Kunle Adelabu
The Lagos West Diocese (LWD) of The African Church, has welcomed a new Bishop in person of The Rt. Revd. Abiodun A. Oriola who was transferred from the Yewa Diocese, Ogun State.
Rt. Revd. Oriola will replace the former Bishop of Lagos West Diocese, The Rt. Revd. James Akinsola Akinwande who swapped with him as the new Bishop of Yewa Diocese.
The new Bishop officially resumed at The African Church Bethel Cathedral, Ikorodu, on Sunday, June 7, 2026, the seat of the Bishop, with Diocesan, Archdeaconry, and parish officers under the LWD, in attendance.
While welcoming Bishop Oriola at the reception after the special service, LWD Vice Lay President, Dr Okeowo, charged the new bishop to assist in developing the diocese and the archdeaconries under it.
Dr Okeowo emphasised the indigenous nature of the churches under the LWD, especially Ikorodu, and also urged the new Bishop to ensure that love, peace, development and evangelism are central to his focus.
The Cathedral Warden, The African Church Bethel Cathedral, Ikorodu, Engr Oshin, in his special remarks, stressed the need for the Bishop to ensure love, unity and peaceful co -existence among the congregation.
He advised him strongly against listening to a section and not the other, in administering the Church.
Prince Adebayo Ogunleye, the Baba Ijo, The African Church Bethel Cathedral, Ikorodu, also amplified Engr. Oshin’s position and emphasised the need for love to administer the church.
On his own, Gbolahan, Chairman, African Church Youth Association (ACYA), Ikorodu branch, assured the new Bishop of the youth’s support.
Dr Kayode Bilewu, Cathedral Organist and Auditor, also speaking, assured him of the choir support and enjoined him to make pipe organ and other instruments that the choir needed as priorities.
Bishop Oriola, responding, assured stakeholders in LWD that he won’t take the divine opportunity to administer the diocese for granted.
He said that he doesn’t want to be inundated with how the past Bishops administered the church, rather, he charged the cathedral church and the diocesan stakeholders to relate with him in his own right.
While assuring that his focus will be to preach love, peace, development and further evangelism, Bishop Oriola thanked the diocese for accepting him with love.
He also assured stakeholders that he will work with every member of the diocese, and called for cooperation.
Bishop Oriola, who said that the focus of his Bishopship will be evangelism, pledged to also work with all the four archdeaconries in spreading evangelism.
He commended the choir for their performance during his welcome service, and assured them of getting the pipe organ and other instruments needed to propagate evangelism.
At the reception were diocesan officers, clergies and other church leaders across the diocese.
