AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Pentecostal leaders, church members, family, friends and well-wishers are set to celebrate the 70th birthday of the Presiding Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries and National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Francis Wale Oke.
Bishop Oke will mark the milestone birthday with a thanksgiving service on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at Cornerstone City, Kilometer 22, off the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway, Ibadan.
According to a statement from the Media Bureau of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, the birthday celebration will climax a 10-day programme of activities, beginning with the annual Holy Ghost Convention of the ministry from Sunday, August 30 to Sunday, September 6.
The convention, described as the flagship annual programme of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, will bring together participants from Nigeria and other parts of the world for worship, teaching, prayer and spiritual renewal.
A Night of Tributes will follow on Monday, September 7, providing an opportunity for family members, friends, colleagues, church leaders and associates to celebrate Bishop Oke’s life, ministry and contributions to the Christian faith.
The grand finale will be the 70th birthday thanksgiving service on Tuesday, September 8, when the celebrant, alongside his family, friends and associates, will give thanks to God for seven decades of life and service.
The statement described Bishop Oke as a prominent figure in Nigeria’s Pentecostal movement, an educationist and a globally recognised cleric who has remained committed to preaching the undiluted Word of God and developing a new generation of Christian leaders.
It said the celebration would go beyond marking the passage of years, as it would also recognise the grace of God upon Bishop Oke’s life and his contributions to advancing the gospel in Nigeria and across the world.
The events are expected to attract Christian leaders, members of the clergy, government leaders, members of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries from Nigeria and abroad, as well as family members, friends and well-wishers from across the country and beyond.
All the activities are scheduled to hold at Cornerstone City in Ibadan.
