A downpour drenched me as I navigated the muddy streets of Ogba, Lagos, to the imposing building of the Daystar Christian Center in Oregun.
Despite the downpour, the church was a beacon of light, attracting worshipers eager to witness the Sunday Thanksgiving service, their first in years.
As I entered the auditorium, the frustration of being soaked was replaced by the warm hum of conversation and the harmonious notes of the choir, creating a sense of anticipation and reflection.
My first service at the church was prompted by recent rumors on social media about the relocation of its founder and senior pastor, Sam Adeyemi.
The social media frenzy after the church’s founder and senior pastor, Sam Adeyemi, revealed that he had moved to the US piqued my curiosity and I attended my first service there.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Adeyemi revealed the reason behind his relocation during an interview with Channels TV Seun Okinbaloye’s ‘Mic on’ podcast.
Happy team saying goodbye after service Experience
Upon entering the church, I felt warmly welcomed by the heartwarming smiles and kind gestures of the ushers. Arriving just in time for the second service, a beautifully dressed usherette with a smile guided me to a seat on the right side of the auditorium.
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The praise and worship of the choirs took my spiritual concentration from zero to ten as I worshiped God from the depths of my heart. A particularly touching moment was when a Thanksgiving song with the lyrics “ese esa, esa o, e ma se” (meaning “thank you”) made me cry. The fantastic spiritual experience did not end there.
One of Daystar’s pastors, Pastor Ayo Bankole, approached the pulpit. He read a Scripture, warmly welcomed first-time visitors, and encouraged us to take photos and share them online with specific hashtags. Being a social media savvy person, I pulled out my phone and started taking pictures that would never make it to my social media accounts.
Although I had my reasons to give thanks and danced close to my seat, the exciting songs did not distract me from the reason I was attending.
After the service at the Daystar Oregun Center Looking for Pastor Sam Adeyemi
As the praise and worship continued, I scanned the auditorium hoping to find Mr. Adeyemi. After about five seconds of staring at it, I still couldn’t see it. My mind told me to wait; perhaps he was preparing for the sermon.
After the testimony, I thought Mr. Adeyemi would take the pulpit. My hope faded a little when I saw another pastor take the pulpit, but I asked myself, “Was he going to moderate Pastor Adeyemi’s live preaching?”
But little did I realize when I heard: “Lord, we thank you, we are grateful for your…” Out of curiosity, I raised my head and saw Pastor Boye Oloyede. He preached on the topic “Blooming Forever.” One thing he said that stuck in my head was
“Everything you are going through has an expiration date and a new season will come,” Mr. Oloyede admonished the congregation.
From the sermon, I realized that Mr. Oloyede is a solid pastor with a deep knowledge of the word of God.
Daystar Pastor Oloyede
According to some members, Mr Oloyede, who preached during the second service, is the presiding pastor of the Oregun Centre; all the pastors of the Oregun Center report to him.
He serves as an Associate Pastor at Daystar, Senior Partner at Hupo Consulting Lagos and a Coach. He earned his MBA from York St. John University and is married with two children.
His LinkedIn profile indicates that the strategic consultant has been the head of the Daystar team since 2004.
Daystar Oregun Sam Adeyemi Church
I approached one of the parishioners to find out if Mr. Adeyemi attended another branch of the church or was not in Nigeria. He said he was not at the Oregun branch.
Out of curiosity, following the story of Pastor Adeyemi who moved to the United States, many people wondered if he still preaches. After church, I asked a lady if he still preaches and she said, “Yes, he does at least once a month.”
The church member, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed that the pastor visits the church occasionally.
“It arrived at the end of last year and was present until the beginning of this year. Then I think in the middle she came back,” she said.
READ ALSO: Why I Moved to the USA – Pastor Sam Adeyemi
Another member told me: “There is no visible difference. The church is doing well.”
“Pastor Sam Adeyemi is likely to come next week,” another person said.
I noticed that Daystar conducts three services every Sunday at the headquarters: the first at 7am, the second at 9am and the third at 11am Nigeria has five branches: Oregun Centre, Alimosho Centre, Ikorodu Centre, Lekki Centre, Badagry, and an online church.
The structure and order of the services are simple.