Jah Shalom Communications

My Life - The Revd Canon Israel O.O. Odewole

Praised be to the God of our fathers for I was born into the humble family of Shyllon and Felicia Odewole in the late sixties in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. I went to St. Peter’s Anglican Primary School, Ake, Agunbiade Victory High School and Abeokuta Grammar School all in the ancient town of Abeokuta where the first Church in Nigeria, The Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Ake is located.

After my Secondary School education, I worked with National Teachers’ Institute and later gained admission to Ogun State Polytechnic now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta for both OND/HND Town & Regional Planning. I entered Immanuel College of Theology for my Ordination course in 1995 and finished with the award of Diploma in Theology in 1997. My Diaconate Ordination followed at the Diocese of Ondo on the 29th June, 1997 at The Cathedral Church of St. Stephen, Oke-Aluko, Ondo. I got married to Miss. Rachel Adesola Omidiji on the 13th Dec., 1997; the marriage is now blessed with a girl and a boy (9 & 5 years old respectively). My Priesthood Ordination took place the following year at All Saint’s Anglican Church, Ogbonkowo, Ondo, where I served for eight years after which I was posted to Christ Anglican Church, Oduduwa in Nov. 2005. I left for United Kingdom in Sept. 2006 for a postgraduate degree in Religions and Theology at The University of Manchester. 

Highlights :

He attended:

• St Peter's Anglican Primary School, Ake, Abeokuta 
• Agunbiade Victory High School, Magbon, Abeokuta 
• Abeokuta Grammar School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta
• Ogun State Polytechnic, Ojere, Abeokuta
• Immanuel College of Theology, Samonda, Ibadan
• Liverpool College of Management and Sciences, Bradford and
• The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester 

When I got to the Diocese of Ondo in 1997, I noticed that The Boys’ Brigade in the State had not been active and functioning for years. I have been a member of The Boy’s Brigade since primary two and rose through the ranks. Boys’ Brigade is an International Voluntary Youth Organisation founded in Glasgow, Scotland by Sir William Alexander Smith in 1883. My activities among the youths in the diocese made my Bishop to appoint me as the Chaplain to both Boys’ Brigade & Girls’ Guild in the diocese. This position, according to the Bishop’s letter, automatically made me the Secretary to the Diocesan Youth Board. Gradually, I started rehabilitation/reorganization of The Boys’ Brigade in both the Diocese of Ondo and Ondo State as a whole. To God be the Glory, I succeeded in bringing The Boys’ Brigade, Nigeria back to life in Ondo Diocese, Ondo town & Ondo State and I was later elected as the State Secretary Organizer from Aug. 1999 to Dec. 2001. It was this achievement that made The Ondo State Council of Boys’ Brigade, Nigeria to give me the Award of Best Mobilizer of the Year in 2004.

I was in charge of Premarital & Marriage Counseling and I was also responsible for the Sunday Service Bulletin and Weekly Church Programme Rota of All Saints’ Anglican Church for five and eight years respectively. My Internship for my M.A. Pastoral Ministries at WATS was on Premarital & Marital Problems in the Church.