The Church which was named after Christ was established in the late 19th Century. The church structure was first sited at Igbo-Aje where our Primary School (Christ Church School) is now. It was roofed with thatch. Numerical strength of the pioneering members then was not up to one hundred. As it was the first church in Ilaro, there were so many challenges of confrontational oppositions from the traditional religionists, but the members stood firm in their newly received faith. As years rolled up, they were increasing in number and in early 20th century, a new church auditorium was built at Ona-Nla Quarters with a vicarage for the new vicar. The then new structure is what we now use as the church hall. In 1958, through the vision of then vicar of the church and with timely readiness of the great fathers and mothers in the church, the foundation stone of a new church building was laid and was completed within a few years. When other denominations from outside Ilaro saw how the church was flourishing, they came to establish their own churches such as African Church, Baptist Church, United African Methodist Church (U.A.M.C) Eleja and a host of others. Despite the fact that their membership was drawn from our own church, yet our church was growing from strength to strength. This led to the establishment of our own affiliate church named, All Saints’ Church, Leslie Ilaro. All these while, the whole of Yewa (then Egbado) was a district under Egba-Egbado Archdeaconry.
But when Egba-Egbado was released from Lagos Diocese to become a full-fledged Diocese in 1976, Egbado/Ifo was given an Archdeaconry with the seat of the Archdeacon at Christ Church, Ilaro. The then Vicar of the church, Revd. Canon A. Ogunlowo was preferred and collated the Archdeacon in the same year by the Rt. Revd. J.S. Adeniyi of blessed memory. In 1985, the church elders and many active members of the church formed a proposed Diocese Planning Committee with representatives from all churches in Egbado. This effort culminated in the approval by the church of Nigeria that Diocese of Egbado be established and the inauguration thus came up on “All Souls’ Day” 2nd November 1990.
The pioneering bishop was the Rt. Revd. T.I.O. Bolaji (now late). Consequently, the church got the status of a Cathedral as it named and called The Cathedral Church of Christ, Ilaro. The then Archdeacon Ven. J.A. Ogunlowo was appointed the first Provost of the Cathedral. At his retirement in 1996, he was succeeded by the Very Revd. S.O. Adekunle (now the Rt. Revd. S. O. Adekunle, Rtd). At the election and consecration of the Very Revd.S.O. Adekunle as Bishop the Bishop of the Diocese of Ile-Oluji, the Very Revd. S.O. Adewumi came on board as a the new Provost of the Cathedral in 2011. Revd. T.A. Faseyitan (now Canon) stood in as the eye of the Bishop during the period between the departure of Bishop Adekunle in 2009 and the arrival of Very Revd. S.O. Adewunmi in 2011.
The names of some of the men of God that have served as Vicars in the church include the following:
1. Revd. O. K. Ajose 1938-1945
2. Canon S.E.O Soyemi
3. Revd. Canon Ashley Dejo
4. Revd. Canon M.A. Adebanjo 1957
5. Revd. Canon S.O. Osiyale 1957-1964
6. Revd. Canon Falase Dec. 1964-1970
7. Revd. Canon J.F. Akinbanjo 1970-1975
8. Very Revd. J.A. Ogunlowo 1976-1996
9. Very Revd. S.O. Adekunle 1996-2009
10. Very Revd. S.O. Adewunmi April 2011- December 2015
11. Ven. N. B. Oluwatade
12. Ven. Abraham Ibikunle
CHIEFTAINCY
In order to give room for more development after consultation with the past Bishops, three chieftaincy titles were approved for the church.
They are:
1. Baba Ijo
2. IyaIjo
3. IyaEgbe, EgbeAya Bishop
The past “Baba Ijos,” include:
1. Chief Daniel Laditan
2. Chief FatooseOlurin
3. Chief A.A. Laditan
4. Chief C.K. Ojo
And the cuurent one is Chief Adebayo AlabiAdejumo
The past “IyaIjos” include:
1. Madam Afonja
2. Chief (Mrs) MorenikejiOlubiyi
3. Chief (Mrs) Adetutu.
The current one is Chief (Mrs) OlutayoIbikunle.
The past IyaEgbe, EgbeAya Bishop are:
1. Chief (Mrs) Yaro
2. Chief (Mrs) AdepateAdeoniye
3. Chief (Mrs) A.T. Areogun
The current one is Chief (Mrs) C.O. Ogunlolu JP.
NB: The write-up is culled from the Bishop’s Charge at the 2014 synod held at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Ona-Nla, Ilaro.