DR TAYO ADEYEMI
Pastor (Dr) Tayo Adeyemi (1964-2013): Founder and Senior Pastor, 1993-2013
He was born in Leeds, England, on 25th September 1964 and left with his parents at an early age for Nigeria. He graduated as a medical doctor from the University of Ibadan.
At the age of 10, he received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour. At that early age, he learnt the value of cultivating an intimate walk with God; spending extended hours studying the Word and in prayer.
Whilst in medical school, Tayo was instrumental in founding a students’ fellowship, Family of Christ Called Unto Service (FOCCUS), which grew to a movement of more than 3,000 students in over 30 Nigerian Universities and Colleges in 5 years. He was actively involved in starting 3 chapters of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship in different parts of the country. Tayo also served as the President of the Nigerian Medical Students Association (NiMSA) and was the Editor-in-Chief of the bi-monthly magazine, DOCKITA.
Sitting behind an office desk during a summer vacation job in 1981, he received an open vision in which Jesus Christ walked into the room and told him, "I want you to take my sheep out of the dry places and feed them in green pastures."
He returned to England with the intention of pursuing a residency programme firstly in General Surgery and later Neurosurgery. During his residency programme, Tayo and two of his friends started the Upper Room Fellowship with a handful of people. They met in an apartment in Hackney, but they very quickly outgrew the apartment and had to move to the West Greenwich Community and Arts Centre.
It was while leading the Upper Room Fellowship that God called him to start a church. On his own account, he did not respond to the call but dialogued with God concerning this matter for three years because he was keen on becoming a neurosurgeon as well as a lecturer in neurosurgery. However, God told him that he would be putting information in people’s heads while their hearts remained empty.
Eventually Tayo yielded to God’s call and wound down the fellowship; on 25th July 1993, at the age of 27, he started New Wine Church with 25 people. They continued to meet in West Greenwich House from where the Church acquired and moved to Gateway House (the former Woolwich Coronet Cinema).
At its peak, the church grew into a congregation of about 5,000 members. Under Pastor Tayo’s leadership, New Wine Church became a major force in the fabric of its immediate and wider community, a significant influence nationally, in Europe and all over world. He was committed to reclaiming Christianity into the 7 Mountains of Influence: Education, Arts & Entertainment, Religion, Family, Business & Economy, Media and Government.
Pastor Tayo was recognised as a strong leader of the 21st century church and as a significant prophetic voice in the United Kingdom. He communicated God’s word with such sharp prophetic insight and his ministry helped to shape the destiny of many churches across the earth.
Alongside pastoring a church, Tayo’s ministry was highly sought after around the world; he addressed over 300 audiences every year. Besides travelling extensively around the United Kingdom, he ministered in Australia, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Holland, India, Kenya, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, South Africa, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America.
He was a great father, great husband, excellent teacher, coach, counsellor, friend, mentor, pastor and preacher. He believed that “if a 12 year old does not understand your message, then you have not delivered effectively.” Thus his messages were consistently delivered with accuracy, clarity, exactitude and simplicity.
He was a man with wisdom ahead of his years. He was caring, humorous and mischievous - he told the best stories and jokes; his laughter was unmistakable and infectious!!
Pastor Tayo was a man of excellence; his life was a reflection of God’s opulence. He was a generous man and gave everything for God and God's people. Where God was concerned his tag line was “if it’s for the King of kings, only the best is good enough”!
An orator par excellence, his visionary instincts birthed The Church I See and made New Wine Church one of the leading dynamic churches in the United Kingdom.
He is survived by ‘his Angel’ and wife Adejoke, and his three sons, ‘the three wise men’ Adeoluwa, Oreoluwa and Ifeoluwa.
He was born in Leeds, England, on 25th September 1964 and left with his parents at an early age for Nigeria. He graduated as a medical doctor from the University of Ibadan.
At the age of 10, he received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour. At that early age, he learnt the value of cultivating an intimate walk with God; spending extended hours studying the Word and in prayer.
Whilst in medical school, Tayo was instrumental in founding a students’ fellowship, Family of Christ Called Unto Service (FOCCUS), which grew to a movement of more than 3,000 students in over 30 Nigerian Universities and Colleges in 5 years. He was actively involved in starting 3 chapters of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship in different parts of the country. Tayo also served as the President of the Nigerian Medical Students Association (NiMSA) and was the Editor-in-Chief of the bi-monthly magazine, DOCKITA.
Sitting behind an office desk during a summer vacation job in 1981, he received an open vision in which Jesus Christ walked into the room and told him, "I want you to take my sheep out of the dry places and feed them in green pastures."
He returned to England with the intention of pursuing a residency programme firstly in General Surgery and later Neurosurgery. During his residency programme, Tayo and two of his friends started the Upper Room Fellowship with a handful of people. They met in an apartment in Hackney, but they very quickly outgrew the apartment and had to move to the West Greenwich Community and Arts Centre.
It was while leading the Upper Room Fellowship that God called him to start a church. On his own account, he did not respond to the call but dialogued with God concerning this matter for three years because he was keen on becoming a neurosurgeon as well as a lecturer in neurosurgery. However, God told him that he would be putting information in people’s heads while their hearts remained empty.
Eventually Tayo yielded to God’s call and wound down the fellowship; on 25th July 1993, at the age of 27, he started New Wine Church with 25 people. They continued to meet in West Greenwich House from where the Church acquired and moved to Gateway House (the former Woolwich Coronet Cinema).
At its peak, the church grew into a congregation of about 5,000 members. Under Pastor Tayo’s leadership, New Wine Church became a major force in the fabric of its immediate and wider community, a significant influence nationally, in Europe and all over world. He was committed to reclaiming Christianity into the 7 Mountains of Influence: Education, Arts & Entertainment, Religion, Family, Business & Economy, Media and Government.
Pastor Tayo was recognised as a strong leader of the 21st century church and as a significant prophetic voice in the United Kingdom. He communicated God’s word with such sharp prophetic insight and his ministry helped to shape the destiny of many churches across the earth.
Alongside pastoring a church, Tayo’s ministry was highly sought after around the world; he addressed over 300 audiences every year. Besides travelling extensively around the United Kingdom, he ministered in Australia, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Holland, India, Kenya, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, South Africa, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America.
He was a great father, great husband, excellent teacher, coach, counsellor, friend, mentor, pastor and preacher. He believed that “if a 12 year old does not understand your message, then you have not delivered effectively.” Thus his messages were consistently delivered with accuracy, clarity, exactitude and simplicity.
He was a man with wisdom ahead of his years. He was caring, humorous and mischievous - he told the best stories and jokes; his laughter was unmistakable and infectious!!
Pastor Tayo was a man of excellence; his life was a reflection of God’s opulence. He was a generous man and gave everything for God and God's people. Where God was concerned his tag line was “if it’s for the King of kings, only the best is good enough”!
An orator par excellence, his visionary instincts birthed The Church I See and made New Wine Church one of the leading dynamic churches in the United Kingdom.
He is survived by ‘his Angel’ and wife Adejoke, and his three sons, ‘the three wise men’ Adeoluwa, Oreoluwa and Ifeoluwa.