By

Eniola Olatunji

The Baptist family on Friday at the Barnawa Baptist Church, Kaduna turned the funeral service of their late astute Lecturer, Rev. Dr. Joseph Audu Reni to his retirement service lamenting that the Baptist movement did not take care and celebrate the Lecturer while alive.

Kaduna Conference Pastor, Rev. Dr. Ishaya Jangado opened the flow of lamentations when he disclosed that his last moment with Dr. Reni was that the late lecturer told him he has many unpublished works and no resources to make them available lamenting that Dr. Reni’s family has no house to move to since their bread winner with all the hard work for the convention had no house of his own except the official residence in the Kaduna seminary.

When his offer on behalf of the conference was seen as little, groups and individuals made offers with the Baptist Women Union, Kaduna branch blazing the trail with a million Naira and a committee to coordinate the offering promptly put together. The Committee said the money raised will be used to rent an apartment for Dr. Reni’s family pending when a befitting residence will be ready for occupation but the Women Union announced that all their projects is hereby put on hold until a house is ready for Dr. Reni’s family.

President of the Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr. Israel Akanji popularly called ‘Zaki’ in the Baptist fold preached from John Chapter 12 verse 28 with the title: FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME. He said when anyone reaches his wit end on issues and situations we should just pray, Father, Glorify Your Name.

Photo: Baptist Convention President, Israel Akanji at the funeral in Kaduna.

According to him, the passage of Dr. Reni overpowered the Baptist Family and there’s nothing the Church can do about it but turn to God in intercessory prayers.

He disclosed that He and Dr. Reni finished at the Seminary in the same set but Dr. Reni, his well-known bosom friend was always the first to turn in any assignment or paper and he was always the last to submit his assignments adding that he was the only one to be first ordained in their set by the Baptist Church.

Said he: He was the first to be ordained in our set, I was not ordained at all when we went for the 1988 Convention and he was the first to preach in our set at that convention with his sparkling Queens English”.

Rev. Dr.  Akanji shocked the congregation when he disclosed publicly for the first time that his friend and Brother, Dr. Reni approved his taking over the Pastorate of the First Baptist Church, Garki Abuja where he served for 22 years before he became the Convention President.

Dr. Reni was removed from being Pastor of First Bapatist Church Garki in a wind of protest and many were dumb founded that his known friend took over his position but Dr. Akanji explained that he personally went to consult Dr. Reni who pleaded that he (Akanji) should take up the appointment.

Speaking on behalf of Lecturers of the Baptist Theological Seminary, Kaduna Rev. Dr. Pampe said Dr. Reni was a humble walking encyclopedia of Theology that all of them consult with a well arranged office and impeccable human relations that enhanced the good academic atmosphere in the Seminary, “No wonder he was great in historical documentation of Theology”.

Some institutions where Dr. Reni served as adjutant lecturer or on sabbatical sent goodwill messages the one from Baptist Theological College, Jos where many lecturers at the Kaduna Seminary served said Dr. Reni who was their Board member was a meticulous man who would review their minutes line by line and created a situation where they sent him minutes of meeting ahead of next meeting to save time. The institution said they learnt a lot from his humility and intense academic sense.

Several people took stern look at the white coffin in which Dr. Reni’s cold body laid before he was buried.

Patmos Media Line had reported that Dr. Reni died Tuesday 5th March 2024 at age 66 having been born 31st January 1958 and actually retired from the seminary last December before the Seminary authorities placed him on contract work.

Dr. Reni was hale and hearty when he woke up that Tuesday morning but told his wife, Mama Rosaline Esther Reni who had touched many Pastor’s wife who passed through the seminary after the Family Altar (Daily Family Prayer Meeting) that he was not feeling fine in his body and was immediately rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.

Fondly called Baba Reni, the man who teaches with a human face at the seminary was former Deputy President (Academics), former coordinator of Post Graduate Studies and lecturer in Church History before he retired last December and was re-employed on contract by the institution.

Rev. Reni authored many books and contributed to several scholarly works before his death.

Many families make their children to live with the Renis on Campus as Dr. Reni and his wife guided especially the youths to stardom.