Agyo, Daniel Atsiyamashi (1948–2003)

Daniel Atsiyamashi Agyo was an evangelist, pastor, and a church administrator in Nigeria for the North-East Nigeria Conference for nearly 33 years.

Early Life

Daniel was born on August 30, 1948, at Arum Tsavo, Wamba local government council, Nasarawa State, Nigeria, to the family of Mr. Agyo and Mrs. Aka. Manga. He was a native of Nasarawa state, Wamba local government, and from Arum-Tsavo local community. Daniel was born to a family of three children, including daughters Wwaza and Adu’aka. He was the only surviving male child in the family. There were other children, but they did not survive. Daniel was also the youngest of the three surviving children. He grew up in Arum Tsavo and was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church on February 10, 1962, at the age of 13 by Pastor Simon Nasamu, After his baptism, he moved to Jengre to live with Pastor Bulus Kakwi and was always traveling with him to preach the gospel of Christ to people. He was the first person to become a Seventh-day Adventist in the Nasarawa state.¹

Education and Marriage

He started his primary school at Kango from 1963-1965, then he later moved to Seventh-day Adventist missionary school Jengre where he obtained his primary school certificate from 1966-1969.² Upon his completion of the primary school, he attended Adventist College of West Africa from 1973-1977, where he obtained his pre-seminary certificate. This qualified him to attend Adventist Seminary of West Africa³ for his theology degree program, which lasted from 1983-1986.⁴

In 1978, he married Sheba Agyo, an Amo by tribe, who he met at Warsa, Lere Local Government of Kaduna state, while he was a pastor there. Their union was blessed with five children: Sarah Anitsi (1979-2016), Abigail Lovely Agyo, Lilian Lydia Agyo, Samuel Nnongha Agyo, and Anna Wwaza Sarah.⁵

Ministry

He started his ministry immediately after he received his certificate of primary education. He was posted to Mangar as a Bible teacher in 1970 and was later transferred to Zaria to be a church pastor from 1971-1973 before moving to Adventist College of West Africa for study. On his return from school, he was posted to the following churches to work: Warsa to be a church pastor in 1978 and that was where he met his wife; Maiduguri 1978 as a district pastor; Kafanchan district pastor from 1980-1983; then he moved to the Adventist seminary of West Africa in 1984 to continue with his studies. Upon his return, he was sent to Maiduguri to serve as a district pastor in 1986. In 1987, he was elected to be the Youth Director for the mission field he served, the North–East Nigeria Mission from 1987-1990. From 1991-1992, he was in Arum Tumarah as the district pastor, and at the same time the Lay Activities director and was the Church Ministries director for the mission from 1993-1995. In 1996, he was appointed the chaplain of the Adventist hospital in Jengre. In 1997-1999, he was the Nyanya district pastor, then the ministerial secretary for the mission from 2000-2003.⁶

Later Life and Contribution

Pastor Daniel Atsiyamashi Agyo passed on November 10, 2003, after a protracted illness,⁷ He served the church for 33 years and was 55 years old when he died. He was survived by his wife, Sheba Agyo; five children including four daughters--Sarah (who died in 2016), Abigail, Lilian, and Anna--and one male child, Samuel.⁸

Pastor Agyo contributed immensely to the department of Lay Activities by organizing the Women’s Ministries department and the Adventist Men’s Organization. He left a landmark by creating a very strong Lay Activities department at the conference level. He will be remembered for the fact that he was not only the first Adventist from Nasarawa State, but also the first Adventist pastor from that state.⁹

Sources

Certified copy of death certificate for Daniel Agyo, November 10, 2003, V. S. registry 34, plateau state Nigeria. Retrieved from North-East Nigeria Conference Archives, Bukuru, Plateau State, Nigeria.

Daniel Atsiyamashi Agyo’s personal service record and educational record. North-East Nigeria Conference Archives, Bukuru, Plateau State, Nigeria.

Notes

1. Lilian Lydia Agyo, daughter of Daniel Agyo, interviewed by author, January 4, 2023.↩

2. Pastor Daniel Atsiyamashi Agyo’s educational record. Accessed from North-East Nigeria conferences achieved on December 2, 2022.↩

3. Ibid.↩

4. Ibid.↩

5. Lilian Lydia Agyo, daughter of Daniel Agyo, interviewed by author, January 4, 2023.↩

6. Daniel Atsiyamashi Agyo’s personal service record, North-East Nigeria Conference Archives.↩

7. Certified copy of death certificate for Daniel Agyo, November 10, 2003, V. S. registry 34, plateau state Nigeria. Retrieved from North-East Nigeria Conference Archives.↩

8. Lilian Lydia Agyo, daughter of Daniel Agyo, interviewed by author, January 4, 2023.↩

9. Ibid.↩