They are saints, or supposedly so. People look to them as infallible and dignified. They are standard bearers of morality and Godly conduct. They are men of God and tenders of the pulpit. But in spite of high spiritual and moral rating ascribed to them, some of them had indeed lived unenviable lives before giving themselves to Christ and subsequently to God’s service.
Confessing to such pre-born again antecedents is Bishop Francis Wale Oke, the President and founder of The Sword of the Spirit Ministries International Headquartered in Ibadan City, Oyo State, Nigeria. He’s also the Chancellor of Precious Cornerstone University (PCU), Ibadan as well as President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). For over thirty years he has conducted mass crusades all over Nigeria with crowds of hundreds of thousand people in a single service. He also conducts a prayer and intercession programme at the Federal Capital Territory Abuja Nigeria tagged The Nigeria Turning Point, this programme has brought millions of people together to pray for the peace and prosperity of Nigeria.
He hosts a daily broadcast on Nigeria national radio and television stations FRCN and NTA, Ibadan. He is the founder of the International Bible College of Ministries and Seminary (IBCOMS). In 1989 after ten years of itinerary work all over Nigeria and various parts of the world, Francis Wale Oke founded the Christ Life Church which has grown exponentially having over two hundred branches located all over Nigeria.
The Sword of The Spirit Ministries under him is also acclaimed to have established a strong ongoing work in the United Kingdom, Russia and the U.S.A.
In November 1991, All Nations for Christ Bible Institute awarded him an honorary doctorate under the auspices of Oral Roberts University for his outstanding contributions to world evangelism. He was recently awarded the prestigious Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria’s (FRCN) award for outstanding contributions to religious harmony and human development.
In this interview, Bishop Oke shares his side of pre-priesthood life. He also speaks of his life as a priest as well as his struggles against vices, poverty and naughtiness to attain unto success.
Who was Francis Wale Oke as a growing boy?
(Laughter) Actually I had a stint with poverty. I grew up in a village. We were very poor. I had to trek three miles to and fro school each day without shoes on. My father was a lay-reader in the church then, while my mother was a petty trader. When I left primary school I had to serve as a houseboy for two years to put money together.
Where?
It was in Ibadan, then Ijebu Ode before I came down to Lagos. I attended Teachers’ Modern School in those days before going to Teachers’ College. After that, I went to The Polytechnic, Ibadan before going to University of Lagos, where I graduated.
Who sponsored your education?
(Takes a deep sigh) It’s a combination of self-efforts. I weaved baskets and sold. When I got to the Teachers’ College, my brother had just concluded his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). It was tough, but today when I look back I give thanks to God for He has lifted me. That’s why I said earlier that there’s no kind of car I want today that I cannot buy. I was the one that would ring the bell in my church in the morning and I did twice on Sundays. However, I was not born-again then. There’s a world of difference between being religious and being born-again. I was just religious.
You didn’t become a born-again Christian overnight something significant must have prompted it. Can you share it with us?
I was born and raised in the African Church, where I was taught early enough to read the Bible and fear God. I was the one that would ring the bell in my church in the morning and would do twice on Sundays. But I was merely being religious then.
So, how did your journey into priesthood start?
It was when I was in the Teachers’ College. One day a mate of mine, Odutola who later became the General-Secretary of the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN), was going to attend a church programme outside the campus and I offered to go with him. I was then the college organist and was to play on the organ that day in the chapel. I said my friend, you’re going to your church and you didn’t invite me. I offered to follow him and he gladly accepted. When I got to the church I discovered they’re totally different: they were happily singing and the way the word of God was taught was very deep and challenging. That was the day I knew religion alone couldn’t save me. Then I felt I needed to repent of my sins and give my life to Jesus Christ. In spite of my religiosity if I had died before then I would have gone to hell. There I heard the word of God and I gave my life to Christ.
When was that?
It was in 1975. A year after God, called me and I did my first crusade in December 1976. And since then I have been preaching.
When did you meet your wife?
I met my wife, Victoria Oluwatokunbo, in 1976 at The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
How?
We met as members of the same church. I was one of the leaders and then, I was following her up with others. There was no inkling that we were going to get married to ourselves at all. Those were the days you could not even shake hands with sisters. So, during the long vacation I would go and visit her at home, but I never believed we would get married. In 1977, we parted but she still remained at The Polytechnic. In May 1982 I was praying and God spoke to me that she would be my wife. I therefore had to travel down to Ibadan then. She was then at the University of Ibadan. I asked for her hand in marriage. Incidentally, she had known 15 months before and she had been praying for me. That was how it happened. We’ve been married now for over three decades, we thank God for His blessing on the marriage.
As a young boy, how was your social life?
I was very naughty. Maybe it was because I was very brilliant. I was also very pompous and daring. I would quarrel with everybody. I used to play table tennis very well. Oooh! I was very nasty.
But why was it so since you came from a Christian family?
Yes! However, my father was highly disciplined. He had that dignity.
For your naughtiness your father must have been very hard on you, or how was it?
Oh, he beat the hell out of me. In fact, if back home I reported that my teacher beat me in school, I was in trouble because he would give me another round of beating, in the belief that my teacher couldn’t have beaten me if I had not done something wrong. He would always drum it into my ears that I should remember the son of who I am. However, my naughtiness didn’t get to immoral behavior like chasing girls.
Are you saying you didn’t have a girlfriend until you met your wife?
I didn’t have. We only talked about ladies among ourselves. My wife was my real first girlfriend. I think God preserved me.
How has it been serving God as His minister?
It’s been quite fulfilling.
