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The first reference to St. Jude's Church, Ebute Meta as a future cathedral was in 1928 when the old church building (now christened Jerusalem) was dedicated after thirteen years of careful construction. Its physical beauty, spaciousness, and its historic place as the first church on the mainland earned it the appellation of the "Cathedral on the Mainland".

That dedication was its fourth church building after being planted in Ebute Meta. Earlier efforts at church building included the: Bamboo Church (1868), Jungle Church (1867), Pastorate Church (1876).

The 1928 church remained the focal place of worship until 2006 when St. Jude's Church, Ebute Meta metamorphosed from the cathedral foretold to the cathedral realised as the Cathedral Church of St. Jude. The cathedral building served the church and diocese well for twelve years when the vision to give it a makeover unfolded. One development that contributed to attention being given to the renovation of the cathedral was the renovation of the old St. Jude's Church building in 2018.

With the shame of neglect washed away, the Diocesan, Rt. Rev. Akinpelu Johnson thought of installing a pipe organ in the cathedral and set up a committee, headed by the late Chief Olatubosun Lampejo, to actualize it. The idea of a pipe organ was deferred when it became clear that it would "take at least five years for the organ to be ready after 75% payment", says Arc. Muyiwa Oduwole.

The bishop later established a building subcommittee headed by Arc. Deji Adebiyi to begin to explore areas that needed improvement in the cathedral. From the replacement of windows with 25mm soundproof windows, the renovation of the cathedral commenced. The hope was that the renovation will enhance worship experience and manifest God's presence, holiness, majesty, splendour, and power, as inspired by Haggai 1:8: 'Go to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple that I may be pleased with it and be glorified, so says the Lord! It is a demonstration of the steady walk of faith in the church to ensure that it remains a place of appeal where God can be worshipped delightfully.

It is a story of faith, sacrifice, and love akin to the early history of the church. St. Jude's Church story resulted from early Christian Missionary activities in Nigeria, which began in 1842 when late Rev Henry Townsend arrived in Badagry enroute Abeokuta on an evangelising mission. Townsend had been invited to Abeokuta by some freed slaves of Egba extraction to preach the gospel and establish a mission.

From Sierra Leone, Townsend came to Badagry on December 18, 1842, and journeyed through bush paths to Abeokuta on January 3, 1843. Two days later, he held the first formal church service in Abeokuta. Townsend's initial efforts were so well received that by 1845 the Church Missionary Society sent three priests, the Reverends C. A. Gollmer, Henry Townsend, and Samuel Ajayi Crowther to Abeokuta to begin a mission. Abeokuta's thatched roof church of 1846 at Ake served as the headquarters of the CMS Mission in Nigeria until 1851 when it was relocated to Lagos.

The ready acceptance of the gospel was so rapid that many traditionalists feared that in little time there would be very few people left that would know the people's traditional ways. To curtail what was perceived as a dangerous trend, Christian converts became targets of attack and derision, so much that on October 16, 1867, many homes belonging to the European Christian missionaries and their local converts were sacked. Lives were lost, people were abducted and maimed to make them renounce their faith. In the process, many fled from Abeokuta in search of peace and freedom to practise their faith. Many came to Lagos, where the missionaries persuaded the colonial authorities to provide land for the Egba refugees to live safely and worship freely only in obedience to the dictates of the gospel. The then Governor John Hawley Glover (1829-1885) of Lagos appealed to Oba Dosunmu of Lagos, for land. Dosunmu, in turn, persuaded the Oloto of Oto, Chief Akinyemi, to allot as much land as the refugees would need. Akinyemi, in the company of Glover, assigned the area later known as Ago Egba (Egba quarters) in Ebute Meta, which stretched "from Denton Street to the river side at Oko Baba and from Coates Street up to Carter Street".

It was from that expanse of land that an area, bordered in the north by Ibadan Street, the south by Jebba Street and in the east and west by Herbert Macaulay and Denton streets respectively, that St. Jude's Church, Ebute Meta was established. The "Bamboo Church" on Griffith Street (now Borno Way) was a temporary worship centre on the piece of land that was later referred to as Ambrosini yard and lately Canaan Land. Under the pastoral guidance of The Rev Victor Faulkner, a German, they worshipped until September 14, 1867, when the "Jungle Church" located inside the present St. Jude's Church yard, was dedicated. It was so-called because much of the neighbourhood was sparsely populated. The journey in search of religious freedom that began in October 1867 had thus been concretised into the sixth Anglican Church in Lagos but the first on Lagos Mainland in succession to earlier efforts located on Lagos Island, ranging from Holy Trinity, Ebute Ero to St. Paul's, Breadfruit, St. John's Aroloya, St. Peter's, Faji, and Christ's Church, Marina.

As the church steadily grew in population,and influence, talks of making St.Jude’s a cathedral began to grow. On April 29, 1990, another expansion of the Church began with a foundation laying ceremony. From the Church of 1928 designed to accommodate 700 people to that of the 80s, which took up to 1000 when the annexes were filled, the vision was to build one that could take 3000 worshippers on the ground floor and ni the gallery as an edifice worthy of worshipping the Lord in the 21" Century! Through the grace of God, the drive of parishioners and the guidance of anointed ministers, ranging from past vicars such as the late Most Rev. A. A. Agbaje, The Most Rev Okubadejo, the late Very Rev T. A. J. Oluwole through the late Venerable Victor Adenugba and the Venerable S. S. O. Sodipe, the dream became reality. This new edifice stands out in the neighbourhood, conveying majestic vista and splendour of a proud heritage of religious freedom and worthy tribute to our living God to whom all honour, adoration and dominion belong.

Steadily, the prophecy foretold was fulfilled on August 23, 2006, with the dedication of the Cathedral of St. Jude, seat of the Diocese of Lagos Mainland.

The founding Dean, Ven Luyi Akinwande, his successor, Ven Feyi Ojelabi, and the incumbent, Ven Segun Ajayi with the support of committed parishioners and various helpers have contributed to the great strides the Church has taken over the years. The historic place of St. Jude's as a torchbearer for Christianity, its status as the cathedral and headquarters of the Diocese of Lagos Mainland, has placed more responsibility on her. To the glory of God, the church has not lacked helpers, who continually contribute to its needs. They range from within the church itself to friends from outside, old parishioners who had their spiritual infancy in the church, and various associates.

The church has regained her old property leased to Ambrosini after its 99-year lease expired in 2021. With the recent government approval to redevelop, this joyous news wil, no doubt, improve the financial health of the Church after the necessary huge investments have been made. On a more sustainable basis, regular provisions for support, bequests in wills or last testaments will strengthen the resolve of the Church to be a veritable place of comfort and hope for the present and future generations.