Founder of Fundawazi Foundation, Mrs Nomthi Odukoya was married to Pastor Taiwo Odukoya of the Fountain of Life Church, llupeju, Lagos for 11 years before her death recently. In this interview, she narrated how she met and married Pastor Bimbo Odukoya’s widower
When asked how she ended up marrying a pastor, the late Nomthi, who was born in May 1974 said:
“I did not know I was going to serve God in this capacity. I was against it because I thought pastors were responsible for peoples’ lives. I believed it was a burden too much to bear and I did not want to be held accountable if people did not live according to the gospel of Christ. I felt serving God and supporting the gospel in whatever way I could, was enough. I did not see myself in a leadership position in a country other than South Africa for that matter.”
Narrating how they met, she said, “He came to minister at Triumphant Church International, London where I worshiped. I did not have my eyes on him, because like every other minister that had come before him, I saw him as a man of God. I found his message amazing and absorbing. I even bought one of his books – Home Affairs. After the conference, my pastor told me someone was interested in me. I declined because I was seeing someone then.
The relationship eventually did not work out and I informed my pastor but not immediately. To cut the long story short, Pastor Taiwo had a stopover in London and that was the first time we met. Before then, my pastor had given him my telephone number and he had called me. When he proposed to me, I did not like the idea of getting married to a widower. I took my time, prayed about it and I became convinced it was what God wanted for me. Being married to him is amazing and it has brought out potentials I never knew I had. I don’t have to pray and say Lord help my husband go to church today. There is no struggle.”