Saint Moses Orimolade

Saint" Moses Orimolade Tunolase, known in his boyhood days as Orimolade Okejebu, was born into the royal family of Omo’ba Ode Sodi [1] of Okorun Quarters, Ikare, Western Nigeria. The year of his birth has traditionally been given as 1879. At the time of his birth, there was no birth registry in Ikare. The art of writing and therefore the keeping of records, had not yet become popular in that locality. We therefore have no authentic record of his birth date.

His life began with a strange experience his mother had. Madam Odijoroto,–also of the same royal house [2],–was in the bush where she had gone to cut firewood while she was heavy with child. She fetched more firewood than she could lift by herself. She realized she would have to reduce the bundle in order to be able to carry it. Just then she heard a voice telling her the easiest way to lift the bundle even if she did not make it smaller. She looked around in great astonishment, but saw no one. The voice spoke again: “Do not be frightened. I am the child in your womb. Follow my advice and be on your way” [3]. She was directed to raise the bundle up at one end and, with the help of her hands, knee and head, kick up the other end. The advice was simple and very obvious and Odijoroto blamed herself for not having thought of the idea initially.

Back at home, she quite naturally related her incredible experience to Tunolase, her husband, who arranged that the Ifa oracle be consulted at once. The couple was surprised when the oracle predicted that the child of the conception would be an important saint. It also said the child was being sent by the Almighty God to preach the gospel of his Son, Jesus Christ. This was beyond the comprehension of both Tunolase and his wife, especially as the Christian gospel had not yet been preached in that locality. However, the prescribed rites were performed and offerings were made to ensure a safe delivery for the mother. Tunolase, himself an Ifa priest, consulted the oracle privately for more enlightenment about the expected child, and it was further revealed that it would be a male child pre-ordained of God as his special apostle to the pagans of Yoruba Land. He was therefore to be treated as a Nazarite.