Humphrey Bamisebi Olumakaiye was a bishop in the Church of Nigeria as well as the Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Lagos, Nigeria. He was born on January 28, 1969 and passed away on October 30, 2022. He served as the Bishop of Lagos and the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos in the Anglican Communion, Church of Nigeria, until the day he passed away. Prior to that, he had served as the Bishop of Osun North East until 2018, and he was installed as the Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos on November 7, 2021, at the Cathedral Church of Advent in Life Camp, Abuja.
Early life
Humphrey Bamisebi Olumakaiye joined the family of the Venerable and Mrs. T.A. Olumakaiye on January 28, 1969. He was born in Okene into the family of the Olumakaiyes. He was originally from Idanre, which is located in Ondo State.
Education
Olumakaiye began his formal education in 1975 at the St. Michael’s primary school in Esie, and then in 1982 he moved on to the Government Secondary School in Omu-Aran, which is located in the state of Kwara. After graduating from Omu-Aran Secondary School in 1983, he continued his education at Cherubim Seraphim Secondary School in Ilorin, where he graduated in 1986.
From the University of Ibadan, he received his undergraduate degree in Religious Studies between the years 1991 and 1993, his master’s degree in Religious Studies in 2001, and his doctorate degree in Church History and Doctrine in the same year, all from the same university. After completing his education at Immanuel College of Theology in Ibadan and earning his degree, he was ordained as a priest in December of the same year by E.A. Ademowo, Bishop of the Ilesha Diocese. He was made a deacon in June of 1993.
Ministry
In June of 1993, Olumakaiye began his vocation as a minister at Christ the Saviour Anglican Church in Cappa, Ilesa. While he was at Cappa, he was preferred a Statutory Canon in November 1999 to occupy Archbishop Adetiloye’s stall, and Bishop Ademowo preferred him an Archdeacon of Imo Archdeaconry and Vicar of St. James’ Church, Imo Ilesa 2000. Both of these appointments were made while he was still at Cappa.
In January of 2009, he elevated the status of St. Matthew’s Church to that of a cathedral. Subsequently, he was appointed the first Dean of Cathedral St. Matthew Ijebu-Jesa, which is part of the Ijesa North Missionary Diocese. Before that, he served as the Vicar of St. Matthew’s Church and the Archdeacon of Ijebu-Jesa.
Olumakaiye was enthroned as the first Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Osun North East on Thursday, July 16, 2009 at the Cathedral church of St. Philip’s in Otan Ayegbaju. He was elected Bishop on May 22, 2009, when he was 40 years old. He was consecrated Bishop on Sunday, July 12, 2009, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state. Olumakaiye was consecrated Bishop on Sunday,
Within the first two years of his episcopacy in the Diocese, he constructed a chapel, a library, and a Resource Center, in addition to constructing a Bishop’s court that cost several millions of naira. In addition, the Diocese Headquarters features a school, a complex housing the Bishop’s office, and a number of other buildings. Additionally, he constructed a prayer mountain as well as a prayer town within the Diocese. The Owa of Otan Ayegbaju, Oba Lukman Adesola Ojo Fadipe, honored him by naming a portion of Otan Ayegbaju after him. This honor was bestowed upon him (Owa Olatanka III).
Olumakaiye was enthroned as the 8th Bishop of Lagos on July 30, 2018 at the Cathedral Church of Christ in Marina, Lagos. On February 6, 2018, he was translated into the See of Lagos, and on July 30, 2018, he was enthroned as the 8th Bishop of Lagos. He purchased 1,500 individual plots of land for the Diocese and gave the area the name Centenary City. There, he began construction on a low-income housing estate, a Gethsemane garden, a hospital, a convention ground, a women and youth empowerment center, an amusement park, and many other facilities.
Olumakaiye has held the positions of Coordinator, prayer convocation for Ibadan province; Secretary of Supra West, Church of Nigeria (comprising 63 Dioceses); and Secretary of the Proprietors Desk at Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo. He also attended Ajayi Crowther University. In addition, he served on the governing council of Ajayi Crowther University in Oyo and was a member of the pension and gratuity board of the Supra West Church of Nigeria.
The first Nigerian priest to ever preach at Melbourne church in London was Olumakaiye. At St. Luke’s Central in Birmingham, United Kingdom, he delivered an annual guest lecture for a period of four years (2011-2015). In 2003, he was a participant in the world mission conference that was held at the University of Birmingham and in Derbyshire.
Bishop Olumakaiye published two books:
- Anglican women: Position, privileges and prospects of women in the church
- Inculturation and decolonization of oral and liturgical theology of the Anglican Communion, Nigeria.
Personal life and death
Olumakaiye was married to Motunrayo Funke, a professor at Obafemi Awolowo University (O.A.U.) in Ile-Ife, Osun state. Funke was a former head of the department of nutrition and consumer sciences in the faculty of agriculture at the university. They were blessed with a child named Richard Tunbamise.
Olumakaiye passed away due to complications from a brief illness in the evening of Sunday, October 30th, 2022. He was 53 years old.
