Rev. Samuel Akinbode Sadela (1900 to 2014)
Rev. Samuel Akinbode Sadela was born in August 1900 at Ifon, Ondo State, South West Nigeria, to Chief Olomonehin Sadela of Imoru and Princess Adetiye Sadela. His first encounter with God came in 1928, during a season of great revival in Nigeria, when Moses Orimolade prayed for him and foretold that he would become a great man of God.
In 1931 he met the great Evangelist Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola at Oke-Oye, Ilesa, who became his leader and mentor. Together they travelled across western Nigeria on crusade, and fasted forty days and nights. In 1959, two weeks before his passing, Apostle Babalola instructed Rev. Sadela to establish a church bearing the word "Apostolic" in the middle of its name. And so the Gospel Apostolic Church was born, which he pastored for decades and which now has branches across Nigeria and overseas.
His ministry was attended by signs, wonders and healings, and marked by ethical soundness and a simple lifestyle: he forbade the use of church funds for personal purposes and used his own means to raise other ministers. He served as grand patron of the Christian Association of Nigeria (Lagos State) and the Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. In 1988, at 88 years of age, he established the Bible College to train and equip workers for the vineyard of God.
Rev. Sadela went to be with the Lord on 24 August 2014, at the remarkable age of 114. He is remembered as "the evangelists' evangelist," a constant, articulate and tireless voice for the gospel.
"GAC Bible College was established in 1988 by Rev. S. A. Sadela, President/Founder of Gospel Apostolic Church. It was established to train and equip ministers and workers in the vineyard of God to enable them obey the command of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matt. 28:19: 'Go ye therefore and teach all nations…'"Late Rev. S. A. Sadela Founder & President, GAC Worldwide · Founding Chairman/President Emeritus
