Happy birthday to a quintessential leader par excellence and God's general, Pastor Odejobi

The stories of many are told after their demise but it is rare to tell the story of the living. However, this rare due is being given to a rare person in history of life and the gospel of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. A man with uncommon rise to fame in life and especially in the gospel through risky tunnel of dangers and deaths which scare many to stay aloof the achievement path which keeps them in the bottom of life's ladder. The man, Emmanuel  Olatoro  Odejobi, the Zonal Superintendent of Christ Apostolic Church, Transfiguration Zone.




His background:
From dunghill to golden platform

The living legend was born on 31st July,1952 to Pa Abraham Odejobi, a Palmwine Tapper and Mama Maria Odejobi, a Palmwine Hawker, it is a paradox that he grew to become Divine wine Tapper and Dispenser of God’s wine to his world where the tables of men are served with bitterness by Satan. Their home at Baadofin Compound, Sooko, Ipetumodu, Ife, those days used to be a haven for palmwine tappers  where they met and feasted on moim–moin (bean cake delicacy) every forthnight. This explains why he grew up to be a lover of beans foods.



His boyhood

Expectedly he grew up coerced into accompanying his father to tap palmwine even on Sundays when he would have loved to attend Church services.

It is an irony of life therefore that he who was born into the home where palm wine was tapped, sold and celebrated could grow to be the dispensing station of the Word of God and become an attraction and host Ministers of the Gospel. It is rather unthinkable that the son of ‘BAALE ELEMU’ would become the  Superintendent of a conglomeration of Gospel Believers and Gospel Ministers.




His Education

He attended Christ Church (Anglican) School 1, Ipetumodu from 1960 where he left for St. John’s Primary School at Omidi Onipetesi in 1964 where he accompanied his brother Mr. Francis Adunola Odejobi who is now a Reverend. There he completed his primary school education and gained admission to CAC Commercial Modern School in 1965. He could however not attend because of lack of funds.


He spent the academic year on the farm handling hoes and cutlasses instead of biro and notes and in the classroom. It is no wonder that he grew up ensuring that the children of even strangers are financed in schools even university education by him.

He joined Binuyo Electrical Works in 1967 as an apprentice and completed the training in 1970. He thereafter joined social outfits. He was one of the foundation members of the erstwhile Oredegbe Social Band at Ipetumodu captained by Mr. Morohunkeji Olowolawi from where he joined Guinea Ade at Ile Ife who later became Yemi Kuti in Lagos.

This reflects till today in his ministrations as he employed meaningful and fittingly appropriate songs to buttress Gospel truths.




Sports life 

He was a lover of sports especially football. He joined others to play football but his delight was goalkeeping. One thing with him was and till now is his commitment and zeal towards whatsoever he does or is assigned to do.

The talent later earned him opportunity to continue his education in fulfilment of the scriptures which is ‘the gift of a man makes way for him’ Proverbs18:16.

After being in limbo academically for four years, he accompanied his friends to their school. By providence, that day the school had football training session but the second team had no goalkeeper. So for one he offered to keep the goal and that day he made daring saves which endeared him to the hearts of both the spectators and the teams. This led to his admission into Anglican Commercial Modern School where he completed the modern school education in 1973.




Gospel / Christian Life

In his final year there was a group of students called the ‘brilliant ten’ among whom Olatoro was one. Their Teacher was poised to ensure their success so he offered to assist them but at a cost. So the ten started to look for the money. Olatoro approached his cousin, Taye Odesola who rather than gave him money gave him an option of committing the examination into the hands of Jesus rather than trust in the lecturer. Instead of money he was asked to pray and fast. With that resignation option he opted for Jesus and told his colleagues three of who joined him.

The result from the examination favoured Olatoro and his colleagues while others who relied on the lecturer failed. This incident implanted faith in Jesus in him.

Later on one of his journeys he had cause to go and excrete in a bush while the vehicle he boarded had some problem. There he saw a tract which had been abused. He picked and read it. The title of the tract was ‘no adjustment later’. The message broke him leaving him with no other time to give his life to Jesus Christ.

Armed with the Modern III Certificate, he went to Lagos to join his cousin, Taye Odesola who was as at the time the Publicity Secretary for Christ Apostolic Church.

His knowledge of electricity and installation earned him a job with WESTEX, working as Assistant Engineer with an Indian.

In 1974, he sought and got admission into Government Technical College, Owo. It was dramatic but divine intervention secured it for him.




Drama

By this time he had been showing the Jesus in Him and in his desperate move to communicate the Gospel of his Lord to his world, apart from preaching, he went into drama. He also employed songs to add to his means of disseminating the good news. He led many evangelical outreaches and it had become obvious before leaving the school that the hand of His Saviour was on him.
He graciously combined his evangelical fleet with academics with good results which was amazing.

He led various evangelical groups and fellowships such as CACSA and Light of the World. He was the President of Christ Youth Movement.

Not less than 30 members of the movement have become renowned men of God among who was Pastor Adejubu, who was the pioneering minister of CAC Church Garki in Abuja. He completed his course as Electrical Engineer.



His second chapter in Lagos

After the completion of his career at the Technical College he came to Lagos but not as in the former stance but as Gospel light bearer but who must need a course to his station.

He joined the veteran Evangelist Segun Ilesanmi as interpreter and as Gospel recruit. There he was till the crisis in 1978 in Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Itedo Olorun Iyanu. Just like it happened on the football pitch so it happened on the Gospel pitch. He became a ready tool of God to stand for God to manage the crisis.

In 1983, the crisis led to splitting the Church and he moved peacefully with one part to become Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Irapada. The latter is now a DCC while the former is Regional Center.

From there he moved out for peace and though without a clear vision of where he was going but God compensated him with meaningful outreaches which culminated into what is today known as CAC Transfiguration Zone with 15 assemblies, and three Districts.



Marital life

He is married to Folashade Mariam Odejobi and both are blessed with male and female children some of who presently reside overseas.

Pastor Emmanuel Olatoro Odejobi has grown through the ranks and he is presently a member of the Management board of Christ Apostolic Church and one of the Trustees.

Affluence

Though a man of significant influence in people’s lives he detests using his influence for affluence but the influential grace from God has often made his listeners to generously share their affluence with him.
This was why a woman who listened to him on a street evangelism outing, gave him her Volkswagen Beetle car in 1980. From then to date he has rarely bought any car with his money.
His affluence is from his influence in the life of people.