“Now, I know how to bake cake, I know how to make bead slippers…Today’s outing was the best. He has transformed me.” – Lizzy (a former chronic drug addict with plans to become an entrepreneur).
“I can speak English now. I appreciate Pastor Tony and God: they helped me turn my life to Pastor Michael, tennis player…I’m very grateful, it has been a great journey for me, from where I am coming from, to where I am today and also to where I am going to, I believe that it will be greater…I want to thank Pastor Tony, he has been a good father, a loving father” – Michael Solomon (formerly known as Shanawole, a street child, drug substance addict)
You might wonder what these people have in common, your guess is as good as mine: They would have remained social miscreants but for one man who answered the call of God to reach out to the drug addicts alongside his pastoral duties: Pastor Tony Rapu.
A man of multi-faceted grace, Pastor Tony Rapu’s name rings a bell in the medical, social and spiritual climes. Born on 1st January 1957 into a catholic family, Anthony Oseloka Rapu had his secondary school education at King’s College Lagos, graduated from University of Ibadan with a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology in 1978 and Medicine (MBBS) in 1985. He got born again at the age of 29 at a Bible study meeting in the house of his eldest sister, while working at Eko Hospital, Lagos. A divine meeting with Pastor E.A Adeboye orchestrated by his eldest sister set the trajectory for his numerous kingdom endeavours.
In line with Pastor E. A Adeboye’s goal in realizing the RCCG’s vision of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth, Pastor Tony Rapu was among the upwardly mobile professionals selected in the 1980s to establish the first set of Model Parishes and it’s on record that he began the creative naming of RCCG parishes such as City of David, Jesus House, Freedom Hall, Hope Hall, Courage Centre and so on. Also, he gave the name ‘Festival of Life’ to the Church program held periodically in London. He began the first Bible School for graduates outside the Redemption Camp and was involved in establishing the first model school (Redeemers International School). A drug rehabilitation Centre – Hebron House (Forerunner of the firmly established CADAM), a French Church and hospital and even one of the Church’s financial institutions -Haggai-now a micro-finance bank. Tony Rapu also planted Jesus House-London, Jesus House-Washington DC and City of David, Victoria Island, Lagos; in the words of Leke Beecroft, “with knowledge of hindsight, these remain some of, if not the most prominent RCCG Churches till date.”
According to Pastor E.A Adeboye, “If I have 1000 boys like Tony Rapu, I will deliver the world to Jesus Christ in less than 5 years.”
Moving with His divine purpose of bringing developmental change to lives through strategic interventions, he established Freedom Foundation in 2001, a faith based, non-profit organization with a vision to bring reformation to individuals trapped in the cycle of crime, drug abuse and prostitution. In 2006, ‘Genesis House’, a female Residential Rehabilitation and Resource Centre was established in Lagos with the mandate to transform the lives of ex-commercial sex workers. The program now supports other vulnerable young women within the ages of 18-25 years old, who have been sexually abused, exploited and trafficked.
In 2006, he also established a drug rehabilitation and resource center: House Of Refuge (HOR), to cater specifically for the rehabilitation needs of drug and alcohol dependent persons through medically assisted detoxification to individuals age 17- 59, struggling with addiction to alcohol and controlled substances including prescription medicine, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, crack and codeine.
In accordance to his ‘one house, different expressions’ mandate to minister to the unique needs of the congregation which varied from those who have never attended Church, people that grew up in the ghetto, people that desire a blend of Orthodox and Pentecostal experience; Pastor Tony established The Waterbrook Church in 2009 with a focus on the ‘unchurched’ generation; This Present House; The Potters House of Lagos; The God Bless Nigeria Church; Holy Trinity Lagos and One London Retro Church in subsequent years.
He is also the convener of the famous Shèkèrè worship concert, which brings together gospel musicians from different denominations to worship God with the African musical instrument (Shèkèrè) featuring prominently among the musical instruments.
He is known for his prophetic declarations and predicted the current COVID-19 pandemic during the 2019 cross over night service:
“…I don’t know what the experts are saying about 2020 but I know it is going to be a tough year, thank God for the Bible…but the truth is we can never appreciate light until there is gross darkness. So that the gross darkness, the challenges, the crisis, the problems become the perfect backdrop for God to show that I AM GOD! So that today, the world is reeling in a crisis…WAIT IN THE HOUSE UNTIL THE CRISIS ENDS. DON’T ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE CONSUMED WHILE THE TROUBLE LASTS. STAY IN THE HOUSE…You need to have a FEARLESS 2020.
SAY, ‘I WILL BE SEPERATED FROM THE CRISIS. IN THE MIDST OF THE CONFUSION, I WILL BE AT PEACE. IN SPITE OF THE TROUBLE’, I WILL COME OUT STRONG.”
He is married to Nkoyo and they have three children (Uju, Kene and Tobe). Pastor Tony Rapu likes biking, he is an advocate of physical fitness and regularly updates his social media pages with his work out videos and biking sessions.
“Life is about knowing who you are and why you exist. Where your priorities lie and where you’re headed.
In the same way that salt enhances the flavour of the food it seasons, the followers of Christ stand out as those who enhance the ‘flavour of life’ in this world.
Whenever Fear presents itself, there is opportunity” – Pastor Tony Rapu
Sources: House of Freedom Page, SCRIBD online page, Dr Tony Rapu’s Page, Church Gist Archives
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