It's been known to be a man's planet. And while men, worldwide and Nigeria in particular, are generally ordained into the circle of Bishops and Archbishops, a few women successfully broke the glass ceiling and were ordained Bishops by their Christendom, Nigeria inclusive, inputs. In Nigeria, there are only four women successfully ordained into a Bishop's ranks. While these women are particularly from the Christian world's Pentecostalfold, it does not in any way diminish the authenticity of their faith or the power they exercise inside and outside of Christendom.
These are the only four female Bishops in Nigeria:
Bishop Oluremi Ayotunde Obembe:
She is the wife of late Archbishop Lanre Obembe, founder of the Church of the Bible in El Shaddai. Bishop Oluremi Ayotunde was ordained Bishop on June 16, 2009, two days after the burial of her late husband who was a one-time chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN. Her installation as a Bishop was accomplished hurriedly at the Dolphin Estate, Lagos, church headquarters to prevent a leadership vacancy following the death of her husband.
Bishop Bola Odeleke
Bishop Bola Odeleke, who recently celebrated her 70th birthday, is the first woman ever to be ordained a Bishop in Nigeria and also the first African woman to be ordained a Bishop. She celebrated her 25th year of ordination as a Bishop and 50 years of Christian faith on May 28. Mgr. Odeleke is the late Brigadier-General Lasun Odeleke's widow. While the late General was a minister and the founding president of Christ Message Ministry, Bishop Odeleke is the Pentecostal Church's founder and general overseer.
Bishop Peace Okonkwo
Bishop Okonkwo is the Proprietress of Word of Power Group of Schools, and founder Rehoboth Homes and Skill Acquisition Centre; a place for stranded ladies. She also founded the International Women’s Prayer Conference (IWPC) - an interdenominational gathering of women that holds every month at the TREM HQ in Lagos. Together with her husband, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, she runs The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) and they have both made history as the first Nigerian Christian leading couple still alive to be ordained Bishops. While both founded the church, Bishop Peace is seen as the 'Resident Pastor' of TREM Church Headquarters, while her husband is regarded as the presiding Bishop. On 22 April 2006, she was ordained as a Bishop.
Archbishop Margaret Idahosa
Being the respected mother, late Archbishop Benson Idahosa in no way prevented her from achieving the height she has attained in Christendom today. A woman with many firsts, Archbishop Margaret is not only the Church with God Mission International Archbishop with headquarters in Benin, but she is also the first African female Archbishop and the first Benson Idahosa University Chancellor, a position she still holds to date. The first Bishop was ordained in 1998 by the 76-year-old, shortly after passing on her husband and then being ordained Archbishop in 2009.
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