Last year May 17th 2020 when I was on a roll consistently posting blogs I wrote an article titled ‘I know who I am.....’ to date it is one of my most read blogs. It gave an overview of my life as a child born into what I would term a ‘moderate’ muslim family but given freewill and leeway by my parents to practice what ever religion I wanted as long as I believed in something!
To appreciate this post I would be nice for you to revisit...link here👈🏾
l will recap though, I rounded up last paragraph of that blog explaining how I had attended a church for a number of years but felt something was missing and how the last straw was when family members accompanied me to the church one Sunday but were struggling to stay awake as they were bored and not being carried along with the service. That confirmed all my suspicions.
In my last sentence I wrote “I then made a decision....” and rounded off with this cliff hanger promising to complete blog post with a part 2.
Two sisters from another mother, Noline and Modupe were not happy with the abrupt manner in which that post ended and both called telling me ‘Ola you better complete that post with the part 2’ I promised I would. But unfortunately never did.
One year and approximately 2 months later an unexpected event happened that has made me revisit that post and continue where I left off.
The decision that I referred to in the last paragraph of the blog was actually to find another church. But the question is how does one ‘look for a church’?
I mentioned my plans to a few people. I particularly knew the type of church I would not be attending but nothing more. Revd. Dr. Femi Bosun Idowu (F.B.I)
Then one day Uloma forwarded an image to me via whatsapp it was a flyer for a church that was about to open in Stevenage, an invitation to attend their maiden service. I looked at the flyer, deep purple in colour and it was the simplicity that got me, Strong Nation (New Covenant Church) Revd Femi Idowu and Revd Enitan Idowu. I had an engagement so could not make their maiden service but promised myself I’d attend the following week.
So it was on this bright Spring morning I strolled into Strong Nation for the first time with a stressed out teenage daughter, who was sitting for her A levels at the time. Myself, forever the sarcastic and cynical person I am walked in with a deep breath imagining what I was about to face. I had conjured an image of a pastor and Mrs sitting on some throne-like cushioned chair, cordoned off from the congregation with the deacons, deaconesses and church elders sitting behind them. However I walked in and the layout was so simple. I noticed a couple sitting on the front row of chairs with welcoming smiles so I made a beeline for them making my way to the front and rooted myself firming behind them. They looked back and said hello. When the amazing choir finished singing the gentleman stood up and walked up onto the stage, it was only then that it dawned on me that he was the pastor. One hour later he had finished his message and I just knew things would never be the same again. Something within me shifted. Even my daughter who had an A level exam the next day said she felt much calmer after hearing the word. The Famous FBI Hat!
Let me introduce Revd. Dr Femi Idowu, He has busted all my preconceptions about the African Pentecostal church. He’s also a GP. Medical practitioner and I have always wondered how does a man of sciences balance his faith with his career. He has never complicated Christianity neither is he judgemental or too preachy. All and sundry are welcome to attend without fear of condemnation: dreadlocked hair, sleeve tattoos, piercings, sagging jeans. His ethos for our church Strong Nation is to ‘Raise Thinking Christians’ so basically he wants us to read the word and ‘get it’ and not become the kind of Christians that will always be quoting what he said rather than what God’s promises for us. We are accommodating, diverse and unique.
Pastor Enny & Revd. Dr. Femi Idowu (FBI) |
He has drawn out characteristics that I never knew I had within me and a few weeks of attending Strong Nation he came up to me one day and told me he wanted me to be the lead on Evangelical team👀. At the time I asked him “Evang....what???’ And for each excuse I gave he had counter argument. In the early days the night before we would go evangelising I lay in bed filled with dread at the embarrassment of seeing people I knew often praying for bad weather, then the irony as in the early hours of the morning he would text to say weather forecast was bad so the team should wrap up warm, get our Wellington boots and umbrella’s! And he would show up in his leather jacket and his favourite leather base ball hat looking so ‘Street’ and ready for the trenches with him it’s alway about winning souls and never about him.
One Sunday after service I naively I asked him why was the Sunday offering collected before his message as I felt that after hearing him people would be blown away and more inclined to giving more but he explained as a Christian you don’t come to church to pay for a service, the message should not be the determining factor of how much you want to give. And that in fact you don’t want people to show up for church get so mesmerised by the person preaching and they carried away and start giving more than they actually want to. This explanation really resonated with me. FBI on the mic: Christmas Carols @ Stevenage Football Club
Being relatable as pastor is very important, we have quarterly musical concerts and at the end when you think he has walked onto the stage to give the closing prayer, he’ll often ask us to draw the blinds, switch of the lights and the church will be in pitch darkness. And then I’ll ask us to flip our phones and switch on the flashlights and wave them in the air as we sing along to our favourite song ‘Onise Iyanu’ Yep, he thinks he is rockstar and actually is😎
He often wears a baseball hat with the initials F.B.I. The first time I saw this hat I really wondered what was going, thinking to myself ‘Pastor really needs to be calming down’ until I found out initials stood for his name Femi. Bosun. Idowu. Or another term he coins from the acronym. FBI is ‘Favoured Beyond Imagination’.
Intentional is a very apt word that describes him!
He never sweats the small stuff. I recall when the pandemic came and Strong Nation went virtual with Zoom sessions, I set my Zoom picture and display name same as my blog name ‘Risi By Name’ and that photo of my crossed legs and red shoes 😏. I recall someone once asking me whether I thought it was an appropriate image for a church zoom session. I did give it some thought but decided that I would not be changing it, knowing that my zoom avatar would be the least of Pastor Femi’s concerns. And recall occasions when I decided not to ‘on the video’ during a session and he will say ‘Aunty Risi I like these your red shoes, but can we see your face please?’
With him it was all about winning souls without bible bashing or being judgemental Hence his mantra is to raise ‘Thinking Christians’.
Sadly on Wednesday 21st July 2021 Revd. Dr. Femi Idowu passed on. It has shaken us to the core and words cannot possibly express what we feel.
FBI we are going to miss you so much, but will be forever grateful for the memories.I am so grateful to have been part of your journey I want to believe that you knew the impact you had in my life. Thank you for the seed that you planted within us.
Rest in perfect peace pastor.
Atmosphere shift now....🙏🏾
#IAMSTRONGNATION
It is sad to loose anyone! It is even sadder to loose a pastor of such gravitas. I had planned to visit to your church based mainly on what you have said about your pastor. Too late. My husband knew your pastor very well, even that didnt bring us visiting.This is a very sad loss. From what you’ve always said about him Ola, he was a special breed. Rest on pastor!
ReplyDeleteOh no, just read to the end , and so so sad . He is definitely in heaven . In death, he touched my life from the little you wrote about him . May his soul rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ola for such a moving blog which I am sure has inspired us as Christians as to our purpose this side of heaven. Many of us have left our so called African churches and go back to our roots in C OF E, Methodist and Baptist churches where yes worship maybe a bit more reserved but the word is deep and l love the tea and biscuits after service. However it's lovely to hear through your blog of your pastor who was his true authentic self and relatable to his congregation.
ReplyDeleteWow, thank GOD he (FBI) fulfilled GOD'S mission especially to you.
ReplyDeleteAccept my condolences.May GOD comfort you, the Church and his loved ones IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.
Beautiful piece Tete Ola. Loving and wonderful tribute to a man of faith who truly ran the good race. The baton has been passed on to you and everyone who remains at Strong Nation to continue his powerful legacy.
ReplyDeleteRisi you are a natural evangelist and you may not realise it but you have just preached. We need to be thinking bible based Christians and not robots. Your pastor noticed it and he played his part in helping you find your purpose/ calling as a Christian. May God continue to comfort you and the entire family at Strongnation as you continue to ran the race. May pastor FBI rest in God’s eternal peace. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful piece about a wonderful soul. Such an impactful life, demonstrating the love and grace of our God. His legacy is living and active and will never die. FBI lives on in all of you and us that have been touched by your stories and testimonies of him. May God be with his wife, children, the church and community
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful piece about Pastor Femi and Strong Nation. Your write up encapsulates all Pastor Femi was about. Your initial reservations about naija churches struck a chord with me. But I felt very much at home by the end of the service on my 1st visit to Strong Nation. Kudos to you #Risibyname.😘😘😘😘
ReplyDeleteWow!
ReplyDeleteThe concluding part knocked the breath out of me. So sorry to hear of his passing, he was indeed a great man going by the little we read of him in this piece and the great impact he made in your life.
My deepest condolences, may God grant you, his family, friends and other congregants the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.
Wow! Heaven has gained and the devil has lost. We thank God for your pastor's fruitful life. I pray the comfort of the HOLY SPIRIT for his family, yourself and the church in Jesus's name amen
DeleteWaooo...lovely heart felt write-up. May Jehovah comfort on all sides in Jesus name.
ReplyDeleteAmen.
Heaven gained a soul...waoooo!!!
My condolences..
Well done Risi by Name
May Dr Femi’s soul rest peacefully. .
ReplyDeleteIt was such a rude awakening. Well written as usual ore. 🙏🏽
Bless him. May his gentle soul rest in most perfect peace.
ReplyDeleteMay Pastor FBI's soul rest in eternal peace. I knew you through the boring the Church you talked about and we used to laugh about the lack of joy in that church. It was, in those days a church filled with members who had been in it for many many years and were not willing to change to modern ways of worshipping our God. They were not interested in *moving their cheese*
ReplyDeleteI am so happy for you that you were introduced to a real church where you became relevant. May your walk with our Lord continue to grow from strength to strength. I know one of these days you are going to send me an invitation to a proper Water Baptism!! followed by your Ordination as a Pastor.
May your church be consoled and strengthen you all as you remember the man of God who made an impact on so many of his congregation. May God bless his family and provide them.
Sounded like an inspiring Pastor and Doctor.May his family be comforted by the thought that he has gone to heaven.
ReplyDeleteOla. Thank you so much for such a wonderful and powerful blog. May God Almighty continue to comfort the family, the church and all who knew him. From the service I attended, the stories, picture and all that has been said about him, he sure made a massive impact in this world. I met Sis Eni and Pastor Femi years back at his church in Edmonton, where my big cousin and wife attended. I would usually attend functions at he church. I fell in love with Sister Enitan the first time I met her at my big cousins place. She was so sweet also shares the same name with my sister. I saw Sis Eni and Pastor was at another function. I sat next to Sis Eni and Pastor, I said to Sis Eni, I don’t think your husband knows me, Pastor Femi responded, you are Brother Jimi’s sister. We had a lovely chat and Sis Eni and I went on to talk about all sorts including costume jewelleries. I sent you a photo I took with Sis Eni in our white Iro and Nuba and blue gele.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely human, what a lovely tribute, What a loss ? FBI will be missed. FBI will be so proud of you.
May his beautiful soul continue to rest in perfect peace. Insha Allah. Aameen.
Rashee
This is a beautiful blog. I think Ola you being an Evangelist is so good. You have a presence but you are so cool at the same time. I’m glad that I was touched by Pastor Femi’s ministry. Although those who knew him feel the loss, he has planted seeds that will prosper, grow and bear fruit.
ReplyDeleteWhao! I don't even know what to say. It was as if you added feeble to the story at the end but low and behold, it is true that God's soldier finished his raise and gone to be with the Lord. May his soul rest in peace and his wife and children be comforted speedily in Jesus name..
ReplyDeleteSo sorry Olatunde, may you be strengthened in Him always IJN
So sorry to read of the passing of your pastor. May his soul continue to Rest In Peace and may his family (church and nuclear) and friends be comforted and strengthened to bear the loss of this truly authentic child of God. Great piece as usual Ola.
ReplyDelete