Apostle Emmanuel Omoniyi Omotunde was among the first generation of prophets in the Aladura Movement in Nigeria. He received his divine calling and empowerment in Ilesha in 1939 and went on to become a renowned evangelical leader and revivalist within the Apostolic Movement.
His revival in Lagos in 1940 played a foundational role in the establishment of Christ Apostolic Church assemblies in areas such as Agege, Yaba, and Ipaja, among others. His revival meetings were marked by power and produced remarkable results.
Apostle Omotunde carried a rare dimension of spiritual authority, reminiscent of the power seen in the days of Christ and the apostles. Through his prayers and commands, extraordinary manifestations occurred, and nothing seemed able to withstand the power of God working through him.
The Divine Calling and Apostolic Legacy Of Apostle Emmanuel Omoniyi Omotunde
The African Apostolic Church (TAAC) as a denomination originates in three main events.
i. Men’s group prayer meeting established by Emmanuel Omoniyi Omotunde at Oke Ajaye Aramoko Ekiti State in Nigeria.
ii. The prophetic revelation to Michael Ojo Ajagunigbala and Joshua Adeyemi on 12th April, 1937 about a profitable wood for them in Ajalu forest now Oke-Ajaye. (The two of them were sawyers and prominent members of men’s prayer group at Oke-Ajaye in Aramoko Ekiti.
iii. Thirdly, the prophetic call of Emmanuel Omoniyi Omotunde with great signs and wonders and powerful hand of healing through the anointing of the Holy Spirit in 1939.
These three events intertwined to give birth to a divine and spirit filled ministry called, the African Apostolic Church. They intertwined in that, the three main characters in the establishment of African Apostolic Church were idol worshippers who accepted Jesus Christ through the C.M.S Missionary and who became members of the church and later joined Christ Apostolic Church because of a powerful revival led by Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola in Aramoko Ekiti. With the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the burning fire of prayer, Emmanuel Omoniyi Omotunde established weekly men’s prayer meeting with the following people as members, Michael Ojo Ajagunigbala, Joshua Adeyemi, Thomas Ore-Ewi, Hezekiah Olu Alademoni and Olusanmi to mention a few. They were thirteen in number.
The men’s prayer meeting at Anaye became the meeting point for these men of God. There was a prophetic revelation to the sawyers in the group through Adeyemi to go in search of a profitable wood at Ajalu. On getting there, God instructed them to send for Omotunde who is not a sawyer to come and organize them. This happened about three times. At the third visit of Omotunde, they reasoned that God was about to do something through them, but how and when, they did not know. They then made a covenant among themselves (Omotunde, Ajagunigbala and Adeyemi) in the name of the Lord not to betray each other. All these happened in 1937.
In one of the meetings at Ajalu in 1937, God spoke through Adeyemi to Omotunde who was a bricklayer among other occupations he had, to go to Ilorin and heal somebody that was sick. From there, God further directed him to Ilesha for a building contract that was waiting for him there. All the prophecies were fulfilled. It was at Ilesha that God revealed Himself to Omotunde as the “Atobiju” (meaning the Almighty or the HIGHEST or Most High etc; really the Yoruba meaning carries more power than interpreted) and the anointing for powerful healing came upon him which led to a new Apostolic Church called African Apostolic Church. Therefore, it is safe to say that these three events intertwined physically and spiritually to give birth to TAAC established by the Holy Spirit through the vessel, Apostle Emmanuel Omoniyi Omotunde (also known as “Omo Atobiju”, “Oloro Ayayatutu”).
For historical details and emphasis, it is good to note that the prophetic instruction to Micheal Ojo Ajagunigbala and Joshua Adeyemi was with four fold instruction;
i. to go straight to Ajalu forest without diverting to any other place;
ii. they should not pass through Aramoko by day light;
iii. they should not greet anybody on their way;
iv. they should not pass the night at Aramoko.
As a proof of this divine message, when they eventually got to Aramoko after staying for some hours on the way so that it would be dark according to God’s instruction, they got to Aramoko. Surprisingly, every one that met them did not greet them. But, they disobeyed God in that they decided to divert to Adeyemi‘s house in Aramoko in other to see Adeyemi’s elder brother, Thomas Ore-Ewi so as to inform him of their shift of base. This was because the money with which they got the license to cut trees and bought tools were borrowed from Thomas. When they informed him of what God said, he saw them as lazy people who did not want to work and doubted the possibility of recovering his money. So he held his brother, Adeyemi, but Michael Ajagunigbala proceeded to Ajalu that day according to God’s instruction in company of Aluko, their aid. That was on the 4th April, 1937. Adeyemi joined them three days later.
One of the instructions God gave was that on arrival at Ajalu, Ajagunigbala should clear a spot for prayer and invite one Bro. Joseph Agun from Igede Ekiti Nigeria to bless the spot for prayer. God brought the brother Himself the sixth day of their arrival at Ajalu and Ajagunigbala quickly cleared the spot for prayer for Bro. Joseph Agun to bless the spot. That spot eventually became, the Land of Origin or Power Land in Oke Ajaye today. The clearing was done in April, 1937. Also, the first hurt that was built in Ajaye is today known as the Mercy Land , the spot was also cleared by Ajagunigbala on 12th April, 1937.
They arrived at Ajalu and-saw the wood. They maintained hours of prayer and God spoke to them mostly through Prophet Adeyemi. Other people joined them in the wood project and they prayed together. The power of God would descend mightily on every one present and some of them, after getting to the town especially Aramoko, were spreading that it was Iroko tree’s spirit that was working in them. This made them to be ashamed to the extent that Ajagunigbala and Adeyemi could not go to Aramoko in the day.
The Lord also sent message that they should invite Thomas Ore-Ewi, the brother of Adeyemi for six days prayer and fasting of which Ajagunigbala and Adeyemi must participate. They did and at the end of the sixth day, as he was about to leave, the Spirit of God came mightily upon him and the whole area was shaken because of the power of God and he prophesied thus: If you lack food here, pray to me and I will provide you yam to eat. One day, they needed what to eat and they prayed to God to provide. Shortly after, a man came with yam saying he was farming close to them and decided to visit them and present them with the yam. They later went in search of the man and behold; he couldn’t be found.
The rumour about how God was using them was everywhere, but many doubted it that was not the spirit of God. This made them asked for a sign. Their unbelief displeased God and he spoke to them through Adeyemi that the hurt will be burnt. Ajagunigbala agreed and packed their properties out of the hurt. About five minutes to the appointed time, the Spirit of God came upon Adeyemi again that they should beg for forgiveness, that they cannot behold the fire of God. They obeyed and begged. The Spirit of God spoke again through Adeyemi that He would have burnt the hurt three miles down in breadth and tree miles up in breadth. However, He said because they begged, he will make Oke-Ajaye a three square mile City (i.e. three miles breath and length). Immediately, the Spirit of God came mightily again on Thomas Ore-Ewi and took him off the earth for about three feet. There was a big three there that he climbed up high, everywhere was terrified with this anointing and he said God asked him to go to Aramoko and heal a mad person named Osunkeye.
On the way they, met Baptist Missionary car coming and he told everyone not to leave the road for the car. He then used the anointing in him to stop the car and it stopped suddenly. On getting to Aramoko, the power had departed from him so he could not heal the mad person again. They returned to Ajalu disgraced and this convinced people in Aramoko that truly, it was Iroko tree’s spirit using them. They were so ashamed that they could not leave Ajaye again because of the shame and disgrace. After about three months and sixteen days, God spoke through Adeyemi to invite the prayer group leader, Emmanuel Omotunde, to come and organize and administer them. This message came three times, Omotunde, who was not a sawyer, always obeyed and advised them to work hard and add to the thickness of their plank to make selling fast and easy. After each advice, he would pray for them.
In 939, from IIorin, after healing the sick person there, he came to Ilesha and got the building contract God promised him prophetically. This could be referred to as the road map to receiving the anointing of the Holy Spirit. At Ilesha, Omotunde started another men’s group prayer but this time, on a daily basis and God’s power was manifested always. At the same time, the building contract he got also continued. It was at this daily prayer that God started manifesting Himself in the life of Omotunde by healing people divinely through him. Finally, the spirit of God came mightily upon Omotunde. He saw a vision, where the Lord appeared to him, He stretched His hand and it reached the two end of the earth, His leg was on the ground and his head touched the heavens; then, the Lord said to him “Emi ni Atobiju” (I am the HIGHEST). That is the reason why Omotunde referred to himself as the son of “Atobiju” i.e. the son of “the HIGHEST”. The Ilesha building project stopped for the work of God to start. This marked the beginning of the Spirit filled and divinely instituted Church, the African Apostolic Church, founded through Apostle Emmanuel Omoniyi Omotunde.
The church began from the great revival at Ilesha and thousands of souls were delivered just like the day of Pentecost and they gave their lives to Jesus Christ (Acts 2). Apostle Emmanuel Omotunde remembered the two outstanding of the 15 men’s prayer group member in Aramoko and the covenant at “Ajalu” forest and he sent for Ajagunigbala and Adeyemi. It was at the morning prayer at Ilehsa that these two men of God came. Immediately Omotunde sighted them, he announced to the church “give way, here comes the ministers of the most High God”. After the prayer, Omotande explained to them how the work of God started at Ilesha and that God specifically instructed him to make Oke-Ajalu, that was later changed to Oke-Ajaye, the nerve centre of his ministry. Emmanuel Omotunde would later move to Oke-Ajaye with the converted people, passing through Aramoko. They agreed that Apostle Michael Ojo Ajagunigbala and Prophet Adeyemi should go ahead of him and give information about his coming.
The greatest single event in the history of this commission was the migration and exodus of the congregation and assembly of believers together with great multitude of people under the leadership of the great prophet of the Lord, Apostle Emmanuel Omotunde, from the then, cradle of the church at Igbogi Ilesha, through the triumphant entry at Aramoko to the final settlement at the forest of Ajalu; which was divinely renamed “Oke-Ajaye” through Prophet Adeyemi. The multitude of people coming from Ilesha with Apostle Emmanuel Omotunde were singing “Ara ara o mobogarajaye oke oke”. Oke-Ajaye became the nucleus of the great revival. It is no historical accident that it is now the permanent missionary headquarters of the African Apostolic Church worldwide. Considering God’s revelation to Omotunde at Ilesha to make “Ajalu” the nerve centre and the focus of the ministry entrusted to him, the historical 1939 exodus and settlement at Oke-Ajaye became the antecedent for the annual Bethel and Founders’ day Anniversary, being celebrated at Oke-Ajaye yearly. The actual migration date from Igbogi Ilesha through Aramoko was on Saturday 8th July 1939.
The date was researched by late Apostle Dr. Samuel Omotunde, the eldest son of Apostle Emmanuel Omotunde. He gathered this fact through a special interview conducted for one of the Elders that worked with Apostle Emmanuel Omotunde, Elder Gabriel Olowookere, who hailed from Ilesha but based in Ebute-Igbooro Egbado, Yewa North, Ogun State. This man testified how all herbalists and prophets before Prophet Omotunde failed to cure his illness, including all forms of orthodox medicine. But, when Prophet Emmanuel Omotunde started his ministry at llesha, the news came to him and he approached the prophet for healing. On getting to the prophet, Elder Olowookere was asked if he would be willing to join the new church. He responded positively and was healed instantly and baptized by Pastor G. T. Obadare. He went home to break the news to his people. By the time he came back, the man of God had left for Ajalu forest. He tendered his Baptismal certificate, which showed that he was baptized on 7th July, 1939. He came back to the man of God on 10th July, 1939 and he was told that the man of God had gone to Ajalu forest with multitude of people on 8th July, 1939. The first ever Sunday of the church at the Holy City of Oke-Ajaye was on the 9th July 1939.
On their way coming from Ilesha, the then king of Aramoko Atewogboye sent his staff of office to barricade the way so that Apostle Omotunde will make Aramoko the centre nerve for his revival miracle and ministry. But Omotunde informed the king that God specifically instructed him to go to Ajalu. As at then, the Oke-Ajaye land was in dispute between three prominent families in Aramoko Ekiti. The families are: Alara family, Elejofi family and Oisinkin family. In order to settle the dispute, Alara of Aramoko Ekiti Oba Atewogboye gave the Oke-Ajaye land to the new ministry that has just started.
The Late Apostle Emmanuel Omotunde told his followers that God sent him to unite “Aladura” Churches. He came to Lagos through Late Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola in 1939 and founded Agege, Yaba branches of the Christ Apostolic Church. He also revived many other branches. He also conducted revivals in other “Aladura” churches, but the people failed to obey divine order. God then gave him permission to start his own ministry known as “the African Apostolic Church” today.
Apostle Emmanuel Omoniyi Omotunde, Apostle Michael Ojo Ajagunigbala and Senior Prophet J. A. Adeyemi worked together under the leadership of Apostle Emmanuel Omotunde. They took the gospel to all nooks and crannies of Nigeria, Benin Republic and other African countries. Apostle Emmanuel Omoniyi Omotunde made the 1st move for registration of the church in 1954 but it was not successful. But in 1956, when the spread of the church had started, one of the elders and treasurer of the mission by then, Mr. Hezekiah A. Ajayi assisted with the registration. He later became the third Apostle and President of African Apostolic Church Worldwide (Apostle Hezekiah Ajayi). He was instructed by God to fast for twenty-one days (21) after which the Lord revealed to him to start work on the registration of the African Apostolic Church with the then ministry of internal affairs. A meeting was convened on the revelation of God’s order by the General Executive council to have the name incorporated with the ministry of internal affairs. The journey for registration was not smooth at all as many of them were not lettered. But since it was God’s chosen order, He made it possible.
Apostle Emmanuel Omoniyi asked Apostle Michael Ojo Ajaginigbala the name of the person to be presented as leader of the new church and Ajagunigbala said Apostle Omotunde’s name should be presented as the leader of the new church. Apostle Emmanuel Omotunde then instructed the people working on the registration to make sure the next name after his name should be Apostle M. O. Ajaginigbala’s name. But, when the registration certificate came out, the five names of the Registered Trustees of A.A.C. came out in this order:
1. Emmanuel Omotunde
2. Stephen Adepoju Olabosinde
3. Samson Adegoke Dada
4. Michael Ojo Ajagunigbala
5. Hezekiah Adewuyi Ajayi
When Apostle Emmanuel Omotunde saw the registration certificate with which the church was registered, he wanted to tear it because he was greatly annoyed that his order was floated by not writing Ajagunigbala’s name next to him. It took the intervention of Ajagunigbala himself before the great man of God was pacified. With these five names, Andrew Obaseki, who later retired as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, went before the Governor General, James Robertson and The African Apostolic Church was incorporated under Land and Perpetual Law and Matters No 426. The Governor General concluded with this warning that “Since the five of you have put forward Apostle Omotunde, your chairman and founder, no other name could be accepted”. This was made known by Apostle Hezekiah Ajayi, an eyewitness and one of the first Trustees of the mission. The Late Apostle Michael Ojo Ajagunigbala was the principal assistant to Prophet Emmanuel Omotunde. He was very loyal, hardworking, and devoted to the progress of the Gospel. He was one of the most respected due to his unflinching support and loyalty to the gospel.
When Apostle Emmanuel Omotunde noticed that the glorious home call was at hand and in order to place Michael Ajagunigbala in the position he wanted him to be, which may not be possible if drastic action was not taken, he called Pastor Aina, Apostle Hezekiah Ajayi to a meeting, where he instructed the two of them that the mantle of leadership should be given to Apostle Michael Ajagunigbala after his demise. Like any organization, the mission witnessed a lot of challenges since inception. Prominent among such was the succession. Many trusted ministers had carved away Parishes of the mission and renamed them. Nevertheless, the church of God is marching on, and the gates of hell cannot prevail over it. One of the difficulties faced by the mission internally, which disturbed its growth was disunity among the families of the founding fathers. It was a historic event that the Board of Trustees and General Executive Council, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, put an end to the challenge on Thursday the 18th March, 1993 at the Holy City of Oke-Ajaye. In a meeting of the three families (Omotunde, Ajagunigbala and Adeyemi) held with the authority of the church. The representatives of the families accepted the verdict of the General
Executive council as stated below.
1. It was true that Ajagunigbala and Adeyemi went to Ajalu for a wood enterprise and three times, God sent them to call Omotunde to advise them on their job even though not a sawyer by profession. This was a mark of leadership.
2. That it was Omotunde who received the anointing of healing, which made him outstanding among them.
3. That he was their prayer leader, was a sign of first call.
4. They went to Ilesha on his invitation not to come and work as bricklayers but to come and witness the miracle of God was a sign of first call.
5. That Omotunde asked Ajagunigbala and Adeyemi to go back to Aramoko and inform the people about his coming which they did.
6. That all of them agreed at registration of the Church in 1956 that Emmanuel Omotunde was their founder and chairman.
From the above, the General Executive Council resolved that the three families should agree thus:
1. There could be only one founder and that is Apostle Emmanuel Omoniyi Omotunde.
2. That the late Apostle Michael Ojo Ajagunigbala was also greatly used by God and could not be forgotten. He was the second General President.
3. That the General Prophet, Adeyemi was a great seer during the establishment of the church, hence, his work cannot be forgotten, and he was pronounced with the title General Prophet TAAC worldwide. The General Executive Council concluded that since the mission had been registered, no family has the powers to dictate to the church. The positions given to the three were final.