About Us

Brief History of Divine Touch Missions

Divine Touch Missions was incorporated as a missionary organization in 2010 but its activities had been going on (as individual and Christian group effort) without a particular name for over a decade.

The Founder & Senior Pastor, Cornelius Dickson Timighe became born again in Deeper life Bible Church in October, 1984 in Lagos. From thence he began to receive ministrations and revelations concerning ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ to rural set-ups, though he did not understand as at then.  But as he gradually grew in the Lord, these persistent revelations and deep feelings became clearer while he also was unconsciously involved in rural evangelism at some point.

While still in Deeper Life Bible Church, he was one of the first Christian Workers sent to lead a Cell Fellowship in Tarkwa Bay 1986-87, a rural community across the Lagos Lagoon where even harlots also received the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. As at the time of writing this brief history, we gathered that what started as a Cell Fellowship under a tree in Tarkwa Bay has expanded to two Church Districts of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry.

In one of the trips to lead the Fellowship at Tarkwa Bay, his then Area Leader (Legico Area under Ikoyi/Victoria Island Zone as at then) in the Deeper Life Bible Church had indicated interest to cross the Lagoon with him on Sunday to witness physically the growth report received weekly from the Cell Fellowship. The night breaking Sunday, the Area Leader had a dream and said, “we were crossing to the other side of the lagoon as planned and there were other brethren in the boat, but at the middle of the lagoon there arose heavy waves such that the boat was almost capsizing and Brother Cornelius the Leader of the trip rose up and assured everybody not to be afraid because the Master (Jesus) is on-board and is in control”. The Area Leader needed Brother Cornelius to assure him that it is safe to cross the lagoon before he could venture into it, and Brother Cornelius actually assured him there was nothing to fear since the dream has clearly explained itself that the Master Jesus is indeed in control. They made the trip successfully.

On several occasions he would see himself in dreams being paddled on canoes to remote locations to minister the gospel or holding crusade meetings in villages and rural communities. One of such notable night vision (1986) was a successful crusade held in a known rural community in then Rivers State but now Bayelsa State and a highly known and anointed man of God in Nigeria who also ministered in the crusade, came on-board a boat he was sitting with two other people and then began to advise him on the new assignment of church handling in a set-up like this. Even if at that time he could not figure out how these revelations could be realized, yet he knew very clearly they were not ordinary dreams and that God was pointing something to him, though may not be realized immediately.

In 1996, now in Port Harcourt, employed as an Engineer in one of the Oil & Gas companies in Nigeria – supposed to be living a goodly life, but there was an experience of ‘void’ in his Christian life: not because of immoral sins or other forms of disobedience, so he prayerfully traced it to unfulfilled responsibilities in God’s vineyard. And those revelations and dreams came to mind, convincing him that that is a divine assignment yet to be fulfilled in his life. He joined with other believers to organize a successful crusade in Ikebiri community in 1996, but there was no adequate arrangement in place to follow-up and establish the converts to any Body of Christ because everybody went back to Port Harcourt after the crusade. You can’t believe that all the converts backslide and went back to idolatry, most of them to ‘Egbesu’ deity followership. (Egbesu worship is one of the prominent demonic worship with myriads of followers in the Niger Delta – mostly young men and their multiple wives). It was very painful and disappointing that all the effort of fasting & prayers with huge financial commitment could not yield even one single soul.

At some point he would have his vacation from work and head to Ikebiri Community and volunteered to teach in the Secondary School, while also using such opportunities to preach Jesus Christ to the students. On one of his first trip to survey the possibilities to minister the gospel in the community; arriving the village at about 5pm from Port Harcourt, two young ladies who were external candidates preparing to write the West African Examination Council (WAEC) that year, came asking for the Pastor. He was told some ladies were asking after you and as he met them, he never knew meeting them before. One of them said, we have never met you before but she narrated that she had a dream in the night where someone told her that a pastor would be coming today to Ikebiri Community and that he has some information for her. She had been asking since morning until the evening when someone just told her a Pastor has just arrived from Port Harcourt. (The ladies were non-indigenes of Ikebiri Community). It was almost like a surprise to him but quickly realized the burden in his heart that has led him for the trip. He then ministered the gospel of Jesus Christ to them and both of them received Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord that evening. He bought bibles and sent to them later because they have never had bibles in their lives.

There was also an incident of a young man who was a member of the militant group in the Niger Delta but a native of Ikebiri community. His wife and him had visited an elder relative in the community and were seated beside the main road, and suddenly uncountable speed boats arrived with militants of more than 100 and started firing to the air. He was grieved in his spirit that after much effort in ministering the gospel in this community, almost all the young men and women were still involved in this kind of acts. They decided to leave that area and move to their accommodation at the outskirt of the community and saw a young man following them closely behind. They got to the house and the young man knelt down in front of Cornelius and said he was tired of the militant movement and therefore would want to give his life to Jesus and serve as his Lord. His heart was filled with joy and was convinced that the seed of His word is still germinating in the heart of the people, so there is no need for discouragement. That young man is presently, the music director of the Olodiama Area Headquarter of the Divine Touch Missions.

Another instance was when that Ikebiri Kingdom was on a process of presentation of their Constitution for adoption and Pastor Cornelius was invited as a Special Observer. His assignment was to point out any part of the constitution that infringe on the will of the Almighty God, proffer solution before adoption of the constitution. After few months of reading and they were to travel to the community again, then the Lord impressed this in his heart to provide a forum to minister the gospel to everyone gathered while reading the constitution. He therefore prepared some refreshment and announced at the beginning of the session for everyone to remain during the lunch break and that Pastor Cornelius has special refreshment for everyone. During that period the word of God was preached, and many responded to alter call. One of the persons who responded to alter call gave a testimony in the next session. He said he had lost a green coloured shirt that he loved wearing for more two decades. In a night dream, he saw the green shirt on his hanger and he was very happy and called on friends to rejoice with him. He is now the chairman of the Elders Committee of the DTM in Ikebiri Community.

As he continued on these trips to the community to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, the burden became more intense such that he was uncomfortable and had to pray vehemently for God to give him direction on what to do. He went further in 1998 and planned to secretly resign his employment with the Oil & Gas Company without the knowledge of his wife and children. But the Lord clearly restrained him and said, “I have called you for the burden you have today, but your employment is part of your calling. I shall bring someone to help you handle the works”. The Lord did according to His promises and the gospel began to grow in Ikebiri even for the fact that Ikebiri Kingdom is situated within the red zone of militancy in the Niger Delta. While concentrating to establish in Ikebiri, several doors of ministration in other communities were opened.

Presently, at Ikebiri, Divine Touch Missions has completed a model worship centre that seats more than 300 for adult and an attached children church of more than 200 seating; two other locations in smaller communities of Ikebiri community have begun DTM Sunday services and weekly activities.

In Yenagoa where the Headquarters will be located, the multi-purpose headquarters building is under construction whose foundation was laid middle of January 2015. Furthermore, presently studies are ongoing for the establishment of other locations in the rural, urban communities and even outside Bayelsa State.