MINISTRY
Called to Worship. Called to Serve. Called to Build People.
“The greatest privilege of my life is not standing before people – it is standing before God, and helping others encounter Him.”
— Matthew Olugbemi
Welcome
Built on Sacrifice, Faith, and Determination
Ministry has never been a profession to me.
It is not a weekend activity.
It is not a title.
It is not a stage.
It is a lifelong response to God’s call.
For more than three decades, I have had the privilege of serving God’s people through worship, teaching, pastoral leadership, mentoring, discipleship, leadership development, and community transformation. My journey has taken me across Nigeria, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ghana, and the United States, where I have seen firsthand that while cultures differ, the human heart continues to long for God’s presence, hope, healing, and purpose.
Everything I do—whether leading worship, mentoring a young leader, teaching Scripture, speaking at conferences, or leading organizations in the marketplace—is rooted in one conviction:
People matter to God.
And because they matter to Him, they matter deeply to me.
“The Church exists for nothing else but to draw people into Christ, to make them little Christs.”
— C. S. Lewis
Music
Victory
Glorify
A Gbe o Ga (We lift you)
My Name Na...
Music Video
Ministry & Worship
A Life Given to the Sound of Heaven
This is not a career. It is a calling — one that started before there was any stage, any audience, or any title attached to my name.
I grew up in a Muslim home. In 1993, I encountered Jesus Christ. That encounter did not just change my faith; it ignited a hunger in me to worship and serve — to give everything I had back to the God who had given me everything. The problem was, not many in my local church saw the potential in me. Better singers were always preferred. And so for a while, I watched from the back row.
That rejection did not break me. It shaped me.
Learning in the Shadows
The Discipline Behind the Calling
My growth in worship did not happen by accident.
I sought out people who were ahead of me. I attended Shalom Music School under Pastor Victor Jibuike, who invested time, love, and training into me. I was also encouraged by leaders and mentors who helped me keep going, including Ebele Osemena and Harry Oghogho of Freedom in Christ Mission. And my amazing colleagues that gave me that holy competition, we challenged ourselves to get better, not rivalry.
I learnt the importance of praying, waiting, being God-fearing, learning, loving and serving as fundamental requirement to growth and success.
There were times I would go from church to church, quietly observing what stronger worship teams were doing. I found out rehearsal times, slipped into the back seats uninvited, and watched how they practiced, arranged harmonies, sang, led songs, and prepared for ministry. I hid in the shadows, not looking for attention, but looking for growth.
Those hidden seasons shaped me.
They taught me that greatness is often formed privately before it is seen publicly. They taught me that excellence requires humility. They taught me that when God gives you a passion, you must be willing to submit to the process that develops it.
Growing Through Service
From Learner to Worship Leader and Trainer
When I moved to Ilorin for my studies, I joined the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Liveliest People Model Parish, Led by Rev. Sam Ore. By then, I had started polishing my singing, score songs, write songs, arrange vocals, and lead worship more effectively.
This became the golden era of that generation of the Liveliest Mass choir, as the parish brought together the likes of myself, Bolaji Olarewaju (Big B), Sam Amao, Dayo Tewogbade, Emmanuel Babalola and many more who grew to do great exploit in the ministry of music locally and internationally.
Because I wanted to keep growing, I started Glory Vocal School — not only to teach others, but also to keep learning as I taught. This became one of the earliest expressions of a pattern that has followed my life: I grow, and I help others grow.
In 1997, I was led to start the music outreach group OMRC — Olugbemi Matthew & the Royal Commission. It became a platform for worship, music outreach, training, and ministry. We ministered in churches, schools, universities, prisons, and across campuses, using music as a tool of service, encouragement, and spiritual impact.
This became a movement, as we raise teams, do outreach converts, fill up the indoor sport hall of Kwara state stadium for the gospel. Raised a team of amazing people, musicians and singers, some of which are now doing great exploit around the world, like the likes of Dunsin Oyekan, who was the team’s bass guitarist, and many more who are now professionals in their various fields.
That season raised many people, strengthened many worship teams, and created a ministry family whose impact later spread across different parts of the world.
From that season, God gave me the grace to grow in the Word and into a role of recognised leadership. I became the Music Director of the model parishes of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) across all of Kwara State. I trained church worship teams and individual singers. I was ordained as a Deacon in the RCCG, and I became a guest speaker at the Living Spring Music Festival — an international Gospel music festival hosted annually at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife.
With the OMRC team we did great exploits, ministered everywhere God opens the door, in prisons, different denominations, villages, rode on motorcycles to locations, slept on university walkways, hostels, even incur debts, go hungry, walk distances just to do the work and host music outreaches, giving our all, focusing only on Christ and the Joy of doing assignment He’s given us.
Lagos, Royal Crew, and Wider Ministry Impact
Expanding the Vision
In 2001, I moved to Lagos, where I served as Music Director and Church Administrator at RCCG House of David for 10 years. Got married to my wonderful wife and gift from God, Olubunmi Monisola (Adeyanju) in 2006, and we are blessed with three wonderful sons; Micheal, Samuel and Prince. During this period, the Lagos music outreach team continued to grow, and OMRC was later rebranded into Royal Crew. I was ordained as a Pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, House of David.
Through Royal Crew, we continued music outreaches in different parts of Lagos and other states in Nigeria. We staged worship events, trained singers, served churches, and released the album Victory, which received strong remarks locally and internationally.
The ministry also opened doors for wider platforms, including national television appearances, concerts, workshops, conferences, and international ministry engagements.
In that season I also:
- Released my debut album, Victory, which received strong recognition both locally and internationally.
- Appeared as a guest artist on a national television morning show.
- Organised the Professional Voice Workshop at Veritas Studios, Yaba, Lagos — training singers, music artistes, and speakers in the craft of the voice.
- Shared a stage with internationally acclaimed gospel artist Ron Kenoly of Integrity Music USA.
- Was a Judge at a Nigeria’s foremost Gospel Music Reality Show, The Next Gospel Star, which aired internationally.
- Performed alongside Muyiwa Olarewaju, a renown British Singer, Song writer and Broadcaster, one of the judges for the BET Sunday Best Talent show.
- Led Voice Conferences at the Living Spring Music Festival (2006, 2007, and 2009), serving as the main speaker for the voice training arm of the international festival.
- Toured Accra, Ghana in 2009 and 2010 with the OMRC team, ministering across major cities.
- In 2010, I was the guest speaker for the Ghana Worship Workshop, hosted by Kingdom Restoration International Ministry (KRIM).
During this period, the Redeemed Christian Church of God was going to start the Ambassadors Parish in Accra Ghana, a parish with strategic vision of reaching the elites in the city of Accra for Christ, and Matthew was assigned to establish the worship team for this mission and pioneer the music team of what is now the biggest Redeem church in the city of Accra.
The International Stage
Africa to the World
The reach of this ministry was never meant to stay local. In 2004, I became the first African and only Nigerian member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) in the USA and Canada.
In 2005, I was invited to represent Africa at the International Conference of Voice Teachers (ICVT) in Canada — an honour that positioned Nigerian worship voice training on a global platform. In 2009, I was invited again to the ICVT in France, and to give a presentation and performed on the opening platform. That same year, The Punch, one of Nigeria’s national daily newspapers, in Physical newspapers (before the era of online publications) published an article calling me “One of the Best in Africa.”
In 2008, I founded the National Association of Nigerian Teachers of Singing (N.A.N.T.S.) — a professional body for singing teachers in Nigeria, built to raise standards and give voice educators a formal home.
South Africa: New Ground
Taking Worship Across Cities, New Ground, New Altars
In 2011, I moved to South Africa — and I did not arrive quietly. Within weeks of landing, I launched a South African worship tour, ministering across Johannesburg and Pretoria.
In 2012, I raised a new Royal Crew team and launched Worship Explosion — a cross-denominational worship movement with one vision: to raise worship altars across the cities of South Africa. Worship Explosion brought together top music ministers from different church backgrounds, united by a shared conviction that people deserve to encounter God in worship like never before. Churches opened their doors. Cities were touched.
In that same season, I served in some of South Africa’s most significant ministry positions:
- Music Director, Kingsway International Christian Center (KICC) — one of the most recognised churches in the African diaspora.
- Music Director and Assistant Pastor, RCCG House of Praise, Johannesburg — leading worship and pastoral care in the heart of Johannesburg.
- Music Pastor, Springs of Mercy Church — continuing to plant the sound of worship in new communities.
- Corporate Worship Leader – One of the most unusual and formative assignments came through an invitation from First Capital Holdings, an international company, who engaged me to lead their entire organisation and staff in worship every morning before work hours — for one full year. Every day. Before the office opened. It was an extraordinary experiment in taking God into the marketplace, and it shaped how I think about faith, leadership, and the integration of purpose with everyday life.
- In November 2012, I was invited as Guest Music Minister at the International Gathering of Champions (IGOC) by Kingsway International Christian Center KICC London — one of the most significant annual gatherings of Christian leaders across the world, hosted by the renowned Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo.
The Teaching Legacy
Wherever I have gone, I have not just ministered — I have invested.
I have trained church worship teams and choir directors in Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa. I established the Royal Crew Music Ministers Conference in 2013, gathering music ministers from across South Africa for training, development, and fellowship.
My writing on music and worship has reached a global readership. My article “How Urban Music Affects Church Music“ on Academia.edu has accumulated over 5,000 views and 280 research downloads, drawing readers from the Bahamas, USA, Kenya, UK, Nigeria, Ghana, the Philippines, Australia, France, Belgium, Zimbabwe, Canada, New Zealand, India, South Africa, and beyond.
I continue to serve as Convener of the Music Ministers Conference Africa, contributing to the creative and spiritual development of worship leaders across the continent.
South Africa and Worship Explosion
Taking Worship Across Cities
In 2011, I moved to South Africa and began a new chapter of ministry and professional growth.
By the Grace of God, raised a new Royal Crew team and launched Worship Explosion, a music outreach mission with a vision to raise worship altars across the cities of South Africa. Worship Explosion brought together music ministers from different denominations who are sold-out to worshiping God in Spirit and in truth and created opportunities for churches and communities to encounter God through worship. This mission team consist of worship leaders, musicians, event planners, designs and photographers with just one purpose, to Glorify God.
In South Africa, I served in several ministry leadership roles, including Music Director at Kingsway International Christian Centre, Music Director and Assistant Pastor at RCCG House of Praise Johannesburg, and Music Pastor at Springs of Mercy Church.
One of the most unique experiences of that season was being engaged by First Capital Holdings to lead the organization and staff in worship before work hours every day for one year. That experience helped me understand that ministry is not limited to the church building. God can use worship, leadership, and service in the marketplace too.
South Africa Worship Explosion
South Africa Ministrations
The Marketplace Calling
From Ministry Impact to Product and Transformation Leadership
As I continued to serve in ministry, God also opened doors for me to grow professionally.
By God’s guidance, my journey moved into product management, agile delivery, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, marketplaces, banking, and executive leadership. What started as a life of worship and service expanded into building products, platforms, teams, and systems that solve real problems. Expanding impact beyond the church wall as God gave me the opportunity to be a global mentor to help, guide and educate professionals from different countries of the world, showing forth His glory as we bring light to lives with testimonies from many.
Over the years, I have served across organizations including iDbase Software, PwC South Africa, Gumtree, Nedbank, Solution Community, Anjola Consulting, and other digital transformation environments. My professional journey has included leading product teams, improving digital banking experiences, contributing to marketplace innovation, building AI-powered solutions, mentoring product professionals, and helping organizations connect strategy with execution.
For me, the marketplace is also a mission field.
It is a place to serve with excellence.
It is a place to solve problems.
It is a place to build people.
It is a place to bring values, purpose, and transformation into systems that affect lives.