Prophetess Ibijoke Ogundipe @ 60: A Mother for a Purpose
By Jerry Adesewo
Some lives do not announce themselves with noise; they reveal themselves with consistency, grace, and quiet impact. Prophetess Ibijoke Ogundipe belongs to that rare company of women whose influence is felt long before it is formally named—and whose presence becomes more meaningful with time.
Hence, the decision to pause, and dedicate this week’s edition of ‘From the Pulpit,’ to a woman of the pulpit.
At sixty, she stands not merely as a celebrant of years, but as a custodian of faith, a vessel of motherliness, and a living connector of people, purpose, and grace.
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My first encounter with Mummy Ogundipe happened long before the Lord directed my steps to the Peculiar Church. I had organised a poetry competition for junior secondary schools in the FCT. One of the finalists was a young boy named Kolade Ogundipe. As part of the process, I needed to contact his parent, so I dialed the phone number on the entry form—his mother’s number.
The call was brief, yet unforgettable. Even through the phone, I could sense her warmth, courtesy, and genuine interest. She spoke not just as a parent, but as someone deeply grounded in care and understanding. At the time, I had no idea that our paths would cross again—nor that this simple interaction would one day reveal a deeper divine choreography.
Years later, when I joined the Peculiar Church and needed to get a new garment, I was told that Mummy Yard—the Senior Pastor’s wife—was a vendor. I was given her phone number. The moment I dialed, something familiar happened. The number I had saved years earlier as Kolade Ogundipe, Unity High School popped up on my screen.
That was when it clicked.
What had begun as a routine administrative phone call had quietly matured into a divine connection. From that moment on, Mummy Ogundipe ceased to be just a familiar voice from the past; she became something deeper—a big sister I never had, and a spiritual mother my family truly needs.
This is one of her greatest gifts: connectedness. She has an uncommon ability to build bridges—between people, generations, and seasons. She remembers names, faces, stories, and struggles. She does not relate from a distance; she connects from the heart. In a world increasingly fractured by self-interest, that gift is priceless.
Any time her message pop up on my phone—not to make demands, but to share encouragement, to check on my family, or simply to ask how we are doing. What such care and affection does is give you a deep sense of relief: the assurance that someone genuinely cares. I have come to cherish those moments in our relationship, because they remind me that spiritual leadership, at its best, is personal.
I, from Ado Ekiti, and she from Ikere-Ekiti, we began a journey in the service of God together, advancing the Kingdom of God on earth. We have journeyed together as Pastors, members of the prophetic ministry and ofcourse the marriage counselling unit, and I can tell you, Mummy Yard as we seldom call her, is a repository of God’s knowledge.
Her faith is not performative; it is practical. It is seen in her consistency, her devotion to the work of God, and her quiet submission to divine order. She walks with God in a way that reassures others that faith can be gentle without being weak, and firm without being harsh. Her faith is contagious. Listening to her survival story—and the maturity with which she navigated her seasons of health challenges—has the power to reinforce anyone’s faith and renew courage for the journey.
Her motherliness is natural, not forced. She nurtures without suffocating, advises without condemning, and supports without demanding loyalty. Many have found comfort in her words, strength in her prayers, and direction in her counsel. She embodies the biblical woman who “opens her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness.”
I do not envy her children, having to share their mother with many other children. Though she is the mother of Kolade, AanuOluwapo, and Korede, she is also the mother of many other children—young and old—including child-adults like us. Her heart has made room for many; so also has her home. She carries that responsibility with grace, impacting lives quietly but deeply.
Gracefulness defines her carriage—not merely in appearance, but in speech, conduct, and response. She handles matters with dignity, even when situations invite reaction. There is a calmness about her that settles storms, and a kindness that disarms tension.
At sixty, Prophetess Ibijoke Ogundipe represents continuity—the reminder that spiritual motherhood is not about age, positiin or titles, but about presence; not about control, but about care. She shows us that ministry can be homely, faith can be warm, and leadership can be gentle. She serves God in a manner that ministers to others.
A Word to Women in Leadership
Her life offers a gentle but firm lesson to women leaders in church, ministry, and society: leadership does not cancel motherhood—it deepens it. God places children and grandchildren—biological and spiritual—into the care of women He has entrusted with influence. These sons and daughters need more than instruction; they need affection. They need guidance seasoned with patience, correction wrapped in love, and authority expressed through compassion.
Spiritual motherhood means creating safe spaces where people can grow without fear, fail without being discarded, and mature without being rushed. It means understanding that impact is not always loud, and that nurturing souls is as important as leading structures. When women lead with motherly wisdom, they preserve hearts while building futures.
So, when the drums were rolled out to deliver a surprise birthday celebration—with the loving connivance of her daughter, AanuOluwapo—we celebrated more than a birthday. We celebrated a life of impact, a woman of faith, a mother in Israel, and a divine connector whose influence continues to ripple across lives and families.
May the years ahead be richer in joy, stronger in health, and deeper in fulfilment. May the grace she has poured into others return to her in overflowing measure. And may her light continue to shine—quietly, steadily, and beautifully.
Happy 60th birthday, Mummy.
You are deeply loved.