Reverend Akin Olumodeji, 39, was one of the 153 passengers aboard the crashed DANA Air flight. Even days after, members of House on the Rock the Refuge, Abuja, find it difficult to accept the fact that he is dead. Through blackberry chat groups, departmental yahoo group messages, it is clear nobody is willing to accept the truth. One of them kept saying: “If only one person survived, it would be Pastor Akin.” Even when news filtered in that there were no survivors, many BB status read: “Pastor Akin, I still believe”.
Many of the members are still distraught. Many recall some of his sermons, one of which was: “Actor no Dey Die.” Yet, while some remember his daring dress-sense, others recall his style of prayers, amongst other numerous fond things about him.
As if he knew his time was near, at the last Saturday prayer meeting, Morning Glory, the day before he died, he had said it was okay to cry, but not to stay crying.
On Sunday in the Spiritual Authority Class, before the communion service at 9 am, one of his students, Cynthia Allagh recalled: “His teaching was apt about four things: His unshaken love for God; his undying love for his wife, vowing to marry her again if he had to do it all over again. To his Pastor and Father in the Lord, he spoke of the joy of serving him and if he had to do it all over again, he would serve under him and still be a son in the House on the Rock. He spoke of the time being very short....... Time is indeed Short”.
Pastor Akin was popularly referred to, as “ Pastor Colour,” because of his love for colours, which is not conventional with men. Yet, he always turned out outstanding in it. Despite his dandy side, he was spiritually deep. He was Reverend Goodheart Obi Ekwueme’s (the Senior Pastor House on The Rock the Refuge, Abuja) armour-bearer and also handled some key departments in church. So, he was always in your face.
A die-hard Chelsea fan, Pastor Akin, as his admirers loved to call him, was exceptional in every way. To some, he was a Pastor with the swag, which a million dollars can never buy. To some he was a teacher, unearthing heavenly servant leadership. To Pastor Goodheart, he was a faithful son; his unfailing love to serve was never in doubt.
Pastor Akin was also a mentor, using his life experiences to draw many out of the woods, and since he had no chips on his shoulders, he practiced what he preached. A driving force to many across all ages, Pastor Akin was the first to admit his weaknesses, using them to tell the congregation how he overcame just by serving God. He never failed to recount the benefits of walking with God.
His life was more than a message. There was no pretense about his service. He motivated those that worked closely with him, and never failed to compliment when the job was done.
Pastor Akin was also a devoted husband and father. His refrain each time he held the microphone to preach was to look towards his wife and say: “Toyin, no one do me the way you do.” He had a large extended family, having from come a polygamous background. His doomed trip to Lagos was to enable him attend a family meeting and he was looking forward to having a nice time with them. According to the Assistant Head of Protocol Department, Obinna Ejiogu, “Reverend Akin Olumodeji, a million words would not bring you back, we know because we have tried, neither would a million tears, we know this because we are still in tears.
“We are confident you are resting, for you have laboured early to deserve Heaven’s merit. We remember you telling us our Maker is Calling us; that irrespective of what and how we feel, we should remain joyful, letting all that is weighing us down to go. We don’t doubt that in anyway because you lived your life better than you preached every single message that blessed us. That’s where we find our solace; our assurance and certainly the sure confidence that you have with our father”.
Another member, Arnold Jackson, said: “Words will fail me if I attempt to utter them at this moment of grief over the incident that resulted in the demise of our own pastor, a son in the house, Pastor Goodheart’s armour-bearer, Akin Olumodeji.
“However, we do not mourn as those without hope. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall be made alive. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will also bring with Him through Jesus those who have fallen asleep (in death).
“The greatest tragedy is not death, but life that never realizes its full potentials. Our pastor, mentor and a brother, though short-lived, had maximized his God-given potentials”.He is survived by his wife, Toyin, his daughter, Hilary and his son, Goodheart.
The above story was published by JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE on 9/6/2012. Accessed from http://www.sunnewsonline.com/national/article/rev-akin-olumodeji
