The congregation came to church on the Christmas day of 2002 (25th December, 2002) to meet a well decorated Chapel draped in Christmas colors only to be informed that the decoration was actually for the wedding that was to take place the following day, boxing day (26th December, 2002). This was the wedding of the daughter of Dr. and Dr. (Mrs.) E.A. Togun. By New Year’s Day service held on the 1st of January, 2003, the decoration had been removed. Thereafter, the Chapel was decorated haphazardly mainly by the youths of the Chapel, in particular, Olabisi Amire (now Mrs. Olabisi Omotunde) and Tinuola Alalade (now Mrs. Tinuola Aigwedo). This occasional decoration of the Chapel prompted the need to have a concerted and properly coordinated arrangement for the decoration of the Chapel auditorium.
Prof. (Mrs.) Lara Orafidiya, in 2003, took up the challenge and called for a group that would be responsible for regular decoration of the Chapel. As a member of the CBMC then, she was able to get this proposal through as a service group in the Chapel with an approval by the Chapel Council. The name, Guild of Chapel Keepers (GCK), was also approved for the group.
The first set of materials used for the Chapel decoration was bought with contributions, totaling ₦27,000.00, from Mrs. O.K. Adeyemo, Mrs. G.A. Olomola, Mrs. G.O. Boboye, Mrs. D.K. Idehen and Prof. ’Lara Orafidiya. It was after the inauguration of the Guild on the 21st of September, 2003 by Rev. Ade Adegunwa (the Chaplain at that time) that a sum of ₦50,000.00 was first made available to the Guild by the Chapel Council.
Members were highly dedicated and decoration was done weekly, the process that frequently ended late into the midnight. Mrs. Olomola and Mrs. Boboye took very great care of the materials especially the flowers, taking their time to put each bunch back into the cellophane bags. Before a ladder was provided for the group, members used themselves as ladders to get to the high parts of the alter wall. Hitherto, in the 1990s, Mrs. O.K. Adeyemo and Mrs. A.O. Odesanmi brought natural flowers to the Chapel on Sunday mornings for the vases that were placed on the altar table. Dr. Lara Orafidiya [now Prof. ’Lara Orafidiya] and Folake Orafidiya also did this for a brief period before the Guild of Chapel Keepers (GCK) was established.
Chapel’s Constitutional Provisions for The Establishment Of Gck
It was not until the Congregational meeting of 18th July, 2010 at which amendment to the Chapel constitution was approved and adopted that the GCK was officially recognized as one of the service units to be granted necessary support (section 30; page 14). The composition of the Guild and her terms of reference were also explicitly outlined (Appendix B, 2; pages 34-35). The constitutional provision under membership (Appendix B, 2(I); page 34) made membership open to all registered and active members of the Chapel who are of good standing, and also that the Coordinator is to be elected by the Guild from its membership and presented to the Chapel Council, while other officers are to be elected among the members of the Guild. The terms of reference (Appendix B; 2(II); page 35) are:
- To make the Chapel a beautiful and comfortable sanctuary to worship God.
- To decorate the Chapel monthly or at such regular intervals as the Chapel Council may, from time to time, direct.
- To specially decorate the Chapel at Christmas, New Year, Easter, Harvest, and at such other special Chapel celebrations as the Chapel Council may, from time to time, direct.
- To work with the Chapel Services Committee in serving members of the Congregation and other users of the Chapel premises for their events.
- To carry out such other functions as the Chapel Council may, from time to time, direct.
Initially, the concrete wall at the back of the altar was bare and drapes were placed on it with the use of nails. In 2005, Architect M.S. Egbe made a proposal of a design for the altar which was presented to CBMC. In 2006, the Men Christian Fellowship (MCF) took up the construction of the wooden design at the back of the altar. This was executed and dedicated during the MCF anniversary service of 2006. This wooden design did not only add beauty to the Chapel auditorium, it also made the hanging of drapes and back drops much easier- though there was still a concrete wall behind the back drop. In 2016, as requested by GCK, the Chapel Building and Maintenance Committee (CBMC) constructed a wooden board (supervised by Architect M.S. Egbe) across the remaining concrete wall which was behind the back drop, and at the center of the wooden design at the altar, to enable GCK pin drapes on the wood to make more decoration designs.
The foundation members were mainly adults along with some youths that included Lola Adesida and Folake Orafidiya. The membership directory as at 2007 had the following names: Prof. ‘Lara Orafidiya, Mr. Ade Olowookere, Mrs ‘Funmi Adeniran, Mrs. G.A. Olomola, Mrs. G.O. Boboye, Akintade O.A., Mrs. P.C. Osuji, Mrs. P.A. Ogunkoya, Daberechukwu Uzoma, Mrs. Ajibike O. Lawani, Bolutife Olofinjana, Adenike Adediran, Omolade Adegoke, Ezinne Osuji, Mrs. Bolanle Egbe, Mrs. Bola Oluborode, Mrs. D.K. Idehen, Mabel Rowland, Mrs. A.O. Aguda, Folake Orafidiya, Emmanuel Iduma, Abimbola Adagunodo, Olaitan Adeyemo, Mrs. R.O. Oladitan, Ime Olowu, Chukwudi Osuji, Dele Olayinka.
The membership directory up to 2014 had the following names: Kemi-Rotimi Oye, Adeyemo Oladapo, Mrs. G.O. fanimokun, Mr. L.F. Adegboye, Mrs. O.A. Olofinjana, Adenike Ogunleye, Mrs. B.O. Egbe, Mrs. P.C. Osuji, Oluwasikemi Afolabi, Wisdom Apata, Fehintola Aguda, Folakemi Jeremiah, Foluso Afolabi, Mrs. A.O. Aguda, Witness Apata, Emem Inyang, Oluwasemilewa Onabanjo, Ifeoluwa Ayodele, Winner Apata, Prof. ’Lara Orafidiya, Mrs ‘Funmi Adeniran, Chukwudi Osuji, Folasade Ogunyemi, Olusunle Funke Dorcas, Olusunle Folasade Ruth, Wale Jongbo, Eugene Ejere, Damilola Olateru, Mrs. Victoria Akuneho, Tiwalola Akinsola, Susanna Ishola, Chinwendu Ibeabuchi, Tolulope Banjo, Boluwatiwi Omidiji, Abisola Oluyede, Adeniji Oluremi Emmanuel, Oluwaseun Ekunnrin.
The membership directory from 2015 to 2019 had the following names: Chukwudi Osuji, Oladapo Adeyemo, Oluwasikemi Afolabi (Mrs. Oluwasikemi Adeyemo in 2017), Raphael Owabumoye, Precious Osianene, Kemi Ariyo, Oluwasemilewa Onabanjo, Oluwatomisin Onabanjo, Adeniji Aderemi Emmanuel, Mrs. Bolanle Egbe, Mrs. Victoria Akuneho, Samuel Babasola, Chinwendu Ibeabuchi, Lolade Kolawole, Juliet Olagunju, Fehintola Aguda, Mrs. Victoria Akuneho, Prof. Bridgette Omafuvbe, Samuel Babasola, Mr. Akinwande Opayinka, Temitope Ademeta, Damilola Egbekunle, Nneka Amadi, Mrs. Bayode, Modupe Ibikunle, Bukola Adediwura, Mrs. Omotoso, Sis Glory Okon, Funmilayo Atere, ‘Semilore Onabanjo, Bunmi Ogunseye, Ayodotun Olowu and Ayodapo Olowu.
Over the years, some members of the Guild have relocated away from Ile-Ife after retirement, while some left the Guild as a result of their busy schedules, change of church or marriage. Also, a great number who were undergraduate or graduate students have completed their academic programmes in the University and have left Ile-Ife for greener pastures.
Mrs. O.K. Adeyemo was given the honor of being the first Coordinator of the group in 2003 while Mrs. G.O. Boboye, and Mrs. G.A. Olomola held positions in the Guild, and Prof. ’Lara Orafidiya represented the Guild at the Chapel Council. Prof. ‘Lara Orafidiya succeeded Mrs. Adeyemo as the Coordinator of GCK up until 2007 when she handed over to Mrs. Bolanle Egbe. At the annual thanksgiving service in September, 2011, Chukwudi Osuji was elected the Coordinator of the Guild, while Miss Adenike Ogunleye, late Mrs Victoria Akuneho and Mrs. Olofinjana were elected Assistant Coordinator, Secretary and Store keeper respectively. Chukwudi Osuji has been the Coordinator to date while late Mrs. Akuneho doubled as both the Secretary and treasurer till her death.
1. Chukwudi Osuji (Coordinator)
2. Oladapo Adeyemo
3. Oluwasemilewa Onabanjo
4. Oluwatomisin Onabanjo
5. Fehintola Aguda
6. Mr. Adeniji Aderemi Emmanuel
7. Mrs. Bolanle Egbe
8. Mrs Aguda
9. Mrs. ‘Sikemi Adeyemo
10. Mrs. Bayode
11. Mr. Akinwande Opayinka
12. Modupe Ibikunle
13. Bukola Adediwura
14. Mrs. Omotoso
15. Sis Glory Okon
16. Funmilayo Atere
17. Ayodotun Olowu
18. Semilore Onabanjo
19. Ayodapo Onabanjo
20. Prof. Bridgette Omafuvbe
1. Bible study and prayer meeting holds last Thursday of the month by 4pm.
2. Decoration of the Chapel holds periodically or when a request for decoration of the chapel for a wedding is officially received from the celebrants.
The anniversary of GCK holds third Sunday of September. Therefore, the next anniversary is scheduled to hold on the 20th of September, 2020 during the 10am service.
