinola Oluwadamilare Akinwale last year 2024 took an honorable bow as the Administrative Secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) after almost 29 years of meritorious services at the Nigeria’s frontline Christian body. In the course of his about 29 years of services at the PFN national headquarters, Lagos, Akinola holds the unique honor of working as Secretary to five successive PFN national presidents namely Archbishop Benson Idahosa (now late), Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Rev. Dr. Felix Omobude and the incumbent; Bishop Francis Wale Oke. He proudly left the exacted office creditably with the accolades of honesty, integrity, trust, loyalty and accountability with no blemish.
Based on his impeccable record of excellent service to the body of Christ at the PFN national headquarters for going to three decades, the Board of Christian Benefits Media Ministry finds Pastor Akinola Oluwadamilare Akinwale (JP) eminently qualified for the 2025 Benefits Awards for Missionary Excellence (BAME) for excellent Christian service in recognition of his outstanding stewardship to the body of Christ on the platform of the national body of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).
