Ruth Elton, legendary British-turned-Nigerian missionary clocks 90

Ruth Elton, the legendary British missionary who has been in Nigeria since 1937 has turned 90 on Saturday, September 7.

Ruth came with her mother, Hannah to join her father Pa Sidney Elton in Ilesha, Nigeria in 1937.

She is noted to have turned down her British citizenship and naturalised as Nigerian.

At the time she did, it was not possible to maintain dual citizenship. She then opted to renounce her British citizenship because of her love for Nigeria and the need to do missions in the country.

She is the only child of her parents. Both parents had died and were buried in Ilesha.

Ruth however chose to do missions in Kogi State and several parts of the middle belt of Nigeria. She was there for years before she retired to Ilesha where she currently lives.

Celebration

A collection of top church leaders including the Chairman of the Northern States Elder Forum, Evangelist Mathew Owojaiye, Founder of West Africa Theological Seminary, Prof Gary Maxey, the Anglican Bishop of Ilesha, The RT. Rev Prof Dapo Asaju and a host of other church leaders gathered at the Kingdom Gospel Mission, Ilesha to celebrate the faith icon.

Also at the event was the former deputy Governor of Kogi State, Dr. Philip Salawu who is the son in faith of Ruth Elton and her physician Dr Femi Soetan.

Several members and the Senior Pastor of the Gospel Assembly Intercontinental, one of the ministries that God used Ruth Elton to establish while in Kogi State were also at the 90th birthday celebration.

It was in Kogi where she served for several years that she got the name Omotere; meaning the one that does good.

Now looking quite frail, Mama Ruth as she is fondly called was delicately ushered into the venue of the celebration with pomp and ceremony.

She had suffered severe injury from an armed robbery attack during one of her missions’ trips in the bush of Kogi several years ago. Her physician, Dr Soetan said her health has suffered greatly since the attack.

But the incident did not change her resolve and passion for the gospel of the kingdom of God which she preaches passionately.

The 90th birthday celebration was however all about appreciation and thanksgiving to God for an outstanding woman of faith who did exploit among the unreached tribes in the middle belt of Nigeria.

She poured her life as a sacrifice for humanity. She served endlessly and passionately. Her personal comfort did not stand in her way during her active days as a missionary in the bushes of the middle belt of Nigeria.

In his message at the event, Prof Maxey noted that the record of Ruth Elton is remarkable and it would be a hard record to break in the future.

The message

In his message titled, where are the prophets? Maxey also a white missionary who has been in Nigeria for over 40 years and has also naturalised as a Nigerian said he was grateful to God for meeting Ruth’s father before he passed on.

He said Elton served as a voice of prophecy regretting however that the likes of Elton are nowhere to be found in Nigeria today. “We have no Pa Elton today. One who sees and one who speaks. A prophet speaks by God’s authority. Pa Elton played that role. He was a foreteller of God’s truth and judgement against the wicked. What the true prophets say is not of man but of God. He warned of the impending judgment of God.”

He lamented that Nigeria had slidden from its spiritual heights in the 70s. “We are walking at the edge of the abyss. I don’t think we are closer to the revival as we had it when I first came 40 years ago,” he said.

Maxey asked, “Where are the people who preached the judgement of God against wicked people? Pa Elton had the boldness to be that kind of prophet. Until we have bold prophets, we will not have revival.”

Maxey said further that the 90th birthday celebration of Ruth Elton “reminds us of what has been in the past and what could be in the future”

He prayed that God would use the occasion to “Awaken the church to the great challenges of the present generation”

Also speaking at the event, Pastor Mike Bamidele noted that the celebrant, Mama Ruth Elton emphasises unity faith, and love. He urged all to work in love and serve one another and ensure “that the principles she passed to us are passed on.”

Pastor Bamidele recalled how he had the privilege of being one of those who carried the corpse of Pa Elton when he was being buried in 1987. He said, “that we are celebrating 90 years of Ruth Elton is an indication that, “serving God in difficult terrain does not make you die early.”

Many paid glowing tributes to Ruth Elton describing her sacrifice and passion for mission as unequal.