I therefore lived with my late grandmother, Mrs Comfort Dada Ajayi from the age of about 3 years  to enable me start schooling at St Peters Primary School, Iloffa in good time. She thought me a great lesson in commitment and service in the house of God. By 5am every morning, except Sundays, when most of my peers are still sleeping,   I will carry lantern in her front, on the way to St Peters Church, Iloffa for morning devotion. She taught me early the way of the Lord. The name given to me from my maternal home is Oluwasegun, meaning Godwin. And this good Lord has made me to win and prevail in all battles of life to-date hence I am very grateful to Him.

In my father’s house, I also enjoined closeness with my grand father, late Pa Olaoye Oloriawo, who was then the Head herbalist in the community. I was named Oyeyemi (title fits me) in my father’s house. My grand father loved me so much. I had the privilege of accompanying him whenever he was going for any meetings within and outside the town. The great lessons that I learnt from him include love for the family and steadfastness to once faith. He never missed his daily prayer at 5 am consistently every morning. After prayers, he will carry his lantern and go from house to house of all family members to seek their welfare.

My father, late Pa Ezekiel Babatunde was a very meek man, full of wisdom and compassion and very friendly. He enjoys talking in parables. He taught me a great lesson, about the right attitude to life with emphasis on good relationship wherever I found myself. He gave me the key to success in marriage. On the eve of my marriage, he asked me an unforgettable question: “To succeed in marriage, am I ready to play a fool”?. He used the question to espouse to me the need to be patient for a successful marriage. He never used cain on me once. But will wake me up very early in the morning to talk to me about the virtues of right standing and hard work saying “Ise ki i pani, aise e lo le pa niyan” meaning hard work does not kill, it is not working hard or laziness that kills).

My mother, Mrs Alice Kolapo Babatunde was a disciplinarian and a role model. She used to tell me three fundamental quotes: “Eniti o leni to ma wa, ki i sonu” ( A person that do not have people to search for him, should not get lost); ” Eniti won ma sunje, ki i fi Epo para” (the person that they want to roast for food should not rub his body with fuel); ” Eniti o to gelete, ki i mi fin” (if you are not yet a big man, do not consider yourself bigger than what you are). These great quotes contributed to shaping my childhood. Her eyes contact alone, was enough to control me any time i want to do a wrong thing. The valuable virtues that I imbibed from her include hard work, punctuality, time consciousness and high level of integrity. She made me realized that Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6).

I grew up in a very humble setting, combining going to St Peters Primary School in Iloffa and going to farm to assist my grand father in Imode. As early as Primary 3, I became a committed choir member, selected to carry the cross every Sunday in front of the choir and from Primary 4, I started Bible reading during service. I recall with joy when I was baptized in 1966 and the Priest, Venerable Oroge asked me which baptismal name do I love and I told him, Joseph. As a child I was fascinated with Joseph dreams, his trials and victories and eventual elevation to the position of a Prime Minister. And more importantly how God used him during famine to preserve his family and in particular in Genesis 45:7 where he told his family who came from Canaan land to meet him in Egypt in search for food: “And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance”.

My story as a young Pupil will not be complete without mentioning a remarkable incident that cannot be forgotten. My grandmother and my mother’s younger brother, Gabriel Folorunso Ajayi ensured that I lived in line with Christian  virtues. The day of masquerade festival fell on a particular Sunday and as little boys, we did not attend Sunday service as we all went to the market square to watch masquerades. That Sunday, no choir to sing during service. On Monday morning we arrived at the assembly for the usual devotion. We were called out one by one by the late Venerable Adefila and given thorough beating. On getting home, I was further rebuked by my Uncle while some parents carried guns to the school to threaten the Teachers. Of course, that was the last time I participated in a hard way, in joining youths to celebrate masquerade festivals.

At every stage in life, despite my shortcomings, God has always intervened and showered favour upon me. In my final year in the primary school in 1970, a colleague of mine, Dele Ajibola advised that we should both choose Offa Grammar School (OGS), Offa as first choice. He told me he learnt the school was very good. We both filled the Form and selected OGS as first choice. Surprisingly, I was called for interview but he was not so fortunate. Due to my commitment in church, I was taken to Offa, to attend interview at Offa Grammar School (OGS) in the Peugeot 403 of Venerable Oroge in 1970.  It is important to mention that my grand father played a major role in my attending OGS, Offa. My grand mother died in 1970 shortly before my admission to Iloffa Grammar School, as a Pioneer student and OGS, Offa. My grand father insisted that I should travel far to OGS, Offa to go  and learn some lessons about life.

Our Principal in Offa Grammar School, the late Pa Adelowo, a great Baptist, also made a lot of impact in my life as a student. Every morning, he will tell us in the Assembly: “Alakisa to njo loru, Ile fere mo” (the masquerade dancing in rags in the dark, the day will soon break). He also loves to share with us John Wesley famous quote: “Let me do all the good I can, to all the people I can, as often as I can, for I shall not pass this way again”.

Bad companionship adversely affected me from class 3 in the boarding house in secondary school as attested to in Proverbs 13:20a “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise”.  An elderly colleague based in Lagos influenced me negatively. We will lay pillows on our beds, cover the pillows with bedsheets and set out mosquitos nets creating impression as if we were asleep on the bed in the night. With a group of other boys, we will jump the fence in the night in the boarding school to attend parties as far as Ilorin by hanging on moving trains. 

By the grace of God, I still made a good grade in the School Certificate exam and before gaining admission into Kwara College of Technology, School of Basic Studies, while awaiting result, I was employed in the Department of Customs and Excise as a Preventive Officer. To the glory of God, I had the best result in Social Sciences with A, A, B in Economics, Geography and Government, respectively. I then proceeded like most students from Kwara State seeking admission in ABU, Zaria but got cut up with new quota system. Surprisingly, I was given admission into University of Ibadan, without any struggle. 

My stay in the University of Ibadan was very adventurous as i joined many social clubs and most Sundays i just buy some news  papers and declare Sunday as resting day when other students are gone to church. I really lived a riotous life then. An extremely wasteful life without focus. Despite all these, I still made a Second Class Upper Division, and was among the top ten graduating students in Economics in 1980 with Senator Makanjuola Ajadi, Dr Ade Afolabi and Tajudeen Sule; among others.

The grace of God was still so much upon my life such that before I completed my National Youth Service at the University of Science and Technology in Port-Harcourt in 1981, I was offered employment as a Graduate Assistant. I left after a few months and joined the Audit Department in Kwara State Civil Service due to pressure from elites at home that we need adequate representation in Government. But after about 8 months of idleness without any serious schedule of duties, I decided early one morning to leave the unpalatable comfort zone from Ilorin to Lagos. 

In my final year in the University, my then room mate, Tajudeen Sule advised that we should both apply to the defunct Nigerian Industrial Development Bank, Lagos (now Bank of Industry) that it was a good place to work for Economic graduates. We both applied and I forgot about it since we wrote the application almost 2 years ago. Surprisingly, as I entered my Uncle’s house in Apapa-Lagos that fateful evening from Ilorin, he was in possession of a telegram inviting me for interview at the defunct Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB) for the following morning. I attended the interview and got the job while my friend that told me about the Bank was not invited for the interview.

I started work in the Head Office in Lagos and after 2 years, I was transferred to Aba in Abia State in August 1985. To the glory of God, I got married to my lovely wife, Mrs Febian Omolara Babatunde on 5th April, 1986 and we both settled down in Aba. In 1991, I recall my second daughter, Oluwaseyi was of age to start Nursery school then in Aba. The elder sister, Ayoola was attending Immaculate Nursery and Primary School. We decided for convenience that both of them should attend the same school. But Seyi insisted, even as a little child, that she would attend Living Word Nursery and Primary school, owned by Living Word Ministries, founded by Rev Okorie, a staunch Scripture Union member. The practice of the Ministry was to follow up parents of their pupils. That was how they started coming to “disturb” us at home until I met the Vice President of the Ministry, Pastor Dr Jude Ehiemere, who also attended University of Ibadan and one of the Doctors in our Bank’s retained hospital. That was how I returned to my first love. My transfer to Aba became a positive turning point in my life, as it was during my stay there that I rediscovered my purpose.

Like the Prodigal son in Luke 15:11-24; as stated in Verse 18 where he said “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee”.  I too arose and returned home to my Heavenly Father. I took a resolute decision to Look unto Jesus, the unchanging changer and He intervened, saved my life and reordered my life.

Even when i was still in the world, my wife had a dream that she saw me preaching in the Church and i told her that it was impossible. Just like the unchanging changer met Saul in Acts 9 on the way to Damascus and his life never remained the same again, I am glad I had a similar experience. Jesus changed Saul’s name to Paul. He transformed the life of a persecutor of Christians, to a terrific preacher of the gospel whose preachings turned many to Christ. Please do not write off any body in sins today because the Bible says in Zechariah 4:10a; “For who hath despised the day of small things”?. Encourage them to come to the Lord side. They could become great Evangelists and leaders tomorrow, for the glory of the latter house shall be greater than of the former: Haggai 2:9.

Just like Apostle Paul, I am standing today to testify of God’s mercy and kindness that totally transformed my life. The Lord Jesus did wonders for me in my place of work. At a time there was so much corruption in a Department involved in awarding contracts. They searched all over my place of work for a honest worker and i was appointed to head the place and to the Glory of God, righteousness was enthroned.

At a time i was due for promotion to the highest career, non political grade of General Manager, i went to someone from a neighboring town to Imode for help. The man did not help. I then remembered that the Bible says in Psalm 121 that I should look up to God who is the source of our help and I cried to Him and the promotion to the highest level came miraculously. Indeed, Jesus Christ, is the helper of the helpless and he restores hope of those who are hopeless. He will help someone here today. He will restore your hope and restore in multiple folds all that you have lost in the time past.

Through fellowship with other believers, particularly my good friend and brother, Pastor Dele Abegunde, i discovered the key to enduring wealth without reproach. In the Christian fellowship, we shared knowledge on business techniques with Biblical principles, which i adopted. Today, by the grace of God, I am enjoying a happy marriage, blessed with wonderful children and grand children, rose to the pinnacle of my career and by the grace of God has impacted and still impacting positively on the lives of many. To the glory of God, I am now a Pastor by the grace of God and preaching the gospel across the country.

By divine revelation which God gave me, Peculiar Gospel Outreach Ministry commenced with our first crusade in 2008 at the Community Centre in iloffa. In December 2010, we moved the annual crusade to the Old Imode Community and by 2015, we desired to have a more spacious and convenient site for our outreach programs. Through divine revelation, the Lord directed us to this location, where we are seated today. We embarked on the building of this Auditorium among other projects in 2015 and the faithful Lord helped us to complete them in good time. I am glad that these steps encouraged many Imode citizens to come home and start their building projects. The hope that appeared lost, at a time for the community is being restored and Imode community is now in the World map. This was what God used the Joseph in the Bible to do, by preserving his family. I am humbled by this great privilege and I trust in the Lord that He will give me the grace to do more for my family, my Community, the less privileged in the Society as well as to man kind not only in Nigeria but all over the world.