Grandson of the pioneer Bishop of Ilesa Diocese of the Anglican Communion. Has taken to his social media handle to pay tribute to his grandfather, BIshop John Falope in response to claims by Rev Isaac Omolehin that he got born again only after his retirement. Find below his piece
“My attention was drawn to a video in which a respected elder in the Christian faith made some inaccurate claims about my late grandfather, Bishop John Ibitayo Falope, suggesting that he only became a Christian after retiring as Bishop of the Ilesa Diocese Anglican Communion and even questioning what he had been doing all those years in ministry.
I do not know the gentleman who made these statements, but I knew my grandfather. And I owe it to his memory to speak the truth.
To his credit, I am grateful that 39 years after my grandfather’s passing, his name has once again been brought into public consciousness. However, Scripture reminds us that “He who answers a matter before hearing it, it is folly and shame to him” (Proverbs 18:13). It is important that facts precede conclusions.
The Bishop Falope I knew was a believer in Jesus Christ long before he became a priest let alone a bishop.
I grew up hearing my mother recount how, as a young girl, she followed him to remote villages where he preached the gospel with passion and conviction. Yet it is said he was not a believer.
Here is a man who gave up an opportunity to be crowned a king for the sake of the gospel – yet they say he was not a believer.
The Bishop Falope I knew was a man deeply rooted in the revelation of God’s grace and he passed it on to me. He taught me and showed me grace through his lifestyle. Even his home in Ilesha was named Ibugbe Oore Ofe – The Abode of Grace. Within that compound stood the Chapel of Grace and that is where my ministry journey started.
Every single day without fail we grew up with a family tradition and this was so powerful. The bell rang at 6am for morning prayers; At 12 noon for thanksgiving prayers for mid day and again in the evening for prayers. Each chapel session was a service where we sang hymns, were taught the bible and prayed – yet they say he was not a believer. This was his lifestyle and not an occasional ritual. Yet it is said he was not a believer.
It was this same Bishop Falope who prophesied over my mother that I would serve God. At a time when I was young and wild, when my mother was almost giving up on me, he sent his driver all the way from Ilesha to Ibadan with a book about a man God used to spark a great revival centuries ago. Inside it he wrote: “This is how Wale’s life will be.”
He saw ahead, as inspired by the Spirit of God. Yet it is said he was not a believer.
Over 30 years ago, when I had the privilege of meeting Bishop David Oyedepo, one of the things that immediately endeared me to him was that I was Bishop Falope’s grandson. He shared how he used to spend time fellowshipping with my grandfather. Yet it is said he was not a believer.
My grandfather was often referred to and sometimes even ridiculed as “the Scripture Union Bishop” because of his deep devotion to the Word and to Christ. He served as the Head of Scripture Union in Nigeria. He lived for Jesus and gave everything for Him.
He regularly took me to meet great men of God like the late Pa Elton in Ilesha, the late Prophet T.O. Obadare, and many others, where I listened as they shared deep mysteries of the Kingdom.
This was a man who walked with God. So much so that on 13th August 1987, around 11am, he calmly declared: “This time tomorrow, I will be singing with the angels.”
And just as he said, on 14th August 1987, Bishop John Ibitayo Falope went to be with Jesus his Lord and his Friend.
Scripture commands us plainly:
“You shall not spread a false report” (Exodus 23:1).
And again:
“Whoever spreads slander is a fool” (Proverbs 10:18).
Before we speak about a man’s life especially one who can no longer defend himself wisdom demands that we check our facts.
Dr Wale Akinyemi (Grandson of Bishop Falope)
About Dr Wale Akinyemi
Wale Akinyemi is an organizational culture change and leadership consultant based in Nairobi, Kenya. He has developed a unique style of transforming organizations.
In his three-decades long career, he has led transformation initiatives for some of the world’s largest Fortune 500
corporations such as Google , Oracle, Absa, Coca-Cola etc and his work has spanned across 22 African nations and different continents.
Additionally, he has served as an advisor and coach for numerous top government and business leaders at the highest level as well as being a presidential speech writer.
He s a preferred choice when organizations seek deep conversations with their boards and leadership
teams. He has helped many. leaders create formidable personal brands that will shape their legacies.
He is a published author with 22 books on leadership and transformation to his credit. He also developed the Addictive Customer Experience (ACE) ndex which is a tool for measuring the efficacy of Customer Experience in Organizations.
His one-on-one coaching program, Re-Imagine Yourself,
” has attracted leaders from around the globe and many of his students have gone on to become CEO’s, Cabinet Secretaries, Governors and other top leadership functions across the continent.
Furthermore, Wale Akinyemi is a widely read newspaper columnist in East Africa and the Founder of the Street University, where young entrepreneurs are being trained, funded and launched into their dreams.
“Having planted about 30 churches and trained hundreds of pastors, in 1998 God told me to hand over all the churches and prepare for the next phase. Then he took me to America and launched me into the market place in 2002 with the words – disciple the nations through the system. So my pulpit has been the boardrooms and strategy rooms of some of the world’s biggest companies.”