By 'Gbenga Bankole
The Family of the pioneer Regional Superintendent of Christ Apostolic Church, Babalola Region, Late Pastor Michael Olasunmiboye Oyepetun has unveiled the burial arrangements for the late icon.
It will be recalled that Pastor Michael Oyepetun died on Saturday February 24, 2024 at age 80.
Christian Wake Service holds on Thursday May 30, 2024 by 5pm at the residence of the deceased situated at 129, Itesiwaju, RCF, Zone D, Adegbayi, Ibadan.
Pastor Oyepetun will be laid to rest on Friday May 31, 2024 by 10am at his residence. Thanksgiving Service holds on same day at Christ Apostolic Church, Agbala-Itura DCC headquarters, Olode, New Ife Road, Ibadan. Also on same day, reception holds at Divine Grace Events Centre, along Alakia-Adegbayi Ife Expressway, Foye Bus-Stop, Ibadan.
Pastor Oyepetun was born to the family of late Mr. and Mrs. Faloye Akande of Elewe compound, Ikire-Ile near Iwo, Olaoluwa Local Government in 1947. His parents were pagans because Christianity religion was not popular then, but, he was able to convert his mother, Late Madam Arike Ato Faloye Akande to Christianity.
He started his Elementary School at St. John Anglican School Ikire-Ile. After primary school, he went to St. Anthony Catholic Modern School, Iwo. After his secondary Modern school education he couldn't further his education, due to paucity of fund. He thereafter became a farmer. At the same time, he learned driving. It was during this period that he received the call into the ministry.
Pastor Oyepetun was converted to CAC in 1971 through a member of the church. He later became a member of the Light of the World Society (Egbe Imole Aye). He received spiritual inspiration through one of his colleagues in the society. They usually engaged in night vigil. It was in one of their prayer journeys to a mountain that some of the brothers told him that he was going to be a minister of God.
Apart from this, there was one Pastor Ogunrinade from a CAC assembly in Gbongan who after seeing his (Pastor Oyepetun) spiritual fervency told him that he would soon become a man of God. It was through these revelations that he answered the call into Gospel ministry.
To solidify his knowledge in Christ, Pastor Oyepetun started his theological tutelage under Baba Abiye, in Ede. He was taken to Baba Abiye in 1971 by Pastor Ogunrinde, where he spent two years. He later received another tutelage under Pastor Olutimehin at Agege, Lagos state in 1973 where he spent another two years.
As part of personal efforts to train himself, he tried to attend ECWA Theological Seminary. He was to spend seven years, but, he only spent two years, by then, CAC had started her seminary in Ile-ife. That was how he changed to Ile-Ife CAC Seminary and spent another two years.
The first place of work of Baba Oyepetun as a minister of God was CAC Otukpo. He met Baba Abiye there. He was transferred there to plant churches. It was Baba Abiye that established CAC Otukpo in 1969. He also established other CAC assemblies at Igede, Otupa, Ogugu, Utonkan and so on. Baba Abiye later left Pastor Oyepetun there. At Otukpo area of today Benue state, he planted about 15 CAC assemblies. Today, these assemblies have become DCCs and Zonal headquarters.
From Otukpo, Pastor Oyepetun was transferred to Oke-Igbala, Aramoko in Ekiti state in 1981. He spent five years there, he revived a lot of churches that were not well established or the ones suffering from one problem or the other. He served under one Pastor Ago.
In 1987, the church authority transferred Pastor Oyepetun to Ede. He was promoted to the post of District Superintendent. He was transferred to Oke-Agbo in Ijebu-Igbo in 1987 and he was there till 1995. He developed all the smaller churches, virtually, they became headquarters. Also, he established churches in many area including Egbe, Apoje, and so on where CAC mission was not visible before. He bought land for the Superintendent quarters and he succeeded in building it seven years before he was transferred.
Pastor Oyepetun was transferred by the authority of CAC Worldwide in 1995 to Ede. He spent three years there before he left the place.
In 1998 September to be precise, this amiable man of God was transferred to Lokoja, the present Kogi state. He had been familiar with Lokoja when he was in Otukpo. The CAC authority promoted him to the position of Zonal Chairman in Lokoja in 2000. He was promoted to the positions of AGS 2 and AGS 1 after. He spent only four years there, but, he succeeded in planting many churches again which included Jegubeki and so on.
In 2003, Pastor Oyepetun was transferred from Lokoja to CAC Oke-Igbala in Ondo state. By 2006, he was transferred to CAC Agbokojo in Ibadan, Oyo state capital. On getting there, God used him greatly for revival. It was from Ibadan that he was moved to Badagry, in Lagos state. He renovated all the dilapidated churches and the mission house. He raised the church to a storey building.
In December 2012, he was transferred to Ebute Elefun, but started work on January 2013. At the general headquarters, he bought land and built English Assembly and Faith Home among others.
The biography of this great man of God will not be completed without making reference to his sojourn at the CACMA. Pastor Oyepetun was appointed the National Chairman of CACMA in 2007.
The CAC Authority from Ebute-Elefun appointed Pastor Oyepetun the Regional Superintendent of Babalola Region in January 2018. He voluntarily retired in December, 2019.