Church History
Victory Baptist Church is a dynamic spiritually alive and fast growing church on the Lekki Peninsula. The church is situated on its six plots permanent site on Lewis Street, Thomas Estate. At present, VBC has membership of about 500 members.
Victory Baptist Church, popularly known as the light on the peninsula is propelled by the vision to know Christ and to make Him known to the world. The church operates satellites churches (daughter churches) in other locations in Lagos. At present, we have three churches including the South Sudan Mission (Nuru Baptist Church Juba) and a Hausa speaking church.
The Call to Ilasan
In the word of Pastor Oke (1990), when the church building in Ilasan Estate was pulled down by the agents of the Lagos State Government, he said “Victory Baptist Church” then at Ilasan “was a ray in the peninsula that will grow and brighten its immediate environment and Lekki Peninsula in particular”. This ray of light was ignited through a rather unusual circumstances. In August 1990, The New Covenant Baptist Church (TNBC), Agege was intimated with the plight of persons forcefully ejected from their abode at Maroko by the Lagos State Government under the leadership of Col. Raji Rasaki (Rtd.) and dumped on an uncompleted Low Income Housing Estate at Ilasan on Lagos Epe Expressway.
The church in carrying out its mandate in Act4:34-35 joined other Christian bodies to set up a relief team that visited the evacuees with foods, clothing, and free medical treatment. The church also sank a well in front of the Jegede’s residence, which is still there till date. But in spite of the efforts of the New Covenant Baptist Church and other Christian organisations, some of the evacuees died due to exposure to environmental hazards on the Peninsula. Some of the displaced people especially those that are of the Baptist denomination requested TNBC to establish a preaching station at Ilasan. TNBC church councils subsequently on September 21, 1990 constituted a mission committee to include Bros. Tunji OLajide (Chairman), Ayo Badejo, Yemi Hamid-Oke, Kayode Ogunwole, Kehinde Odesanya, Sister Nike Iwajowa, Tola Duro-Ishola and Sis. Yimka Adetuberu. The committee trained some people in the local assemble for leadership, secured a place of worship for weekly activities and prepared baptismal candidates for baptism.
The Journey so Far
The first woship service at Ilasan preaching station took place on Sunday 30th September 1990 under a Palm Boot erected very close to the Jegede’s residence. The families in attendance at this novel fellowship were the Jegedes, The Ajetumobis, the Ajayis, the Akinolas, the Omoteyinshes, the Solomons, the Emekas and Awominures. The worship service was held there for some months before the mother church identified a portion of the estate earmarked as a “a place of worship” in the LSDPC master plan for Ilasan Low Income Housing Estate in 1991, the church was moved to the site which is very close to Block 346 while a formal application for the land was made to the Lagos State Government for allocation.
The Call of a Pastor
In January 1991, Pastor S. A. Oke suggested there is need to engage a student pastor . John Olusegun Omotosho accepted to serve at Ilasan Baptist Church during vacation in June/July 1991. Instead of travelling 80 kilometers everyday from Agege to Ilasan, the pastor preferred to live among the people in the slum and squalor at Ilasan. Pastor Omotosho was accommodated and catered for by one of the leaders of the Young church, Sis. Dupe Akinola.The student pastor completed his two months assignment creditably with revival service held on 25th of July, 1991. Thereafter Bro. Tunji and his team continued with the work then Joined Bro. Tunde Adedoyin. Bro Olajide relinquished the ledership of the church to Bro. Adedoyin in October, 1991 when he was recalled to the mother church to relieve the pastor who was proceeding on leave. Bro. Adedoyin continued the work at Ilasan until the call of a pastor for the church is 1992. In the search for a pastor for Ilasan Baptist Church, the mother church has an easy point of reference. Pastor John Omotosho accepted the call to pastor Ilasan Baptist Church on July 1, 1992. The first ceremony in the curch was in August 1992. It was the family of Mr. & Mrs. John Ebenezer that was blessed with a baby girl.In September 1992, after waiting upon the Lord for seven days at Sister Nike Omoteye’s residence, the Lord laid it on the heart of the brethren to change the name from Ilasan Baptist Church to Victory Baptist Church, Ilasan. On the 2nd of May 1993, the inaugural executives committee meeting of the church was held by 6:20pm. Those in attendance were Pastor Omotosho, Sis. Dupe Akinola (WMU president and church treasurer), Bro. Henry Jumbo, Bro Biodun Enayon (Church Secretary), Bro. Dipo Ajetumobi (Choir director) and Bro. Lai Adeshina (BSF president). Others were Sis. Nike Omotoye and Sis. Monisola Akinola.
In January 1993, the Women Missionary Union was organized and Sister Dupe Akinola was nominated president of the union. The youth fellowship was inaugurated in 1994 and Bro. Tony Evie was the pioneer president. The church has a congregation of about a hundred worshippers on a weekly basis the offering collected weekly was N700 to N800. The church was known for evangelism and prayers. The youth fellowship organized an annual crusade titled “destroying the destroyer” and God used the program to touch lives.
In 1997, the first preaching station was established at Sangotedo to alleviate the difficulty faced by members who used to come from Sangotedo to worship at the church at Ajah.In 1999, Pastor Olusegun John Omotosho, the Pioneer pastor of the church was called to Antioch Baptist Church, Ogmomosho after seven years. The vacuum created by his exist was filled by Deacon Elijah Adegbaju and Bro. Tayo Akinola. The two of them were seconded to Ilasan by the TNBC, Agege. Despite constrains of distance, the two brothers proved to be diligent and zealous for the work of the kingdom.
In December 1999, a substantive pastor in the person of Rev. Amos Kunat was called to the pastorate of the church. He later received a call to the New Estate Baptist Church, Surulere in 2002. The vacuum created by his exist was filled by Pastor George Daniel Oghenetega who was seconded to Victory Baptist Church, Ajah by TNBC, Agege. He led the church until he accepted a call to The New Covenant Baptist Church, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. When he left, Bro Wolo Gomina who just relocated to Ajah from Agege was assigned to lead the church and was assisted by Bro. Tony Evie. They both led the church until July 2003 when Pastor Olurotimi Adebowale Taiwo was called to the pastorate of Victory Baptist Church, Ajah. He led the church until September 2016 when he resigned.
In November, 2016 Rev. John Akinjide Adeyemo, Ph.D was called to the pastorate of Victory Baptist Church, Ajah and He has since then led the church to this day.