Samuel Adedapo Olaitan - Online Memorial Website
Memorial Website - Samuel Adedapo Olaitan
Samuel Olaitan
Born in Nigeria
76 years
117395
Tributes
A TRIBUTE TO VEN. SAM OLAITAN
My dear Professor and friend of so many years. We shared a common interest in wood-working and furniture which later gravited to music. You and I shared numerous valuable moments in music. You were a bold, determined and confident man. It was admirable to see the way you always took control when the choral music was not proceeding according to your taste. Although you were not an Organist or a Choirmaster, you would always intervene lovingly with your deep resonant voice giving instructions wherever necessary. Such instructions were:
SCENE ONE
Ven Olaitan: Organist, that is not the tune!
Organist (looking confused and disoriented, delays… looking for hymn books): “Okay Sir”.
Ven Olaitan (demonstrating by la-la-la-la using his voice): This is the tune “la-la-la-la…” (Baritone)
Congregation follows as directed
SCENE TWO
Ven Olaitan (in a commanding tone to the congregation): Why are you singing so sluggishly? Have you not eaten today? Are you tired? Is that how to praise the Lord?
(Commands):”Come on; let us take the second stanza again!”
Sir, you were a great apostle for the cause of Church Organ Projects In Nigeria –CHOPIN and you were totally committed to my progress. You were a pillar of encouragement to me and you had complete belief in my vision and in my Church Organ business which you monitored carefully; guiding me with how to relate with Church authorities. I appreciate when you took time early that morning on 15th February 2008 to visit my future music project (institute) site and you proposed a name for it. You were always there for me and I know that you are at peace wherever you are, and singing lustily.
It is well with your soul.
Lanre Delano
CEO-CHOPIN
MEMORABLE WORDS OF VENERABLE & PROFESSOR SAM ADE OLAITAN
A. His Favourite Exhortation
(1) Remain within the boundaries where God’s love will reach and bless you.
(2) As you go, go well
Put your hands into the hands of the Living God
(3) Peace was Christ’s passing gift to his Disciples
So set your troubled hearts at rest and banish all your fears.
(4) Please let us sing like joyful Christians not like miserable offenders.
(5) Let us not ask “Oh for a thousand tongues
To sing my great redeemer’s praise
When we have not sung well with the single tongue we have.
(6) Let us remind ourselves that the Holy Communion is the principal healing sacrament of the Church of Jesus Christ.
B. Some Intercessions of SAO
(1) Deliver us, O Lord, from all evil, past, present and to come
Deliver us from all malicious, malignant, vicious men and women. Deliver us from all that is ugly and bane; By the intercession of all the saints favourably grant us peace this day and all the days of our life.
May all things go in co-ordinated harmony
(2) May God lead you to greener pastures. May your paths drop fatness. May you receive the cornucopia of God’s blessing?
As your days, so may your strength be. May you know that the grace which likes the Lord, the giver never fails from age to age.
(3) Be known to us in breaking bed but do not then depart
Saviour abide with us and spread your table in our hearts, now and always.
(4) Lord we worship your Majesty
(5) O father, fill this house, this holy place, this Chapel, with thy Spirit; and imbue all here with newness of life.
(6) Grant to pregnant, a happy maternity;
Grant to the dying, a happy eternity
(7) Use your people, Lord – their time, their talents, their treasures, their wealth, their health, all that they are and all they will be for the advancement of the purpose of your kingdom. Increase and enlarge their prosperity and their generosity and make them sensitive to the needs of others.
(8) May the bereaved experience Christ’s eternal consolation. May sorrow not corrode their hearts nor sorrow tear them from the side of Christ
C Some Favourable Quotations of SAO
(1a) To the early Church; the Holy Spirit was known as “the disturber of men’s mind”
(1b) Jesus was known as “the antidote” to the inevitability of death
(2) You cannot continue being a good egg; you either hatch or go bad
(1) All that is human must retrograde if it does not advance
(2) Who keeps the end in view makes all things serve
(3) The resurrection did not produce a committee with a chairman but a fellowship with a unique experience of the risen Christ
(4) Nothing succeeds like success
(5) The arm of flesh will fail you. You dare not trust your own.
(6) Change is creative when God ordains it
(7) “I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown. And he replied, Go into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be better than light and safer than any known way. So I went forth, and finding the hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hill, the breaking of the day in the East”.
Some Favourite Verses of SAO which he used in Intercession.
• God of the nations
Lord of each humble soul
We seek the gracious aid again
Come down and make use whole
• Be known to us in breaking bread
Be do not then depart
Saviour abide with us, and spread your table in our hearts
Now & always
• And if our fellowship below
In Jesus be so sweet
What heights of rapture shall we know
When round His throne we meet.
Quotation of SAO on the Choir
Blessed is the Chior that is at unity with itself, and not a collection of would-be soloists, each with his or her own idea of time and volume.
Intercession of SAO before Worship
Lord take from us all forms of distraction and grant us the power of concentration.
The Special degrees of SAO
i.n.h - in nomine domine (In the name of the Lord)
s.d.g. – soli deo Gloria (to the glory of God alone)
a.m.g.d – ad mojorem gloriam Dei (To the greater glory of God)
g.o.m. – the grad old man
j.j. – Jesus Juva (Lord, help me).
1988 was the year! Our dear father, in his usually firm and frank manner announced the birth of the Fellowship of Hope & Anchor. In his usually organized manner, not leaving anything to chance, Prof. as we all know and like to call him appointed two Conveners to coordinate the activities of this new Group.
Prof. arranged for the success of this Group from inception, like he would normally do to the minutest details of the colour and symbol of Hope & Anchor! He took a more than passing interest in this Group of several young professionals, several of whom were relatively new in Chapel.
Date line May 2008
Hope & Anchor 20th Anniversary! Prof. to the delight of all of us his children, whom he had nurtured these past twenty years, was at the reception ‘digging it out’ on the dance floor with the Fellowship Group Leader at the Anniversary reception! Who would have thought that this would be his last appearance at our Fellowship anniversary?…a few days earlier, he had ‘anchored’ the first-ever Chapel Joint Soccer tournament hosted by the Fellowship Group, as Chief Convener. He sat in throughout the ceremony, after taking the first kick to open the Games!
… Almost four months (to the day) after, our dear Prof. has gone to be with the Saints!
We look back and have cause to thank God for the life of this great Man! Prof. was a gift to this generation! He was a blessing to all who met him. He was a pioneer in the mould of those who discovered the new world. He was a trail blazer!
All those who came in contact with him, will affirm to the power and determination that oozed from him. They will testify that he believed that everything is possible and that no mountain is too high to climb.
Prof. taught us honesty and loyalty. He showed love and encouraged a free giving spirit, which has turned Chapel to a haven of love and generosity. Prof. was a leader. He was a phenomenon. In a community full of very tall people, Prof. soared above many – not in size, but in intellect, organization and of course in sound!
Prof. needed no microphone! He had a unique voice, which once heard, put everything and everyone in order.
If truth be told, we have lost a part of ourselves, with his departure.
We are however assured that he has gone to a better place.
An old friend would say – that “everyone brings joy into a place. Some when they come in and others when they leave”
Prof. certainly belonged to the first group! He brought joy and belief into any gathering. He was an epitome of courage. He was fearless. He knew what he wanted and how to go about achieving it. He was not afraid to ask for support.
That is why we mourn his departure. That is why we remember his drive and commitment. That is why we still hear his voice! Indeed we will continue to hear his voice for a long time to come.
That is why we will not forget. We will never forget what he represented in Chapel. Most importantly, that is why we commit to continue to raise the banner of Hope he gave to us.
Adieu good man! Goodbye dear father! We shall always remember. We shall live your dreams for us and Chapel. You were so full of life, so boisterous…May it be more boisterous for you in God’s Sweet Bosom, Amen!
We will continue in Coordinated Harmony from where you left off and remember to always confess as contained in one of your favorite choruses – “Reign Master Jesus Reign”
Farewell Prof.
From Prof’s children… the Fellowship of Hope & Anchor
As an academic, he distinguished himself or how would anyone have risen to occupy a professorial chair in those days without hard work, devotion, commitment and brilliance? He was an academic par excellence.
As a Priest, he was a “Good Shepherd”. When any strayed,he pursued and brought them back to the fold. You missed a Sunday worship service; you surely got a phone call or a note from him on Monday.
He conducted a one-hour service, you were held spellbound and there was never a dull moment should the service last three hours!
His eloquence and brilliance as a sermonist were captivating even to teenagers.
Little wonder therefore there was no vacant pew ten minutes into his service and fifteen minutes late, you were sure to sit outside.
His ability to mobilize for God’s work is superlative. He conceived and midwifed two tabernacles for the Lord, even David built none and Solomon, one.
When he had any vision he pursued it with vigour and without wavering. While others expressed doubt, he remained focused and steadfast. He pioneered the air-conditioning of churches which others have now followed. He held fast to his views on issues but was not rigid. Contrary to the general impression, he submitted to superior arguments when truly persuaded.
He was fearless and spoke his mind always. He had a word of comfort for all in time of trouble. He was also caring and helpful when necessary.
He loved all, young and old who crossed his path. He knew most members of his congregation and their children by name and would on every encounter, enquired about their welfare and the progress of the children.
He was a perfectionist, always striving to achieve perfect harmony in whatever he did. He detested mediocrity. Any imperfection came through because he was human after all.
He will be sorely missed by all. May the Lord grant to his soul the rest and tranquility he richly deserves.
Adieu Prof.
Dipo Onabanjo
“I thank God upon every remembrance of you”
(Philippians 1v3)
The last words you spoke to me at 19:10pm on the 18th of September 2008 were “I will be here tomorrow”.
I believed you despite the fact that throughout my visit on that day I kept on complaining that you were deteriorating and you in your usual selfless self kept on insisting that you were fine and that I should not be worried.
When at 22:30pm Popoola called me and said “wahala dey, Prof don die” my initial reaction was Olori -ebi has fooled me this time.
I have now had time to reflect on the beautiful times we had together (and did we have a ball?), I realized that you were not fooling me when you said “I will be here tomorrow”, you knew that you will always be “here” (in our hearts) “for to live in the hearts of those we love is not to die”.
Uncle Dapo, you loved us, your siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, you were a man who gave warmth, confidence and love expecting nothing in return.
I thank my God for every remembrance of you, sending you into this family and the wonderful, glorious almost miraculous things he performed through you.
Sleep well our Prince,
You were truly loved
You cannot die
You will always be here
Ayoola Olaitan
The passing on of Ven. & Prof. Sam Ade Olaitan – Resident Minister Emeritus of the Chapel of Healing Cross LUTH/CMUL Idi-Araba – marked the end of a great era. This was an era of great inspiration, ministration, motivation and transformation in the lives of many to the glory of God the father Almighty.
Prof was a cool, calm and calculated person with a clear-caught-vision which ultimately enabled him in founding and completing both chapels i.e.
• The chapel of the Healing Cross
• The chapel of the Transfiguration
The same clear vision carried him to great heights in his endeavors.
He was truly gifted and ever willing to share his wealth of wisdom and a word of prayer. Prof. was a symbol of love and hard work, a dependable and disciplined child of God, a generous soul, with a living faith in the power of God and of His Son Jesus Christ to bind and heal.
Prof Olaitan was a ready counselor and a sympathetic listener. He always found time for Pastoral visits to Churches and individual members and knew his flock by name
Prof. lived a life of dedication and commitment to the glory and praise of God, touching many lives positively and indeed bringing joy, light and hope to many. What a fulfilled life he lived on earth.
All glory, laud and honour be to God who has called you Prof. Sam Ade Olaitan back to Himself.
We love you SAM; but God loves you more. May light perpetual shine on you. Amen!
ADEIU
MR & MRS R.K. NWANGENE & FAMILY
"Uncle Prof" that was how my kids referred to you. I did not know that Saturday 13th September would be the last time I would see you.
You were a fountain of wisdom. Nothing fazed you. The kids now would say "no shaking". You were an inspirer and motivator. You always had words that would lift up a depressed spirit. I recall when I suddenly lost my job sometime in 1998, you told me to cheer up and that change was creative when God ordains it. I learnt a lot from that and I came to appreciate the truth in that in later years. You had an inherent goodness. You were truly a Christian.
I recall your sermon at my Dad's 80th birthday. It was so apt and everyone loved it. We could not have asked for a better sermon.
You knew the value of time and you were an organiser. You did things with military precision.
We will miss you, your wisdom, your weekly reminder to us to be punctual in our appointments with God, your sense of humour and your kind heartedness.
Goodnight Uncle Prof!
Oyindamola Ehiwere
It is with a great sense of responsibility that I here pay this tribute to the late Ven. & Professor Samuel Adedapo Olaitan who changed mortality for immortality on Thursday September 18, 2008, aged 76 years.
Your death has been most devastating to me and my family in particular and indeed to others at large. We however, take solace in the enduring fact that there is a purpose for everything God does on this planet of His, and that in the end His time is the best. Sam Ade Olaitan, you were an extraordinary human being, a rare gem you were. You had unbounded energy and you used it to full capacity. It was as if the chemistry of your mortal nature was different from that of others.
Your devotion to duty, your tenacity of purpose, your sacrosanct principles, your humanity, your concern for your fellow men and women, was infectious. You will take on the burdens of others upon yourself as if they were your own and without counting the cost too. To you, no task was too difficult to tackle; as a matter of fact you had no “impossibility” in your dictionary.
A great human being you were, you showered love and care not only upon your biological or nuclear family but also upon all and sundry that happened to cross your path. All these, combined with your selfless preoccupation with the needs of the poor, the sick, the homeless and those in distress, speak volumes of who you were. There is always a “mother in Israel”; if there is ever a “father in Israel” too, you will more than qualify as one.
Your departure has left a vacuum which will be difficult to fill; indeed you have left an indelible mark in the hearts of friend and foe alike which nothing, no matter how potent can erase. Yours has been a remarkable and exemplary life through and through.
You will be sorely missed by all, relations, friends, well wishers acquaintances et al, and particularly members of the Chapel of the Healing Cross and those of the Chapel of Transfiguration, which places of worship you labored tirelessly to transform from nothing to the magnificent edifices they are today.
You lived a most fulfilled and exemplary life; you were an epitome of all that is virtuous in man.
Adieu, may your great soul rest in peace.
Prof Ayo Ajomo
A friend of the family.
My brothers and sister had our first interaction with you, when as students we started attending the Chapel in the early 1970's on account that the service in our parents church was now getting too long for us. Our parents had no objections. As far as our father was concerned we must go to church. Our mother on the other hand was happy that we were going to church in an academic environment. This was the beginning of a relationship with you which later blossomed to a family relationship, as one of us, Gbemiga, later married Bimpe, your eldest daughter.
Overtime you were not only the officiating minister at our various family events, which you always attended whether in Ifo or in Lagos, but also took my brother, Gbemiga, as your son. You also shared your knowledge of music and church experience with my other brother Lanre, whose business is organ and church music.
You were a very positive person. Nothing was impossible for you. …You never looked back once your hands are on the plough…You were a good organizer, mobilizer, achiever, disciplinarian and a visionary. You were a lover of children having pet names for your grandchildren and their cousins.
I recall your regular prayers, particularly ‘the prayer for grace of punctuality’ which you also practiced by being always the first person to arrive at any of our family functions at the designated start time! I also recall your pastoral visits to various members of our immediate and extended families including in-laws any time you get to know of their difficult moments. Your prayers were always a tonic that lifted spirits.
We shall surely miss the love and warmth you showered on us. We thank God for the legacies you left behind, for which you will always be remembered and which will continue to flourish.
To live in the hearts of those who love you is never to die.
Roti Delano
(For the Delano’s of Awoyemi Close, Surulere, Lagos)
TRIBUTE TO MY SPIRITUAL FARTHER, CONFIDANTE, FRIEND AND MENTOR!!!!!
=================================================
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA UNCLE===== HOW COULD YOU???????? JUST LIKE THAT?????
ON SUNDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2008 WHEN I SAW YOU AROUND 4:30PM IN IGBOBI HOSPITAL, WE HUGGED VERY WARMLY, JOKED, LAUGHED AND SHARED A LOT IN THE COMPANY OF GBEMIGA, RONKE ODUBIRO AND YOUR BROTHER UNCLE FEMI OLAITAN. I PRAYED FOR YOU LIKE MILLIONS OTHERS WERE DOING.
I WILL TREASURE THAT HUG FOREVER!!!!!
BUT FOR THE FACT THAT YOU LAID ON THE BED, LOOKED FRAIL, YOUR VOICE, SMILE, ARTICULATION OF THOUGHT AND STRINGING ISSUES TOGETHER WAS INTACT....THE HUMOUR WAS ALSO THERE... SO WHAT HAPPENED 4 DAYS LATER????.. HABA ERIN WO!!!
AS I SAID TO YOU ON THAT DAY, IT IS OKAY FOR OTHERS TO FALL ILL, BUT NOT YOU, IT IS OKAY FOR OTHERS TO DIE, BUT NOT YOU...YOU WERE MEANT TO LIVE FOREVER......BUT COULD YOU??? GOD KNOWS BEST AS YOU WILL TELL ME. YOUR TIME WAS UP.!!!
YOU TOUCHED TOO MANY LIVES TO GO; YOU IMPACTED SO MUCH IN TOO MANY TO GO... TO SAY YOU WILL BE MISSED IS AN UNDERSTATMENT...TO ME YOU ARE NOT DEAD BUT HAVE TRAVELLED ON A LONG JOURNEY... I STILL HEAR YOUR VIBRATING VOICE, LOUD, CLEAR AND VERY STRONG..
WHERE DO I BEGIN???.... WAS IT BEFORE I GOT MARRIED TO BIODUN, OR AFTER AND YOU WERE ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT MY WELL BEING, PROGRESS, MY CHILDREN, MY PARENTS AND SIBLINGS 24/7...
WHEN I CALLED OYINDA IN SCHOOL ON MONDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER AND I TOLD HER, SHE SAID IT IS NOT TRUE, SHE SAID MUMMY WHAT WILL YOU DO???..... SHE UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU MEANT TO ME AS SHE REMEMBERED WHAT I SAY ABOUT YOU TO HER.... SHE WAS QUIET REAL QUIET...
YOU COMFORTED MY FAMILY, ESPECIALLY MY MOTHER, DURING MY BROTHER, FEMI'S ILLNESS. YOU TOLD US NOT TO GIVE UP THAT HE WILL SURELY COME ROUND.. AND HE DID COME ROUND, HALE AND HEARTY AND BOUNCING AROUND TODAY.. YOU WERE ALWAYS HOPEFUL, GAVE HOPE, AND SHOWERED SOOOOOOO MUCH LOVE AND AFFECTION....TOO GOOD TO GO NOW!!
DISCIPLINE.....YOU EPITOMIZED DISCIPLINE, AND HAD AN EYE FOR DETAIL TO THE LAST DETAIL!!!!
============================================================================================
YOUR SERMON WAY BACK WHEN I RETURNED TO NIGERIA AFTER MY UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN THE EARLY 80'S SEARCHING FOR A CHURCH TO ATTEND.. WE WERE STILL AT THE HEXAGONALS....YOU WERE PREACHING ONE MORNING ON THOSE WHO COME LATE TO CHURCH AND GAVE NUMEROUS ANALOGIES, EXAMPLES WHY THIS IS SO VERY WRONG AND NOT PROPER.....FROM THAT DAY ONWARD, THE ONLY PLACE I DO NOT ARRIVE LATE TO IS CHURCH.... AS YOU SAY, GOD DOES NOT ASK FOR MUCH.. WE MUST AND SHOULD RESPECT HIM, BY COMING EARLY TO WORSHIP HIM WITH ALL OUR HEART.
DADDY UNCLE, REV, ALL I CALLED YOU.....I SEE YOU , I AM HAPPY, AS YOU ALWAYS HAD A GOOD WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ME AND ASKED AFTER ALL MY FAMILY...YOU NEVER FORGET FOR ONE DAY OYINDA AND DEMILADE'S NAMES....HOW DID YOU REMEMBER ALL THESE NAMES AGAIN TO THE DETAIL, I ALWAYS MARVELED..
YOUR FOOTPRINTS WILL REMAIN FOREVER WITH ME, WHAT YOU STOOD FOR WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN BUT CONTINUE TO FLOURISH, YOUR LEGACIES ARE TOO MANY, TOO GOOD, TO BE FORGOTTEN.
I AM JUST SPEECHLESS AND I REMEMBER OYINDA'S WORDS== MUMMY WHAT WILL YOU DO?????
I WILL CONTINUE TO PRAY AS YOU TAUGHT ME TO DO, GO EARLY TO WORSHIP GOD AS YOU TAUGHT ME TO DO , LIVE BY YOUR PRINCIPLES AND DISCIPLINE AS YOU TAUGHT ME TO DO .......SO YOU WILL KNOW YOU TOUCHED THE ROOT OF ME FOR GOOD AND FOREVER.....
ADEOLA AZEEZ, ONE OF YOUR NUMEROUS ADOPTED DAUGHTERS....
My dear Professor and friend of so many years. We shared a common interest in wood-working and furniture which later gravited to music. You and I shared numerous valuable moments in music. You were a bold, determined and confident man. It was admirable to see the way you always took control when the choral music was not proceeding according to your taste. Although you were not an Organist or a Choirmaster, you would always intervene lovingly with your deep resonant voice giving instructions wherever necessary. Such instructions were:
SCENE ONE
Ven Olaitan: Organist, that is not the tune!
Organist (looking confused and disoriented, delays… looking for hymn books): “Okay Sir”.
Ven Olaitan (demonstrating by la-la-la-la using his voice): This is the tune “la-la-la-la…” (Baritone)
Congregation follows as directed
SCENE TWO
Ven Olaitan (in a commanding tone to the congregation): Why are you singing so sluggishly? Have you not eaten today? Are you tired? Is that how to praise the Lord?
(Commands):”Come on; let us take the second stanza again!”
Sir, you were a great apostle for the cause of Church Organ Projects In Nigeria –CHOPIN and you were totally committed to my progress. You were a pillar of encouragement to me and you had complete belief in my vision and in my Church Organ business which you monitored carefully; guiding me with how to relate with Church authorities. I appreciate when you took time early that morning on 15th February 2008 to visit my future music project (institute) site and you proposed a name for it. You were always there for me and I know that you are at peace wherever you are, and singing lustily.
It is well with your soul.
Lanre Delano
CEO-CHOPIN
MEMORABLE WORDS OF VENERABLE & PROFESSOR SAM ADE OLAITAN
A. His Favourite Exhortation
(1) Remain within the boundaries where God’s love will reach and bless you.
(2) As you go, go well
Put your hands into the hands of the Living God
(3) Peace was Christ’s passing gift to his Disciples
So set your troubled hearts at rest and banish all your fears.
(4) Please let us sing like joyful Christians not like miserable offenders.
(5) Let us not ask “Oh for a thousand tongues
To sing my great redeemer’s praise
When we have not sung well with the single tongue we have.
(6) Let us remind ourselves that the Holy Communion is the principal healing sacrament of the Church of Jesus Christ.
B. Some Intercessions of SAO
(1) Deliver us, O Lord, from all evil, past, present and to come
Deliver us from all malicious, malignant, vicious men and women. Deliver us from all that is ugly and bane; By the intercession of all the saints favourably grant us peace this day and all the days of our life.
May all things go in co-ordinated harmony
(2) May God lead you to greener pastures. May your paths drop fatness. May you receive the cornucopia of God’s blessing?
As your days, so may your strength be. May you know that the grace which likes the Lord, the giver never fails from age to age.
(3) Be known to us in breaking bed but do not then depart
Saviour abide with us and spread your table in our hearts, now and always.
(4) Lord we worship your Majesty
(5) O father, fill this house, this holy place, this Chapel, with thy Spirit; and imbue all here with newness of life.
(6) Grant to pregnant, a happy maternity;
Grant to the dying, a happy eternity
(7) Use your people, Lord – their time, their talents, their treasures, their wealth, their health, all that they are and all they will be for the advancement of the purpose of your kingdom. Increase and enlarge their prosperity and their generosity and make them sensitive to the needs of others.
(8) May the bereaved experience Christ’s eternal consolation. May sorrow not corrode their hearts nor sorrow tear them from the side of Christ
C Some Favourable Quotations of SAO
(1a) To the early Church; the Holy Spirit was known as “the disturber of men’s mind”
(1b) Jesus was known as “the antidote” to the inevitability of death
(2) You cannot continue being a good egg; you either hatch or go bad
(1) All that is human must retrograde if it does not advance
(2) Who keeps the end in view makes all things serve
(3) The resurrection did not produce a committee with a chairman but a fellowship with a unique experience of the risen Christ
(4) Nothing succeeds like success
(5) The arm of flesh will fail you. You dare not trust your own.
(6) Change is creative when God ordains it
(7) “I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown. And he replied, Go into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be better than light and safer than any known way. So I went forth, and finding the hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hill, the breaking of the day in the East”.
Some Favourite Verses of SAO which he used in Intercession.
• God of the nations
Lord of each humble soul
We seek the gracious aid again
Come down and make use whole
• Be known to us in breaking bread
Be do not then depart
Saviour abide with us, and spread your table in our hearts
Now & always
• And if our fellowship below
In Jesus be so sweet
What heights of rapture shall we know
When round His throne we meet.
Quotation of SAO on the Choir
Blessed is the Chior that is at unity with itself, and not a collection of would-be soloists, each with his or her own idea of time and volume.
Intercession of SAO before Worship
Lord take from us all forms of distraction and grant us the power of concentration.
The Special degrees of SAO
i.n.h - in nomine domine (In the name of the Lord)
s.d.g. – soli deo Gloria (to the glory of God alone)
a.m.g.d – ad mojorem gloriam Dei (To the greater glory of God)
g.o.m. – the grad old man
j.j. – Jesus Juva (Lord, help me).
A Tribute to a Father Indeed!
1988 was the year! Our dear father, in his usually firm and frank manner announced the birth of the Fellowship of Hope & Anchor. In his usually organized manner, not leaving anything to chance, Prof. as we all know and like to call him appointed two Conveners to coordinate the activities of this new Group.
Prof. arranged for the success of this Group from inception, like he would normally do to the minutest details of the colour and symbol of Hope & Anchor! He took a more than passing interest in this Group of several young professionals, several of whom were relatively new in Chapel.
Date line May 2008
Hope & Anchor 20th Anniversary! Prof. to the delight of all of us his children, whom he had nurtured these past twenty years, was at the reception ‘digging it out’ on the dance floor with the Fellowship Group Leader at the Anniversary reception! Who would have thought that this would be his last appearance at our Fellowship anniversary?…a few days earlier, he had ‘anchored’ the first-ever Chapel Joint Soccer tournament hosted by the Fellowship Group, as Chief Convener. He sat in throughout the ceremony, after taking the first kick to open the Games!
… Almost four months (to the day) after, our dear Prof. has gone to be with the Saints!
We look back and have cause to thank God for the life of this great Man! Prof. was a gift to this generation! He was a blessing to all who met him. He was a pioneer in the mould of those who discovered the new world. He was a trail blazer!
All those who came in contact with him, will affirm to the power and determination that oozed from him. They will testify that he believed that everything is possible and that no mountain is too high to climb.
Prof. taught us honesty and loyalty. He showed love and encouraged a free giving spirit, which has turned Chapel to a haven of love and generosity. Prof. was a leader. He was a phenomenon. In a community full of very tall people, Prof. soared above many – not in size, but in intellect, organization and of course in sound!
Prof. needed no microphone! He had a unique voice, which once heard, put everything and everyone in order.
If truth be told, we have lost a part of ourselves, with his departure.
We are however assured that he has gone to a better place.
An old friend would say – that “everyone brings joy into a place. Some when they come in and others when they leave”
Prof. certainly belonged to the first group! He brought joy and belief into any gathering. He was an epitome of courage. He was fearless. He knew what he wanted and how to go about achieving it. He was not afraid to ask for support.
That is why we mourn his departure. That is why we remember his drive and commitment. That is why we still hear his voice! Indeed we will continue to hear his voice for a long time to come.
That is why we will not forget. We will never forget what he represented in Chapel. Most importantly, that is why we commit to continue to raise the banner of Hope he gave to us.
Adieu good man! Goodbye dear father! We shall always remember. We shall live your dreams for us and Chapel. You were so full of life, so boisterous…May it be more boisterous for you in God’s Sweet Bosom, Amen!
We will continue in Coordinated Harmony from where you left off and remember to always confess as contained in one of your favorite choruses – “Reign Master Jesus Reign”
Farewell Prof.
From Prof’s children… the Fellowship of Hope & Anchor
A TRIBUTE TO MY PRIEST AND FRIEND
It is difficult to capture the person of the Venerable and Professor Sam Ade Olaitan in a few sentences. He was a man of many parts.As an academic, he distinguished himself or how would anyone have risen to occupy a professorial chair in those days without hard work, devotion, commitment and brilliance? He was an academic par excellence.
As a Priest, he was a “Good Shepherd”. When any strayed,he pursued and brought them back to the fold. You missed a Sunday worship service; you surely got a phone call or a note from him on Monday.
He conducted a one-hour service, you were held spellbound and there was never a dull moment should the service last three hours!
His eloquence and brilliance as a sermonist were captivating even to teenagers.
Little wonder therefore there was no vacant pew ten minutes into his service and fifteen minutes late, you were sure to sit outside.
His ability to mobilize for God’s work is superlative. He conceived and midwifed two tabernacles for the Lord, even David built none and Solomon, one.
When he had any vision he pursued it with vigour and without wavering. While others expressed doubt, he remained focused and steadfast. He pioneered the air-conditioning of churches which others have now followed. He held fast to his views on issues but was not rigid. Contrary to the general impression, he submitted to superior arguments when truly persuaded.
He was fearless and spoke his mind always. He had a word of comfort for all in time of trouble. He was also caring and helpful when necessary.
He loved all, young and old who crossed his path. He knew most members of his congregation and their children by name and would on every encounter, enquired about their welfare and the progress of the children.
He was a perfectionist, always striving to achieve perfect harmony in whatever he did. He detested mediocrity. Any imperfection came through because he was human after all.
He will be sorely missed by all. May the Lord grant to his soul the rest and tranquility he richly deserves.
Adieu Prof.
Dipo Onabanjo
“I thank God upon every remembrance of you”
(Philippians 1v3)
The last words you spoke to me at 19:10pm on the 18th of September 2008 were “I will be here tomorrow”.
I believed you despite the fact that throughout my visit on that day I kept on complaining that you were deteriorating and you in your usual selfless self kept on insisting that you were fine and that I should not be worried.
When at 22:30pm Popoola called me and said “wahala dey, Prof don die” my initial reaction was Olori -ebi has fooled me this time.
I have now had time to reflect on the beautiful times we had together (and did we have a ball?), I realized that you were not fooling me when you said “I will be here tomorrow”, you knew that you will always be “here” (in our hearts) “for to live in the hearts of those we love is not to die”.
Uncle Dapo, you loved us, your siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, you were a man who gave warmth, confidence and love expecting nothing in return.
I thank my God for every remembrance of you, sending you into this family and the wonderful, glorious almost miraculous things he performed through you.
Sleep well our Prince,
You were truly loved
You cannot die
You will always be here
Ayoola Olaitan
A TRIBUTE TO A LEGEND – VEN. & PROF. SAM ADE OLAITAN
The passing on of Ven. & Prof. Sam Ade Olaitan – Resident Minister Emeritus of the Chapel of Healing Cross LUTH/CMUL Idi-Araba – marked the end of a great era. This was an era of great inspiration, ministration, motivation and transformation in the lives of many to the glory of God the father Almighty.
Prof was a cool, calm and calculated person with a clear-caught-vision which ultimately enabled him in founding and completing both chapels i.e.
• The chapel of the Healing Cross
• The chapel of the Transfiguration
The same clear vision carried him to great heights in his endeavors.
He was truly gifted and ever willing to share his wealth of wisdom and a word of prayer. Prof. was a symbol of love and hard work, a dependable and disciplined child of God, a generous soul, with a living faith in the power of God and of His Son Jesus Christ to bind and heal.
Prof Olaitan was a ready counselor and a sympathetic listener. He always found time for Pastoral visits to Churches and individual members and knew his flock by name
Prof. lived a life of dedication and commitment to the glory and praise of God, touching many lives positively and indeed bringing joy, light and hope to many. What a fulfilled life he lived on earth.
All glory, laud and honour be to God who has called you Prof. Sam Ade Olaitan back to Himself.
We love you SAM; but God loves you more. May light perpetual shine on you. Amen!
ADEIU
MR & MRS R.K. NWANGENE & FAMILY
TRIBUTE TO A WONDERFUL UNCLE
"Uncle Prof" that was how my kids referred to you. I did not know that Saturday 13th September would be the last time I would see you.
You were a fountain of wisdom. Nothing fazed you. The kids now would say "no shaking". You were an inspirer and motivator. You always had words that would lift up a depressed spirit. I recall when I suddenly lost my job sometime in 1998, you told me to cheer up and that change was creative when God ordains it. I learnt a lot from that and I came to appreciate the truth in that in later years. You had an inherent goodness. You were truly a Christian.
I recall your sermon at my Dad's 80th birthday. It was so apt and everyone loved it. We could not have asked for a better sermon.
You knew the value of time and you were an organiser. You did things with military precision.
We will miss you, your wisdom, your weekly reminder to us to be punctual in our appointments with God, your sense of humour and your kind heartedness.
Goodnight Uncle Prof!
Oyindamola Ehiwere
The late Ven. & Professor Samuel Adedapo Olaitan, Resident Minister Emeritus of the Chapel of Healing Cross Idi – Araba, Surulere – a Tribute.
It is with a great sense of responsibility that I here pay this tribute to the late Ven. & Professor Samuel Adedapo Olaitan who changed mortality for immortality on Thursday September 18, 2008, aged 76 years.
Your death has been most devastating to me and my family in particular and indeed to others at large. We however, take solace in the enduring fact that there is a purpose for everything God does on this planet of His, and that in the end His time is the best. Sam Ade Olaitan, you were an extraordinary human being, a rare gem you were. You had unbounded energy and you used it to full capacity. It was as if the chemistry of your mortal nature was different from that of others.
Your devotion to duty, your tenacity of purpose, your sacrosanct principles, your humanity, your concern for your fellow men and women, was infectious. You will take on the burdens of others upon yourself as if they were your own and without counting the cost too. To you, no task was too difficult to tackle; as a matter of fact you had no “impossibility” in your dictionary.
A great human being you were, you showered love and care not only upon your biological or nuclear family but also upon all and sundry that happened to cross your path. All these, combined with your selfless preoccupation with the needs of the poor, the sick, the homeless and those in distress, speak volumes of who you were. There is always a “mother in Israel”; if there is ever a “father in Israel” too, you will more than qualify as one.
Your departure has left a vacuum which will be difficult to fill; indeed you have left an indelible mark in the hearts of friend and foe alike which nothing, no matter how potent can erase. Yours has been a remarkable and exemplary life through and through.
You will be sorely missed by all, relations, friends, well wishers acquaintances et al, and particularly members of the Chapel of the Healing Cross and those of the Chapel of Transfiguration, which places of worship you labored tirelessly to transform from nothing to the magnificent edifices they are today.
You lived a most fulfilled and exemplary life; you were an epitome of all that is virtuous in man.
Adieu, may your great soul rest in peace.
Prof Ayo Ajomo
A friend of the family.
Tribute to A Great Prof!
My brothers and sister had our first interaction with you, when as students we started attending the Chapel in the early 1970's on account that the service in our parents church was now getting too long for us. Our parents had no objections. As far as our father was concerned we must go to church. Our mother on the other hand was happy that we were going to church in an academic environment. This was the beginning of a relationship with you which later blossomed to a family relationship, as one of us, Gbemiga, later married Bimpe, your eldest daughter.
Overtime you were not only the officiating minister at our various family events, which you always attended whether in Ifo or in Lagos, but also took my brother, Gbemiga, as your son. You also shared your knowledge of music and church experience with my other brother Lanre, whose business is organ and church music.
You were a very positive person. Nothing was impossible for you. …You never looked back once your hands are on the plough…You were a good organizer, mobilizer, achiever, disciplinarian and a visionary. You were a lover of children having pet names for your grandchildren and their cousins.
I recall your regular prayers, particularly ‘the prayer for grace of punctuality’ which you also practiced by being always the first person to arrive at any of our family functions at the designated start time! I also recall your pastoral visits to various members of our immediate and extended families including in-laws any time you get to know of their difficult moments. Your prayers were always a tonic that lifted spirits.
We shall surely miss the love and warmth you showered on us. We thank God for the legacies you left behind, for which you will always be remembered and which will continue to flourish.
To live in the hearts of those who love you is never to die.
Roti Delano
(For the Delano’s of Awoyemi Close, Surulere, Lagos)
TRIBUTE TO MY SPIRITUAL FARTHER, CONFIDANTE, FRIEND AND MENTOR!!!!!
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HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA UNCLE===== HOW COULD YOU???????? JUST LIKE THAT?????
ON SUNDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2008 WHEN I SAW YOU AROUND 4:30PM IN IGBOBI HOSPITAL, WE HUGGED VERY WARMLY, JOKED, LAUGHED AND SHARED A LOT IN THE COMPANY OF GBEMIGA, RONKE ODUBIRO AND YOUR BROTHER UNCLE FEMI OLAITAN. I PRAYED FOR YOU LIKE MILLIONS OTHERS WERE DOING.
I WILL TREASURE THAT HUG FOREVER!!!!!
BUT FOR THE FACT THAT YOU LAID ON THE BED, LOOKED FRAIL, YOUR VOICE, SMILE, ARTICULATION OF THOUGHT AND STRINGING ISSUES TOGETHER WAS INTACT....THE HUMOUR WAS ALSO THERE... SO WHAT HAPPENED 4 DAYS LATER????.. HABA ERIN WO!!!
AS I SAID TO YOU ON THAT DAY, IT IS OKAY FOR OTHERS TO FALL ILL, BUT NOT YOU, IT IS OKAY FOR OTHERS TO DIE, BUT NOT YOU...YOU WERE MEANT TO LIVE FOREVER......BUT COULD YOU??? GOD KNOWS BEST AS YOU WILL TELL ME. YOUR TIME WAS UP.!!!
YOU TOUCHED TOO MANY LIVES TO GO; YOU IMPACTED SO MUCH IN TOO MANY TO GO... TO SAY YOU WILL BE MISSED IS AN UNDERSTATMENT...TO ME YOU ARE NOT DEAD BUT HAVE TRAVELLED ON A LONG JOURNEY... I STILL HEAR YOUR VIBRATING VOICE, LOUD, CLEAR AND VERY STRONG..
WHERE DO I BEGIN???.... WAS IT BEFORE I GOT MARRIED TO BIODUN, OR AFTER AND YOU WERE ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT MY WELL BEING, PROGRESS, MY CHILDREN, MY PARENTS AND SIBLINGS 24/7...
WHEN I CALLED OYINDA IN SCHOOL ON MONDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER AND I TOLD HER, SHE SAID IT IS NOT TRUE, SHE SAID MUMMY WHAT WILL YOU DO???..... SHE UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU MEANT TO ME AS SHE REMEMBERED WHAT I SAY ABOUT YOU TO HER.... SHE WAS QUIET REAL QUIET...
YOU COMFORTED MY FAMILY, ESPECIALLY MY MOTHER, DURING MY BROTHER, FEMI'S ILLNESS. YOU TOLD US NOT TO GIVE UP THAT HE WILL SURELY COME ROUND.. AND HE DID COME ROUND, HALE AND HEARTY AND BOUNCING AROUND TODAY.. YOU WERE ALWAYS HOPEFUL, GAVE HOPE, AND SHOWERED SOOOOOOO MUCH LOVE AND AFFECTION....TOO GOOD TO GO NOW!!
DISCIPLINE.....YOU EPITOMIZED DISCIPLINE, AND HAD AN EYE FOR DETAIL TO THE LAST DETAIL!!!!
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YOUR SERMON WAY BACK WHEN I RETURNED TO NIGERIA AFTER MY UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN THE EARLY 80'S SEARCHING FOR A CHURCH TO ATTEND.. WE WERE STILL AT THE HEXAGONALS....YOU WERE PREACHING ONE MORNING ON THOSE WHO COME LATE TO CHURCH AND GAVE NUMEROUS ANALOGIES, EXAMPLES WHY THIS IS SO VERY WRONG AND NOT PROPER.....FROM THAT DAY ONWARD, THE ONLY PLACE I DO NOT ARRIVE LATE TO IS CHURCH.... AS YOU SAY, GOD DOES NOT ASK FOR MUCH.. WE MUST AND SHOULD RESPECT HIM, BY COMING EARLY TO WORSHIP HIM WITH ALL OUR HEART.
DADDY UNCLE, REV, ALL I CALLED YOU.....I SEE YOU , I AM HAPPY, AS YOU ALWAYS HAD A GOOD WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ME AND ASKED AFTER ALL MY FAMILY...YOU NEVER FORGET FOR ONE DAY OYINDA AND DEMILADE'S NAMES....HOW DID YOU REMEMBER ALL THESE NAMES AGAIN TO THE DETAIL, I ALWAYS MARVELED..
YOUR FOOTPRINTS WILL REMAIN FOREVER WITH ME, WHAT YOU STOOD FOR WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN BUT CONTINUE TO FLOURISH, YOUR LEGACIES ARE TOO MANY, TOO GOOD, TO BE FORGOTTEN.
I AM JUST SPEECHLESS AND I REMEMBER OYINDA'S WORDS== MUMMY WHAT WILL YOU DO?????
I WILL CONTINUE TO PRAY AS YOU TAUGHT ME TO DO, GO EARLY TO WORSHIP GOD AS YOU TAUGHT ME TO DO , LIVE BY YOUR PRINCIPLES AND DISCIPLINE AS YOU TAUGHT ME TO DO .......SO YOU WILL KNOW YOU TOUCHED THE ROOT OF ME FOR GOOD AND FOREVER.....
ADEOLA AZEEZ, ONE OF YOUR NUMEROUS ADOPTED DAUGHTERS....
| Sam Imolorhe | October 4, 2008 |
A Tribute to Professor Olaitan
Tribute To Venerable(Prof) Sam Ade Olaitan
It is extremely difficult for me to write this tribute to our dear Venerable (Prof) Sam Ade Olaitan.
He was so full of life and action that one took it for granted that he would live longer than his mother who lived for over ninety years.
I looked forward to drinking from his fountain of spiritual and managerial counsel when I was elected to the position of Deputy Chairman of the Chapel Council. We however thank God that in His own time, He has called His son home.
Venerable (Prof) Sam Ade Olaitan achieved excellence in all spheres of his life. It is incredible how he managed his time and was able to combine his various responsibilities. Despite his busy schedule, he cared enough to know the names and circumstances of most of his congregation
He fought the good fight. When he faced circumstances that would have broken most, his reaction was to work harder, such that up till the end he was hard at work in the Lord's vineyard.
He achieved in his later years, far more than he had in his vibrant youth, successfully leading a second congregation to build up the Chapel of Transfiguration. Ever open to new challenges, he was able to effect this at a faster rate than the construction of the Chapel of The Healing Cross. In both cases, he ensured that God will be worshipped 'in the beauty of holiness'.
He kept the faith. Only illness kept him from his routine of serving the Lord both at the Chapel of Healing Cross and the Chapel of Transfiguration.
He sure ran the course. What a blessing he was to us all corporately and individually.
Our prayer is that we keep to his favourite admonishment and 'remain within the boundaries where God's love will reach us'.
Adieu Prof, rest in the bosom of the Lord.
Sam A. Imolorhe
| Olawale Jafojo | September 27, 2008 |
I met the then Revd. Sam Ade Olaitan in December 1985 after I got married and was introduced to the Chapel of the Healing Cross by my wife’s colleague who was then at the Physiology Department of the College of Medicine. Idi Araba.
‘’Prof’’ as he was fondly called had tremendous energy and zeal for Christ. His zeal was so infectious that you can’t be around him and think of any other thing but Christ and the Chapel of the Healing Cross. He had the vision clearly in his head and as a gifted leader. He knew how to recruit people that could help in achieving the vision. When Prof approached you for help towards the vision for Christ, he would have thought through your God’s given ability and would ask you to serve where you were best gifted. He brought out the excellence in people around him.
Within 3 months of joining the Chapel, I became an usher and in less than 2 years, I became “His Son” – a personal assistant, a fellow sharer of the vision for Christ though the uniqueness of the academic environment at the Chapel of the Healing Cross. I could read his every movement and intention during a service. There must be no distraction whatsoever during a service. I enjoyed this privileged closeness and even after he was succeeded by the Very Revd. M E Euler-Ajayi, the privilege of serving in this position continued. Prof. believed that the custodian of the future must be vast and grounded in the doctrine of the Church of Christ.
Prof is who I can call – “a friend in need”. I will give this example amongst the numerous things God had used Prof for: a member of a fellowship group lost her husband in a motor accident and was widowed with 3 children. While we were still mourning, Prof came up with the burial agenda that befitted the situation and later, got the Church to donate N30, 000 to the widow. That was a lot of money then. I knew that Prof did not know the person that died directly, but once a serious member can identify with the person, the sorrow or joy becomes something that Prof will identify with.
Prof is a jolly good fellow and has lived life to the fullest.
The summary after he signs any serious letter is amgd (ad majorem Del Gloria) that is,” to the greater glory of God”. He passionately believed this. That was one of his numerous mottos. Every act of deed he did MUST be to the Greater Glory of God. He was not a coward that could not face life or a reckless person that would not weigh issues. Like every human being, he had his faults BUT, he served the living God with all his strength, might and ability. He, like Paul, has fought a good fight; he has run his own raise and is waiting to receive a crown that has been promised when all the dead in Christ shall arise.
Till we meet again, sleep well Prof.
Olawale Jafojo
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