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James O. Eregare

Photo courtesy of Emmanuel Eregare.

Eregare, James Onorakpene (c.1933–2013)

By Emmanuel Orihentare Eregare

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Emmanuel Orihentare Eregare (M.A., Ph.D.) is the director for General Education Studies and the site director at Adventist University of Africa (AUA), where he also serves as an adjunct professor of church history. He served as a senior lecturer in the Department of History and a pastor at Babcock University, Nigeria. Eregare is married to Bolanle, and they have three children. He has published several books and articles. 

First Published: April 25, 2022

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James Onorakpene Eregare was a pastor, chaplain, evangelist, and church administrator in the West Nigeria Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which covered the present Edo and Delta Conferences.

Early Life, Family, and Education

James Onorakpene Eregare was born in the town of Oruerakpo in Agbon Kingdom, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria. Because his parents were illiterate, the date of his birth was not recorded.1 It is believed that he was born around 1933.2

Eregare was raised in the village of his birth with no opportunity for primary education until he was a teenager. With the help of his elder brother after the death of his father around 1942, he migrated to Okitipupa in Ondo State in the southwestern region of Nigeria, hoping for a better life. In Okitipupa, he had the opportunity to gain a primary education at the Saint Paul Primary School. After completing primary education, he worked as a clerk in a sawmill owned by a British Company.3 Due to hazardous working conditions, particularly for his eyes, he decided to go into the oil business. It was during the peak of his oil business in 1955 that he came in contact with the Seventh-day Adventist faith through two indigenous evangelists, A. Solademi and A. Alabi. Without wasting time, Eregare, though a Roman Catholic, was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church the following year, 1956, because of his conviction of the Sabbath message.4

Eregare married Comfort Akusu from Opkara Water-Side, Ethiope East Local Government Area in Delta State.5 Comfort complemented Eregare’s work by taking care of the family and engaging in small trades. Each time Eregare was transferred, she would leave her business and start up another in her husband’s new station. The Eregares had five children: Godwin (1968-1996), Blessing, Janet, Emmanuel, and Edafe. Godwin died just as his father was about to retire, which was particularly devastating for the family as Godwin was the only university graduate among the five children, and it was hoped that he would provide for the family.6

Ministry

Following his baptism, Eregare briefly trained to become a minister and soon was transferred to Ile-Ife (now Osun State) as his first station as hospital chaplain the same year was baptized. In 1957, he was called to assist Pastor S. A. Majolagbe in Benin City as the first set of missionaries to the present-day Edo State. In 1959, he decided to go for further studies in Adventist Secondary School, Bekwai, Ghana where he obtained his West African School Certificate in 1960. He proceeded also to the Adventist College of West Africa where he received his GED Certificate in 1962 also.7

From 1964 to 1968, Eregare pastored in Okitipupa, in the present Ondo State of Nigeria, as pastor under the leadership of Jacob A. Makinde, who was the church district leader of Okitipupa. Eregare worked as a chaplain in the Adventist hospital and as an evangelist in Ile-Ife. In 1964, he served for some months at Ugbo, another town in Ondo State. While in Ugbo, he was instrumental in the conversion of the king of Ugbo, Oba Mafimishebi, and the Ugbo community into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Unknown to Eregare, the king set a test for him and send a lady to tempt him. The king and the community were impressed when Eregare refused to engage in sexua promiscuity. Eregare's moral purity opened the door for the king to listen to and later accept the Adventist message.8

Around June 1969, Eregare served at Ile-Ife for the second time as a chaplain ministering to the sick in the various wards at the Adventist hospital. By 1970, Eregare accompanied one of the American missionaries, J. D. Johnson, to Nigeria to work in Ile-Ife, establishing churches. During his ministry in Ile-Ife, Eregare was accepted to Oakwood College (now Oakwood University) in 1973 in the Bachelor of Arts in theology program, but he was unable to attend for financial reasons. In 1973, he was transferred to Ilesha where he continued his work. After two years in Ilesha (1973-1975), he returned to Ile-Ife as district pastor from 1975 to 1976 for a period of seven months. At the session of the West Nigeria Mission in 1976, he was elected the director for the departments of lay activity and Sabbath School, youth, and the Dorcas Society for the mission, a position he held till 1984. During his tenure, he had opportunities to attend various national and international seminars or conferences in-service training. By 1985, he was transferred to the Ikirun District in Oyo State as a district pastor until 1986. In 1986, Eregare was moved to Ilorin, Kwara State as the district pastor until 1992. Eregare received another call to serve in the Yaba District as a district pastor, which was his last district before he retired in May 1998. After Eregare’s retirement, he left Lagos for Sapele in South South Nigeria,9 where he made his retirement home.10

Legacy

Eregare’s 43-year ministry greatly impacted the members of the various communities where he served. He was one of the longest serving executive committee members of the West Nigeria Mission and later Conference—he served on the committee for about three decades. He is best known for his leadership roles serving in about eight states of the federation before his retirement in 1999. After his retirement, Eregare worked on contract as the Sapele district pastor for about two years. He died on June 16, 2013, in a city close to his hometown, Sapele.11

Sources

Eregare, Emmanuel Orihentare. “Eregare James Onorakpene.” Dictionary of African Christian Biography, 2014. Accessed September 19, 2021. https://dacb.org/stories/nigeria/eregare-james/.

“Eregare James Onorakpene.” Funeral brochure. In the author’s private collection.

Notes

  1. Emmanuel O. Eregare, son of James Onorakpene Eregare, personal knowledge as told him by his father.↩

  2. Emmanuel Orihentare Eregare, “Eregare James Onorakpene,” Dictionary of African Christian Biography, 2014, accessed September 19, 2021, https://dacb.org/stories/nigeria/eregare-james/.↩

  3. Ibid.↩

  4. Ibid.↩

  5. Ibid.↩

  6. Emmanuel O. Eregare, son of James Onorakpene Eregare, personal knowledge as told him by his father.↩

  7. “Eregare James Onorakpene,” funeral brochure.↩

  8. Emmanuel O. Eregare, son of James Onorakpene Eregare, personal knowledge as told him by his father↩

  9. A region of Nigeria comprised of the states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers.↩

  10. Emmanuel O. Eregare, son of James Onorakpene Eregare, personal knowledge as told him by his father↩

  11. “Eregare James Onorakpene,” funeral brochure.↩

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Eregare, Emmanuel Orihentare. "Eregare, James Onorakpene (c.1933–2013)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. April 25, 2022. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=7JH8.

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Eregare, Emmanuel Orihentare. "Eregare, James Onorakpene (c.1933–2013)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. April 25, 2022. Date of access March 14, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=7JH8.

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Eregare, Emmanuel Orihentare (2022, April 25). Eregare, James Onorakpene (c.1933–2013). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved March 14, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=7JH8.

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