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“Jesus said several times, ‘Come, follow me’ His was a programme of ‘do what I do’, rather than ‘do what I say’. His inmate brilliance would have permitted him to put on a dazzling display, but that would have left his followers far behind. He walked and worked with those he was to serve. His was not a long-distance leadership. He was not afraid of close friendship; he was not afraid that proximity to him would disappoint his followers. The leaven of true leadership cannot lift others unless we are with and serve those to be led.” — Spencer W. Kimball
Apostle Alexander Bamgbola was a leader who zealously served God and followed all the leadership principles of Jesus Christ articulated above.
The news of the death of Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, on January 30, 2023, in the United States of America came to us in University of Leadership and Sound Doctrines (ULS) as a rude shock. We had visited him several times in the hospital and looked forward to his return to Nigeria after recuperation.
In 2010, the Lord instructed us to open the African Pastors Network/University of Leadership and Sound Doctrines to train African leaders and pastors with the best leadership scholars in the world. With this mandate in mind, we forged essential relationships with Oral Roberts University and other influential leaders in different parts of the world.
To train top leaders in Africa, we envisaged starting with the most promiseent African country, Nigeria. To this end, we prayed and the Lord led us to engage Dr. Bola Adewara as our coordinator. As we shared our vision with Bola, he met Dr. Wale Adefarasin. Upon hearing our vision, Dr. Adefarasin gave us the phone number of Apostle Alexander Bamgbola. At this time, Apostle Bamgbola was the chairman of PFN, Lagos State.
When he heard our God-given vision, he prayed to God, and the Lord told him to embrace it wholeheartedly. Because of the direction of the Lord, Bamgbola became the major cheerleader of our organization in Nigeria, inviting people and publicizing our leadership programmes everywhere in Lagos within and without the scope of PFN.
In 2011, we brought Oral Roberts University and other reputable leadership scholars to our first leadership programme in Nigeria at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja. At the meeting, we realised the treasure that God gave us in the person of Apostle Bamgbola. He continued supporting our vision in his executive capacity as PFN Lagos and CAN chairman.
We observed this man’s love for all people, his custom of showering prayers of blessings on others, his fearlessness, forging close relationships with any pastor from any part of Nigeria, and his commitment to furthering any cause that promoted the kingdom of God.
Apostle Bamgbola became the ULS dean for Nigeria through our collaboration with the University of Leadership and Sound Doctrine Chaplains Alumni Association, Nigeria. He received his professorship of leadership commendation from our religious leadership institute on December 8, 2015. In addition, he spoke at our US leadership conference and participated in the launching of “Train One Million Pastors on Scholarship” project at the Dr. Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Under his watch as ULS dean, many ministers in Nigeria benefitted from the university’s training programmes, resulting in the widespread inculcation of Christian leadership principles and sound doctrine in many church leaders. His hard work, erudition, and cognate Christian leadership experience at high levels and his social reach contributed immensely to the growth of ULS in Nigeria.
An alumnus of the University of Illinois, USA, and Manchester University, United Kingdom, Bamgbola was a multidisciplinary intellectual with solid academic roots in finance, banking, marketing and business management. After many years of working in the banking industry in the US, he rose to the pinnacle of his banking career as the managing director of Nigeria-America Merchant Bank Limited, Lagos, and later managing director and chief executive of Victory Merchant Bank, Lagos. He retired in 1993.
Apostle Alexander Bamgbola was the founder and general overseer of Zion The City of the Lord Ministries Inc., Lagos, as well as chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, for six years, between 2009 and 2020. He wielded significant influence in church and government circles in Lagos State. He was a one-time CAN chairman, Lagos State.
The untimely demise of the clergyman has created a great vacuum in ULS, Nigeria. Although his exit is painful, we are comforted that he served God wholeheartedly and is now resting in the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will sorely be missed by the ULS faculty and students and all that knew him very well.
May God grant his family members the fortitude to bear this untimely loss. May his gentle soul rest in peace. Adieu, a great servant of God, Apostle (Prof.) Alexander Oyewole Bamgbola.
