Dr Dele Sinkaye is indeed living up to the meaning of his name—SINKAYE—service, worship, and mission across the world. At the advent of Christianity in his hometown, Yagba, Kogi State, his grandfather was named ISINKAYE (shortened to SINKAYE). Dr Sinkaye and his wife, Tina, are models of reverse medical professionals and missionaries. With their selfless dedication, they continue to promote and improve health services in the United Kingdom.

The concept of Dr Sinkaye as a model of reverse medical missionary is related to the broader idea of “reverse mission,” where missionaries from the Global South (Africa, Asia, Latin America) are sent to the Global North (Europe, North America). Dr Sinkaye and his wife remind us how medical work has been a significant aspect of world evangelism since the onset of the modern missionary period. It is important to note that ‘it was not until the late nineteenth and early twentieth cen­turies that medical missions became a distinct speciality.’ By 1925, more than two thousand doctors and nurses from America and Europe served worldwide, and mission-run hospitals and clinics were increasing rapidly.

The first noted medical missionary in the modern period was Dr. John Thomas. Dr. John Scudder was the first American foreign missionary to specialise in Medicine. He was the patriarch of a whole line of medical missionaries who served in India and elsewhere. Africa has been blessed with a long line of outstanding Christian medical missionaries. Among the names that readily come to mind are those of remarkable individuals such as David Livingstone, Albert Schweitzer, and Helen Roseveare. However, Dr Sinkaye, as a model of reverse medical professional and missionary, represents numerous African medical professionals and missionaries to Europe for their length of service combined with their extraordinary passion, commitment, and dedication to saving lives and improving the health standard among people in Europe, and most especially in Britain.

Since the time of Jesus Christ, the influ­ence of medical work on evangelism has been immense. Christ’s evangelistic ministry, as well as that of his disciples, was enhanced by the ministry of healing, and in the cen­turies that followed, Christians con­tinued to be known for their genuine concern for the sick and needy.  Dr Sinkaye and his wife are models of effective medical and pastoral ministry that brings about fruitful evangelisation and leadership as many are drawn to faith in Jesus Christ.

Dr Sinkaye was born in Island Maternity Hospital, Epetedo, Lagos Island, Lagos, on May 16th 1965, as the only surviving child of his parents – Pa Adedayo and Abigail Sinkaye. Dr Sinkaye went to Stephen School, Moloney (Adeniji Adele) for his kindergarten school and Primary One (1970-72). Dr Sinkaye attended Holy Trinity Primary School, Kano, 1972-1976. For his secondary school education, he went to one of the premier schools in Northern Nigeria, Government College, Birnin-Kudu, Kano (now Jigawa State), 1976-1981. He studied at Kwara State College of Technology (School of Basic Sciences) from 1981 to 1983. He was admitted to the University of Ilorin Medical College, Kwara State, to study Medicine from 1983 to 1989. He did his Youth service assignment at Air Force Base, Kaduna, in 1991/92. Dr Sinkaye did his horsemanship at Muritala Muhammed Hospital Kano between 1989 and 1990. He tried to join the Nigerian Army to study Aviation Medicine as an airport officer, but the change in the Government policy under General Babangida truncated the vision.

Living and studying in northern Nigeria exposed Dr Sinkaye to Nigeria’s politics, language, and economic dynamics. He is very proud of his old school memories, especially of some of his seniors, like Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Alhaji Gaduje, among others.

Dr Sinkaye got married to his adorable wife, Pastor Tina Sinkaye, nee Okosun, on December 7th, 1997, at Jesus’ Family Ministry, Iyana Ipaja, under the Late Rev Omeben, a former Deputy Inspector General of Police.

After his national service assignment, Dr Sinkaye went to Guso to be medical director for a year. In 1992, Dr Sinkaye moved to Lagos and started working at Maternity Hospital, Onikan, and later worked at Ikeja General Hospital, Lagos, till June 1998

He later gained admission to the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, for his Postgraduate study in Anaesthesia from 1998 to 2001. While in South Africa, he was involved in Church planting with the Redeemed Church of God.

He and his wife moved to the United Kingdom and started working at Royal Sussex Hospital, Brighton, 2002-2004. He moved to Kingsmill Hospital, Sutton in Ashfield, in 2004, where he officially retired in 2025.

I met Dr Sinkaye and his wife at Grace Assembly, Redeemed Church of God, during my postgraduate studies at Cliff College, Derbyshire, United Kingdom. Dr Sinkaye and his wife are very committed to God’s mission and service to people. During a particular period during my doctoral research, I experienced some research fever. God used Dr Sinkaye and his wife to encourage me and offered me family bonding at their home in Mansfield and through their regular visits to me at Cliff College.  

Dr Sinkaye is currently the Pastor of the New Life in Christ Ministry (The Lord’s Parish), 2017 till date. Dr Sinkaye and his wife, Pastor Tina, exemplify the missional characteristics of highly committed servants of Jesus Christ. They continue to serve Jesus actively at every given opportunity and location. Long after others have retired from their vocations and various forms of Christian service, these deeply dedicated Christian servants continue to minister to the Lord in whatever ways they can actively. For them, there is no concept of retiring from the Lord’s work. They may not be able to serve Christ as actively or in all the ways they did in their younger years. At 60, let us pray for Dr Sinkaye to continue serving Jesus Christ to the full extent of his physical strength and other capacities.