Activities marking the retirement ceremony of the Primate of The First African Church Mission, The Most Rev. Sunday Oludare Matilukuro (JP), have been unveiled, with church leaders paying glowing tributes to his decades of impactful ministry and leadership.

Chairman of the Primate Retirement Committee, Dr Solomon Dap Komolafe, and the committee’s Secretary, Rt. Rev. Boma Williams, disclosed in a statement issued in Lagos that the Primate’s tenure will officially end in September 2026.

Primate’s retirement press briefing will be held on 30th June, 2026 at the  Christ Church Cathedral, Oyingbo, Ebute Metta, Lagos State, 11:00 am. Also,  the dedication of Primate’s Palace/Bishop Jones Theology Institute will be held  4th August, 2026, 12:00 noon.

Dedication of the Prayer City, Omu, Lagos State, comes up 13th August, 2026, noon.

Guest Speakers will give talks on  26th September, 2026, 12:00 noon at the  Christ Church Cathedral Oyingbo, Ebutte Metta, Lagos State.

On the 27th September, 2026, there will be a Change of Batton Service/Thankgivng @ Jehovah Shalom Premier Cathedral, Lagos, at 10:00am

The church described Matilukuro as a visionary leader whose years in office were marked by remarkable achievements in evangelism, humanitarian outreach, church growth, education and ministerial development.

According to Komolafe, the outgoing Primate spearheaded several landmark projects, including the construction of a Prayer City in Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State, acquisition of land for a model primary and secondary school, and the completion of the Bishop Jones Memorial Theological Institute in Ota, Ogun State, for the training of ministers.

He also oversaw the construction of a Primate’s Palace as the official residence of the church’s spiritual head and institutionalised a Bi-Annual Mandatory Refresher Training Programme for ministers.

Williams noted that Matilukuro and his wife, Lady Mercy O. Matilukuro, built and equipped a hostel facility at the Prayer City for the Christian Mothers’ Association of the Mission. He also credited the Primate with the successful recovery of two church-owned plots of land and commercial properties in Ogun State.

Describing him as a scholar and administrator of distinction, Williams said the church leader had mentored numerous ministers and inspired many young people toward personal development and excellence.

Matilukuro’s ministerial journey began more than 25 years ago as a Lay Preacher before his induction into the Holy Order of The First African Church Mission at St. Peter’s Parish, Odi-Olowo, Mushin, Lagos, in 1998.

He served at Jehovah Shalom Cathedral, Lagos, for nine years before moving to Christ Church Cathedral, Oyingbo, where his leadership qualities earned him appointment as Fort-Holder of Lagos Diocese. He was later consecrated and translated to Rivers Diocese in 2010.

Earlier this year, he was appointed Fort-Holder of the newly inaugurated Port Harcourt Archdiocese.

Throughout his ministry, he championed numerous developmental initiatives, including the growth and recognition of Our Saviour’s Parish, Iwaya; revitalisation of church activities at Oke-Agbo; restoration of flood-ravaged Emmanuel Parish, Makoko; and rehabilitation of St. Michael’s Parish, Rumuekpe, and Christ the King Parish, Ikpoama, in Rivers Diocese.

He also facilitated the planting of four new churches, played a key role in the establishment of the Port Harcourt Archdiocese, and supervised the completion and dedication of the new auditorium of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Port Harcourt.

Born on June 8, 1958, in Enugu State to Rev. Benjamin Ajayi Matilukuro and Sister Clementinah Olayemi Matilukuro, the Primate combines extensive academic and theological credentials. He holds qualifications in Business Administration, Management, Export and Shipping Management, Christian Theology and a PhD in Systematic Theology.

Beyond the pulpit, he has contributed significantly to education, serving as a lecturer in several tertiary institutions, including Yaba College of Technology, Lagos State Polytechnic and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology’s Lagos Outreach Centre.

Married to Lady Mercy O. Matilukuro since 1991, the Primate is also serving his second term as Vice President of the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN).

As preparations for his retirement and handover ceremony gather momentum, members of The First African Church Mission and the wider Christian community continue to celebrate a cleric whose legacy of service, leadership and commitment to the growth of the church remains enduring.

*Says Tinubu reforms sound, necessary for long-term stability

*Paul’s biblical charge on women not intended as ban on female pastors

*Explains rationale behind skills acquisition initiative

There is a controversy about the church provoked by the founding of many churches by women in spite of Apostle Paul’s charge in 1 Corinthians 14:34 that women should “keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law”.

Today, women are not only speaking in the churches, but their voices seem to be getting as loud as the men’s, if not louder. They are not only mounting the pulpits as pastors and evangelists, but also founding their own congregations and presiding over them not just as pastors and evangelists but also as Bishops and Archbishops, prompting questions about whether this biblical injunction is being obeyed by the womenfolk.

Pastor Oseunfunmi Babs, founder of Wonderful Achievers Outreach (WAO), however, believes that Apostle Paul’s charge in the said Bible verse was not intended to preclude women from the task of evangelism, but rather an occasion-specific order in Corinth to ensure orderliness because of the distraction caused by some women on the occasion.

If Apostle Paul was liberal enough to allow women to prophesy in church, she said, he cannot be so discriminatory against women to say they cannot speak.

Hear her: “If (Apostle) Paul would allow women to prophesy in the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 11:5), then why would he prohibit women from preaching sermons? Paul’s instructions addressed specific problems in First-Century churches.

“The overall message of the New Testament affirms women in ministry. Paul was actually addressing a specific disorder in Corinth, such as women disrupting services with questions, rather than an absolute ban, especially since Paul permitted women to pray and prophesy (a form of speaking) in 1 Corinthians 11:5.

“Paul himself worked with female leaders, including Phoebe (a deacon), Priscilla (a teacher) and Junia (noted among the apostles). Deborah was a prophetess and judge who led Israel after Ehud died (Judges 4:1, 4). It is argued that if God made Deborah a judge and leader over Israel, certainly women can be pastors.

“Our Lord had several women who followed and assisted Him. Then, after the resurrection, it was the women who first announced that Jesus was alive (Matthew 28:1-10, John 20:18). It was women who “preached” the resurrection. Therefore, it is argued, women can preach in the church.

“Galatians 3:28 says: “There is neither… male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” which is often cited as the foundational principle for equal opportunity in ministry.”

Asked the motivation behind the founding of WAO, the female evangelist described herself as “a born servant of God and inborn minister of the word of God. When it was time, it was clearer, and it manifested.

“My birth was prophesied; a miracle; a wonder… So, a wonder was born to achieve and help others achieve while activating the wish of God, which is to proclaim the Gospel.”

An integral part of his ministry is a skill acquisition initiative known as the WAO Skill Acquisition and Empowerment Programme, which she said is her own way of spreading the blessings she has received from God. “When you are helped by God, you need to help others,” she said.

“Helping them basically means helping them to be able to help themselves. Acquiring skills and empowerment will help them to feed themselves and their families, and also become responsible citizens. The chain of help will continue, thereby eradicating poverty at the grassroots.”

Babs reckons that the skills acquisition and empowerment programme has made a significant impact by transforming beneficiaries into self-reliant, income-earning individuals rather than mere job seekers.

“Participants have successfully started their own businesses, such as make-up artistry, catering, barbing, tailoring, hairdressing, flour and pepper grinder, shoe making, trading and digital marketing.

“Beneficiaries now see laudable changes in their standard of living, enabling them to cater for themselves. These programmes have helped reduce crime, prostitution and participation in social vices.

“Participants have also shifted from looking for white-collar jobs to becoming employers of labour.”

A matter of public concern is that the crime rate in the country appears to be growing at a rate proportionate to the proliferation of churches, leaving one to wonder why souls ordinarily expected to be won are becoming hardened. To this, Pastor Babs said there is a need to make a distinction between true Christians and ordinary churchgoers.

She said: “Many religious observers are church goers rather than practising Christians, leading to a situation where people attend church while still participating in or enabling corruption, robbery and kidnapping.

“Some churches are seen as being established for financial gains rather than spiritual guidance, with ‘false prophets’ preaching prosperity without accountability, which fails to transform moral character.

“High rates of unemployment and poverty are also driving criminal activities. In some cases, survival instincts supersede moral teachings.

“Many people are raised with Christian terminology but do not live by its core tenets (love, honesty, mercy), leading to a ‘veneer’ of Christianity that coexists with social defects.”

She commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the economic reforms embarked upon by his administration, saying the President deserves credit for implementing “long overdue economic and structural reforms.

“This is known as a market correction. The removal of fuel subsidy and deregulation of the foreign exchange market were courageous decisions that previous administrations avoided due to political costs. These reforms are economically sound and necessary for long-term stability,” she said.

The female clergy urged the youth to be productive by finding something to do.

“If, as a youth, you are learned, or you are a graduate and still roaming the streets, please, you just need to learn any skill of your choice or any trade.

“You can become an entrepreneur instead of waiting on the government. There is dignity in labour.

“The youth must understand the reality that it is presently an overcrowded country and must take their lives in their hands instead of waiting on the government for jobs,” she counselled.

Born in Oshodi, Lagos, Pastor Oseunfunmi Babs attended CBN Primary School, Satellite, Lagos, from where she proceeded to Baptist Girls’ College, Idi Aba. Abeokuta, Ogun State.

She is a holder of an MBA in Human Resources from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. She is currently a student of Royal Evangelical Bible College with an affiliation in California, USA.