Church unveils burial plans for ex-general overseer, Wilson Badejo

General Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church, Rev. Sam Aboyeji, has described his late predecessor, Rev. Wilson Badejo, who led the church from 1999 to 2009, as a ‘hero of faith’ whose leadership expanded the gospel of Jesus Christ in Nigeria and the missionary work of the church.

Aboyeji said this at a media briefing, yesterday, to unveil the funeral activities of the late Badejo in Lagos with the theme: The Badejo Coronation: Chosen. Called. Crowned.

He explained that the church would celebrate the life and times of the former leader, who died on Saturday, August 7, 2021 with a night of tributes on October 6, Christian wake on Thursday, October 7 at the church national headquarters in Yaba and a funeral service at the Jelili Omotola Multipurpose Hall, University of Lagos, Akoka, on Friday, October 8, 2021.

He revealed that the Foursquare Gospel Church has over 5,000 branches in Nigeria of which 1,000 of the branches were planted during the time of the late Badejo.

Aboyeji, who was accompanied by Rev. Tunde Lemo, a former Deputy Governor of Central Bank and Co-Chairman of the Funeral Planning Committee; Rev. Yomi Oyinloye and Rev. Adedimeji Adegbesan, South-West Co-ordinator of the Church and Chairman, Burial Planning Committee, also said the church had invited dignitaries from government, the private sector and other religious leaders to celebrate “a hero of faith with outstanding accomplishments in the service of God and humanity.”

“Badejo worked diligently to grow our church. He identified, developed, mentored and motivated men and women to great leadership and repositioned the church in Nigeria, nationally and internationally. He was well-loved and admired, even as his leadership style was admirable,” he said.

Lemo said all funeral activities would be COVID-19 protocol-compliant and would be transmitted live on cable television and digital platforms.

Describing the deceased, Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Mike Okonkwo, said: “Badejo was blessed with a rare gift of church planting as he almost took over the nation with church planting and made the church explode.” 

On his part, former President Olusegun Obasanjo described Badejo as a spiritual force, saying: “I know that the Foursquare Gospel Church really grew in leaps and bounds under his leadership.”