THE RT. REV. DR FOLUSO OLUGBENGA BABATUNJI

The Rt. Revd. Dr. F.O. Babatunji was born on the 27th May, 1968 to Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Sunday Babatunji, both teachers, at Ilesa, in Osun State. He is the first born of this family, which was nurtured in the way of the Lord from the beginning. His father hailed from Akunnu-Akoko in Akoko North East Local Government area of Ondo State but later came to Ilesa to school and there he met his heartthrob, Miss Hannah Olasimbo Onipede, who was an Ijesa woman from Esa-Oke.

Bishop Babatunji had his primary education in three schools due to transfers of his teacher parents. He schooled at Franiscan Nursery/Primary School, Ilesa (1973-1975); Nawar-Ud-Deen Primary School, Muroko Road, Ilesa (1975-1977); and D.T.T.C. Demonstration School, Ijebu-Jesa (1977-1978), when his father was transferred to Divisional Teachers’ Training College, Ijebu-jesa. His Secondary school education was had at Ijebu-jesa Grammar School, Ijebu-jesa between 1978 and 1984.

He received the Grace of Salvation on August 18, 1985 at the Anglican Youth Fellowship National Bible Conference, held at Ilesa that year. One Mr. Dotun Aderogba ministered this grace to him in that conference one-to-one. This was the launch pad of ‘Gbenga’s journey in the Lord and he started serving the Lord in a new dimension. He had been a chorister since childhood, nurtured in the way of the Lord by his parents, but now that that he knew the Lord personally, he went head long into serving in his local Church, St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Ijebu-jesa.

He became the Youth Forum leader in his Church at that tender age of 17. Finally in 1986, he got God’s call and served as a Church Agent for one year. He was mentored by his Vicar then, Most Revd. Dr. Ephraim Adebola Ademowo, Ph. D, OON, FNAL and his wife, Mrs. Oluranti Ademowo, the erstwhile Bishop of Lagos Diocese and the Archbishop of Lagos Province, Dean Emeritus of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).

Rt. Rev. Foluso Babatunji entered the ordination training in 1988 at Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan and got ordained in 1991 in Ondo Diocese by the Rt. Revd. Samuel Oluwafunmilade Aderin (now retired). He served as Deacon for six months after which he was ordained a priest at the age of 23. The norm of the Church is to ordain ministers into priesthood when attain the age of 24.

The ministerial journey of Bishop Babatunji has taken him to serve in four Dioceses. He started as an agent in Ilesa Diocese. His Ordained ministry started in Ondo Diocese. He served for nine years in Ibadan Diocese, under the Rt. Revd. G.I.O. Olajide, who preferred him Canon on his thirty-first birthday. He was later preferred Archdeacon by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph O. Akinfenwa, from where he was requested for by the Most Revd. Dr. Michael Olusina Fape, STM, (Yale), Ph.D (Aberdeen), Bishop of Remo Diocese, and the Archbishop of Lagos Province; he had been serving his Lord there, since April 2004 till his election as Bishop of Osun Diocese.

Educationally, Bishop Babatunji had Diploma in Religious Studies in 1990 at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, and Diploma in Theology in 1991 at Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan. He bagged his first and second degree in the same University in 1994 and 2002, respectively. He did his doctoral research in Biblical Studies (Old Testament) in the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Piertermaritzburg in South Africa. His flair for academics is encouraged by appointment he had in Ibadan Diocese as a member of the Faculty of the Ibadan Diocesan School of Theology, where he became the appointed Registrar, and later the Principal.  When he got to Remo Diocese, he was also appointed as the Registrar of the Remo Diocesan School of Theology, where he later became the Principal and Head of Faculty.

He has attended many academic and ecclesiastical conferences in Europe, America and many countries in Africa.

Rt. Rev. Olugbenga Babatunji got married to Margaret Foluke Fakanlu on October 28, 1995. The marriage is blessed with adorable children. He enjoys holiday with his family when children are at home from school. Gbenga also enjoys sports, He runs at least 6 kilometres almost every day of the week. Above all, he enjoys serving the Lord and humanity.