In This Biography

Bishop Joseph Oritsejafor Biography, Ministry, Networth, Life, Career

Ayodele Joseph Oritsegbubemi also popularly referred to by the name Papa Ayo Oritsejafor is the founder and the Senior Pastor of Word of Life Bible Church which is located in Warri, Nigeria. He was elected the president of the nation of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) on the 7th of February, 2005. He was in for five consecutive years. In July of 2010 Oritsejafor was elected as the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) which is the apex body representing all Christians in Nigeria. As a result, he was the very first Pentecostal leader to be elected to the post. Oritsejafor is the very first person to start the Miracle campaign from Africa to a global audience via satellite in 1987, along with the evangelist Joe Martins.

QUICK DATA

FULL NAMES: Ayodele Joseph Oritsegbubemi Oritsejafor
PLACE OF BIRTH: Delta State
WIFE: Helen Oritsejafor
PARENTS: Joseph Monday Oritsejafor
Roli Durojaiye Oritsejafor
OCCUPATION: Preacher and Author
MINISTRY: Word of Life Bible Church
NETWORTH: $20M

Childhood and Early Life

Pastor Ayo preaching in his church at Warri Miracle Crusade at Warri City Stadium. Warri City Stadium. Warri, Nigeria. December 10, 2015

Ayo Oritsejafor was born on November 10, into his family, Mr. Joseph Oritsejafor, a.k.a Monday, as well as Mrs. Roli Durojaiye Oritsejafor in Lagos, Nigeria. The mother of the child is a faithful religious member of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC).

For the year 1972, Olitsejafor was “born again” in an evangelical crusade that took place at Sapele, Nigeria. Oritsejafor was enrolled in the All Nations For Christ Bible Institute, Benin City, Nigeria.

Oritsejafor continued to be enrolled in Oritsejafor further enrolled with Nigerian Baptist Seminary, Ogbomosho in Oyo State, Nigeria and then moved into the United States for further studies at Morris Cerullo’s School of Ministry (El Cortez), San Diego, California.

He claims to have been able to see an image of him in an outfit and preaching in front of thousands. Then the voice spoke to his face, “this is what you are going to be doing the rest of your life” and then the voice said, “Take my word to the world”. This was the initial vision that led to the establishment of the Word of Life Bible Church (WLBC) in the month of November 1987. He is the host of Hour of Deliverance, a TV show that made its first episode in 1980.

Oritsejafor claims that he owes everything he has accomplished to God And his accomplishments in the ministry are attributed to the guidance of God-given teachers like Archbishop Benson Idahosa, Dr. Morris Cerullo, Evangelist Robert W. Schamback, and the Evangelist Tommy L. Osborn amongst other people.

Oritsejafor is a strong advocate of leadership through example. This is evident in the part his leadership played in bringing the crisis in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria to an end.

Philanthropy

Oritsejafor with a benefactor at an Annual Poverty Alleviation Program in Warri, Nigeria on December 26, 2015.

Oritsejafor considers himself an agent of God and a means that God assists in the physical and spiritual requirements of the people. He is a strong advocate for the salvation of repentance, holiness as well as empowerment and deliverance for those who are less fortunate, through social responsibility initiatives. Through the years he has criticized waste and has encouraged giving back to society regardless of race, religion, or creed. He provides scholarships to poor students at various tertiary, secondary, and elementary schools inside and outside of Nigeria regardless of their tribe or religious denomination.

African Broadcasting Network (ABN)

Oritsejafor established the African Broadcasting Network, an international satellite Christian television station that is designed to act as an advocate in the name of Christ from Africa all over the world. ABN is an international satellite channel that broadcasts from London and has a reach that covers the entire of Africa as well as portions of Asia and portions of Europe. ABN can be seen in over 75 countries and is available online through WebTV.

Recognition

Oritsejafor has received numerous honors locally and internationally in connection with his many human rights and peace initiatives. He has been awarded his Golden keys to Kalamazoo, The City of Kalamazoo, Michigan by the mayor of the city. He was also awarded an International Youth Ambassador for Peace Award. He was awarded an Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) one of the Nigerian National Honours at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on December 22, 2008. Oritsejafor was awarded the title of “An Honourable Servant of God The award was presented by The Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) on May 9 13th, 2013. The award was presented to Oritsejafor the award, the chairman of NOSCEF Matthew Owojaiye stated:

Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN)

Additional details: Christian Association of Nigeria

On the 10th of October, 2010, Oritsejafor has proclaimed the President of the National Council of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). He has been dubbed”the “most misunderstood” President of CAN. He was elected as the President on the 10th of July 2013. in an interview with a CAN official, Oritsejafor praises Oritsejafor

If there is a reason to celebrate any person, it’s this one because he has increased the visibility of the Christian Association of Nigeria. Prior to this, people were able to have a tendency to dismiss CAN. nowadays, you can’t talk about CAN, without responding. That’s a huge accomplishment. One of the biggest achievements that he has accomplished was never before seen during the entire history of CAN There is no president of CAN that has interacted with all the various factions of CAN and there isn’t a single bloc that can claim that the CAN President hasn’t visited or physically worshiped alongside them or been a part of some of their initiatives. Did you know that a few among the Christian leaders who were killed, including the pastors killed in Maiduguri provided them with accommodation, and even gave their children scholarships?

Oritsejafor developed the concept of a Jubilee Centre to generate funds for the organization: A 50-bedroom building with large conference rooms. It was completed in 2015. Jubilee Centre, National Christian Center, Abuja, was completed and inaugurated in 2015 by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Criticism

USCIRF ChairDr. Katrina Lantos Swett with CAN President Ayo Oritsejafor. June 2012

Oritsejafor has been widely criticized. When he was elected the President of the National Council of CAN which is a group that is not widely recognized by Nigerians received headlines for Oritsejafor’s support for the Church in Nigeria’s freedom, equality, and freedom and the threat of terrorism.

Sources have stated that his only crime was that he led Nigerian Christians in calling upon the US Congress to declare a “group of young men” an armed group as terrorists in his testimony to an oversight committee of the US Congress in 2012.

One of the biggest challenges for Nigerians is that we’re so adept at playing the game. We put our heads in the sand and then pretend that nothing is going on. However, something is going on.

In 2014 this “group of young men” was not just labeled as terrorists but also it was also an International Terrorist Organization that claimed the lives of more than 5000 innocents as well as massive damages to the territory from the middle of 2009. The Global Terrorism Index said the group killed more people in terror attacks over the course of 2014 than any other terrorist group.

People who understood the noble intentions of Oritsejafor his concern for the welfare of Nigerian citizens Nigeria were able to stand up against any criticism.

Bibliography

Oritsejafor, Ayo (1976). Walking in Unity. Mattyson Media. ISBN 1-874-64606-6.
Fridson, P. Thomas (2012). Global and Local Televangelism. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-137-26481-7.
Femi, Adelegan (2013). Nigeria’s Leading Lights of the Gospel: Revolutionaries in Worldwide Christianity. WestBow Press. ISBN 978-1-44-976954-3.