Pastor Tolu Odukoya Ijogun, daughter of the late Pastors Taiwo and Bimbo Odukoya, has opened up about her reluctant journey into ministry and how her late father ordained her as a pastor in absentia after years of resistance.
Speaking in a heartfelt interview on Fountain of Life’s Truth Table, Tolu revealed that she never saw herself becoming a pastor despite her parents’ strong belief that she would one day preach the gospel.
“My parents became pastors when I was seven years old. People were calling me the pastor’s daughter, but I didn’t understand the full weight of that. Did I think I would be a pastor? Never. There were times I looked at myself in the mirror and said, the person I’m seeing is not me,” she said.
Tolu admitted that she once considered herself too selfish to embrace the selflessness that comes with being a pastor.
“I saw how much sacrifice and love for people it required, and I knew I wasn’t cut out for that,” she explained.
However, she recalled that even as a child, she often prayed for God to use her — a prayer she didn’t fully understand at the time. As she matured, her relationship with God became personal and intentional.
“I’m not a Christian because my parents were pastors. I needed my own conviction. I don’t do things because others do them; I must believe in it,” she noted.
Despite her conviction to serve God in other ways, she pleaded with her father not to ordain her as a pastor.
“I told my dad, ‘Please don’t make me a pastor. I’m willing to serve, but I don’t want the weight that comes with it.’ He agreed—or so I thought.”
In 2017, while on her way to church, Tolu received a message that would change everything.
“Someone texted me, ‘Congratulations, Pastor Tolu.’ I thought it was a mistake. But when I arrived, people were congratulating me. My dad had ordained me in absentia. That was unheard of,” she recalled.
When she later confronted her father, he told her it was simply time. Though shocked, Tolu accepted the call with humility and obedience.
“Once I accepted it in my heart, something changed. I wasn’t the same again,” she said.
Beyond ministry, Tolu also reflected on her personal life, including her marriage to Olumide Ijogun, which ended after several years together. The two met in high school at Greensprings Secondary School, Lagos, and tied the knot at The Fountain of Life Church, Ilupeju, on November 3, 2012. They welcomed three children together — a daughter in 2013, another in 2018, and a son in 2020.
Though she didn’t share details about the separation, she admitted the experience deeply tested her faith.
“When your marriage ends, it’s like a death. Nobody gets married to leave, but God’s grace sustains,” she said.
Despite her painful experience, Tolu affirmed her belief in the beauty and sanctity of marriage.
“Marriage is good, it’s amazing, and that’s why the devil is attacking it. Marriage is God’s idea,” she added.
Through her journey, Pastor Tolu Odukoya Ijogun continues to inspire many with her openness, faith, and strength — carrying forward the powerful legacy of her late parents while walking in her own divine calling.
