From day one, Venerable Kehinde Kolawole Ogundile knew where he was going. He did not hesitate. Soon after his secondary education, he enrolled at the famous Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan for his theological education.
Born in the early sixties in Ogun Waterside Local Government area of Ogun State, Ven. Ogundile told Church Times he had always had a passion for God’s work right from his secondary school days. So, he didn’t have to think for long before pursuing that dream even when some of his colleagues were eyeing some other professions that were financially rewarding.
“I knew all along that there was no money in being a priest. I knew it was more of a service to God and humanity. So, I did not have any illusion about coming to make money in the priesthood profession. That has greatly helped me to be stable and pursue what God has called me into.” He said.
Blessed with a supportive wife and children, he became a deacon in 1993 and then a priest in 1994. But his preferment as Venerable came about 19 years after in 2013. That notwithstanding, he says it is the love for God’s work and the conviction of His Call that has been his mainstay.
While some may seem to have had their hopes dashed, he says there was no way he could have had a dashed hope since he came into the vocation with a ready and eager mind. He however pointed out that “only those who are called and who willingly offer themselves could do it without counting the costs.”
On his experience with people, he states, “There are all kinds and characters in the church. We have believers who are fully dedicated and ready to sacrifice anything for God’s work. There are some who are exceptionally lazy. They are only engaged in church work to look for what can benefit them, they joined the church in other to satisfy their selfish interest. They see the church as a charity organization where people run to for their personal needs. The third group is neither here nor there. You really cannot put a finger on their commitment.”
But he reasoned that whatever group anybody may belong to; the bottom line is that they are all available to be ministered to. “The clergy must not despise any of the people under his supervision. Rather we should encourage them and pray for them. With time many will come to a place of understanding and maturity in faith.” He stated.
On how he manages the priests in his jurisdiction, he says, “I love the Paternal leadership style. I love to lead by example. I love to give room for self-expression. I encourage initiative and love to reward hard work, if not with anything but at least, with more work. I love doing things jointly with others: it is easy to lead while others follow.”
He believes the church that will stand the test of time must be fully on ground for evangelism and soul-winning. “We can’t run away from winning souls. We need to develop the capacity of the church to finance growth by financing evangelism. To achieve that we need to prayerfully make inroads into virgin areas.”
He also believes that the vicar of the church should not be the all in all. “You need to allow other people’s opinions. The youths are an essential requirement for growth. We nurture them. He added that “a lot needs to be done to encourage our youths. We should spend on them as other denominations do, engage them, provide for them, and keep them in the church.”
One unique thing about the Anglican Church is that it promotes personal growth of worshippers. The priest is not overbearing on parishioners. They are allowed to grow at their own pace. “But what we do is to nurture them with the Word and watch as the Holy Spirit work on them.” He said.
While noting that The Anglican Church loves to build gigantic structures, he counsels, “Our focus must now be on building people. We cannot overemphasize investment in our youths. It is a good idea to concentrate on building the youths now. They are the ones to build the church tomorrow”
One of the lessons from covid-19 according to him is that it has taught the church to save time and to be time conscious. “Covid-19 has taught us to be time conscious, to be more medically careful, and to help people around us. It is hoped that the free time we have will be channeled towards improving our lives and loving God more.”
If he were to make recommendations for the Anglican Church, he said, “I will recommend that the church plays a leading role as an advisory body to the government and support the government without compromising the Christian values and principles.”
He is certain that God who began the good thing in his life would complete it stating with some tone of finality that “my expectations are being met thus far. For now, we shall continue to draw and lead people to God. All in all, this is a reputable vocation.”
