“Lord, anywhere you send me, I will go”: A tribute to my Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Gboyega Ohu

By Rev. Dr. Stanley Ihedigbo

A father, shepherd and bridge-builder

“Lord, anywhere you send me, I will go.”

These words best describe the humility, faith and spirit of my Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Job Osuolale ‘Gboyega Ohu, the Bishop of the Lagos North Diocese of the Methodist Church Nigeria, as he prepares to continue his episcopal ministry in the Remo Diocese.

My Lord Bishop, hearing the news of your transfer, initially came to us as a rumour. But when the time came for you to speak to us about it, you did so with that characteristic simplicity and humility that have distinguished your leadership.

You told us about your new assignment with a smile—a smile that seemed to say, “Lord, anywhere you send me, I will go.”

That moment captured the heart of a true servant of God: a man who does not question where God sends him, but simply obeys.

For me personally, this tribute is more than words of farewell. It is an expression of deep gratitude to a father, mentor, shepherd and leader who has played a significant role in my journey in the Methodist Church Nigeria.

My Lord Bishop, you are the Bishop who gave me an opportunity to serve. You nominated and appointed me as the Diocesan Press Officer, giving me the privilege to contribute my professional experience in journalism and communication to the work of the Church.

That opportunity meant—and continues to mean—a great deal to me.
But beyond the appointment, you believed in me.

You also gave me the opportunity to pursue my calling as a minister in the Methodist Church Nigeria. At a time when there were restrictions surrounding the candidature of persons for ministerial training, you stood by me and ensured that my candidature and ministerial training received the necessary approval.

That singular act of fatherly support changed the course of my life.

Today, whenever I look at my journey in the Methodist Church Nigeria, I cannot tell the story without acknowledging your role. You saw something in me, gave me an opportunity and supported my journey when it mattered most.

For this, I will remain eternally grateful to God for giving me a Bishop like you.

A Father to All

My Lord Bishop, you have demonstrated that the Church is bigger than tribe, language, ethnicity or geographical boundaries.

You are a father to people from different tribes and backgrounds across Nigeria. You relate with people as Nigerians and, more importantly, as children of God.

Your love is not restricted by language.
Your kindness does not ask where a person comes from.

Your fatherhood does not recognise tribal boundaries.

You have shown through your life and ministry that Christian love has no ethnic barrier.
You have embraced people from different parts of Nigeria with warmth, dignity and respect.

In your relationship with ministers, members and the wider community, you have continued to demonstrate that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a Gospel of love, unity and reconciliation.

A shepherd who will be missed

My Lord Bishop, as you prepare to leave Lagos North Diocese for the Remo Diocese, there is no doubt that you will be greatly missed.

The Diocese will miss you.
The ministers will miss you.
The members will miss you.

Those who have benefited from your counsel, encouragement and fatherly care will miss your presence.

We will miss your leadership, your smile, your humility, your fatherly words and the way you make people feel valued.

But while we will miss you, God will not miss you.

The God who called you, sustained you and brought you to Lagos North Diocese is the same God who is sending you to Remo Diocese.

He will go before you.
He will prepare the way for you.
He will strengthen you.
He will give you wisdom for the new assignment.

He will grant you favour with His people.
And He will continue to use you as an instrument of His Kingdom.

A new assignment, not an ending

My Lord Bishop, your transfer is not an ending; it is another chapter in God’s assignment for your life and ministry.

We therefore choose not to say goodbye with sadness alone. We celebrate the years, the lives touched, the opportunities created, the ministers encouraged, the members strengthened, and the seeds of faith planted under your leadership.

As you proceed to the Remo Diocese, may God grant you greater grace for greater responsibility.

May your new Diocese experience renewed spiritual growth, unity, peace and development through your episcopal ministry.
May the Lord continue to bless your beloved family, preserve your health, strengthen your body and renew your spirit.

May every step you take in your new assignment be ordered by God.

And may history record your ministry not merely by the offices you occupied, but by the lives you touched, the people you encouraged and the difference you made in the service of God.

Thank you, my Lord Bishop

My Lord Bishop, thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to serve.

Thank you for supporting my ministerial journey.

Thank you for appointing me as Diocesan Press Officer.

Thank you for being a father beyond tribal and linguistic boundaries.

Thank you for demonstrating that leadership is not only about authority, but also about love, humility, sacrifice and service.

As you move to your new Diocese, I pray that the words of the Psalmist will continually be fulfilled in your life.

“The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

Go, my Lord Bishop, with our prayers.
Go with our gratitude.
Go with our love.
Go with the assurance that the seeds you planted in Lagos North Diocese will continue to bear fruit.

And above all, go with the confidence that the God who sent you will never abandon you.
Congratulations on your new assignment, my Lord Bishop.

May the good God continue to see you through.

May His grace go before you, His presence remain with you, and His glory follow you wherever you go.

Farewell, my Lord Bishop, and God bless you richly.

With profound respect, gratitude and love,

Ihedigbo, Your Son, Servant in Christ, and Minister In Charge of Divine Methodist Church, Ejigbo, Lagos