Kayode Oyebode: The legend that brought Mount Zion into film Productions
By Oluwafemi Dosu
Kayode Oyebode is of no doubt a quiet achiever with enviable track records.
A lot of People know Mount Zion as Christian movie making ministry. A lot of people know AGBARA NLA, THE ULTIMATE POWER, IDE ESU, IBERE OPIN AYE, PERILOUS TIME, GREAT MISTAKE, BLOOD COVENANT, those great movies of the 1990s which brought salvation and revivals to multitude of lives across the world.
People know Mount Zion Film Productions, but a lot of People did not know that Evangelist Kayode Oyebode (Oju Oluwa) was the Man the Lord used to bring Mount Zion into film Productions.
The president of Mount Zion Faith Ministries, Evangelist Mike Bamiloye in a recently post on Kayode Oyebode’s birthday revealed that the first attempt of film production in Mount Zion was a flop in 1984, saying several days of fasting and prayers and determination to gather together to make a movie brought forth a colossal failure and waste after about six weeks of shooting SECRETS OF THE DEVIL in 1984.
According to him, a large number of drama ministers from campuses, churches and ministries gathered at Orita-Mefa Baptist church for more than five weekends for rehearsals and preparations to shoot the first major Christian movie in 1987. “AGBARA TO JU AGBARA LO” was a great flop as the cameraman ran away with the entire tapes of the raw shoots of the work.
Gospel Film News gathered that all cast and crew including members of Mount Zion Faith Ministries were discouraged by this flop and the Lord told them to shelve the idea of movie production and go on with stage ministrations from churches to churches. Therefore, they forgot about film productions and began massive stage ministrations in cities like Kano, Kaduna, Warri, Jos, Ilorin, Lagos, Zaria, etc.
“In 1990, we had a drama ministration of “THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANT” in Ikole Ekiti, and the Church that invited us to stage the drama also invited a Camera man from Ibadan to come and record and document the popular drama. That Cameraman who came to record the drama that night was KAYODE OYEBODE, of KAY TECHNICAL & AUDIO VISUAL COMPANY. After the very powerful drama production that night, he approached us if we consider recording this drama like a television drama, we told him we would think about it. We collected his contact and we parted. We never believed him, because we have been disappointed by party cameramen who failed us and messed up all our efforts.
“Then, another person who invited us for the same drama begged us to help him record the drama so that he could sponsor it on television for Easter. So we contacted Kay Technical again, about recording the drama for the man. Mr. Kayode Oyebode advised us to record it like a television drama instead, according to his earlier suggestion. We didn’t actually know how to make movies. The earlier attempts were full of technical blunders. But Mr. Kayode Oyebode has been into movie productions far ahead of us, shooting secular movies. So we trusted him, and began planning. He helped us to shoot the movie. He practically directed the movie and he took me to NTA Ibadan, to edit the movie there. Wherever he was going concerning the production, I was following him. I was learning,” he stated.
In the Easter festive period of 1990, THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANT was broadcast on NTA 10, Lagos, Gospel Film News learnt.
He continued: “We were in Lagos sitting on the floor of the living room of a host of ours as we watched the Movie on television! Then it occurred to us! We have made a Movie! We have made the first Mount Zion Movie! What we had suffered to do, and the Lord told us to leave it and go on stage, had finally been done without stress.”
With that encouragement, Bamiloye wrote another script: BEGINNING OF THE END and the ministry went on location again, in October 1990. Kayode Oyebode directed BEGINNING OF THE END with Mike Bamiloye. Oyebode supervised the editing of the movie as himself and Bamiloye were together many days and nights with the editor to monitor the job. The movie came out very powerfully, and many churches used it for Retreat.
In 1991, Kayode Oyebode shot ‘LOST FOREVER’, ‘THE LAST GENERATION’ and ‘IBERE OPIN AYE’ the Yoruba version of ‘THE BEGINNING OF THE END.’
Then, Mr. Kayode Oyebode, Kay Technical took another bold step for the Mount Zion Faith Ministries by convincing them to go into the cinema and they agreed. Thus, “IBERE OPIN AYE” came into the major Cinema in Ibadan at the Easter festive Season of 1992, showing at D’Rovan Hotel, and KS Motel Cinema, Oritamefa, ibadan. It was a blockbuster gospel horror movie and caught the attention of multitude of people. The children of the then Oyo State Governor were brought with escorts to watch the Movie at the cinema. “IBERE OPIN AYE” probably became the first Nigerian gospel movie to enter into the Cinema at the time.
In 1992, Kayode Oyebode shot the very famous movie at the time, THE PERILOUS TIMES; (Chikaya! Daughter of Darkness) and in 1993, he launched into the first celebrated TV serial with Mount Zion. He was the one the Lord used to shoot the TV movie, ‘AGBARA NLA.’ The following year, 1994 he again shot ‘THE ULTIMATE POWER.’
Bamiloye revealed that “When we came in contact with him in 1990, he was a stack unbeliever. So we were working with him by faith and with patience. His lifestyle was completely opposite ours. But we had to work with him with the love of Christ. On film location he was compelled to undergo all the prayers and sometimes the fasting with us. And gradually, along the way, he gave his life to Jesus Christ and became completely converted. He came to Mount Zion Institute of Christian Drama in 1994 and shot all Mount Zion movies till 1999. Evang. Kayode Oyebode. a great man of God, humble and quiet. This is the man the Lord used to help us into movie productions.”
His ministry also made many gospel movies like IPINNU, ASIRI IRETI, etc. For many years, he was on Radio and Television holding the program: OJU OLUWA.
Today Evang. KAYODE OYEBODE is the General Pastor and Founder of Green Pasture Holiness Bible Church, Ogungbade, Ibadan. He still has his Drama Team and still make movies. His Film Production Ministry, Kay Technical Film Productions is Clocks 25years this year and he is Celebrating his 60th Birthday.
To celebrate this Evangelist, a program of event has been organized which will start on 24th May, 2019 with Press Conference and Exhibition of all his old films from ‘Iji Aye’ to ‘Oja Ogo’ at BCOS hall, Orita Basorun, Ibadan. 25th May is the grand finale and award presentation plus celebration of his faithfulness at Apex Events center, Yidi Agodi gate, Ibadan. 26th May will be for thanksgiving service at Green Pasture Holiness Church Ogungbade, Ife Road, Ibadan.
It is always good to celebrate our icons while alive not until death takes them from us before we begin to celebrate their exit. To be part of this event you can support financially to make it more colourful. Kindly send in your donations to the following details. No amount is small.
Alc Name: Kay Technical Evang. Films Int’l.
Alc No.: 0029653630
Bank: Access
SOURCE: Evang. Mike Bamiloye’s Archive
