Senior Pastor of Covenant Christian Centre, Pastor Poju Oyemade has described the late Dr. Tope Oshodi as an amiable man whose life touched all those he came in contact with.
Oyemade made the assertion at the funeral service in honour of the late medical doctor who slept in the Lord on January 23.
Oshodi was a Consultant Pathologist and Lecturer at the LUTH/College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL). He was the head of the family enrichment unit of the Covenant Christian Centre along with his wife, Yewande. He joined the Church in 1999 according to Pastor Oyemade and he remained faithful until his transition at the age of 53.
In his sermon at the burial ceremony which held on Friday, January 30, Pastor Oyemade said Oshodi carried an aura that endeared him to many.
He said, “We are here to pay tribute and respect to a man of God and our brother. He had contributed to the life of many people out there. It is the donation that you make into people’s lives that matters. Some have loved him as a friend. To know Dr. Oshodi was to love him.”
Oyemade: God does not tell us to keep asking “what if”
Oyemade said the essence of the funeral service was to “show our love and support to the wife and members of his family. We have a sense of personal feeling for his loss. Our hearts are drawn to them. We are here to seek comfort. Our hearts have ached. We are trusting that God will minister to our hearts.”
He reasoned that “It is in our human nature to want to understand everything but trusting in God means we rely on God even when things are not clear. In our journey and walk with God, there are times we won’t understand things.
“God does not tell us to keep asking ourselves “what if” thereby reflecting on the past. What God says to us is that he will be with us. We should leave the past and trust Him for the future. We have control over the present but the future is in the hands of God and he will work out the future perfectly.”
While noting that the death of the believer could be painful, he said, “we must realise that Dr. Oshodi is alive and conscious where he is. Our brother is in a better place, better than the very place he left. There is no loss on his part. The grieving there is the separation we are experiencing.”
The cleric said further that death has a way of making people reflect on life. “Without anybody teaching you, you get a revelation about the most essential things in life. The most essential things are the relationship you have. The measure of how sacrificial you are. Life is about sacrifice. In the case of our brother, we can say certainly that there were people he made contributions to their lives.”
Tope Oshodi like John Harper
Oyemade shared the story of a Baptist preacher, John Harper known to have sacrificed his life to save others during the historic titanic ship accident.
Harper gave up his seat on the lifeboat alongside his sister and six-year-old daughter so he could offer words of comfort to others as the ill-fated ship sank in the Atlantic Ocean in April 1912.
Harper was the pastor of London’s Walworth Road Baptist Church, was on his way to Chicago when the ship hit the iceberg; he decided to stay and preach to those on board instead of fleeing the ship, and even gave his lifejacket to another passenger who miraculously survived the disaster.
Oyemade noted that the last person Harper asked if he had given his life to Christ in the ill-fated ship eventually surrendered to Jesus after Harper’s death.
He added that the life of Dr. Oshodi brings to mind the sacrificial life of John Harper.
Tributes from church members
Earlier at the ceremony, a member of the Church’s Family Enrichment Unit, Adegunle Sokunbi recalled how Dr. Oshodi lived an exemplary Christian life. He said, “I come to celebrate a man I met about 10 years ago. He gave us practical principles. We found out that marriage was good because we have a parent in Dr. Oshodi and his wife.
The last time I met him was at Surulere. He was quick to ask how I was doing. He was a perfect gentleman. He poured himself into other people. He truly poured himself into others. He is not here but bits and pieces of him are in everyone he met. We take solace that his memory lives forever.”
Another, Israel Aye said, “A tribute to Oshodi is not what I looked forward to giving. But here we are. I was introduced to Dr. Oshodi and his amiable wife by a mutual friend. He was easy to talk to, down earth, no airs. We worked together in the marriage enrichment committee.
Tope is an example of Christian charity, cheerful. He maintained that Christian virtue throughout his life. He was not afraid even in the face of death. He sent us text messages from the Intensive Care Unit including a playful icon. That was to show that he was never really afraid of death.
That has been a consolation for me. He had run to the point of where his own involvement was concerned. The rest is now left to those of us still alive.”
There are hundreds of other tributes to the late Dr. Oshodi published in a special website https://www.forevermissed.com/temitope-adesola-oshodi/about
dedicated to his memory.
Life & Times of Dr. Temitope Abayomi Adesola Oshodi (as published on the special website site)
Temitope Abayomi Adesola Oshodi was born on the 16th June 1967 into the Lagos Island and Iworo Badagry family of Adekunle Bolaji and Hannah Olufunmilayo Oshodi, both of blessed memory: the last born in a family of four children. Tope as he was fondly called was born and raised in a Lagos suburb called Ajegunle Apapa.
He started his primary school at the African School and ended it at Christ the King School(CKS), Ajegunle Apapa. A very brilliant boy, he proceeded to Government College Ojo and completed his secondary education in 1983 passing his WAEC in brilliant colours. He had from childhood desired to become a medical doctor. Hence when he initially got admission to study agricultural science, he opted to go to Federal Government College Ijanikin for A levels which he stopped after a year when he got admission for the Course he had a passion for.
Tope was admitted into College of Medicine, University Of Lagos and graduated as a Medical Doctor in 1990 he went on to have his house job at General Hospital Lagos and was posted to Benue state for his compulsory NYSC. On completion of the NYSC, he joined the services of Lagos State and worked at the General Hospital Badagry. Tope was very diligent in his work, hardworking, resourceful, and caring, he was sought after by patients in Badagry and will patiently attend to all, never in a hurry and never compromising standards.
Tope proceeded to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital(LUTH) for his residency training in Chemical Pathology and qualified as a Pathologist. On completion of his residency training, he was employed as a Consultant Pathologist and Lecturer in LUTH/College of Medicine University of Lagos(CMUL). Tope was an excellent professional who was diligent in his work.
He was involved in teaching and training Medical Students and Residents Doctors in the Department. He and his lovely wife used their skills, knowledge, and experience in medicine to benefit all and sundry. Noteworthy is when they used to render medical service to the elderly and members of his late parents’ family church, Christ the King Anglican Church.
Tope accepted Christ Jesus into his life as his personal Lord and Saviour during his medical school training and continued on this path till death. He was a member of the Covenant Nation (formerly known as Covenant Christian Centre). He was a Minister in the church and till his departure, he and his wife were head of the Marriage Enrichment Department of the Church.
He was passionate about building godly marriages
Dr. Tope Oshodi was very passionate about building Godly marriages as a tool to building the body of Christ to which he devoted his time and energy to. Many young couples have had their marriages saved due to the grace of God granted Tope and his wife Yewande. He also in recent times got moved into engaging in the mission of Intersession.
Tope was a family man; he married the love of his life Dr. Yewande Olufunmilayo Oshodi, (the daughter of Professor Arigbabu) in 1999. The marriage is blessed with three lovely sons, Inioluwa, Ibukunoluwa, and Ifeoluwa. Tope loved his family and his life revolved around them.
He prioritised the legacy of a Godly life to bestow upon his children. He was a homely person and spent his time taking care of his wife and children. He was also a lovely, amiable brother to Engineer Tunde Oshodi, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Bamgbose, and Mrs. Adebisi Fanimo. Tope would relate freely and humbly with all family members from father, mother, and in-law sides.
Tope has gone to be with his maker but his legacy remains. He was a good and godly man.