Monday 15th April, 2024. What a day! It is celebration time and a season of showing for one of God’s Generals, Apostle Lawrence Uwadione Achudume, a man of no mean stature, a consummate preacher of the Word of God and an outstanding personality with global impact. The Delta State-born enigma will hit diamond on that day.
In this part of the world where life expectancy averages 55, attaining a milestone of 60 years is no mean feat. Far beyond that though, the munificence of God is a strong factor worth celebrating. Sixty is standing on a threshold. In some cultures, 60 years is believed to represent a full life cycle, which means life starts over and again after this age.
For a man who already recorded heroic feats in the last 30 years of his life, it is as if Apostle Achudume, spiritually speaking, dipped his foot in oil when he stepped into the Abeokuta soil. For, here was a man who came to Abeokuta, the Ogun State Capital as a student in furtherance of his education attainment with very humble beginning. And right in this ancient City of Abeokuta, he has flourished stupendously, even as Abeokuta has since remained a revolving point for him.
As far back as the late 80’s, he was studying Agricultural Economics at the then University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (now FUNAAB). He eventually graduated and proceeded for his national youth service where he met his heartthrob and life partner, Rev Mrs Fola Achudume. His marriage to Rev. Fola is blessed with four lovely Children, Oluwatobiloba, Oluwafeyisara, David and Fiki.
Apostle Lawrence Achudume is a man called by God to do His will. Right in this same Abeokuta, he bowed to the divine call of the Ministry in April 1992, when he founded the Victory Life Bible Church International which
had since grown to over 40 branches in Nigeria, the USA and United Kingdom.
A preacher, husband, father, humanist, international conference speaker and anointed man of God, the Senior Pastor of VLBC has since been self employed working in the vineyard of God, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and raising many sons and daughters unto His glory as well as empowering the youths through a social winning team programme.
He is also known for organising executive Fora for top management staff and business directors, organising minsters conferences all over the world, coaching, counselling and involving generally in leadership development programmes among others.
Born in Umeu- Osele Maternity Home in Amai, Ukwuani Local Government Area, Delta State, on Wednesday 15th April, 1964. the baby, Lawrence, came from the bowels of his Dad, Mr Tom Achudume of Umubu village and was a seasoned civil servant who retired from the Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research(NIFOR), Benin City, just as his mother is Madam Clara Omosefe Achudume, née Guobadia, a retired Nurse.
So impactful is his ministry laden with societal significance that many fondly called Papa Achudume an activist in cassock. Indeed, he is more renowned as an advocate of good governance at all levels of governments, a man who fearlessly speak truth to power, even at the national level. Those who know him are already used to his very blunt personality with an astonishing oratory prowess and witty elocution.
Quite prophetic in his ministrations, Apostle Achudume has this strange ability to foretell the future with the power of God at work in him. Sometimes around 1993 in the hey days of his ministry, he had prophesied while ministering to his congregation of the impending transformation of Abeokuta to a city of delight.
The venue of that ministration was at the old ancient tall building which was then overlooking the popular Itoku Market. Hear him: “God has opened my eyes to see the future beauty of Abeokuta. I can see an Overhead Bridge over Itoku. This is what the Lord has purposed and it shall stand”. Of course, not many believed this prophecy, for it sounded too good to be true.
Today, however, all eyes can see a long bridge over Itoku and even another long stretch of a bridge over Sapon, connected together. This came to pass during the Administration of former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. Indeed, the scripture is true which says: ” He spoke and it was done “(Psalm 33: 9)
Apostle Lawrence Achudume is also renown for a life of philanthropy, giving to others and an adept believer in a world where there is equity, fairness and justice. He is a strong advocate of love who believes that love is a great value that should be shown by every human being irrespective of religion, social or ethnic leaning.
The revered Man of God would always sound the reality that whoever has wealth without having God in his or her life is only living a life of vanity, urging people to depend on God for supply as no one helped by the Sovereign God will miss the track in the race of life.
Characteristic of him, Apostle Achudume readily tells whoever care that he has passion for politics. His words: “Though I am not partisan, I love politics because it gives you the room to know people’s needs and how to be of help. Politics in the sense that it has to bring the mighty at par with the common men on the streets. In politics, there shouldn’t be that dichotomy between the big and small. If we are to practice politics or democracy as it should be done, there should not be gap between the rich and the poor. If well practised, politics is beautiful but they make it so rigid and tough in Nigeria . Even in the British system, you’ll see the Prime Minister going from door-to-door to campaign but here rigging of election is the order of the day. That is why I hate poverty because it has made Nigerians not to have a sense of decency; once they are given peanuts, they’ll start singing praises of these corrupt politicians. We celebrate thieves because they distribute peanuts to the masses”.
The cleric sees poverty as one of the greatest problem confronting Nigerians. He argued: “Poverty is a Nigerian problem yet some people don’t want the church to preach against poverty. But I’ll keep preaching against poverty because that is the only thing that can make a man stand on his own without fear. Until a man has what he can feed his family with, he would keep compromising because poverty makes a man to be eroded with decency”.
Apostle Achudume values the homefront and sees his wife, Rev Fola as a bulwark of support. Hear him talk about her: “We met during our NYSC in Kaduna. I was the Secretary of the Christian Corpers Fellowship while she was the Assistant Secretary; destiny brought us together because we didn’t plan it. It never crossed my mind that she was going to be my wife during our service year in the NYSC. My wife is a very quiet person except when she’s with the microphone to preach or praise God. I think she was born to be a missionary because she loves evangelism. I don’t think there is any village around Abeokuta that my wife has not gone on mission giving food stuffs, drugs and clothing where necessary. She has that compassion to help people. Her latest advocacy is rehabilitating prostitutes; picking them from the streets and putting them in good accommodation where they acquire business skills and rehabilitated in order to give them a more meaningful life. She’s partnering the state government on this to keep these prostitutes off the streets. The bottom line is that she loves God. Both of us found out early in life that we needed to help people and this we try to do and help in other various ways.”
Today as the Victory Life Bible Church kicks off its Annual Convention tagged Holy Convocation 2024 under the theme, This Same Jesus, celebration is already in the air as the Diamond Birthday event is expected to round off the Convention on the D-Day which is Monday 15th April, 2024, meaning that, as of now, we can safely shout-out a Happy Birthday to Apostle Lawrence Achudume on this great milestone!
