ADETILOYE, FORMER ANGLICAN PRIMATE BURIED IN EKITI

By Dayo Emmanuel

President Goodluck Jonathan has enjoined church leaders to emulate the virtues of the Late Primate of the Anglican church, the Most Revd. Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye. 

Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi described the late church leader as a patriotic Nigerian who gave all he had to the cause of the gospel.  He pledged the donation of N5m to the church the late Arcbishop built for the community which was where the funeral service held.

Earlier in his message the Primate of the church, Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh said the late Archbishop had completed his assignment on earth and had gone to meet his maker.  He urged worshipers at the service to come to the knowledge of God and eschew evil.  He also took a swipe at some churches in Europe and the USA who seem to abet homosexual.

Adetiloye began his journey home at a commendation service held in his honour at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos on Thursday where he had presided over the church of Nigeria between 1986 and 1999.

During his tenure, the church of Nigeria experienced tremendous growth and many Dioceses were inaugurated especially in the northern part of the country.  Another significant development during his tenure was his fight against cultism in the church which pitched him against unrepentant cultists who must repent or leave the church.

Clergies and laities of the church have continued to eulogise the late Primate. Former Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West, The Right Revd. Peter Adebiyi described Adetiloye as a man of integrity. “He was a man of great integrity. He shunned wealth and taught us not to worship those who were rich and he took the work above his family and personal interest, he was so compassionate, Adebiyi said.

Another cleric and Vicar of St. Barths Anglican Church Surulere, Lagos, Venerable Ben Nwanekwu described Adetiloye as a detrabalised leader.  Nwanekwu who was Adetiloye’s Chaplain for 10 years said “when Adetiloye sees a Yoruba man and an Igbo man, he would help the Igbo man first and when you ask him why, he would say things about us are treated last”.

Rev. Elijah Olu Akinwumi also described Adetiloye’s tenure as a period evangelism was emphasised. "His passion for evangelism and missions motivated him to judiciously mobilize financial resources from the Lagos diocese: directly, by challenging men to give and leading by his example; indirectly, by encouraging wealthy parishes to support seemingly weak ones or even planting new churches or opening a new diocese as the case may be. This move brought tremendous growth to the Anglican communion particularly in northern Nigeria", Akinwunmi recalled.

The late Arcbishop Abiodun Adetiloye attended Melville Hall, Kudeti, Ibadan, in 1949 to become a priest. He however proceded to England where he studied at King's College to earn a Barchelor in Divinity  (BD) after which he attended  Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He was ordained a deacon at the end of 1953 at the Cathedral Church of Lagos, by the first Archbishop of West Africa, Leslie Vining.
Continuing his career, Adetiloye later became a curate at St. Peter's Church, Ake, Abeokuta, in 1954.  He went on to serve as Chaplain to the Arcbishops Vining and Howells. He also served at St. George in Leeds and was a curate at St. Mary's Church in Plaistow.
Returning from England, the then Rev. Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye was a teacher at the Immanuel College of Theology in Ibadan, for a little over four years. On August 1970, he was elected and nominated bishop of the Diocese of Ekiti, latter being transferred to the Diocese of Lagos, of which he was bishop from 1985 to 1999.
He was enthroned as the second Primate of the Church of Nigeria on 26 December 1986, the following day to his 57th birthday, at the Cathedral Church of Lagos, by his predecessor, Archbishop Timothy O. Olufosoye.

He died in his home town of Odo-Owa, Ekiti State on 14 December 2012 aged 82 years old.