A life of faith. A heart for people.
Meet Pastor Bola (Bolarinwa) Akinlabi: pastor, leader, mentor, wife and mother, and Global Co-Lead Pastor of The Elevation Church.
Pastor Bola Akinlabi
Building lives from the inside out.
Alongside her husband, Pastor Godman Akinlabi, Pastor Bola Akinlabi serves as Global Co-Lead Pastor of The Elevation Church. The church began in a hall on Lagos Island in 2010 and has grown into a global church family with expressions across Africa, Europe, America and beyond.
She brings her own gifts to building the church. Her strategic approach to leadership has helped shape key areas of church life, from the children’s ministry to the administration, people and financial structures that support the church’s growth.
Her ministry brings biblical teaching and practical wisdom together, with a particular heart for women, children and families.
Faith, structure and stewardship.
Before giving herself fully to ministry, Pastor Bola spent years in treasury and financial management. That work gave her a gift for structure, order and stewardship, and it is the foundation for how she serves today: building the church with care, clarity and integrity.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, an MBA from the University of Lagos (Unilag), and a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Strategy from the University of Oxford. She is also a Certified John Maxwell Leadership Trainer.
“Her worth is made up of so much more than the physical attributes that define her.”Pastor Bola on why Made for More exists, ThisDay, 2018
A ministry for women.
Pastor Bola is the visionary behind Jewels, the women’s ministry of The Elevation Church, and the convener of the annual Made for More Conference. Since 2015 it has grown from a gathering in Lagos into a movement with editions in London and Toronto, helping thousands of women discover purpose and embrace their calling.
Mentoring & coaching.
A Certified John Maxwell Leadership Trainer, she speaks at conferences and mentors women and emerging leaders, creatively weaving biblical stories into her coaching.
Through one-to-one and group mentoring, she invests in women and leaders to discover their purpose, grow in confidence and build lasting impact.
Family first.
Among all her accomplishments, Pastor Bola counts her family as her greatest calling. She is the wife of Pastor Godman Akinlabi and the proud mother of two daughters.
Every season built on the last.
Faithfulness in one place has prepared her for the next: from economics and finance to leading a church and leading women across nations.
Foundations
Economics, Ahmadu Bello University
A Bachelor’s degree in Economics from ABU, Zaria.
Before ministry
Treasury & financial management
Years of service that built a foundation in structure, order and stewardship.
Further study
MBA, University of Lagos
A Master of Business Administration from Unilag.
Further study
University of Oxford
Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Strategy.
2010
The Elevation Church
The church begins in Lagos with a mandate to make greatness common, led by Pastors Godman and Bola Akinlabi as Co-Lead Pastors.
2015
Made for More
The first Made for More Conference for women.
2021
Into the United Kingdom
The Elevation Church opens its London expression.
2025
Ten years of Made for More
A decade of gatherings in Lagos, London and Toronto, marked with “Glory Fire”.
What she builds on.
Faith
Rooted in Christ and the truth of God’s Word.
Excellence
Structure, integrity and care in everything entrusted to her.
Family
Strengthening the relationships that shape every life.
People
Creating spaces to belong, grow and build together.
Faith. Family. Life together.
Pastors Godman and Bola share a commitment to building people and strengthening families. Their Better Half conversations bring that shared perspective to love, marriage and communication.
Invite Pastor Bola to your community.
For conferences, churches, leadership gatherings, women’s events and mentoring.