• Home
• Columnist
• Videos
• Artist
  • Musicians
  • Actors
  • Comedians
• Notable Nigerians
• Legend Dies
• Articles
  • Nigeria Articles
• Photos
• Submit Article

Author: Ihechuku Njoku
Posted to the web: 7/4/2009 8:41:05 PM


Whatever stance onehas taken on the credibility of TB Joshua, the famous (or infamous?) pastor of The Synagogue Church of All Nationâ's inLagos, Nigeria – one fact remains indisputable, his is an incredible journeysurrounded in mystery and being written in history. Joshua is easily the mostvilified pastor in Africa, yet by far the most sought after. He is the hope ofmultitudes and yet the headache of religious bodies, who have vehemently disownedhim but can’t seem to ignore him. It is a living drama being watched worldover, as timeâ's steady course continues its revealing discourse on truth andauthenticity. But what is it about TB Joshua that has actually engendered suchoutright denunciation and renunciation by his fellow labourers in the vineyard?

 

Upon perusal ofthe apparent grouses and grudges of the Pentecostal Leaders of Nigeria againstthe enigma and personality of Prophet TB Joshua, high up on the list is theissue of his mentorship. “Where was hewhen he was called to ministry? Who are the men of God who can point at him,that we raised him into ministry, laid hands on him and sent him forth into theministry?” says Paul Adefarasin, the charismatic founder of House of theRock, Lagos. “We don't know Joshua's Pastor;we don't know where he was raised from. He has no testimony from where he gotborn again. So, we cannot accept that he is one of us… There is no proof of hissalvation,” explains Matthew Ashimolowo,the prosperity preacher and founder of KICC in London. “There are only two questions Ayo Oritsejafor (President of thePentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria) asked us to ask Joshua or anybody who comesfrom him: When were you born again? Which church did he attend and who was hispastor or mentor?” fumes Bishop Abraham Olaleye, a vicechairman of PFN. “Who were hiscontemporaries when he gave his life to Christ? What led to his confession ofChrist? How did it happen? Where was he baptised? Who baptised him? Who are hispastors? Where did he train? Who is the Paul of his Timothy?” asks Bola Akin-John, a Pentecostal churchgrowth expert.

 

That miracles andcommendable charitable works are happening in his church is attested to by almostall, but such leaders can’t seem to fathom how a man so mightily gifted couldhave attained such a level without human tutorship and training. As such cannotbe explained by the logic and lectures of theological training, they readilywrite him off as demonic and diabolic. Surely, a man of God of such stature andstatus could not just spring up without the approval and appraisal of sometop-notch Christian leaders? Thus, they have proclaimed to all willing tolisten that anyone who associates with TB Joshua does so to their own folly, behim a president or pauper, simply because they have adopted a strong positionwithout investigating its foundational validity.

 

However, the phenomenonof men being used by the Almighty without human tutelage is not isolated to theinstance of Pastor TB Joshua. Thorough biblical exploration would reveal manyof Godâ's generals with no record or register of human mentorship. Who was thementor of Jeremiah, who the Bible says God called right from his motherâ's womb?Who was the mentor of John the Baptist, sent from above to prepare the way forthe Saviour? Who was the mentor of Apostle Paul, who was blinded on the road toDamascus while intent on the destruction of Christians, subsequently to becomea leading figure in New Testament Christianity? What about Moses, Elijah orKing David? Human backing and tuition are clearly not a qualification fordivine assignments.

 

What then is thepremise for church leaders today to demand proof of mentorship as a seal ofapostleship? Can this assertion be attributed to the application of biblicalprinciples, or to personal misgivings and prejudice? Why has the Nigerian Pentecostalchurch chosen to adopt a stance on a particular person that contradicts andconflicts with scriptural authority and experience? It appears to be a case ofaddressing private qualms and jealousies under the guise of Christian comradeshipand censorship, misguiding and incensing millions of followers against TBJoshua and projecting the image of a warring and divided church in the process.

 

The currentpresident of PFN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has consistently remained one ofJoshuaâ's most vocal critics, even expelling any PFN members who attempt tofraternise with him. He makes his stand known clearly on the pulpit and in the pagesof newspapers: “T.B. Joshua is not aChristian. If T.B. Joshua can show me his pastor who pastored him before hesaid he was called into the ministry; if T.B. Joshua can tell me when he gotconverted and how he got converted, then we would consider him.”

 

Yet, T.B. Joshuaâ'sown website recounts the extraordinary tale of his calling into the ministry,available for all to read and dissect: “Iwas in a trance for three consecutive days, then I saw a hand that pointed aBible to my heart and the Bible entered my heart and my former heart seemed toimmerse with the Bible immediately… I heard a voice saying, “I am your God; Iam giving you a divine commission to go and carry out the work of the HeavenlyFather… I would show you the wonderful ways I would reveal myself through you,in teaching, preaching, miracles, signs and wonders for the salvation ofsouls”. So, is it a crime for God tocall one for His service without consulting certain people or meeting certainmanmade criteria? Are we mere mortals in a position to query Godâ's wisdom andways?

 

Chiji Okafor, thecelebrated Nigerian columnist and artist, wrote of such a disposition anddemeanour: “It is amazing that anybodywho lays claim to being a pastor of God should be talking about mentoring inmatters of the faith as if talking about some rookie artisan being shepherdedinto 'freedom' from his master's workshop. Such drivel simply speaks volumes ofthe man who utters it. It reveals the depth of vulgarity to which our 'modern'men of God have allowed the gospel of Jesus Christ to sink.

 

“Anybody who boasts in God's vineyard about his mentorand such other inane subjects as earthly endowments has simply not imbibed thelessons of Christ's personal life. Jesus Christ the Son of God could have beenborn a prince, if He so chose. On the contrary, God made man, decided to come intothis world, the son of a wretched carpenter born in, of all places, a mangerand side-by-side animals! He had neither an earthly mentor, nor did the Bibletell us that He had doctorate degrees in sacred theology and dogmaticphilosophy.

 

“In His divine wisdom, God chooses whom He crowns kingand decides whom He endows with any gift He likes – and we all have ourdifferent gifts. Anybody who challenges this wisdom of God Almighty blasphemesagainst Him, by querying His authority. So, why would God choose a humble, eveninnocent, or bucolic Temitope Balogun Joshua for the enormous anointing he hasreceived? Why didn't He pick one of those blue-blooded, Oxford-trained peers ofthe realm?”

 

Bolu-Olu Esho, ajournalist with The Sun Newspaper further wrote on the issue: “Pastor T.B Joshua has a simple backgroundthat could tempt one to ask questions about how he achieved the feat heâ's knownfor today. But minds of history would be at ease, as they would consider him asanother manifestation of the mystery assigned to God Almighty. The question ofacademics in the work of God is inconsequential, as God does not consider thisas a criterion for choosing people for His work…The stance of these ministersof God against Pastor Joshua makes one question how versed they are in the Wordof God. Is it not written in the Bible that God used the foolish things of thisworld to confound the wise?”

 

Clearly, thequestion our revered gentlemen should ask is not, ‘Who is your mentor?’ but ‘Bywhat authority are you acting?’ in conjunction with the biblical standard: ‘Bytheir fruits, you shall know them.’ The attributes and qualities a personpossesses speak volumes of their source of strength. The steadfast consistency,prophetic insight, charitable disposition, healing gifting, practical teaching,heavenly wisdom and childlike simplicity of T.B. Joshua cannot possibly be theproduct of illusion, sorcery or manâ's acumen. The testimony of Ghanaâ's new head,Prof. Atta Mills, alone is enough to confirm the genuineness and greatness ofJoshuaâ's ministry and calling. Has history ever heard of a sitting presidentvisit a church and publically testify that the pastor accurately predicted theoutcome and specific details of the election to him? His testimony echoes thetens of thousands who rush to Joshuaâ's church on a weekly basis to receive atouch from God.

 

Sadly, the gapbetween the accusers and the accused is ever widening as many leading pastorsin Nigeria are becoming more embroiled in the pursuit of money and materialgain than the essence of Christâ's gospel and work. Kingdom business seems morelike worldly business, with pastors making headlines for expensive acquisitions,lavish living and political speeches as opposed to solving problems, meetingneeds and changing lives. Ilobi Austin, a catholic in faith, wrote, “While God is ordering his (T.B. Joshuaâ's)counterparts to acquire more automobiles and in some cases, private jets withcost in the billion bracket, the same God is asking him to love humanity likehimself and consequently, improve their earthly and heavenly fortunes. He istoday, father to the fatherless, mother to the motherless, friend to thefriendless and government to the government-less. Little wonder then, that thegood Lord magnanimously found him worthy for the arduous task of delivering hispeople from the vice grip of the devil. Such powers in the hands of suchministers, who have made the criticism of his ministries their pastime, wouldhave seen deliverance going to the highest bidders.”

 

So what has TB Joshuato say on all this? Here is his own response when asked about his non-admissioninto PFN in a recent interview with The Sun: “As a point of correction, I never applied to be a member of anyassociation. Okay? Two, the way and manner God executes His plan in our livesdiffer. Some He brought them from this direction, some from another direction.Some He allowed to go to Theology school, some He allowed them to go to theuniversity and they may not even go to Theology school. Some, they may not evengo to school at all. Yet they would become whatever God wants them tobecome.  There is a university of God –and in the University of God, however brilliant you may be, you will not begiven double promotion – you must take every course, because each course servesa purpose.”