Pastor Theophilus Owase

"Heavens gain indeed. Everyday I see your pictures sir, tells me you still live on and I carry it that way, can’t believe just concluded ICLC will be the last time I will see and talk with you Pst Sir. It hurts so bad, it breaks my heart knowing you are no longer with us but glad you are in Heaven. Thank you Pst Tee sir for giving my life a meaning, thank you sir for loving me the way you do, thank you sir for training in leadership. My days on campus was blessed and inspiring because of your teachings. I love you forever dada and yes am gonna keep winning souls for Christ just as you love it. I deeply miss you dada"

"Most esteemed pastor Theo, it is so hard to write , We miss you greatly, We are definitely sure that you are resting from all works . Till we meet at the resurrection morning."

"Most esteemed pastor Theo, it is so hard to write , We miss you greatly, We are definitely sure that you are resting from all works . Till we meet at the resurrection morning."

"Dearest pastor Theo, I still find it had to believe, but then again I remember you for all you were. I remember my first Sunday service with you, it was so beautiful, and from then I always looked forward to every service, I remember how you taught us to always respond, I remember your favorite Worship song, at almost every service we always sang "with my voice lifted up", I remember how you loved thanksgiving. Instead of crying I give God thanks for the beautiful life you led, the lives you imparted and changed, thank you for putting little pieces of you in all of us. I love you forever pastor sir."

"My Pastor, My Father, My mentor, My Friend Thank you for loving me so genuinely, thank you for calling me your D, there was something so special about hearing you call me that, it made me feel loved, seen, and safe, you were always intentional about my growth, my wellbeing, and the person I was becoming, you cared about the little things, you asked questions, you gave advice, you corrected me when necessary, you encouraged me when I doubted myself, you celebrated me, and you never stopped reminding me that I could do more, I remember being afraid of something one day and when I called you, your first question was, “Have you read your Rhapsody today?” That was you, even in moments when I was afraid or worried, you always knew how to point me back to God and remind me where my confidence should be, with you, I could talk about everything, there was never a conversation that felt too small or too big, you were someone I could always talk to, and now I find myself wishing I could have just one more conversation with you, I still cannot fully process that you are gone, a part of me keeps expecting to hear your voice, see your smile, or hear you call me, “D”, it still feels unreal, I keep thinking about the last time we spoke, I never knew that conversation would be our last, I never knew that the moment I walked away from you that day would become a memory I would hold onto so tightly Papa, I wish I had stayed longer with you that day, there are still so many things I want to tell you Sir. You were one of those rare people whose presence made a difference simply by being there. Thank you for believing in me, thank you for trusting me, thank you for correcting me, thank you for encouraging me, thank you for always pointing me to God, thank you for every conversation, every prayer, every word of wisdom, every reminder, every smile, and every time you called me your D, I may not have understood the full weight of your words while you were here, but I understand them now, and I will carry them with me. Whenever I feel like I cannot do something, I will remember your voice saying, “You can do it, D, I believe in you” and I will. Your D will keep growing, your D will keep becoming everything you saw in her, and your D will keep making you proud, I miss you more than words can say I love you, Sir Always and forever ❤️❤️"

"My Pastor, My Father, My mentor, My Friend Thank you for loving me so genuinely, thank you for calling me your D, there was something so special about hearing you call me that, it made me feel loved, seen, and safe, you were always intentional about my growth, my wellbeing, and the person I was becoming, you cared about the little things, you asked questions, you gave advice, you corrected me when necessary, you encouraged me when I doubted myself, you celebrated me, and you never stopped reminding me that I could do more, I remember being afraid of something one day and when I called you, your first question was, “Have you read your Rhapsody today?” That was you, even in moments when I was afraid or worried, you always knew how to point me back to God and remind me where my confidence should be, with you, I could talk about everything, there was never a conversation that felt too small or too big, you were someone I could always talk to, and now I find myself wishing I could have just one more conversation with you, I still cannot fully process that you are gone, a part of me keeps expecting to hear your voice, see your smile, or hear you call me, “D”, it still feels unreal, I keep thinking about the last time we spoke, I never knew that conversation would be our last, I never knew that the moment I walked away from you that day would become a memory I would hold onto so tightly Papa, I wish I had stayed longer with you that day, there are still so many things I want to tell you Sir. You were one of those rare people whose presence made a difference simply by being there. Thank you for believing in me, thank you for trusting me, thank you for correcting me, thank you for encouraging me, thank you for always pointing me to God, thank you for every conversation, every prayer, every word of wisdom, every reminder, every smile, and every time you called me your D, I may not have understood the full weight of your words while you were here, but I understand them now, and I will carry them with me. Whenever I feel like I cannot do something, I will remember your voice saying, “You can do it, D, I believe in you” and I will. Your D will keep growing, your D will keep becoming everything you saw in her, and your D will keep making you proud, I miss you more than words can say I love you, Sir Always and forever ❤️❤️"

"My Pastor, My Father, My mentor, My Friend Thank you for loving me so genuinely, thank you for calling me your D, there was something so special about hearing you call me that, it made me feel loved, seen, and safe, you were always intentional about my growth, my wellbeing, and the person I was becoming, you cared about the little things, you asked questions, you gave advice, you corrected me when necessary, you encouraged me when I doubted myself, you celebrated me, and you never stopped reminding me that I could do more, I remember being afraid of something one day and when I called you, your first question was, “Have you read your Rhapsody today?” That was you, even in moments when I was afraid or worried, you always knew how to point me back to God and remind me where my confidence should be, with you, I could talk about everything, there was never a conversation that felt too small or too big, you were someone I could always talk to, and now I find myself wishing I could have just one more conversation with you, I still cannot fully process that you are gone, a part of me keeps expecting to hear your voice, see your smile, or hear you call me, “D”, it still feels unreal, I keep thinking about the last time we spoke, I never knew that conversation would be our last, I never knew that the moment I walked away from you that day would become a memory I would hold onto so tightly Papa, I wish I had stayed longer with you that day, there are still so many things I want to tell you Sir. You were one of those rare people whose presence made a difference simply by being there. Thank you for believing in me, thank you for trusting me, thank you for correcting me, thank you for encouraging me, thank you for always pointing me to God, thank you for every conversation, every prayer, every word of wisdom, every reminder, every smile, and every time you called me your D, I may not have understood the full weight of your words while you were here, but I understand them now, and I will carry them with me. Whenever I feel like I cannot do something, I will remember your voice saying, “You can do it, D, I believe in you” and I will. Your D will keep growing, your D will keep becoming everything you saw in her, and your D will keep making you proud, I miss you more than words can say I love you, Sir Always and forever ❤️❤️"

"My Pastor, My Father, My mentor, My Friend Thank you for loving me so genuinely, thank you for calling me your D, there was something so special about hearing you call me that, it made me feel loved, seen, and safe, you were always intentional about my growth, my wellbeing, and the person I was becoming, you cared about the little things, you asked questions, you gave advice, you corrected me when necessary, you encouraged me when I doubted myself, you celebrated me, and you never stopped reminding me that I could do more, I remember being afraid of something one day and when I called you, your first question was, “Have you read your Rhapsody today?” That was you, even in moments when I was afraid or worried, you always knew how to point me back to God and remind me where my confidence should be, with you, I could talk about everything, there was never a conversation that felt too small or too big, you were someone I could always talk to, and now I find myself wishing I could have just one more conversation with you, I still cannot fully process that you are gone, a part of me keeps expecting to hear your voice, see your smile, or hear you call me, “D”, it still feels unreal, I keep thinking about the last time we spoke, I never knew that conversation would be our last, I never knew that the moment I walked away from you that day would become a memory I would hold onto so tightly Papa, I wish I had stayed longer with you that day, there are still so many things I want to tell you Sir. You were one of those rare people whose presence made a difference simply by being there. Thank you for believing in me, thank you for trusting me, thank you for correcting me, thank you for encouraging me, thank you for always pointing me to God, thank you for every conversation, every prayer, every word of wisdom, every reminder, every smile, and every time you called me your D, I may not have understood the full weight of your words while you were here, but I understand them now, and I will carry them with me. Whenever I feel like I cannot do something, I will remember your voice saying, “You can do it, D, I believe in you” and I will. Your D will keep growing, your D will keep becoming everything you saw in her, and your D will keep making you proud, I miss you more than words can say I love you, Sir Always and forever ❤️❤️"

"A Tribute to My Friend, My Older Brother, and Colleague Dear Pastor Theo, After knowing you for so many years, it was particularly during this past year, and even more so in these last six months, that I came to experience firsthand the depth of your love, compassion, and courage. I had known you for years, but in this season, I got to know you in a deeper and more personal way, and I am so grateful that I did. You were a brother and a friend. I recall one of our conversations that lasted almost an hour. You asked for my opinion on something very personal to you. At first, I thought you were simply being sarcastic, as you so often were. However, as the conversation continued, I realized that you genuinely valued my opinion. That moment opened the door to an even deeper fellowship between us, one that I will always be grateful for. You were an ardent follower of the Man of God, Pastor Chris, and a passionate advocate for the Campus Ministry. You were always thinking about growth, expansion, and impact. Your thoughts were: “If we are wrong, we will be corrected, but we can’t go back without massive results”. “This is the Campus Ministry of the Man of God, Pastor Chris, everything we do must be big”. We must deliver a million young people to Pastor. That was your mindset. You believed deeply in the vision, and you wanted to see it accomplished with everything in you. You were thoughtful and generous. I remember saying to you, “Pastor Theo, that jacket looks really good on you.” You immediately responded, “You like it, ehn?” and proceeded to tell me where you got it. Later that evening, my phone rang. “Pastor D, where are you?” I told you I was at the parking lot at Omnia Suites. “Wait there for me. Don’t go anywhere. I won’t be long.” A short while later, you showed up with a brand-new jacket of the same kind, for me. “If it doesn’t fit well, let me know. I’ll get you the right size tomorrow.” That was you, Pastor Theo. I didn’t even say I wanted it. You noticed things others didn’t give much attention to. You paid attention to people. You would check on everyone often, especially if someone missed or was late to a meeting: “I noticed you joined the meeting late, hope everything is okay?” Those little things said so much about the kind of person you were. You were a man of prayer, always present at prayer meetings. We could always guarantee that you would be there, on time, praying. Your commitment to prayer was not occasional or convenient. It was a part of your life and your service to the Lord. You had the heart of a pastor. You were thoughtful and considerate of people’s excesses. You were never afraid to tell people the truth to their faces, but even when you disagreed with someone, your love for them did not change. A disagreement was simply a disagreement. It did not become a reason to withdraw your love. You would make concessions for people and continue to stand with them. That was the largeness of your heart. You made such a lasting impact in the lives of all those who encountered you. There are so many moments, conversations, acts of kindness, prayers, and expressions of love that will continue to speak long after today. Truly, you impacted the world with the investment of your personality. You lived, you loved, you served, and you made your life count. You will never be forgotten. Your life is worth celebrating every day! I am grateful for the years, and especially grateful for these last months when I had the privilege of knowing you more closely. Looking forward to seeing you at the Rapture of the Church. I love you always!"

"*Tribute to an Elder Brother, a Cheerleader, and a Man of the Spirit* Our dear Pastor Theo, how beautiful are the feet that bore good news, the hands that guided, and the words that gently corrected, firmly supported, and graciously comforted. I will miss you until that glorious morning of the rapture of the Church, when we shall celebrate together again. 

One of the most challenging adjustments I’ve had to make has been not hearing your voice every weekday morning (except Wednesdays) on the Campus Ministry Senior Pastors’ call. A man of consistency, steadfast as the northern star. A man of prayer. Thank you for galvanizing us to pray at every opportunity. I remember the different opportunities seized on those calls to admonish us on the importance of our prayer and our attitude to participating in it.

With Pastor Theo, you could always expect candor. No sugarcoating, no hidden motives or agenda. He wore his heart on his sleeve, a man brazen in his loyalty to the ministry’s vision, to the man of God, Pastor Chris, and to the Lord Christ. Pastor Theo held no personal ambition or ulterior motives. He always desired what was best for all. He desired to walk in the truth. He would always humbly ask, “please tell me; I want to learn, if I’m wrong.” And he meant it with all humility. 

Amongst the Regional Secretaries in the Campus Ministry of LoveWorld, Pastor Theo was the binding force that held our brotherhood together, the one to assemble us to give towards the wedding of a brother, the one to call us to give a seed to past Campus Ministry Directors. He was the one to call individually, as led by the Spirit, to ask how our work was going, to give suggestions, to cheer us on. What a heart you have.

I am grateful to have rejoiced in your light, dearest Pastor Theo, and I will yet rejoice in it on that glorious day. You showed me greatness up-close. Thank you for your inspiring humility, giving me a space to have my opinions heard and letting them count. Your greatness never intimidated; it only lifted. You cared deeply, and made sure no one was ever left behind. 

I am grateful to the man of God, Pastor Chris, for causing me to meet such an extraordinary man as you, a man after God’s own heart. It’s true that Heaven has gained, but you will be sorely missed on this side of Heaven."