01/04/2026
Visual excerpt from the recently concluded BSF UNICAL Alumni Mission Project at Sagbama Mission Field (Victory Baptist Church Tungbabiri)
HISTORY OF VICTORY BAPTIST CHURCH, TUNGBABIRI
The history of Victory Baptist Church traces back to the period between 1982 and 1985, when German contractors were invited to the community by the state government to undertake erosion control works. In the course of their stay, some of these contractors established churches of their own faith and denomination within the community. Among the churches founded during this period were the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, and the Baptist Church , all of which initially held services in temporary structures.
Before the contractors departed Nigeria, they made provisions to equip the churches with essential resources. For Victory Baptist Church specifically, funds were designated for the purchase of a piece of land , the very land on which the Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education now stands , which was subsequently acquired by the government. According to findings, the family who sold the land remained uncertain as to whether the purchase funds were ever refunded to the church.
Despite these setbacks, the church continued to grow. Pastors were called under the oversight of the conference leadership, which later handed the church over to the Goodnews Baptist Association for nurture and development. It was during the period leading up to this handover that a Pastor was called to serve, but he later abandoned the congregation to pursue a career in politics. His departure led a significant number of members to join the newly established Church of God Mission in the community.
The Association subsequently extended a call to Rev. T. A. Georgewill (of blessed memory), whose appointment brought some members back into the fold, though others did not return. The church remained functional during this period. Around this time, a mission-minded individual donated funds for the purchase of land for the church; however, these funds were neither accounted for nor applied to their intended purpose to date.
In time, the church began to decline under the pastoral leadership of Rev. T. A. Georgewill, a development that prompted many members to leave for The Redeemed Christian Church of God and various Pentecostal assemblies. Rev. Georgewill subsequently fell ill and passed away. In response, the Association requested that Pastor (Mrs.) Glory Jeremiah, who resided in Odi, take oversight of the congregation. She and her husband made the journey to lead services each Sunday, though the arrangement proved insufficient to sustain the church’s momentum.
A revitalisation committee was subsequently constituted, chaired by Rev. Gbenro Balogun (Pastor of New Life Baptist Church, Sagbama), with Bro. Matthew Inabor serving as Secretary. The committee developed recommendations which were duly submitted to the Association Executive Committee. However, before the recommendations could be fully implemented, Pastor (Mrs.) Glory Jeremiah withdrew her service. With no pastoral covering in place, the remaining worshippers gradually dispersed, and the church was shut down for a period of over two years.
In September 2023, the Global Missions Board (GMB) of the Nigerian Baptist Convention declared the area a mission field (Sagbama Home Mission Field) and deployed a supervising missionary couple, Rev. and Mrs. Solomon Ikwekwa, to the field. They arrived on 25th September, 2023, commencing service as the pioneer missionaries of the GMB/NBC in the community. By 24th December, 2023, the church was restarted , initially meeting in the sitting room of a brother, Mr. Ferdinand.
By November 2024, a resident Pastor was called to lead the congregation , Pastor Evangelista Okere , who has continued to serve faithfully to date. During this period, the Global Missions Board procured three plots of land for the development of the church. A building project was subsequently initiated through a self-help approach, supported by generous donations from the wider Bayelsa Baptist family. By 1st June, 2025, the church had relocated to its permanent site, with the building project continuing.
In the last quarter of 2025, the BSF Alumni of the University of Calabar graciously resolved to complete and remodel the church building to the glory of God, bringing the project to its beautiful conclusion.
Today 1st April, 2026, marks the Glorious milestone in the life of Victory Baptist Church , the Dedication of the Completed Church Building to the Glory of God.
Not to us O Lord, Ch not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness. (Psalm 115:1)
