The 2025/2026 academic session of the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso began with orientation for new students from August 11, 2025 and the resumption of returning students on August 12^th. After a series of orientation programmes including meeting some of the principal officers and being introduced to Seminary life; the Spiritual Retreat kicked off the formal beginning of programmes that bring the whole community together for the session. Thursday 14th August 2025 marked the beginning of refreshing and empowering of the two-day spiritual retreat for the entire Seminary community: students, faculty members, and staff. The retreat themed “Being with Jesus” and anchored on Mark 3:13-19, served as a time of renewal and spiritual preparation for the session just begun.

The Seminary President, Rev. Prof. S. Ola. Ayankeye, was away on official duty, and he was ably represented by Rev. Dr. Olaide Ajeigbe, the Seminary Chaplain, who ministered throughout the programme.

In his opening message titled “The Call to Be with Jesus”, Rev. Dr. Olaide Ajeigbe reminded the congregation that God calls those He wants, and His call is “purposeful, personal, and without compulsion.” He emphasised that God’s call is not first to ministry, but unto salvation. Without genuine salvation and total surrender to God, no one can truly fulfill their ministry or share in the rewards of faithful service, he preached. He stressed that the journey of being with Jesus begins with a heart that is fully yielded to Him.

After the message, Rev. Dr. Olaide Ajeigbe invited those who desired to renew their commitment to Christ or return to Him, to respond by submitting everything to the Lord and making things right with God. The atmosphere was filled with deep reflection as the congregation sang Baptist Hymnal 349 from the 1956 edition, “I’ve Wandered Far Away from God”, as led by Rev. Dr Victoria Ayano. This was followed by a prayer session led by Rev Prof. Olusola Ayo-Obiremi, the presiding officer of the day. She led both individuals and pairs to pray based on points taken from the message. Chief among these were to pray not to represent Christians in hell nor to be a preacher after rapture.

Continuing later in the day with the message “The Commitment of Being with Jesus”, Rev. Dr Olaide Ajeigbe lamented that many in today’s generation desire to speak for Christ without first spending time with Him. He noted the tendency for people to become disciples of the “men of God” rather than disciples of the God of men, and warned that such behaviour undermines true discipleship. He explained that Jesus calls His followers into His presence so that His character can be impressed upon them, and that this relationship must be driven by love, not compulsion. He emphasised that ‘Your best has not come but it will come through devotion to the Word of God’.  He thus admonished all to deliberately meditate on and memorise the Word of God and to break off from anything not allowing them to have close relationship with scripture and the God of scripture.

Believers, he said, should not wait for life’s challenges to push them into God’s presence. Rather, they must intentionally remain in fellowship with Him. This requires consistent prayer and fasting, taking time to listen to God as much as speaking to Him. He added that the cultivation of godly relationships with people at all levels; superiors, colleagues, and subordinates alike is very important in maintaining lasting relationships with God. He warned that “skipping this intimate relationship with God results in a lack of lasting spiritual fruit.”

The message ended with a time of prayer as the preacher led all to pray and Rev. Dr. Raphael Oparinde led in a prayer of commitment. Afterwards, the congregation sang Baptist Hymnal 353 from the 1956 edition: “Give of Your Best to the Master” led by Rev. Dr Timothy Amao. For the closing prayer, Prof. Ayo-Obiremi who presided in the stead of Dr Gabriel Oyeniyi led the congregation to pray for Faculty members as a follow up on the statement by the preacher that ‘If the overseer of your life is a waste, you will fail.’ Thus, God renewed everyone for the first two sessions of the spiritual renewal held in one day.

Reverend Dr Olaide Ajeigbe spoke further during the third session of the Spiritual Retreat on ‘Commission from Being with Jesus’. He reiterated that the first call is the call to be with Jesus. Being with Jesus is cultivating intimacy with Christ by knowing Him. The purpose of being with Jesus is to learn from Him in deeds and in words. We are called to be Christlike; to be with Hm that He may rub on us.

Only those who have been with Him are those he sends to preach. We are called to preach Christ, what he has done and what he is doing; not ourselves or our accomplishments. The big question for every minister is, “are you preaching Christ or yourself?” Dr Ajeigbe lamented about how Christian ministersare increasing in number but decreasing in impact.

The purpose of Jesus in calling the Twelve was to multiply His mission and for them

. . .  to have authority to drive out demons (Mark 3: 15 ). It is not about noise but about being empowered by God, having been with Him. Without spending time with Him, we will destroy what we should maintain in ministry. THINGS MUST CHANGE AND IT MUST START IN THE SEMINARY. Jesus wants to replicate Himself through and in us but HE cannot do it unless we stay with Him. We must get tired of ‘carrying title without mantle’, Dr Ajeigbe noted.

Prof. Oladejo, the Presiding Officer, led all in closing prayer after Dr Ayobami Ayanyinka led the singing of BH 363, I surrender all and Dr Olusanya led in a time of passionate prayer of commitment.

Other programme personnel for the two days were the Assistant Chaplains: Rev Drs Oyelowo and Oluwakemi Omotunde; the keyboardists: Rev. Drs Olusola Fasipe, Samuel Auda, and Rev. Isaac Akanbi; the student representatives: Rev. Femi Abolade, (Student Body President), Pastors Matthew Odewale and Richard T. Olabisi and the praise team. A significant annual event that happened was the choice of prayer partners to pray with there and then and throughout the stay in the Seminary. Pairs stayed to pray at the close of the morning session on Thursday and after the session on Friday as instructed. God indeed renewed NBTS community and made clear the need to be with Him as foundation for all we would ever be and do.

Oluwadamilola Oke (MDiv RE II) & James Bolaji (MDiv I)

for NBTS Advancement Centre