He began as a tax collector. He walked hundreds of kilometres to preach the gospel. He lived through generations of Nigerian history. And when he died, he was widely reported to have spent more than 80 years in ministry.
His name was Samuel Akinbode Sadela.
Rev. Samuel Akinbode Sadela was born on 24th August 1900 in Ifon, in present-day Ondo State, Nigeria. His early life did not suggest that he would one day become one of the most enduring figures in Nigerian Pentecostal history. As a young man, he worked as a domestic servant before later serving as a tax collector and court clerk.
But in 1928, while working as a tax collector, his life took a different direction.
He encountered Moses Orimolade, the founder of the Cherubim and Seraphim movement. According to historical accounts, Orimolade prayed for him and told him that his place was in the pulpit, not at the Bar.
Three years later, Sadela met Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola at Oke-Oye, Ilesa. Babalola became his spiritual mentor, and the two travelled on evangelistic missions across western Nigeria. Sadela shared in the demanding life of the revival movement, including periods of prayer and fasting.
He did not keep the gospel within the walls of a church.
In 1944, during the Second World War, Sadela reportedly trekked about 180 kilometres from Odo-Owa to Ilorin on a missionary journey with two companions. He was also reputed to have travelled widely across southwestern Nigeria by bicycle to spread the gospel.
Think about the dedication that journey required.
There were no modern communication tools to announce every meeting. No social media to promote a crusade. No convenient transport for every journey.
There was a message to preach, communities to reach, and work he believed God had entrusted to him.
Sadela served in the Christ Apostolic Church before eventually establishing the Gospel Apostolic Church. The church’s history records that he founded it in 1959’s aftermath of Babalola’s final instruction, with the church taking shape later. He led the ministry for decades, building a legacy that extended across Nigeria and beyond.
Yet his life was not without personal sorrow. Accounts of his first marriage describe the devastating loss of all seven children born during that marriage. His story reminds us that a person can carry deep private pain while continuing to serve others.
In 1988, when he was reportedly 88 years old, he established a Bible college to train Christian workers. Even in advanced age, his ministry remained a central part of his life.
Then came August 2014.
Rev. Sadela died on August 24, 2014. His congregation and news reports widely stated that he was 114 years old, and that he had spent approximately 82 years preaching the gospel. His claimed birth year of 1900, however, was not supported by official documentation, so his precise age cannot be independently confirmed.
Still, the length of his reported ministry is remarkable.
From a young tax collector in the 1920s to an elder statesman of Nigerian Christianity, Sadela witnessed generations come and go. He lived through enormous changes in the country and remained associated with the work of the gospel throughout his long life.
His story leaves us with questions worth asking.
Lessons From His Life:
- Your present occupation does not have to define your future calling.
- Faithfulness is often built through years of ordinary, difficult service.
- The work of the gospel may demand sacrifice, endurance, and courage.
- A long life is a gift, but what we do with our years shapes our legacy.
- Spiritual influence is not built in a day; it grows through consistent service.
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31
He was widely reported to have lived to 114. He preached through generations, travelled long distances to carry the gospel, and helped establish a church that continued beyond his lifetime.
But here is the question: How many of us are prepared to remain faithful to our assignment not just for a season, but for a lifetime?
If you had lived in his generation, would you have joined him on those long missionary journeys?
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