AMINA BRAI OMOIKE
It is no longer news that Baba Olowere, one of the remaining few men connected to the revered Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola and the General Overseer of Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Agbara, passed unto glory on Wednesday.
Christians across Nigeria, especially the pentecostals, as well as other dignitaries, been praying tributes in his memory.
Born September 9, 1923, Prophet Michael Ojo Olowere (aka Baba Olowere or Baba Automatic) was a deep preacher, teacher and gospel evangelist who is anointed for signs and wonders.
He was one of the ministers of Christ Apostolic Church’s (CAC). He was a strange prophet of God and one of the remaining few men who contacted a great measure of the anointing of God from the revered Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola.
With his journey into the ministry, spanning over six decades, he spearheaded the planting of several churches within the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) mission, beginning with the CAC Oke-Imole, Agbowo, in 1978. Before his death, Baba Olowere led his church in Ibadan, Nigeria.
There are many stories anbout the life and miracles wrought by God through the life of Baba Olowere. A notable one was shared by Apostle Femi Lazarus. According to him, he attended a vigil with his covenant friends and spiritual brothers – Pastor Daniel Olawande and Evangelist Lawrence Oyor Gomba at Prophet Olowere’s church in Ibadan.
At the meeting, he was lost in prayers when he suddenly turned to face the people who were around the ministers seat on the pulpit. As soon as he turned towards them, he suddenly noticed a very strong fog which filled the whole congregation. Then he realised that someone carrying the ancient mantle had stepped into the church. He looked to his right and there he saw Baba Olowere who was just few seats away.
Apostle Lazarus further said that when it was Baba’s turn to minister, he gave prophesies about the last days revival. Then he went on to talk about the vision God showed him about a rain falling and everyone under the rain were filled with the power of the Holy Ghost. “I knew in my heart that his vision was in two folds. One, he was talking about the latter rain that will fall in the last days. Secondly, he was talking about the Latter Rain Conference and the three of us that will be ministering there were also at this meeting. This was great confirmation for us. After our encounter with him, I have not stopped thinking about him; his humility, his compassion and his prayer energy at that age.”
For Prophet A.T. Joel, Baba Olowere will be remembered his raw faith. Describing him as a man who was unstoppable, Prophet Joel narrated how Baba Olowere who is also known as Baba Automatic doesn’t take a “NO” for an answer. In his words, “Baba Olowere is not a man that would let off Jesus until he hears Him clearly. He is a man that would pray until something happens. I have never met a man as humble as this man of God despite the great exploits God has done through him. There is no single noise around him, easy going but unstoppable.”
There is another story of Baba Olowere where he was heading to Osogbo, Osun state, for a crusade when some policemen stopped his car. After giving them every document that they requested, they still didn’t allow him to go. He then stepped out of the car, removed one of his shoes and threw it into the bush. He told the policemen to go and look for it until he returns from the programme as time was already running against him.
Immediately, the policemen went into the bush and were looking for the shoes. Baba didn’t return until the next day and when he got to that portion, he shouted eyin ore mi, moti de o (my friends, I have come ooo). The policemen emerged from the bush, fighting on who will give the shoes to Baba. He took it from them, pray for them and told them never to harass a man of God again.
Prophet Olowere taught several times that the secret of a successful ministry is humility. In his words, he said ‘omo ni irele, ani ni irele, o gbodo ni irele…”. This is translated in English to mean “Son, be humble, you need to be humble, you must be humble.”
Although in his late 80s, many still craved to see him for special prayers at the C.A.C Oke-Agbara Oluwatedo Ashi area in Ibadan, where people came from far and near to partake in his “Prayer with Automatic Answer” programme every week.
Baba Olowere was one of the most respected ministers of the gospel in the Christ Apostolic Church. Baba Automatic as he was fondly called started planting of churches within CAC circle at CAC Oke-Imole, Agbowo, in 1978.
Baba Olowere liked to be called an Ibadan man because he came to Ibadan in 1952, as a young man. However, his father was from Ifaki, Ekiti, while he was born in Ilesa. He was a member of CAC, Oniyanrin, where he received the divine call.
He worked in many parts of Oyo State, engaging in repairing scales for cocoa, and generally worked with any thing related to iron, metal, bolts, and nuts. He was very dedicated to work and mastered the art, such that his boss at the time praised his skill. He was also part of the professionals that worked on the iron rods erected at the Oyo Water Corporation.
To garner more knowledge in construction, Baba Olowere learnt bricklaying for two years. When he was about to finish his bricklaying training, the call into the ministry came again. At this point, he couldn’t evade the call anymore. So, he went to the CAC church in Kano State, as God directed him. When he got to Kano, the chairman there said he couldn’t be there because, according to him, the work of the gospel was not what he imagined. He also went to Zaria and got the same response.
However, he worked for three and a half years in other CAC churches, before he was brought to a church around the University of Ibadan. With time, he worked in some other places before he became an evangelist, and continued in the ministry, till his passing.
He went to theological school for two years. Although, he had been in the ministry long before then, he was ordained a cleric on December 14, 1975. The CAC, Oke Imole, Agbowo was the first church he planted. Many branches have been birthed by CAC Oke-Imole.
Baba Olowere worked under a lot of renowned CAC prophets. Although, he didn’t work with Prophet Ayo Babalola, but he knew him. He worked under the tutelage of Prophet Babajide between 1974 and 1975 in Ilesa. He also witnessed Baba Obadare’s resurrection.
Baba Olowere got the ‘Baba Automatic’ nickname many years ago when God spoke to him in a dream. In that dream, he was shown the way through which God wanted people to call on Him, and through which their prayers would be answered. He said if they called the name, ‘Jesus’ and responded with ‘Power,’ He would work wonders in the lives of people.
God also instructed him to start a programme tagged ‘Automatic Prayer’. That was how he started and today, the attendance for that programme features more than 35,000 people, who come from within and outside Nigeria.
The contributions of Baba Olowere to the expansion of CAC included establishment of church assemblies and activities, a theological institute, health centres, and socio-economic empowerment.
Between 1978 and 2015, Baba Olowere had established 48 church assemblies in Ibadan land. He advanced ecumenism by his financial contributions towards the mission works in other denominations and counseling of ministers from other churches through counseling. He promoted theological education through the establishment of Thy Will Theological Institute (1997). He also engaged in ministerial tutelage: a unique concept derived from what existed in other seminaries, and through it, over 2,000 ministers were trained between 1997 and 2015 in the art of effective ministering. He emphasised gender equality in church ministry by engaging 18 prophetesses and 32 lady evangelists in active church ministry.
In the field of health, he founded 13 mid-wifery centres in Ibadan between 1978 and 2015; and established three cura divina based healing centres in Kajola (1989), Ashi (2000) and Olodo (2005). Prophet Olowere’s ministry contributed to infrastructural development: building of two guest houses at Ashi (2005) and Olodo (2010) which gave job opportunities to people; donation of a police post at Olodo (2013); construction of roads in Agbowo (1989); digging of a borehole at Agbowo (2004); organisation of Workers’ Cooperative Society at Ashi (2002); supply of electricity at Ashi (2006); and economic empowerment of 50 youths and 60 widows. These were achieved despite his educational constraints, insufficient funds, and heavy local levies.
Baba Olowere was the third son in the family of Chief Dada and Mrs. Alice Olowere of Ifaki-Ekiti, in the present Ido-Osi local government area of Ekiti State, Nigeria. There was no written record in the family, neither was there any registration of his birth at the then Colonial government controlled Province.
According to John Adeyemi Olowere, his birth can be linked to the 1930 revival at Oke-Ooye in Ilesa that his mother had just given birth to baby Michael Olowere, when the news of miracles and healings at Oke-Ooye reached Ifaki. C
Chief Dada Olowere was the Baba Ijo of Saint Michael Anglican Church, Ona-Oja, Ifaki-Ekiti in Ekiti State. His maternal grandfather (Borode) was the Patron of the Church Missionary Society in Ifaki-Ekiti at that time.
His parents were traders. While his mother traded in sugarcane, his father was a cocoa produce merchant like his predecessor.
Chief Dada Olowere had three wives: Mrs. Alice Olowere, the mother of Prophet Michael Olowere was the first wife. She had three other sons, namely; Mr. Oke Ogunsakin, Mr. Adebisi Dada and Mr. John Adeyemi Olowere.
Baba Olowere’s parents were syncretic in belief. His father, Chief Dada, used to take his children to herbalists who made incisions on them with razorblades and rub with charms after incantations. The reason for such was the fear of witches and wizards’ attack on the children.
In addition to this, Chief Dada together with other church elders and members were constantly found drinking palm wine to the point of being intoxicated. According to Baba Olowere, there was no thorough teaching of the Bible at that time in the church at his home town. This contributed to the widespread syncretism among Christians. Baba Olowere lost his father when he was seven years old while his mother lived long before she died in 1981. She relocated from Ifaki-Ekiti to Prophet Michael Olowere’s house in Ibadan, Oyo State before her death. After the death of his father, he lived with his uncle – Mr. Samuel Ogunmoroti – who took care of him in his early childhoo
