BIRTH & CHILDHOOD:

Pastor Paul Olorunfemi Bandele was born to the family of Pa Abraham & Madam Abigel Osogun of Omuo Ekiti now Kota Ekiti, Ekiti State Nigeria in February 1935 at Iperindo-Ilesa. At age of 1 and six month after his birth his father left Iperindo in Ilesa to Ile-Ife where his father became a prominent cocoa famer. He grew up at Ife.

EDUCATION:

In 1945 he started schooling at CAC Moore Standard School, Ile-Ife and lived under Late Pastor E. T. Latunde and God so helped him to finish his Standard six at Iffe-Ikoyi Standard School, Ijumu-Kabba in 1952. Then he came back to Ile-Ife from Iffe-Ikoyi. He was with his parent at Ile-Ife but in 1953 he went Victory College, Ikare-Akoko till 1954 when he could not go further because of the calling of God upon him. “God told his father the He (God) had a purpose for him and that I he went further in his secular education he would not fulfil that purpose that He (God) is going to use him as a minister of God. While at CAC Primary school More, Ile-Ife, he loved playing football and was made Ccaptain of those in Standard 6. Also had an ambition to be an engineer or architect.

BAPTISM:

He became a born again Christian when he met one Late Pastor Popoola when he came to his village at Losho in Iile-Iife for a revival. It was during the revival the he gave his life to Jesus in 1949 with the baptismal of the Holy Spirit. He was baptised by immersion of water by Pastor S. O. Thomas in 1952.

MINISTERIAL JOURNEY:

Catechist/Teacher He started his ministerial when his father took him to Pastor S. O. Thomas in 1955 at Ikare-Akoko under whom he undergone his ministerial tutelage. He was later transferred to continue the training under Catechest J. F. Adeniyi at CAC Ita Alafia Omuo-Ekiti, before he went to Christ Apostolic Church Bible Training College, Erio Ekiti in 1956 and 1958 for his theological and Ministerial training. Pastor R. A. Adedipe was his 1st Principal while Mrs A. O. Pearse later took over the school. Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola posted him to Kabba in 1958. He worked as a Church Catechest from 1958-1962.

MARRIAGE:

Pastor Paul. O. Bandele had already proposed to a girl to marry and she had agreed. The lady came from his home town Omuo-Ekiti. “We had even started preparing for our wedding, but all of a sudden, she wrote to me that she would not be able to marry me again because her parent told her not to marry an ‘ordinary catechist". Though, it was a great disappointment for him, but God turn it to a  great blessing. In 1960, the CAC General Convention was held at Ikare-Akoko. Pastor P. O. Bandele was there and Sister Comfort was also present. Although they’ve both met at Kabba during the visit of Paul Bandele to Kabba while serving as catechist in Kabba and also the secretary of the Ministers during their monthly ministers meeting at Okoro-Gbede. During the 1960 CAC Annual Convention at Ilare-Akoko, he gave the account as “she saw me at Ikare and said ‘hope you are hearing from your wife?’ I told her what had happened, she was embarrassed. I told her, it is to God and ‘you’ I am going to turn to now, she laughed.” After the Convention, he went to see her at Okoro-Gbedde. He spoke to her of his love for her there their journey started as husband and wife as they got married in 1961 at Christ Apostolic Church, Owo, Ondo State at a service conducted by Pastor D. O. A. Oloye. The marriage was blessed with 6 children and grand children.

ORDINATION AS PASTOR:

In January 1963, he was chosen by the Authority to be one of the twelve students for a two-years course at the Pastoral Training when he was admitted for Pastor Training Institute under the Principal-ship of our Father, Pastor A. A. Hanson. He says; “The two years was a difficult time for me financially because there was no church to finance me but by the grace of God , the help of my father, mother and my dear wife,” He was ordained a Pastor in December 1964 at CAC Oke-Isegun Ondo Town during CAC annual Convention by Pastor J. S. B. Odusona (2nd CAC President) and Pastor Joshua A. Medaiyese (3rd CAC General Superintendent)

AT IRUN-AKOKO:

After his Pastoral Ordination Pastor P. O. Bandele was transferred to CAC Irun-Akoko. Six month after his resumption at Irun-Akoko, he suggested to the church that a new church cathedral should be erect. By January 1966 the voluntary donation for the erection of the church building started. He led the donation and the congregation followed. The foundation was laid on January 13th 1966; the stone used for the church building then was taken from Oke Ogo along Egbe, Pastor Bandele led the church member with hammers to the site to get stone every Saturday from 7:00am to 5:00pm. Pastor Bandele made sure that the building project was completed before he was transferred. He even sold his only motorcycle (CD 175 double silencer) to fund the building project. He went to the International Bible Training Institute, Sussex, England, United Kingdom for his Diploma in Theology between 1971-1972 In 1969 he gained admission to the International Bible Training Institute, England an he was to resume there in January 1970. As he was preparing for the journey especially monetarily, his mother Late Madam Abigel Osogun died in July 1969. This was a great blow to him a he had to postponed the travelling ti 1971. Since the death of his mother, his wife Madam Comfort Bandele stood in as mother and played her part as wife and sister. When he wanted to loose hope of going to England , his wife stood the ground that he must go and by God’s grace and her encouragement, they both prayed to God and he went to England, leaving her wife and three children at Irun-Akoko. She and the children suffered a lot but God took care of them for the period of two and half years that he was in England.

EXPERIENCE AT IBTI:

He enjoyed the friendship/fellowship with student from over 15 nations across the world. He was assigned to take care of the animals which included cows, pigs, chickens, and hares. Every morning and evening he was to feed the animals, clean the sheds, though it was a dirty job but he did it with joy. He also got the milk of the cows every morning. The school Authority of IBTI even gave him an award on the day of his graduation for doing such dirty work with joy. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 9:10; “Whatever your hand find to do, do it with all your might.” Ephesians 6:7 also says: “Serve whole-heartedly, as if you are serving the Lord, not man.” IBTI is a full-time Institution but they used to have 3 months holidays. During the holidays, he was working as a mortuary/porter attendant. He carry dead bodies from wards to be deposited in the morgue. Though he mentions that “the work was tedious and dirty, and the white men do not like to do it, but they paid 18 to 20 pounds a week.” He does the work so he could send money to his wife and 3 children in Nigeria. He also thank God who help and caring him through the rough times.

Travelling back home to Nigeria by sea:

On completion of his studies at IBTI Sussex, England, he returned to Irun-Akoko Nigeria. Because of financial constrained, he was unable to come back to Nigeria by air or plane and he choose to come by sea. To come back by plane with all his trucks and boxes will cost him 138 pounds, but by ship would cost him 41 pounds. He chose to come by ship – called “Elder Demster” from Liverpool City to Apapa, Lagos and took him14 days on the high seas. He explained that “We had a very rough time for five days at the Bay of Bissau; we could not eat or drink because of the toughness of the sea. I thank God, on the 14th day that I left Liverpool City England, I arrived Apapa, Lagos. I thank Pa. (Late) Pastor Oba Nle Aro and Pastor D. O. A. Oloye (Gen. Supt CAC Worldwide Rtd), who came to Apapa port to welcome me.” Coming back to Irun-Akoko, Nigeria. Six years later, Pastor Bandele left for overseas for theological training, he returned after his two years course to CAC Oke Isegun, Irun Akoko to continue his ministerial work. Not quite long after his arrival from overseas, he was given letter of transfer to CAC Ojoyin, Ile-Ife by the authority of the church un Pastor E. T. Latunde (3rd President) but he requested that he should be allowed to spend some time with the church while the whole church, the people of Iirun Akoko town including His Royal Highness, Oba Williams Adewusi (Akanle Okuta III) the Onirun of Irun appealed to the CAC authorities to allow him to spend more time with them in Irun Akoko. This made the CAC authorities then to visit Irun Akoko to speak with the churn members. Based on their finding, the authorities rescinded the decision to transfer Pastor Bandele. He eventually spent a total of 11 years in Irun Akoko.

CAC OLORUNSOGO MUSHIN, LAGOS:

In September 1974, Pastor Paul Bandele was posted CAC Olorunsogo Mushin Lagos. Where the Lord really blessed him. They so mush loved him and bought a brand new car, Datsun 180K for him. The work of the new church started and there was a great Revival, the numerical strength of the church has risen to about 3000 members. At the peak of the great Revival and progress. The Authority transfer him to Pastoral Training Institute Agege to go and replace Pa/Pastor A. O. A. Olutimehin, as the Principal of the institution.

AT PASTORAL TRAINING INSTITUTE, AGEGE:

CAC Olorunsogo Elders pleaded with the Authority that they should allow him to stay at Olorunsogo and be going to Agege to teach the students. Pastor Bandele appealed to the Elders that he cannot disobey his authority and should let him go. He had a little bit of problem financially; you can imagine leaving a congregation of about 3000 people and be posted to a congregation of only 24 students. Though he had to help some of the students financially, and though it wasn’t easy but the help of God and Olorunsogo did not leave me. Rather, he cared for him and saw him through.

IN 1979 SEPTEMBER, ALL CAC MINISTERIAL INSTITUTION WERE MERGED:

At Agege, where pastors were been trained, BTC at Akure where catechist were been trained and Prophets/Evangelists at Ilesa where they were trained were all merged together and located at Ile-Ife to become a seminary, and he was appointed to be the principal of the seminary initially, but just overnight there was a change that he be Vice-Principal because of Church politics. Gladly he accepted the post.

AT IFE DISTRICT:

But not very long, Pa (Late) E. T. Latunde (President) appointed him to become the AGS for Ile-Ife because the Lord told him to choose him to replace him in 1982. He became the first Chairman when the District became a Ife Districts Coordinating Council in 1988.

ADMINISTRATION OF MUSHING DISTRICT

CAC PASTOR & CONVENTION PLANNING COMMITTEE

AT IBADAN DISTRICTS COORDINATING COUNCIL

He was also the Chairman of CAC Ibadan Districts Coordinating Council (1992-1993);

AT OSOGBO DISTRICT & OSOGBO DISTRICTS COORDINATING COUNCIL.

CAC Osogbo Districts Coordinating Council (1993-1997);

AT EFON-ALAAYE DISTRICTS COORDINATING COUNCIL.

CAC Efon-Alaaye Districts Coordinating Council (1997-2000);

AT LAGOS DISTRICTS COORDINATING COUNCIL CAC Lagos Districts Coordinating Council with the headquarters ate Christ Apostolic Church Ebute-Elefun, Lagos (2000-2006)

AS GENERAL SUPERINTENDENTS

From where he was elevated to the position of the General Superintendent of Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide in January 2027.

CHAIRMAN OF CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH MEN ASSOCIATION

Pastor P. O. Bandele worked with Pastor Adujelewu and Pastor A. O. Omotosho. One of the followers of Apostle Ayo Babalola in Kabba. He later worked with Pastor Ope a native of Ibadan. He worked with Pastor Adedeji and Pastor J.O. Adegoroye when he was the District Superintendent of Akoko Land while Pastoring at Irun Akoko. He worked with Ppastor Ajibola and Pastor Adeniyi. At CAC Mushin District Lagos he worked as curate under Pastor J. D. Obafemi the District Superintendent Pastor P. O. Bandele was a widely travelled on missionary trips. He has severally been to United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Israel, Egypt, Belgium, Switzerland, Sierra Lone, Ghana, Ireland Republic, Netherlands, Greece, Italy. Papa Paul Bandele weathered a lot of storms in his ministerial sojourn, for about fifty-five (55) years, from 1955 to 2010, that is from age twenty (20) to seventy-five (75) years. This period could be better described as his active life time, when vital decisions were made, visions pursued and dreams realized. Baba Bandele was a priceless servant of the living God with many unique feathers on his ministerial cap – a thrilling teacher and preacher of the word, a seasoned theologian and leaders’ trainer, a very competent church administrator, a loyalist to God and the Church father, an objective historian, a preaching singer (Psalmist), a humorous disciplinarian, a rugged missionary or gospel traveller, highly respected by many great men and women in and outside of Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide, and an achiver whose faith in the living God is stable. On Saturday 12th February 2011 at All Saint’ Chapel Auditorium, Christ Apostolic Church General Secretariat,Aanlugbua, Basorun, Ibadan, he retired as the 8th General Superintendent of Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide. He got married at age of twenty-seven (27) years and became certified, fulfilled father of great, wonderful and God fearing children, grandchildren and a successful husband. He and his wife are good lover and build their happy, peaceful home till when he rested in the Lord on Friday 7th February 2020.

Sleep on till we meet at the resurrection morning.