Gentle Strength: A Tribute to Senior Special Apostle Prophet Zachaeus Abioye Emmanuel
Gentle Strength: A Tribute to Senior Special Apostle Prophet Zachaeus Abioye Emmanuel
By Jerry Adesewo
There are men whose influence is loud, and there are men whose impact is lasting. Senior Special Apostle Prophet Zachaeus Abioye Emmanuel belonged firmly to the latter. He was one of those rare servants of God whose work continued to speak long after the microphone had been switched off, and whose footprints remained visible even when he chose to step quietly aside.
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Just a week to the 2025 edition of A Night With Jesus Crusade, we received the shocking news of his passing. For the ministry, it was a wound that cut deeply. The timing made it even more painful. A man who had laboured faithfully for the altar, who had helped build and stabilise the structure that sustained this sacred gathering, was suddenly gone—just days before the work he loved so much would once again call heaven to earth.
As former Conference Supervising Prophet of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church Worldwide, Prophet Zachaeus Emmanuel did not merely occupy an office; he carried it with reverence. His leadership was marked by spiritual depth, administrative steadiness, and an uncommon humility. In moments that required guidance, his counsel was firm yet fatherly. In seasons of pressure, he remained calm, prayerful, and anchored in faith.
His role as Chairman of the National Organising Committee of A Night With Jesus further revealed his gift as a builder. He understood that great spiritual gatherings are sustained not only by prayer, but also by discipline, planning, and sacrifice. Under his watch, A Night With Jesus grew not just in size, but in spiritual credibility—becoming a sacred meeting point where heaven met earth, and worship was preserved above spectacle.
As the burial rites commenced on Friday, my thoughts kept returning not to his titles, but to his temperament—his calm strength, his humility, and his rare leadership quality. Prophet Zachaeus Emmanuel was not loud, yet he was firm. He did not dominate conversations, yet his presence commanded respect. He understood authority not as force, but as responsibility.
One personal encounter remains deeply etched in my heart.
There was an incident involving a younger minister whose actions could easily have been interpreted as disrespectful. It was obvious to many of us that Prophet Zachaeus noticed it. In such moments, some leaders would have reacted sharply, asserting authority in public. But he did not. He remained calm, composed, and dignified.
Later, I went to him to apologise on behalf of the younger minister. His response stunned me with its simplicity and grace:
“Don’t worry, Alágba. He is my son. When he is calm, I will speak with him.”
That single sentence revealed the depth of the man. He chose correction over confrontation. Relationship over embarrassment. Fatherhood over power. In that moment, I understood clearly that leadership in the house of God is not about winning arguments, but about winning souls—and sometimes, winning sons.
That was Prophet Zachaeus Abioye Emmanuel.
What stood out most about him was his quiet devotion. He never sought applause, yet honour followed him. He never chased relevance, yet his relevance endured. His leadership reminded many of us that authority in the Kingdom is not enforced by noise, but earned by character.
In a time when leadership is often noisy and reactive, he taught us that strength can be gentle, and authority can be patient. He believed deeply that the altar must never be stained by anger, ego, or unnecessary conflict. His commitment to A Night With Jesus was not about prominence, but about preservation—preserving the sanctity of worship, the order of the programme, and the unity of the body.
His passing leaves a vacuum, yes—but it also leaves us with a responsibility: to lead better, to speak softer, to correct wiser, and to serve both God and man with humility.
One thing is sure, he has left a legacy—one that reminds us that the strongest leaders are often the quietest, and the best fathers are those who know when to wait before they speak.
May his gentle strength continue to teach us.
May his labour speak for him.
And may the God he served faithfully grant him eternal rest.
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”