For more than five decades, Evangelist Victoria Longe has quietly laboured across Nigeria and West Africa, preaching the gospel, nurturing children, raising missionaries, and funding mission work from the proceeds of her own businesses. Known affectionately as Mama Longe by many of her spiritual children, her life tells a story of uncommon sacrifice, deep faith, and unwavering commitment to God’s call.
In this exclusive interview with Adeola Ogunlade, the veteran missionary speaks candidly about her early conversion as a teenager, her marriage, the birth of her missionary vision, the challenges of funding missions, the decline of youthful interest in evangelism, and why she believes children’s ministry holds the future of the Church. She also shares powerful testimonies, personal struggles, and her concerns about how modern Christianity is treating mission work.
Beginning of mission work
EVANGELIST Victoria Longe traced her missionary passion back to her teenage years, shortly after her salvation experience.
“I was born again in 1969 in my hometown. I was still a teenager then,” she recalled.
After completing primary school, she did not immediately continue her education. However, her encounter with Christ marked a turning point in her life. The evangelistic team that visited her town did a three-week follow-up programme, supported by a local church, which helped ground her in the faith.
“There were teachings on fasting, Christian discipline, and other spiritual matters,” she said.
When she later had the opportunity to return to school, she made a firm decision to dedicate her life to serving God. “I told myself that I wanted to serve God and know more about Him,” she said.
This hunger for spiritual growth led her to join the Scripture Union (SU), an experience she described as deeply fulfilling.
“I was very happy in SU,” she added.
It was much later that she discovered that her husband had also been converted during the same crusade, in the same year, in Ilesha. The crusade was ministered by Evangelist Oke.
“After that encounter, my husband joined the mission team,” she said.
At the time, however, she could not follow immediately because she was still living under her parents’ roof. The mission team was known then as the Last Days Evangelical Mission.
In 1972, she gained admission into a Teacher’s College, which gave her more freedom to grow spiritually and participate actively in ministry. “That was when my Christian life really developed through the Scripture Union,” she explained.
By 1974, as she was nearing the end of her training, she had become certain about her calling.“I told God that I wouldn’t mind being a pastor. I wouldn’t mind ministering to people. I loved it, and I had that desire,” she said.
She admitted that her decision to follow Christ created tension with her parents, which made it difficult for her to remain at home. “I faced some problems with my parents because of my being born again. I didn’t want to stay around,” she revealed.
She later moved to Gbogan and Ode-Omu, where she began ministering actively in schools and helping younger students. “I was ministering in school, helping some students. When I had to leave, I handed over the fellowship. I didn’t want to abandon those students,” she said.
She recalled that some of them would even come to her house to take her back to minister to them. “There was a brother then, Okitika. He was both a worker and a student. He was very supportive,” she added.
Eventually, she was transferred back to Ilesha, where God opened another phase of her ministry. “After some time, God allowed me to minister among the elderly. I eventually became a pastor,” she said.
Deciding where to go for missions
Longe explained that her involvement in missions predates her marriage. “We were already doing mission work before we got married. I started going for missions when I was just 19,” she recalled.
According to her, her missionary journey across West Africa began in 1974. Over the years, she has ministered in several countries, including the Republic of Benin and Togo.
“I have been going to West Africa since 1974—the Republic of Benin, Togo, and other places. Even now, we still go. Last year we were in the Republic of Benin, this year again we are going to Benin, and next year, we will still be going to one of the West African coastal countries,” she said.
She noted that their mission trips are usually done as a team and are often guided by divine direction rather than personal preference. “We normally go together as a team. Sometimes, we don’t even know exactly where we are going until the time comes,” she added.
Reflecting on the early years of their ministry, Evangelist Longe revealed that for the first two to three decades, she was the primary financial backbone of their mission work.“For many years, especially in the early decades, I was the one working and sponsoring the missions. The money was coming from my businesses,” she explained.
She ran multiple ventures, including fashion design, cake baking, and event decoration, employing staff and operating from dedicated spaces. “I had workers, and we even used two-bedroom flats solely for the business. Everything was going on well, and the proceeds were used for mission work,” she said.
At the time, she was based in Lagos, but their mission fields were located elsewhere.“I was in Lagos then, but our mission fields were in Kogi and Niger states,” she said.
Mission, evangelical work then and now
The evangelist cum missionary elucidated that evangelism in those days was the heartbeat of church life. According to her, every activity revolved around soul-winning.
“At that time, when I was pastoring, if we were in church this week, the following week—after Bible study and Sunday school—we would review and then go out for evangelism. Everything was about evangelism then,” she recalled.
She noted that this passion also shaped her husband’s life and ministry. While he was in Zaria, in northern Nigeria, he joined other brethren to pioneer what later became the Calvary Ministries (CAPRO). “My husband was among those at the beginning of CAPRO,” she said.
The couple got married in 1978, and shortly after, God granted them a scholarship. Her husband studied Hospital Administration, but despite their academic pursuits, their hearts remained firmly set on missions.
“Even while studying, everything about evangelism was already in our heads. We didn’t wait long,” she said.
By 1980, they had returned to Nigeria, and within three years, after completing their service, her husband went into full-time missionary work. Evangelist Longe said she made a personal sacrifice at that point, choosing not to return to paid employment.
“I decided to support the ministry. I started an agro business, and while abroad, I also learned dressmaking. I came back with some industrial sewing machines, and since then, I have been sponsoring the work,” she explained.
She further revealed that the couple established free schools in several mission fields, paying teachers’ salaries monthly from their own resources.
“When we started the schools, they were completely free. We trained and paid the teachers ourselves every month,” she said. “Only in recent years have we stopped full payments, but we still support the administrators overseeing the schools.”
According to her, their schools are currently located in Kogi and Niger states, and they continue to invest in raising new missionaries.
“We sponsor many of them—some to the CMF School of Mission, some to our own missionary school, and others to learn English,” she added.
Challenges of mission work—then and now?
Longe posited that while mission work has always been deeply fulfilling, it has never been without its challenges.
“In those days, my husband would say it was a very fulfilling ministry. The real problem came when you wanted to go to the mission field and there was no money,” she said.
According to her, finances were a major challenge, but passion made the difference. “Even then, the passion was still there,” she added.
She noted that today, the same fire still exists among those who are properly trained. “Right now, we have some missionaries in training with Youth with a Mission (YWAM). They handed them over to us, and my husband has been taking them around house-to-house for about two months. When people are well trained and the passion remains strong, their impact will be immeasurable,” she said.
Longe said her own focus has shifted strongly toward children and teachers. “For me now, I am deeply involved with children and training teachers,” she said. “Just yesterday, I was at a seminar training teachers from different churches on how to minister to children.
“Next Tuesday, we will be visiting schools again. On Saturday, we are going to two villages to organise Christmas parties. But the real purpose of those parties is not just celebration—it is to reach the little ones,” she explained.
She said testimonies from children’s ministry have been overwhelming.“Testimonies are many. That is why I believe children’s ministry is not a waste. It is very profitable spiritually.”
Adult ministry
According to her, adults often become fixed in their ways. “When adults are trained, they remain who they are. Everything depends on leadership,” she said.
She believes society’s shift has also affected mission work. “One of the major changes came with the prosperity gospel,” she said.
She referenced the influence of Archbishop Benson Idahosa. She alleged that when Baba Benson Idahosa started the prosperity message, many people initially resisted it. But little by little, it entered the body of Christ. When money became the focus, things changed,” she said.
She stressed that despite this shift, some missionaries have remained faithful. “Those who are truly called are still there. But now, it is harder to raise young missionaries.”
She compared her own generation to today’s. “We joined missions when we were young—in secondary school and in the universities,” she said.
She lamented the loss of unity among Christian students. “Before, we had Christian Union and Scripture Union. Everybody was united. But later, denominational fellowships began to spring up everywhere. That affected unity.”
Academic journey
Longe also shared how the ministry delayed her formal education. “Mission work did not allow me to further my education early. I missed university education because of the mission,” she said.
She eventually enrolled at the West African Theological Seminary (WATS) when she was over 60 years old. “In January, when I was 60, I started my first degree at WATS. That was in 2012. I studied for five years.”
Even then, she was still hosting and caring for missionary children in her home. “One of my lecturers told me, ‘Mama, the way you are working, it looks like you will still do a second degree.’ I said, ‘If you give me a scholarship, I will.’”
She eventually earned a Master’s degree as well. “My first degree was in Education because I am a teacher. My Master’s was in Intercultural Studies,” she said.
Raising the next generation of missionaries
She further said her academic pursuits were intentional. “I studied intercultural missions because I want to raise young missionaries,” she said.
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She now mentors aspiring missionaries practically. “When young people come to me and say they want to do missions, the first thing I tell them is: go to a missionary school. Spend one year.”
She added, “If you don’t have money, we will help you raise it.”
Suppression, discouragement facing mission work
Longe did not hesitate in her response. “Yes. What is facing missions today is the church,” she said firmly.
She explained that in many Western countries, churches take deliberate responsibility for their missionaries. “In the Western world, the church sponsors their missionaries. They don’t allow them to suffer. They send regular support. But here, even when money is given for missionaries, it is sometimes diverted to other things. Meanwhile, missionaries are suffering,” she lamented.
According to her, this has discouraged young people from responding to the call of missions. “That is why we are not seeing many young people coming out. In our own time, we were ready to suffer. But now, it is much harder.”
She illustrated the economic realities with a personal example.“When I started working, with ₦120, my trolley would be full at UAC Foods. But today, even people earning ₦800,000 as a salary cannot enjoy the same value. So, young people look at missions and say, ‘No.’”
Encouragement to young people who feel called to missions
Her voice softened as she shared a moving story.
“At the burial of a woman we called Mama, the man of God said, ‘We want replacements for Mama.’ And when he called for replacements, many young people came out.”
She believes many young people are still willing—if they see support. “If they see sponsors, if they see backing, they will remain. But we are not encouraging them enough,” she said.
She emphasised her lifelong conviction. “I always tell people: God is faithful. God is faithful.”
She also challenged church leaders. “Even among pastors, how many of us want our children to be missionaries? People say it is suffering. But God is still faithful.”
She shared a recent example. “I’m planning a programme now. We are going to five villages. I told my missionary friend in Ghana that I will need nothing less than ₦1 million. Because if you give those children something good, they will never forget it.”
She smiled as she described how children still recognise her years later.“They see me in the market and say, ‘Ah, you don’t know me?’ They never forget.”
She stressed that the real problem is not the missionaries—it is the lack of encouragement. “When an individual sees you, they think you are coming with problems. That makes missionaries feel ashamed to make their request known so that the work of God will flourish. They are not free.”
She said this discouragement affects even missionary children. “That is why many missionary children are not ready. If I still get sponsors today, I will still keep missionary children in my house, train them, and support them.”
Balance family with mission work
She explained that she made deliberate sacrifices. “When I was raising my children, I was not going out much. I was the one raising money.”
She and her husband intentionally limited the size of their family. “We had only two children—two boys. Not because we didn’t want more, but because we knew what it takes to raise children in missions.”
She explained that missionary life requires responsibility. “You cannot take care of many children if you don’t have the resources. That was why we stopped at two.”
She added that her children were deeply involved in her academic and ministry journey. “One of my sons even met me here while I was doing my master’s degree at WATS. He was already a graduate before I went there.”
