AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, has congratulated Pastor Femi Emmanuel on the occasion of his 70th birthday, describing him as a devoted servant of God, a patriotic Nigerian, and an outstanding mobilizer.
Pastor Emmanuel serves as the National Director of the PFN’s Directorate of Politics and Governance.
In a tribute highlighting the celebrant’s unwavering dedication to God, the nation, and the mobilization of Christians for civic engagement, Bishop Wale Oke said Pastor Emmanuel, who is also the Presiding Pastor of Livingspring Chapel International, embodies the qualities of a “servant and lover of God, a patriotic Nigerian and mobilizer.”
He particularly commended Pastor Emmanuel’s significant role in organizing and educating over 65 million Pentecostal Christians to participate meaningfully in Nigeria’s political processes, both as voters and grassroots influencers.
Pastor Emmanuel is widely acknowledged for investing substantial personal resources in facilitating programmes across national and grassroots levels, aimed at promoting civic education and empowering believers to engage in governance.
While addressing a press conference in Ibadan, Pastor Emmanuel reaffirmed his passion for God and country, stating that governance is the highest platform for transforming lives and shaping destinies.
Shedding light on his ministry’s philosophy, he said, “In this church, we don’t just preach—we give palliatives, build health centres, sponsor scholarships, and support the community.”
Reflecting on the impact of political leadership, he added, “If not for what Chief Obafemi Awolowo did, I may not have gone to school. Next to God is political power. What I am doing now is a calling, and governance too is a calling. The three oldest institutions established by God are the home, the church, and governance. When the righteous rule, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people mourn.”
Pastor Emmanuel expressed concern over the lack of credible Nigerians at the decision-making table, saying, “Good Nigerians are not where decisions are made. That’s why the quality of leadership remains low.”
Raised in humble circumstances, Pastor Femi Emmanuel had a life-transforming encounter with Christ in 1972, igniting a passion that has since fueled his ministerial journey. A trained engineer and former Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, he left a promising political career to fully embrace ministry.
He was one of the four pioneer members of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International in the Western Region of Nigeria in 1985 and rose to prominence in the 1980s as a gifted interpreter for renowned ministers of the gospel.
Pastor Emmanuel is married to Dupe Femi-Emmanuel, and they are blessed with children.
