Bishop Lawrence Osagie, the Founder and General Overseer of the Powerline Bible Church is dead.

Bishop Osagie reportedly on Sunday, September 10, 2023, aged 65.

His death was made public through a statement issued by the Church earlier in the week.

Bishop Osagie, it would be recalled, celebrated his 65th birthday on May 6.

The church, which was founded 35 years ago, is conspicuously sited along the Oshodi-Mile Two express road in Lagos.

Osagie, a vibrant Pentecostal minister and one of the great operators of the powers and Ministry of the Holy Spirit was a proponent of the Word of Faith Movement, which he practised a lot.

Osagie, it would also be recalled worked with the Christ Chapel International Churches founded by Rev Dr. Tunde Joda.

He headed the Graphics Department of the church and was reputed to have designed the ‘He Reigns’ sticker which Christ Chapel was known for.

The payoff of Christ Chapel then was ‘He Reigns’. Members of that church used to greet themselves with the slogan, He Reigns.

Osagie, however, left the church to start Powerline Bible Church in 1988.

Reflecting on his ministry career when he was 60, he said in a report that, “The journey has been good. It has been like a whirlwind: rough and tough, but I have absolutely nothing to regret. Every day, we hear people’s testimonies, which are the things that make us go on; that there is a God Who answers prayers.

“They testify that God and His word are real and that God is Who He says He is. We have had it for 30 years and He has given us the opportunity of life and health, and we will spend it serving him and serving the people – that is the joy.

It’s been beautiful and there is absolutely nothing to regret in the past 30 years of ministry. God has blessed me.”

He also dropped a hint on his succession plan for the ministry in the report. When asked who will take over the ministry from him he said, “That is a very simple thing, because I do not own the church. On several occasions, I have said this openly, and that is still the same situation. God is the One Who raises people and puts them in authority and He is also the One who brings people down from authority. I believe that God is grooming somebody to replace me.

“When I started 30 years ago, my plan was to step down from pastoral office and probably go into teaching and preaching ministry upon hitting 55. However, when I was 55, I discovered that I had not even scratched the surface, and now I am 60.” (Sunday Independent)

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