The Venerable Emmanuel Olorunmola Ajayi, a retired Archdeacon of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), has died at the age of 86.
Ajayi passed away on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lokoja, Kogi State, after dedicating 41 years to Christian ministry across several dioceses in Nigeria.
His son, Omeiza Ajayi, confirmed the death in a statement on behalf of the family. He described his father as a man who “did not retreat” and “did not surrender,” but rather “completed his assignment and went home as a soldier goes home after a long and honourable campaign, with nothing left undone and nothing left unsaid.”
Ajayi’s ministerial journey began in Lagos and later took him to Zambia, Kwara, Ondo, and Kogi states, where he served communities through preaching, teaching, and church leadership. Throughout his career, he served under seven bishops and was widely regarded as a dedicated church planter who worked to establish new congregations wherever he was posted.
He also held leadership positions within the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at state, diocesan, and zonal levels.
An obituary shared by his son read:
“It is with profound sorrow, yet with hearts anchored in the certain hope of resurrection, that we announce the passing of our Patriarch, my own dear father, the Venerable Emmanuel Olorunmola Ajayi.
My beloved father, a retired Archdeacon of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), breathed his last on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, Kogi State.”
The funeral service for the late cleric is scheduled to hold on Friday, June 12, 2026.
Profile of Emmanuel Olorunmola Ajayi
Emmanuel Olorunmola Ajayi was born on June 10, 1940, in Ikare, Ondo State. His father was the late Paul Ajayi Otohinoyi of Oboroke-Ihima, Kogi State, while his mother was the late Abigail Ajibola Ajayi of Makeke, Akoko-Edo Central, Edo State.
According to his son, Ajayi began his ministry as an Agent Catechist in 1969 and retired as an Archdeacon in 2010 after 41 years of active service in the Church.
Over the course of his ministry, he served under seven bishops across multiple dioceses within the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. E.Z. Ajayi, five children, numerous grandchildren, a great-grandchild, and many spiritual children who affectionately referred to him as “Daddy.”
His legacy includes decades of pastoral leadership, church planting, and service to the Christian community in Nigeria.
