LAGOS, Nigeria — Gospel minister Nathaniel Bassey said a ministry assignment in Eket led him to the woman he later married.
The encounter followed a 2008 breakup that had left him unwilling to pursue marriage.
The account was reported on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
Bassey said his relationship with Sarah Bassey did not begin with a direct approach.
After she remained on his mind following their encounter, he raised his interest with her pastor instead of contacting her himself.
Before learning of that interest, his future wife had independently formed a conviction about him, according to Bassey.
He said they had barely spoken, had not exchanged telephone numbers, and had not entered a romantic relationship.
His hesitation, Bassey said, stemmed from the breakup he experienced in 2008.
He recalled becoming so discouraged about marriage that he jokingly described himself as “married to Jesus.”
The couple first encountered each other while Bassey was visiting Eket for a ministry assignment.
His future wife was serving on the protocol team, but he said he did not immediately approach her or request her telephone number.
Bassey presented their separate impressions of each other as evidence of divine direction.
That religious interpretation is based on his personal testimony and cannot be independently established.
According to his account, the encounter ultimately developed into a relationship, and the two later married.
