The ancient city of Ilesa, Osun State, is mourning the passing of Ruth Elton, the legendary British-born Nigerian missionary whose life of sacrifice, healing, and revival spanned nearly nine decades.
She died on Saturday, August 30, 2025, at the Sharon compound, Alafia Bamin Quarters in Ilesa. She was 91 years old.
Born on September 7, 1933, Elton was the only daughter of Sydney Granville Elton (Pa Elton), widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, and his wife Hannah.
She first came to Nigeria in 1937 with her mother to join Pa Elton in Ilesa, where the family would eventually be laid to rest.
Elton dedicated her life to missionary service, particularly across Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Osun States. She became fluent in both Yoruba and Ebira, working among local communities, and earned the name “Omotere” in Kogi, meaning “the one who does good.”
Her work extended beyond evangelism. She fought against infant mortality, especially in Okene, Kogi State, where she campaigned for proper hygiene and condemned harmful practices like force-feeding babies.
In the 1970s, she renounced her British citizenship and naturalised as a Nigerian, showing her unwavering commitment to the country she called home.
She never married, choosing instead to give herself fully to the work of God.
During one of her missionary journeys in Kogi, Elton suffered a severe injury in an armed robbery attack. Her health was greatly affected, but her faith and passion for the gospel never wavered.
She continued to live quietly in Ilesa in her later years, drawing strength from her father’s prophecies. Pa Elton had declared that though Nigeria might be known globally for corruption, a time would come when it would be recognised worldwide for righteousness and prosperity. Ruth held onto that prophecy until her last days.
Her Father Pa Elton’s missionary work left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s Christian history. He helped nurture future church leaders such as Benson Idahosa, David Oyedepo, Francis Wale Oke, and Fred Adegoke, and was instrumental in anchoring campus fellowships across universities in the 1960s. Through his ministry, thousands of believers were discipled, many of whom later became general overseers of some of Nigeria’s largest churches.
Known as a progenitor of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, Pa Elton popularised doctrines such as Holy Ghost baptism and speaking in tongues, collaborating with Apostolic Church leaders and the late Ayo Babalola of Christ Apostolic Church to advance evangelism. His efforts reportedly led to the conversion of more than 15,000 souls.
Even before arriving in Ilesa, Pa Elton had prophetically named his dog “Ilesa” in Britain to remind himself of the city God instructed him to settle in. Once in Nigeria, he not only spread the gospel but also established churches and teachers’ training colleges to strengthen Christian education.
Though he passed on in 1987, his vision and ministry lived on through his only daughter, Ruth Elton, who chose a celibate life in order to carry forward her father’s missionary work.
Ruth Elton’s death in Ilesa closes a remarkable chapter in Nigerian church history. She embodied a life of sacrifice, humility, and devotion to the gospel. For Ijesa land, her presence linked generations directly to Pa Elton’s prophetic ministry and laid a foundation of Pentecostal faith still felt across Nigeria today.
Her remains have been deposited at the mortuary, and the Christian community in Ilesa and beyond is preparing to celebrate a life that was truly poured out as an offering to God.
Ruth Elton will be remembered as a mother in faith, a missionary who made Nigeria her home, and a woman whose quiet strength and prophetic witness touched countless lives.
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