With a heavy heart we announce

the passing of:

Bishop Woyin Karowei Dorgu (1958-2023)

It is with mixed emotions that we celebrate and mourn the call to eternal rest of the Rt. Rev Dr Woyin Karowei Dorgu, who until his death on Friday 8 September 2023 was the Church of England Bishop of Woolwich Episcopal area in the diocese of Southwark.

Karowei was born to a renowned Anglican Christian family in Burutu in the present-day Delta state, Nigeria. He grew up in the Southern Nigeria as a brilliant boy who later studied medicine at the University of Lagos. Karowei was a truly born-again Christian who saw himself as a child of God and a witness to the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ to nations.  He obeyed God’s call to leave Nigeria for England as a missionary.  On coming to England, the early Chaplains of the Nigerian Chaplaincy namely: Ken Okeke (later Bishop Ken Okeke) and Jacob Ajetunmobi (Later Bishop Ajetunmobi RIP) were influential in guiding and supporting him in his journey to the priesthood of the Church of England. He studied theology (BA Hons) at London Bible College. He trained for ordained ministry at Oak Hill College, Southgate, and undertook his postgraduate theological research for MA Missiology at All Nations College, Ware. He was always keen to share the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.  Bishop Karowei was ordained Deacon in 1995 and Priest in 1996. His curacy was at St Mark, Tollington Park, followed by, in 1998, building the community of faith at St John, Upper Holloway, before being consecrated Bishop of Woolwich in 2017.

In the Nigerian Chaplaincy Community UK, Bishop Karowei was a colossus, and his positive contributions and influence were phenomenal. He served the Chaplaincy in various roles until he became a member of the management committee and a member of the trustee board. He later became the Chair of both the management committee and board of trustee for two consecutive tenures. He provided a home and a base for the Nigerian Chaplaincy at his Parish in St John’s Upper Holloway. He was highly loved and deeply regarded in the Nigerian Chaplaincy and amongst many Nigerians in the UK in general.

His death has created a huge vacuum in the Nigerian Chaplaincy UK. He will surely be missed.

Bishop Karowei was a man of grace who through the grace he received from God made history as the first person of Nigerian descent to be made a Bishop in the Church of England! In his death, we celebrate this special grace of God upon him, and we will continue to be thankful to God for raising him up and fashioning him as a vessel unto honour for the blessing of his Church and for service to humanity. In ministry, Bishop Karowei touched lives and led many to personal faith in Christ.

The reality, though a mystery is that Christians do not die. Jesus Christ declared ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies’ John 11:25. Apostle Paul argues that absence in the physical body for a Christian means presence with the Lord. Christians are strangers and pilgrims here on earth and our permanent home is in heaven. The death of a Christian is akin to falling asleep and anyone who sleeps at night will surely wake up in the morning. Christians don’t say goodbye at death but rather goodnight because, we shall all meet on that glorious morning at the sound of God’s trumpet and the voice of archangels when both the dead in Christ and those who will be alive will be caught up to meet with the Lord Jesus Christ. What a RAPTURE!

Therefore, we say:

Sleep on Bishop Karowei

Sleep and take your rest

We love you well but Jesus loves you best

Good night! Good night! Good night!