Evangelist Racheal Olatoun Soetan, popularly known as Toun Soetan or Evangelist Shouet, was one of the most significant figures in Nigerian gospel music history.
For over four decades, her voice, her songs, and her ministry shaped the worship culture of churches across Nigeria and the broader global Christian community.
She is best remembered as the original composer of the beloved Christian chorus “Darling Jesus,” a song that has been sung in congregations around the world for generations.
She passed away on March 13, 2026, at the age of 73, leaving behind a legacy of music, faith, mentorship, and spiritual transformation that will endure for generations to come.
Profile
| Full Name | Racheal Olatoun Soetan |
| Stage/Known Name | Toun Soetan / Evangelist Shouet |
| Born | June 18, 1954 |
| Died | March 13, 2026 (aged 73) |
| Birthplace | Lagos, Nigeria |
| State of Origin | Oyo State (grew up in Ibadan) |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation | Gospel Singer, Songwriter, Evangelist, Music College Founder |
| Religion | Christianity (converted in 1974) |
| Spouse | Titus Soetan (husband) |
| Children | 4 (three of whom are involved in gospel music ministry) |
Early Life
Evangelist Toun Soetan was born Alimat Sadia on June 18, 1954, in Lagos, Nigeria. Her early life was marked by complexity and hardship. Her mother had previously been married to a king of Iwo, for whom she had five children, all daughters. Facing maltreatment in the palace for her inability to produce a male heir, her mother eventually left and, while seeking medical help in Lagos, fell in love with a doctor, with whom she had another daughter — Toun. As a result, Toun grew up without the consistent presence of her biological father, a fact that shaped her deep search for spiritual identity and belonging in her formative years.
She grew up in the Beere area of Ibadan, in Oyo State. She was one of 28 children in a large Muslim family on her father’s side, and she was raised within the Islamic tradition and known as Alimat Sadia in her early years. The household was large, culturally rich, and deeply rooted in Yoruba tradition. Despite the complexities of her family background, Toun emerged as a young woman of remarkable spiritual sensitivity and musical gifting.
Education
Toun Soetan received her formal education in Nigeria, including studies at the University of Ibadan — one of Nigeria’s most prestigious academic institutions. After completing her education, she worked as a teacher for 16 years at Oritamefa Baptist School in Ibadan, demonstrating not only her musical gifts but also her commitment to education and community development. She later became co-proprietress of Pathfinder College, a school founded by her husband Titus Soetan. Her academic background and teaching career gave her a depth of understanding and communication that enriched her ministry and her work with younger generations of gospel musicians.
Career
The defining turning point of Toun Soetan’s life came in 1974, when she attended a Christian revival service at Oritamefa Baptist Church in Ibadan and gave her life to Christ. That encounter transformed everything. She abandoned her birth name and took on a new identity rooted in her Christian faith, eventually becoming one of Nigeria’s most celebrated gospel evangelists and musicians.
Her music ministry began to take shape in the late 1970s and gained significant momentum through the 1980s and 1990s. Her breakthrough song “Iye Ree” brought her to wider prominence in the gospel music community. This was followed by a body of songs that became staples in churches across Nigeria and beyond. Her most celebrated composition, “Darling Jesus,” was recorded and released in 1987 and quickly became one of the most recognised Christian choruses in Nigerian church history, sung in congregations across the country and in the Nigerian diaspora worldwide. Other beloved songs include “Ke Pe Jesu,” “Cast Your Burdens,” and “Train Up Your Child.”
A particular attribute of Evangelist Soetan’s music, which she herself described in interviews, was that her songs were not lyrics but “scriptural passages from the Bible… songs I receive directly from the word of God, through prayer and revelation.” This deep scriptural grounding gave her music a timeless quality that transcended the trends and fashions of contemporary Christian music.
Throughout her career, Toun Soetan served as Minister in Charge of Trinity World Evangelical Ministry, where she dedicated herself to preaching, teaching, and nurturing younger gospel ministers. She established a music college — the Trinity School of Worship (TRISOW), later affiliated with Ajayi Crowther University in Oyo — where she trained generations of gospel singers and instrumentalists, many of whom went on to become notable figures in Nigerian gospel music. She was passionate about the principle that true evangelism should not be commercialised, and she was known for her commitment to free ministry.
Among the most memorable moments of her ministry was an encounter with Archbishop Benson Idahosa, which she described as spiritually transformative, and witnessing Dr Benny Hinn preach at CAC Agbala Itura in Ibadan, where she observed many ministers fall under the power of the Holy Spirit. These encounters deepened her commitment to the power of Spirit-filled worship and shaped her approach to music and evangelism for decades.
Awards & Recognition
Toun Soetan did not pursue fame or formal awards, preferring the quiet dignity of faithful ministry. However, she was widely recognised by peers and colleagues as a pioneer and matriarch of Nigerian gospel music. Upon her death, tributes poured in from across the Nigerian and global Christian community, including from gospel comedian Woli Agba, gospel musician Peter Olaniyi, and many others who described her as a legend and a foundation of Nigeria’s gospel music heritage. Many contemporary Nigerian gospel artists have acknowledged her pioneering role in shaping indigenous gospel worship.
Social Media
Toun Soetan was not widely active on social media platforms, consistent with the generation of ministers to which she belonged and her preference for personal ministry and direct community engagement. However, following her death on March 13, 2026, tributes to her life and ministry spread widely across Nigerian social media, with video recordings of her songs and sermons circulating extensively, particularly the video biography of her life which was shared by many in the days following her passing.
Personal Life
Toun Soetan was married to Titus Soetan, who was her consistent source of support throughout her ministry. Though he is not a musician himself, he co-founded Pathfinder College with her and supported every aspect of her evangelical work. She has spoken warmly about his support in interviews, describing him as a pillar of strength behind her public ministry. Together they had four children, three of whom — including two who became lawyers — are deeply involved in gospel music and lead choirs in their respective churches. The fourth child is also part of the Soetan family’s legacy of faith and community.
Discography
- “Darling Jesus” (1987)
- “Iye Ree”
- “Ke Pe Jesu”
- “Cast Your Burdens”
- “Train Up Your Child”
- Multiple worship albums spanning four decades of ministry
FAQs
Who was Toun Soetan?
Toun Soetan (Evangelist Racheal Olatoun Soetan) was a pioneering Nigerian gospel singer, songwriter, and evangelist best known as the composer of “Darling Jesus.” She passed away on March 13, 2026, at the age of 73.
What is Toun Soetan’s most famous song?
Her most famous composition is “Darling Jesus,” recorded and released in 1987, which has been sung in churches across Nigeria and the world for decades.
What was Toun Soetan’s birth name?
She was born Alimat Sadia into a Muslim family before converting to Christianity in 1974.
When did Toun Soetan die?
She died on March 13, 2026, in Ibadan, at the age of 73.
What ministry did Toun Soetan lead?
She served as Minister in Charge of Trinity World Evangelical Ministry and founded the Trinity School of Worship (TRISOW), affiliated with Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo.
Conclusion
Toun Soetan’s life is a testimony to the transforming power of faith. From a complex family background and a Muslim upbringing in Ibadan, she encountered Christ in 1974 and gave the rest of her life — every note, every sermon, every lesson, every prayer — to the God who had changed her. Her songs, rooted in scripture and born in prayer, have outlasted the fashions of the decades and continue to fill churches, homes, and hearts with worship. In “Darling Jesus” alone, she left the world a song that may never stop being sung. Evangelist Toun Soetan did not simply lead a life of ministry — she was the ministry, living proof that one life, fully surrendered, can touch countless others. Her voice has fallen silent, but her songs will sing on forever.