EXCLUSIVE: “Smelling The Roses”: TVCBC Honours Their Golden Couple

The celebrants, Revd and Mrs Gideon Bala Bagudu, at their Golden Jubilee Celebrations

It was a double-barreled affair on Sunday, June 26th, 2016 when the entire clergy and membership of The Victory Community Baptist Church (TVCBC) set a milestone and made a bit of ecclesiastical history when they banded together to honour their Pastor and his wife, Revd and Mrs Gideon Bala Bagudu, with a Golden Jubilee celebrations as they jointly celebrated their 50th birthday anniversaries which both fell in the month of June.

The event which held outside of the normal church service was organized as a surprise package for God’s servant and his wife.

GRAPHITTI NEWS correspondent was at hand to capture the essence and highlights of the Golden Anniversary celebrations which was a first in the history of TVCBC.

It was a momentous yet solemn occasion as church members, friends of the ministry special guests from around the country and well-wishers thronged to The Victory Community Baptist Church Auditorium at #36 Fleming Avenue, Rumuomasi, Port Harcourt, for the pomp and pageantry.

"The dawn of a new era in an orthodox church like the Baptist church" was how one of the deacons, Bolaji David, the P220i Youth Ministry Leader and a lecturer in music at the University of Port Harcourt, would capture the epoch making event.

Revd and Mrs Gideon Bala Bagudu pictured in the Church premises

The Victory Community Baptist Church, previously known as the Victory Baptist Church, started in early 1960 as a preaching station of the First Baptist Church, Aggrey Road, Port Harcourt through the instrumentality of a Baptist Missionary couple, Mr and Mrs Ralph Davis. It was aimed at ministering to the oil and gas workers residing in and around Rumuomasi, who came from various cultures, races, tribes, and languages. Thus preaching station was organized into a full-fledge Baptist Church on May 27th, 1979, having earlier adopted the name "Victory Baptist Church" on May 6th, 1979. The name was given to her by Bro. William Adelekan under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In November 2010, the Holy Spirit led the church to adopt a name, "The Victory Community Baptist Church", to enable her fufil registration requirements of the Corporate Affairs Commission.

The Church has since grown into a multiple branched congregation under its "One Church, Many Locations" concept with branches in Rumuomasi, Woji, Rumuodara and Ada George axes in Port Harcourt.

Three high points of the celebrations were the exhortation from Scripture by Revd Alfred Oladapo, prayers made for the celebrant couple by Revd Dr Sola Aworinde, Revd Bugudu’s spiritual mentor and father-in-the-ministry and presentations of gifts by church members and others.

In the message entitled "Overcoming Stubborn Challenges", Revd Oladapo, Revd Bagudu’s close friend, a Baptist minister of many years’ experience, Radio personality and Entrepreneurship trainer, took his main text from 2 Kings 4: 8 - 17.  He charged his listeners to see as a key to their upliftment and overcoming certain stubborn challenges, sowing into a prophet of God’s life like the Shunammite woman did and afterwards she received the miracle of a son.

Revd Dr Sola Aworinde, Revd Bagudu’s spiritual mentor and father-in-the-ministry praying for the celebrants

During special prayers made for the celebrant couple by Revd Dr Sola Aworinde, Revd Bugudu’s spiritual mentor and father-in-the-ministry, asked the Lord to bless the couple and grant them many more years of fruitful, effective service in His Kingdom. Afterwards he appreciated the members of TVCBC for "bringing roses for the servant of God to smell" by honouring him in this way while he was yet alive.
Later testimonies were taken from church members including Elder Abiye Tariah, Dr Mrs Bolanle Edewusi and Mrs Edosa Ugiugo about Revd and Mrs Bagudu before  the celebrant couple were showered with various gifts by church members, friends of the ministry, other guests and well-wishers.
The occasion was compered by a tag team of Pastor Nathaniel Dare and the humour merchant, Warri Bros.

According to the biographical brochure specially printed for the celebrations, Revd. Gideon Bala Bagudu hails from Zonkwa in Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna State. He was born on the 18th of June, 1966 into the family of a Profound Missionary and Pastor; Pastor and Mrs. Kasham Bala Bagudu.

Revd. Bagudu, who holds a Bachelor of Theology (B.Th) Degree and a Master of Theology (M.Th) in New Testament Language and Literature, received his education in Nigeria and the United States of America. Between 1994 to 1996, Rev. Gideon Bala Bagudu, started his work experience as a lecturer at  the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, Oyo state as lecturer in New Testament Greek, New Testament Interpretation, New Testament Literature, Systematic Theology and African Christian Theology. Rev. Gideon Bala Bagudu was ordained May 26th, 1996. Also, in the year 1996, he proceeded and accepted the call extended to him from the new Estate Baptist Church, Surulere, Lagos, where he served as the Education/Administrative Pastor from 1996 to 1997. From 1997 to 2002 he was one of the founding pastors of The Agape Community Baptist Church, Surulere until 2002 when the General Secretary of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr. Ademola Ishola, asked for his ministry to be transferred to Ibadan.  He worked at the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), Ibadan, Oyo State, as the Coordinating Minister of the publication department. However in 2003, he was released by Rev. Dr. Ishola to consider and accept the call extended to him by The Victory Community Baptist Church and till date, he has been the under-shepherd of TVCBC.

In her own turn, Mrs. Magdalene Matoh Bagudu (nee Bargo), hails from Gora Bafai, in Zango Local Government area of Kaduna State. She was born on the 26th of June, 1966 into the family of Pa Shemang M. and Mrs. Rifkatu Bargo. In 1982, Magdalene Matoh took the bold step of faith and activated the redemption of the Blood of Jesus Christ in her life, by accepting Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior.

In January 16th, 1993, Revd Gideon Bala Bagudu wedded former Miss Magdalene Matoh Bargo in Holy Matrimony.

The union is blessed with three lovely children: Josiah, Joanna and Joyce.

Revd and Mrs Gideon Bala Bagudu cutting the Anniversaries’ cake under the auspices of the cake designer, Deacon Mrs Ese Sekobe (former head of TVCBC Women Ministry)

The very idea for surprise anniversary gift had been mooted by Deacon Mobolade and Pastor Aisiri but later evolved and several other church members became involved in the planning and execution.

In the end, the Church came together as one to honour God’s servants and bring praise to God Almighty.

In his response to the celebrations, Revd Bagudu confessed he had never been part of anything like this where he was the centre of attention and thanked the church for the surprise. He prayed for Gid to bless them all and then reminded them there was still much work to be done to advance God’s Kingdom.

Revd Alfred Oladapo, Revd Gideon Bala Bagudu’s colleague and friend of over nineteen years, exhorted during the celebrations 

GRAPHITTI NEWS correspondent learnt that the TVCBC golden anniversary planning committee included Mr Edosa Ugiugo (head of TVCBC Men Ministry), Deaconess Mrs Ese Sekobe, Deaconess Mrs Feyintola Idowu (head of TVCBC Women Ministry), Deacon Bolaji David, Lekan Alabi; Deacon Gbenga Mobolade, Sister Love Harry, Mr Ufoma Ekpoyo and Deacon Richard Okereke.

The celebrants, Revd and Mrs Gideon Bala Bagudu, with Revd Soji Oyawoye

"We [TVCBC members] saw this as a great opportunity to tap into the grace of God upon this unassuming servants of God’s lives; I also saw the occasion as an avenue of unity in the church as many people worked together to make this a successful Golden Jubilee Celebration" said Deacon David in a brief post celebrations interview.

-      -Additional reporting by TVCBC Media Unit/Archives, Exclusive photos sources: Soji Oyawoye’s album through Deaconess Mrs Deborah Alamu, and Biographical documentation by Deacon Bolaji David