Photo source: Fredlanks Photography 

By Chinedu Onyejelem

Pastors Lawrence Oyetunji and Dare Adetuberu are two prominent Nigerians in Ireland whose paths first crossed when their separate churches shared the same building in Dublin’s Moore Lane for some years in the early 2000s.

While Pastor Oyetunji is the founder of Christ Ambassadors Christian Center, Pastor Adetuberu is in charge of Kingdom Connections parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Ireland (RCCG).

But the work of God and their nationality are not the only things that they have in common. Both men were born on the same day, 4 January 1968.

“It only dawned on me two years ago that we were born on the same day,” Pastor Adetuberu says. “Both of us were called into ministry and have the same conviction for God. We have always related very well since we were together in the same building in Moore Lane. That’s [how Pastor Oyetunji] endeared to me personally.”

As they approached their 50th birthday, the two pastors considered organising a joint celebration. Although that was ultimately not to be, it highlighted to them more of the things they did not know they had in common. One is that not only were they born on the same day, but in the same town – Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State in Nigeria’s southwest.

Both men profess that the work of God has always been full time for them, though they still had other careers for many years.

“I was involved in engineering in Nigeria [but] when I came here, I was into IT,” Pastor Adetuberu says. “God worked it out anyway, I couldn’t dodge becoming a full-time pastor. I technically became a full-time pastor in 2009, but ran the [Kingdom Connections] church from 2001 following its establishment by another pastor.”

For Pastor Oyetunji, it all started in Nigeria with the Word of Life Mission in Oke Ado, Ibadan, when he was ordained in 1989. 

“I worked with them till I left Nigeria in 1994, spent five years in South Africa and came to Ireland in 1998 and joined Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) till 2001 when I started Christ Ambassadors,” he says. “While I was working with CAC I was also working for Dublin Bus as a full-time driver till 2005.”

The pastors have put the same dedication that drove their secular professions into their ministry, whether bringing the Word of God to people or training the next generation of pastors.

Looking back today on their time in Ireland over the last several years, both believe they have used their positions to effect positive change around them.

“Through the church I have been able to support people to establish themselves economically and spiritually,” Pastor Adetuberu says. “In the community, we have established initiatives with the support of other churches to promote integration and youth development. A few years back I received an award from Fingal for community work.”

As the principal of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Ireland’s Bible College for the last five years, he has also trained more than 200 ministers in fulfilment of his calling.

Stressing that their work is mainly about saving souls and creating great leaders in society, Pastor Oyetunji – whose church has branches in Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria – pointed out that Christ Ambassadors has previously raised funds for many noble causes in Ireland, including donations to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin.