A VERY HUMANE APOSTLE
There was a certainday, sometime in the early 70’s, when a beloved cleric came calling at our modest Molete residence. Days before the visit, Akindele Makanjuola (my dad) mobilised his four children to spend hours cleaning and adorning the guest room where the cleric was to spend the night. Deborah (Akindele’s wife) was also deployed to spend extra hours in the kitchen, preparing a most sumptuous meal for the guest and his accompanying entourage.
To the delight of the entire household, the guest arrived late in the afternoon of the appointed day to keep the night with us. It was a most memorable occasion and at this distance of time, I still fondly recollect the glorious experience. My excitement was akin to that of Mary and Martha welcoming Jesus to their home, centuries earlier. My parents, especially, felt most honoured and cherished the ecclesiastical visitation.
The cleric was Pastor Gabriel Olutola whom, over the many years during which our family unit evolved, happened to have been one of the Three Great Clerics who visited us at our home (Bethel Lodge). Just as David celebrated his Three Mighty Men, Akindele’s clan revered the Three Great Clerics: Pastor G.E.S. Olakanpo, Bishop John Falope and Pastor Gabriel Olutola, hereafter referred to as ‘Papa’. These were clerics who glowed like a morning star during their lifetimes and climbed the staircase of giants.
Even though I interacted with Papa on only a few occasions during his lifetime, I admired him greatly from a distance. I observed that as he strived to build a friendly relationship with heaven, he built a deepened and healthy partnership with his flock and this resulted in productive advancement of his ecclesiastic calling. He was reputed to have made God’s work truly his own. I used to look forward to attending services during which he preached. For me, he was a modern day Apostle James. His sermons were relatively brief (when compared to typical lengthy deliveries of TAC pastors), easy to follow and understand, laced with humour and deeply spiritual in content. Due to everyday practical references, his deliveries were truly homily.
All around him was in awe of his sainthood. His good looks and welcoming smile made numerous admirers seek his attention. Though an exalted cleric, there was no put-off shield around him and his notable friendly disposition made him all the more approachable. He cultivated the friendship and companionship of the high and low in the church, community, family and many other social settings.
Important to add at this junction is the fact that asides from having been a pastor to my parents, Papa was also their friend. According to my parents, he used to emphasis to them that friendship, when genuine, nourishes the soul. In a nutshell, Papa occupied the penthouse in the rankings of clerics who promote practical Christian living in Christendom.
After his formal retirement from clerical services, I watched Papa age as the river of time flowed on for him. However, even with his passing, my heart has clung to my undiluted memories of him. Memories of a godly, family man. Indeed, he was an in-law to the Akindele clan. All the traditional expectations of an in-law he fulfilled, in spite of hectic clerical duties. He made himself available to preach at my father’s funeral service and attended the one year memorial service for my mum in my Lagos home. What more could I have wanted from him?
Goodnight Papa. To have had you in our lives is a blessing that we have always cherished and one that we will continue cherish, all the days of our lives.