Cleric rewarded for meritorious civil service

Minister of Religion and Philanthropist - Prophetess Teleola Martha Oganla (BEM) continues to put smiles on the faces of the needy through the Church she leads and the Charity she runs.

Prophetess Oganla is the Resident Pastor of Messiah C & S Church, London; and the Founder of Teleola Martha Christian Organisation (TMCO).

Her sterling work was rewarded with a British Empire Medal (BEM) from the Queen of England in 2020, but as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the investiture only took place recently.

At a colourful ceremony, Prophetess Oganla received her honour from Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for Greater London – Sir Ken Olisa. Sir Olisa is the representative of the Queen across the 32 boroughs of Greater London.

After relocating from Nigeria to the United Kingdom in 2003, she decided to start giving back to the community and support vulnerable children and adults, widows and women experiencing difficult relationships and domestic violence. This mission was further affirmed when she got a vision instructing her to support the needy and build an orphanage.

She founded the Teleola Martha Christian Organisation (TMCO) - a Non-profit Organisation with an aim of catering for the needs of the poor, orphaned, widows and vulnerable children and adults living in Africa, the United Kingdom and all over the world.

TMCO’s benevolence has included scholarships, sponsorship of orphans, widows, homeless, and the needy. It also provides a regular free breakfast buffet for the community in London. It provided palliatives in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic. TMCO has provided clean water for a community in Nigeria and recently built a bridge for a community in Ogun State.

Prophetess Oganla holds a diploma in Secretarial Administration, a Bachelor's degree in Theology and an Honorary Doctorate degree in Divinity. She is married to Baba Aladura Prophet Michael Oganla (JP) - the General Overseer of Messiah C & S Church Worldwide, and they are blessed with four children.

The British Empire Medal (BEM) was established in 1922 and is a medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. Recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters “BEM”.