BRIEF PROFILE OF ARCHBISHOP DR. RUFUS OKIKIOLAOLU OSITELU

His Holiness, the Most Reverend Dr. Rufus Okikiolaolu Olubiyi OSITELU (Ph.D. Comp. Sc.; Ph.D. Religion) is the Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Arch-Province of Nigeria, and the incumbent and the Fourth Primate of "The Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship) Worldwide" organization.

Archbishop Dr. Rufus Okikiolaolu Olubiyi Ositelu is the son of late Prophet General Dr. Josiah Olunowo Ositelu [first Primate and Founder of The Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship) Worldwide], and Archbishop (Mrs.) Susannah Adewunmi Ositelu, popularly called “Mama Prayer Fellowship or Mama Kekere”.

He was born on the 24th February 1952 in Ogere-Remo, Ogun State in Nigeria.

He started his primary school education at Christ Church School (Anglican), Ogere in 1958. After the successful completion of the Primary School Leaving Certificate course in 1964, he attended the Institute of Professional Studies, Apata-Ganga, Ibadan in 1965. From 1966 through 1970, he attended the Prospect High School, Abanla, Ibadan where he successfully completed the West African School Certificate (WASC) examination.

After working with Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (now PLC) from 1971 to 1974, he left Nigeria for Germany to study in Europe and the United States of America. He commenced his professional studies (Data Processing) at Control Data Institute, Frankfurt am Main in 1974.

He completed the Diploma courses with flying colours as the best student in both Computer Technology and Systems Analysis and Design.

From 1976 to 1979, Rufus Ositelu thereafter undertook further studies at the Institute of Data Processing Management from in the United Kingdom. From 1980 to 1981, he worked as a Data Processing Practitioner with System-Haus GmbH, Waldacker, Germany. From 1982 to 1983, he attended the Institute of Economics (Wirtschaftsfachschule), Darmstadt in Germany.

From 1983 through 1986, he further went on a combined Master’s and Doctorate’s programme in Computer Science at the Department of Engineering of the Western-Kennedy University, Agoura-Hills. This programme, he successfully completed with a dissertation titled: “Resystemization Life-Cycle – Computer Economics,” which earned him his Ph.D. in Computer Science.

In 1991, he undertook the Pastoral Studies course with the University of Hagen in Germany.

In 1993, he pioneered the first branch of The Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship) Worldwide in Germany and was ordained a Reverend same year. He saw to it that The Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship) Worldwide was formally established and registered in Germany in 1994.

From 1993 through 1996, he undertook a Bachelor of Theology course at Covington Theological Seminary, Rossville in the United States of America. On successful completion, he was awarded the B.Th. degree.

From 1997 to 2000, he further took a Doctorate degree programme at the same institution, and this programme he completed also in flying colours with a dissertation titled: “African Instituted Churches”. He was awarded Ph.D. in Religion following a brilliant performance.

Between 1986 and 1999, he worked in the Computer sector in diverse capacities.

He is a prolific writer.

He is among others, the author of “African Indigenous Churches”, first published in 1984, “Data Processing Simplified”, which was published in 1987, as well as African Instituted Churches – Growth, Spirituality and Ecumenical Understanding of African Initiated Churches”, which was published and launched in 2002. He has also submitted different papers on Computer Science and Theology, published in scholarly journals.

His Holiness, the Most Reverend Dr. Rufus Okikiolaolu Olubiyi OSITELU is the incumbent Primate of the Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship) Worldwide organization and a PhD holder in both Computer Science and Philosophy of Religion.

He has written several books and has presented several papers at tertiary institutions, conferences, symposia, seminars and academic journals.

Books Written By ARCHBISHOP DR. RUFUS OKIKIOLAOLU OSITELU

* CL (A) NEWSLETTER a bi-yearly publication, (Ogere: Grace Enterprises, 2001). This is the first magazine of The Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship) Worldwide. It is now known today as “CLAW NEWS JOURNAL”, as it has become very voluminous.

* CHALLENGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM, (Ogere: Grace Enterprises, 1999).

* THE HANDBOOK OF LITURGY, (Ogere: Grace Enterprises, 2000).

* OBSERVANCES AND PRACTICES of The Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship) in the light of the OLD TESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT, (Ogere: Grace Enterprises, 2000).

* FINANCIAL REGULATIONS of THE CHURCH OF THE LORD (Prayer Fellowship) WORLDWIDE for THE MILLENNIUM, (Ogere: Grace Enterprises, 2001).

* 2001 ENLARGED EDITION of The Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship) ENGLISH HYMN BOOK, (Ogere: Grace Enterprises, 2001).

* Missio Africana!, The Role of an African Instituted Church in the mission’s debate“, in: Partnership of African Christian Communities in Europe, held at the Millennial Conference, Westminster College Cambridge, 1999 (unpublished).

* „Aladura-Kirche – Afrikaner bei uns“, Zeitschrift für Missionswissenschaft und Religionswissenschaft, 83. Jahrgang. 1999. Heft 2, EOS verlag Erzabtei St. Ottilien, 1999, Internationales Institut für missionswissenschaftliche Forschungen e.V Hrsg, ZMR St. Ottilien, 1999, pp 169-176.

* „Die Mission deer afrikanischen etablierten Kirchen in Deutschland und anderswo“, Werkstattgespräch zur Bedeutung der afrikanischen religiösen Diaspora in Deutschland, Missionsakademie Hamburg, 1998 (unpublished).

* „PERMANENTE DISKRIMINIERUNG“, Fachtagung des Weltkirchenrat (WCC) über die: Arbeit und Erfahrungen der Ausländerbeiräte in Hessen, in: Kreisausländerbeirat Offenbach Jahresbericht 1996, KAB Offenbach Hrsg, Offenbach 1997.

* „Germany“, in: Sharing The Struggles And Hopes Of African People In Europe, stories and reflections and challenges from a meeting of Africans and those of the African Diaspora, held at the ecumenical meeting in Malaga, Spain, 1997, WCC-URM CBWCP, Hrsg, wcc-urm, 1997, pp 12-13.

* „The Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship)“ in: KIRCHEN UND GEMEINDE ANDERER SPRACHE ODER HERKUNFT, GEP Buch, Kirchenamt der Evangelischen Kirchen in Deutschland (EKD) Hrsg, Frankfurt am Main, 1997, pp 32-34.

* „The Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship) Frankfurt“ in: Orientierungen und Berichte No.23, XI/1996: Neue Gemeinde in Deutschland, R. Hempelmann Hrsg, EZW, Stuttgart, 1996, pp 21-23.

* „The Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship) Rhein-Main, Germany“, Religionen der Welt, Fachhochschulverlag Frankfurt am Main, 1996, Amt für multikulturelle Angelegenheiten der Stadt Frankfurt am Main (Hrsg.), 1996, pp 59-60

* „Migrants in Germany“, in: People’s Struggles Unheard Stories, a search for communities with justice in Europe, stories and reflections from a meeting on urban, industrial, rural mission, held at the ecumenical workshop in Frankfurt/Main, 1996, WCC-Urban Rural Mission Hrsg, wcc-urm, 1996, pp 51-53.

* „Tunde und der Gorilla“, Alexander Verlag, Langen 1984

* „Ein Vereinfachter Führer zum Informations-verabeitungs-system“, Alexander Verlag, Langen 1984

* „African Indigenous Churches“, Alexander Verlag, Langen 1984

* He was elevated to the rank of an Archdeacon of the Church in 1996.

He held several Management and Leadership positions during his sojourn in Europe, which unknown to him then, were used by God to prepare him for the task ahead. He was the first Chairman of the Foreigners Elected Parliament in “Kreis-Offenbach”, the Local Government Area, Offenbach in Germany.

He was the first elected African Vice President of the Hessen State Executive Council of the “Landesbeirat”, of the State Elected Foreigners Parliament also in Germany, as well as the first President of the Nigerian German Association (NGA). Continue Reading