Today, May 16 The Rt. Rev. B.C. Akinpelu Johnson. Clocks 55.
Johnson is the Bishop of the Lagos Mainland Diocese of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion.
He became Bishop of the diocese in August 2016
Described as a goalgetter and custodian of Church History by members of his diocese, Johnson has over the years been an inspiration to many. He comes from a lineage of priests.
Born to The Very Revd. Sope Johnson and Dr. B.C Aderinola Johnson who happened to be the first female Psychiatrist in West Africa; Pelu has since turned out to be the quintessential family man, the peoples priest who cherishes family values and communal living.
He had his primary, and part of his secondary education in Nigeria. He completed his Ordinary Level and Advanced Level studies in the UK, before proceeding to Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan where he obtained his diploma in Theology and Religious Studies.
He became a deacon in June 1990 and served in St. Paul’s Church, Breadfruit and then returned for his first degree in Theology and M.A in Christian Ethics at the King’s College, London. He came back to Nigeria and served in All Saint’s Church, Yaba as curate and on July 19,1999 he was posted to St. John’s Anglican Church Aroloya as vicar. He then traveled out of the country for further studies.
On his return from the UK in 2006 having bagged an MPhil Degree at the University of Kent in Canterbury he was made Archdeacon of Apapa and Vicar of Christ the King Anglican Church, Ajegunle Apapa. It was from there he moved to the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina where he served as Provost of the Cathedral a position his father had earlier held. He was elected Bishop of Mainland Diocese on June 1 2016.
It is instructive to note that The Revd. Samuel Johnson who wrote the book the ‘History of the Yorubas ‘was the younger brother of Very Revd Pelu’s great grandfather, The Venerable Nathaniel Johnson.
In a well-researched book titled, As for me and My House….the story of a Levitical Dynasty, Akinpelu Johnson traced the genealogy of his family to Mr. Henry (Snr.) and Sarah Johnson who were both liberated slaves of Hastings in Sierra-Leone.
This couple was invited in 1857 by David Hinderer to join the Yoruba mission in Ibadan from their base in Sierra-Leone. They arrived in Ibadan on February 11 1858. They had 8 children, 7 of whom survived them. The first 3 were clergymen; Henry, Nathaniel and Samuel, the forth, Obadiah was a medical doctor who graduated from King’s College London in 1884. Samuel was the author of “the History of the Yorubas”.
Since he assumed office as the bishop of the mainland diocese of the Church of Nigeria, Akinpelu Johnson has continued to showcase his ecclesiastical heritage with the way the diocese is being run.
It’s therefore not a surprise that many in his diocese describe him as a goalgetter and a pacesetter.