Adventures at St. Anne’s Church, Molete (80s-90s IBADAN)
Uche, I, and others were part of a band named OYV ( Oritamefa Young Voices), a group of young kids with some sort of musical talent. We were invited to youth events in various churches that knew of us. Although we were from a Baptist Church, we often ministered at Anglican churches. I am not sure if this was due to Mrs Ojeh’s family association with the Anglican church or her association with the Scripture Union. The number of church leaders who had been in the Scripture Union was growing, and this made it possible for people across denominations to be acquainted.
We honoured an invitation to perform at St. Anne’s Church in Molete. For those who knew what St. Anne’s church was like in the 80s and 90s, the current site was under construction while the old chapel was in use. Under the influence of Enid Blyton books and “The Hardy Boys” series, we always found opportunities to seek out adventure. Sometime during the event, Uche and I wandered off from the Old Chapel to the newer church that was under construction.
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The new church was built in a triangular shape that mirrored the architecture of the smaller auditorium in our church. According to my dad, the missionaries often replicated architectural ideas that they were used to in their home countries. They came from countries where it snowed, and that was why they designed churches with sloping roofs. The idea was to ensure that snow could not accumulate on the roofs. Our smaller auditorium at Oritamefa Baptist Church had geometrically shaped holes in the walls from the top to the bottom. These holes were added so that airflow could be maintained throughout the building without the need for fans. While the overall design was based on a design suited for cooler climes, some level of localisation was added to make it suit its environment. I found it quite interesting that St. Anne’s had maintained the sloped roof design in its new building since this was obviously being built by and for Nigerians.
As Uche and I entered the dark construction site, we saw a staircase to the right, and we made our way to the church gallery. Looking out in the dark, it was possible to see what the completed church was going to be like. Suddenly, we heard a sound. In our heads, we assumed the security guard was on patrol and coming to get us. That’s when we wished we had rubber shoes that they talked about in the adventure books; the ones their detectives often wore as they fled the crime scene. Unfortunately, this was Molete and not Missouri, Olopa and not “Cops”, reality and not fiction. The moment we got downstairs, we fled back to the old church before the service ended.
