CHURCH 1, IPOTI EKITI


SEVENTH - DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH I, IPOTI EKITI

          The Church, Seventh – Day Adventist Church got to Ipoti – Ekiti in the year 1915 by Elder D. C. Babcock. Before then the only existing church was the Anglican Church. From 1891 to 1914, Ipoti had no resident Anglican pastor and the closest was that of Odo-Owa Ekiti. The members were not happy with this situation so they requested for a pastor form their leaders.
          The local members were challenged in 1913 to provide the sum of Twenty Four pounds which was a year salary of a Minister, to be deposited before a Catechist could be posted to them. They quickly levied themselves and deposited the said amount in the following year, 1914.  The long awaited prayer was answered, a Catechist was posted their church so they had resident pastor like other towns and villages around them.
          But to the disappointment of Ipoti people, their joy of having a Catechist was short-lived. Their hope was shattered when the Catechist was transferred to another place without replacement just a day after his arrival at Ipoti Ekiti. As a result of this, the local members made up their minds to look for alternative; meanwhile one of the strong Anglican members in Ipoti Ekiti, Isaiah Aina Balogun, already had contact with the Adventist Missionaries at Erunmu while working as a Sawyer at Ayede, a village near Erunmu. He accepted the truth of the Seventh – Day Sabbath and later went with the message of the new found faith to his people at home. When they had their disappointment, Balogun and others invited the Adventist Missionary to pioneer the church in the town. Elder David C. Babcock answered the call and came to Ipoti Ekiti on the third day he received their Macedonian call.
          It was on the market day, and he was led to meet with John B. Oriola who was in his shop busy with his tailoring works. Foundation member John B. Oriola joyously led David C. Babcock and Mr. Donka to Pa Daniel Olomojobi’s house where they lodged. Chief Daniel Ojo (the Esaya of Ipoti Ekiti) was called to interpret the message of Babcock to them. To their amazement, Elder D. C. Babcock used the same Yoruba Bible they knew and not any strange book. He discussed and studied the Bible together with them. He presented all the Adventist doctrines and gave them the reasons why the seventh day should be kept holy and not the first day of the week. The Holy Spirit convinced the people of the truth which they accepted joyfully. The first Sabbath was observed the first time in Ipoti Ekiti on November 6, 1915. The impact of the Adventists was great in Ipoti town and this made almost all the former Anglican Church members to embrace the new faith; 78 people were baptized at a time in ipoti – Ekiti.
          Few of those who played active roles in the establishment of Adventist Church in Ipoti-Ekiti were: Daniel Olomojobi Onigbonjansin who housed Elder D.C. Babcock when he paid his maiden visit to Ipoti in 1915. The second person was Daniel Omolewa who became the first Sabbath School Secretary. The third person was Chief Olarinmoye, the Esaya, who became a preacher in the beginning and helped in interpreting the message of Elder David C. Babcock to the church members. The first Church building could not contain the members within two years of the church’s existence in Ipoti as a result of the influx of new converts. The church requested for a piece of land to erect their church building. Elder D. C. Babcock rejected the first piece of land given to the church, and pointed to a land he would prefer to erect the building. The choice of Babcock was granted quickly. The particular forest was known as “Igbo Esi” (Evil forest). The traditionalists were happy to release the forest because they believed that it was a matter of days when the Adventists in Ipoti – Ekiti would be destroyed in that forest. The Ogegenijo family gave the land to the Seventh – Day Adventists to build their church. Pa Adeniran was employed to clear the land and to the glory of God, nothing happened to him and the other church members.
          In 1915, Mr. Olaleye of Odo-Owa Ekiti, a prominent member of the Anglican Church, visited his friend Daniel Olomojobi in the Seventh – Day Adventist Church at Ipoti – Ekiti. He was informed of the new Church worshiping on the seventh day of the week and he came to see things himself.
          The first Ipoti sons to become Pastors in the Seventh – Day Adventist Church were Isaiah Aina Balogun, John B. Oriola, S. Dare, Daniel Olomojobi, Abolarin.
          The first set of Elders in the Seventh – Day Adventist Church in Ipoti Ekiti were: Elders Olayomi, Akinola Samuel J., Adeosun, Adepoju, Adaramola.
          The Seventh-Day Adventist Primary School was established at Ipoti Ekiti in 1923 within the church building yard. The first set of teachers in the school were Late Pastor E. Dare and Pastor D. K. Omoleye.
          The Pupils were Hon. G. K. Dada, D. J. Adekola, D. A. Ajayi, S. A. Olajide, S. B. Akande, J. A. Olayomi, D. O. Ola, J. Wellington Fele and others. It was in 1944 that a new site for the Primary School at Iwaro was procured. A modern School was established, which was later upgraded to Ipoti High School, Ipoti Ekiti.