HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN LADOKE AKINTOLA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY OGBOMOSO

The history of Christianity in Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) is closely related to the history of LAUTECH which was established on 23 April, 1990 by the Oyo State Government of Nigeria. The University was originally named Oyo State University of Technology, Ogbomoso With the creation of Osun State out of Oyo State in 1991, the name of the University was changed to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso. Since the creation of Osun State, the University has remained a joint ownership of both Oyo and Osun States.

At the inception of the University and shortly after, the following people started meeting at the then Computer Science and Engineering Department Laboratory as members of Christian staff fellowship - Dr. M.O. Adigun (now Professor M.O Adigun), Dr. K. Oloke (now Professor J. K Oloke), Pastor Zacchaeus Arowoyele, Pastor Gbenga Ogungbade, Mrs. Imeokparia (now Prof Imeokparia-Adelowo), Dr. Ogunwale (now Prof. Ogunwale), Dn MA. Olawale, Past Idowu Adeoye, Pastor Adeolu Afolabi, Dr. Thompson Adeboyejo, Mr. Ajuwon, Mrs. O.O. Oloke, Miss Shade Kelekun (Now Mrs. Shade Peters), Rev L.A. Agboola, Mr. Segun Osuntola (Now Dr. Segun Osuntola), Mr. Felix Akinladejo (Now Dr. Felix Akinladejo) etc. Dr. M.O. Adigun then Ag Head of Department of Computer Science and Engineering, was the first leader of the Christian Staff Fellowship.

In the process of time, Dr M.O. Adigun left LAUTECH for South-Africa and the then Dr. J. K. Oloke had to assume the responsibility of leading the Christian Staff Fellowship. With the exit of Dr. M. O. Adigun, the first major challenge facing the fellowship was venue problem. The meeting was shifted to 250 Lecture Hall beside the present First Bank.

In the process of time, it was agreed that the Christian Staff Fellowship should be referred to as LAUTECH Chapel, with the then Dr. J. K. Oloke as the chairman. Pastor Adeola Adlabs was appointed as the secretary to LAUTECH Chapel. On Jan. 16, 1998, under the Chairmanship of Dr. J. K. Oloke, LAUTECH Chapel in conference met to decide how to initiate the construction of Chapel building on the land allocated to LAUTECH Chapel. The minutes of that meeting written by the then Chapel Secretary, Pastor Afolabi is presented as Appendix in this document while the decision extract from the meeting is presented as Appendix II.

At one of the meetings, it was decided that LAUTECH Chapel should open a bank account. The decision extract to that effect is presented as appendix III. Mr. Oyekcia of the GNS Department joined the chapel and was subsequently appointed as the secretary in 1998.

In the process of time, the number of Christian Students Fellowship continued to increase at a very fast rate. As a result, the leadership of LAUTECH Chapel brought the Christian Students Fellowship together under LAUTECH Joint Christian Mission (LCM) with the then Dr. J. K. Oloke as the patron of LCM, the post he holds till today. The leadership of LAUTECH Chapel meets with the leadership of LCM from time to time to take charge of the spiritual situation of the campus. The minutes of one of such meetings are presented in this document as Appendix IV.