Ayodele Joseph Oritsegbubemi Oritsejafor, known as Papa Ayo Oritsejafor, is the founding and Senior Pastor of Word of Life Bible Church, located in Warri, Nigeria. He became the National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) on February 7, 2005, a position he held for five years.
In July 2010, Papa Ayo Oritsejafor was elected as the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN), the apex body of all Christians in the country. In doing so he became the first Pentecostal leader to hold the position. Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor Ministries was the first to launch a Miracle crusade (Lagos Miracle Crusade) from Africa to world audience, via satellite, in 1987 with evangelist Joe Martins.
Papa Ayo Oritsejafor is today not only a pastor; he is a teacher, evangelist, prophet, author, philosopher, and philanthropist. He is a father, a friend and a mentor to millions of people around the world. He is a proponent of leadership by example. This is evident in the role he played in bringing the crisis in Niger Delta area of Nigeria to an end.
Papa Ayo Oritsejafor has received several awards both internationally and locally in regards of his various peace and humanitarian initiatives. He has been honored with the Golden key to the City of Kalamazoo, Michigan by the mayor of the city. He was also honored with the International Youth Ambassador for Peace Award.
He was conferred an Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) one of the Nigerian National Honours at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on December 22, 2008. Oritsejafor received an award of 'A True Servant of God' by The Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) May 9, 2013. Speaking on the choice of Papa Ayo Oritsejafor, the Chairman of NOSCEF, Matthew Owojaiye said: "Papa Ayo Oritsejafor was chosen because of his commitment and dedication for the things of Christ, noting that when others tried to save their head, he dared to speak the truth."
Papa Ayo Oritsejafor sees himself as a servant of God and an instrument through which the God ministers to the spiritual and physical needs[16] of people.[17] He places emphasis on salvation, repentance, holiness, deliverance and empowerment of the less privileged, through social responsibility programmes. Over the years, he has condemned wastefulness and encouraged giving back to the society, regardless of religion or race. He offers scholarships to indigent students in various tertiary, secondary and elementary institutions both within and outside Nigeria irrespective of tribe or denomination.
No comments:
Post a Comment