THE Christian community was shocked to the bone marrow yesterday when it received the news of the death of second Archbishop and Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Revd. Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye, who died in his hometown, Odo-Owa, Ekiti State, yesterday morning.
The cause of his death was not immediately known, but information reaching The Guardian says he died after a brief illness at the age of 82.
Adetiloye, The Guardian gathered, had retired to his country home three years ago, after the mandatory 70 years of serving the church.
Bishop of Lagos Mainland, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Rt. Revd. Adebayo Akinde said: "We must thank God for his life and ministry. Baba was the most committed servant of the Most High. He was very hardworking, fearless and exceptionally courageous as social advocate."
The Archbishop Emeritus of Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, prayed for the repose of his soul.
Okogie said: " We were good friends when he was alive. He served God in the best possible way he knew best. He served God through serving humanity. He tried to fulfill the precept that if you do not love your fellow human being as yourself, you don't love God. We pray that God will receive his soul and take care of those he left behind."
Adetiloye started his church ministry in 1951 when he gained admission into Melville Hall (Anglican Training College), Kudeti-Ibadan. He was made a deacon in Lagos in 1953 and served as a curate at St. Peter's Anglican Church Ake-Abeokuta from 1953 to 1956 when he left for England for further studies. He returned to Nigeria and was placed at Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan, between 1961 and 62 academic session as a lecturer and served until 1965.
