Drafted on 22nd
October,2012
INTRODUCTION
Yesterday at a House fellowship held in the compound of one
of my role-models in the Church, it dawned on me that the identity issues of
Celestial Church of Christ and the castigation of the Church may take a global
dimension in the current internet age if silence is adopted against some
reports and internet articles, when he told us the story of a Baptist Church
worker who withdrew her initial consent of renting out her church hall for his
ministry’s monthly programme in the UK after reading some articles on the
Internet about the Celestial Church of Christ doubting the identity of the
Church as a Church of God. Although the Pastor of the Baptist Church mailed
Kunle Hamilton (KH as he is fondly called) the Nigerian based visioner of the
shaddaiville ministries international which now presently holds monthly meetings
in East London, that after reading KH’s reply to the offer withdrawal email he
would like to apologize and is willing to have KH’s ministry hold their monthly
meetings in his church hall. As a young graduate of engineering who has no
specific media or journalism qualification, I have decided to write plainly and
in my own little way summarize the A-Z of Celestial Church of Christ based on
my knowledge of the Church history, my experience as a young pastor of the
Church’s campus fellowship during my university days (where I got a first class
understanding of God’s agenda for the Church in the next few years) and based
on my little assess to family of the late founder of the Church.
BODY
I have always held this imagination about History, that
sometime in 1947, The Almighty God at a heavenly general meeting or just
sitting on his throne saw the need for the establishment of a new church. But
away from imaginations let’s go down memory lane. The reality in most parts
of Africa in the days of colonization
which introduced Christianity to Africa and afterwards, was that our Fathers
were too deep into a culture of fetish materialism that to them was purely
tradition and many of them believed had no conflict whatsoever with their new
found faith, Christianity. To them it was the ancient landmark which they
believed the “white-man’s book” the
Bible itself asserted should not be
moved (perhaps they would have quoted Proverbs 22:28 to back up their
assertion). However, unfortunately many of them got it wrong, some of these
various ethnic traditions which they retained had devilish connections and mere
assumptions about their freedom to continue indulging in some heathen practices
and festivals despite their Christian faith cost most of them their eternity
(remember no one carrying any anti-Christ seal is allowed an eternity with
Jesus), Though these men died thinking they were likewise Christians belonging
to the frontline churches at that time, mostly Catholics, Methodists and Anglicans
their refusal to detach from demon-linked traditional practices prevented them
from making heaven. For instance, You could have a hunter who did not doubt
there was power in the blood of Jesus but also believed that the long-applied “goodluck
charm” of his ancestors was a prerequisite needed for hunting in the forest, somehow
one way or the other many merged the confession of Christ and Respect for one
small “industrial” idol and assumed it was permitted of God, But the biblical standard
of making heaven disclaims any association with the unfruitful works of
darkness and has no special consideration for earthly Christians with such
assumption.
On September 29, 1947, God divinely visited a young
Methodist boy who was just expelled from the Methodist seminary along with his
other colleagues over a violation of the school’s rule and an offense for which
he had no hand in. Just as he started his new trade of fetching and selling
timbers, he was stranded on one such timber-fetching trips where his canoe
paddler deserted him on one fateful day, it took him days to find his way
out from his secluded location to the
nearest settlement, in actual fact his family were already on the look for him.
When eventually found, Oschoffa left his ordeal a changed mysterious man
healing and solving problems almost from then onwards and told the story of how
he saw different visions and heard
heavenly voices while he got missing on his business trip. He began receiving
instructions only his ear heard and every time he carried it out things worked.
News of him started spreading like wildfire and Oshoffa had to narrate his
story over and over again to people, august-visitors, print media, radio and
television broadcasters. Oshoffa’s calling was without doubt supernatural the
only question one could ask was whether this new discovered prophet was of God or
not. Has many scientifically unexplainable miracles began taking place through
him, as blind eyes began to open, as deaf ears began to hear, madmen also had their
sanity restored, the sick were healed and even the dead were raised, many
believed him as a prophet commissioned of God, in no time crowds of people
gather at his place and on Sundays men conducted praise and worship sections on
his surroundings and his attempt to chase them failed and the thought of
involving the police to disperse the
crowd around him also yielded no result (As Oshoffa often claimed, he was
unwilling to start a church and that it was not his intention). Somehow the
Church started from a gathering at his house to at a time for about a period of
35years, the resulting church named Celestial Church of Christ became the
fastest growing church in west Africa and quite similar in scenario to today’s
Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria, you could find a Celestial Church
of Christ parish on almost every road and every street you turned in Nigeria.
However unlike the Kathryn Kuhlmans and Smith Wigglesmiths
whose stories I have read, here in west Africa there was a notable difference
in Oshoffa’s ministry compared to others before him, the only similarity at
that time was the Ministry of Moses Orimolode the founder of the Cherubim &
Seraphim Church another African church founded in this same region some 22years
before the Celestial Church of Christ, the two ministries being so similar that
only their members can tell you all the differences between them, the two
churches are the most prominent churches of the category of churches nicknamed
White Garment Churches,often called “Aladura” churches in my local dialect
meaning “People of Prayer” in English, a church group that has produced a
number of nigeria’s notable new-generation churches and a number of notable
Pentecostal ministers whose passion for God’s agenda started from their days in
this older aladura churches. Oshoffa preached
Faith in Christ alone, He strongly rebuked fetish practices and warned his
followers to refrain from fetish ceremonies and festivals in connection with
idols or gods. Oshoffa often asked
solution seekers if they believe Jesus can solve their problems, he would send
many on their way giving them the assurance that God has solved their problems
(perhaps the not too desperate category of people he was sure would not afterwards
go seeking alternative means to solving their problems), to some others Oshoffa
often prayed for with White candlesticks(the church forbids the use of coloured
candles) and on water in containers or edibles especially fruits(many barren
women were blessed with the fruit of the womb and many with such testimonies
and their Children are still very much alive). Some other people seeking divine
healing and some form of divine intervention were asked to go and have a bath
at a flowing stream while praying and denouncing every form of satanic
influence on their lifes as they bathed, as mundane as this may sound, bathing
in the stream or river was nothing strange in our part of this planet in those
days, in actual fact, in many rural settlements that was the only way to bath
then and even in more urban settings many children were often seen bathing
outside their houses.
This is a very recent history and the elderly ones who saw
it all, all testify that in the 1950s to the Mid 1980s Celestial Church members
were one of the happiest set of Christians and always proud to belong as they
often saluted one another “Halleluyah sir or Halleluyah ma” on the streets,
places of business, the market place and every place in the world where the
church spread having parishes internationally
including Europe & America where they also “did-celestial” in the
European and American way (doing what was allowed in the societies were they
founded themselves, just for example no pastor ever asked anyone to go have a
river bath at River Thames in London or Ohio River in United States). Celestians
are normal, sane and law abiding people, it used to be the first choice for a
young man seeking a church that allows him network with entrepreneurs, business
owners and Public service officials. Just being a celestian was cool, brethren
were full of love & identified with each other everywhere, it would get you
a preferable seat position on a Nigerian airways flight, if the ticketing
officer realizes through interaction or the smell of the passengers perfume
that the passenger is a fellow member of the celestial church.
Throughout Oshoffa’s lifetime he was a successful minister
both in evangelistic achievements as well as financially, He was one of a
wealthy elite who had his type of Mercedes benz car and had 10wives which was
enough to convince his contemporaries that God has increased this man. By every
available standard he was a successful African man who along side bringing thousands
unto Christ, The Church founded through him also became a brand that brought
thousands into businesses in which they earned their livelihood. Hundreds of
wise entrepreneurs learned to make
candles, clothing materials, perfumes, produced honey as well as olive oils,
some shipped in items from overseas including Italian made crucifix, paintings
of catholic origins generally believed by most Christians to be close to the
exact looks of Jesus and Mary while others exported their goods abroad.
Everyone prospered in his or her chosen field of work and Endeavors, But as
comfort came, merchandize grew and businesses boomed within the Church, abuse
was inevitable, so many violations and offenses was perpetuated using the good
reputation of the Church as a cover.
In 1985 the story of this African church began to take a
dramatic turn when the accomplished evangelist who came from a “nobody”
background to become the prophet of his generation died at about 71years (like
most Africans with his similar background there was no clear documention on his
actual date of birth, only calculations of their age based on notable events
they were told took place at the period they were born), buried by the whole
nation condolence message from every quarter of the society, every newspaper
was filled with positive headlines and condolence messages from prominent and
everyday people, people such as Nigeria’s two-time president Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo and top government officers in Nigeria and notable citizens of neighbouring
west African countries bade the pastor, prophet and Church founder Rev. Samuel
Bilewu Joseph Oshoffa farewell. However the story now takes a shift from the
Oshoffa days to the days of his immediate followers, Like Chinua Achebe’s book
title, Things began to fall apart as the lapses of oshoffa ‘s illiteracy, the
lack of application of formal administrative techniques left a gap that was
never filled since his death, from arguments over doctrine to court cases and
division over who should be the legitimate successor of the late pastor, to the
temptation to become the next Oshoffa. For a little laugh, Mercedes Benz didn’t
stop making cars after oshoffa’s death and his succesors also desired to ride
whatever benz models came out next. It would have been wiser and resulted in a
different situation if like Elisha they earnestly sought multiple of Elijah’s
spiritual grace.
Rapidly, A church that was known for aggressive evangelism,
revival and crusades , A church whose members jingled early morning bells
waking people up and ministering Christ to men as they prepared to go to places
of work in the morning, a church that in the days where printed Gospel tracts
were scarce, her members were known for preaching Jesus in the streets and
highways, villages and in public venues such as in public transport buses. A
Church that stood in the gap for God winning many thousands to Christ, even the
most unlikely to convert in Africa such as fetish priests of the numerous
ethnic gods who abandoned their shrines and gods to follow Christ, accepting
and confessing Christ as Lord. Many got carried away. It would have been better
if this fetish priests only went back to their old gods, some of them became
self proclaimed prophets, some became shepherds in charge of a whole church
congregation. The only thing worse than a wolf in sheep’s clothing is a wolf in
shepherd’s clothing. And many prophets deceived men being themselves either
being used or misled by evil spirits. They brought many of unacceptable
doctrines into the house of God, These false prophets went as far as
slaughtering rams and birds for the remission of people’s sin as against the
gospel of Jesus Christ which Oshoffa himself preached as the only propitiation
and remission for the sins of mankind. Sadly, in a very record time, as the
attrocites of the self-proclaimed prophets increased, alongside the increasing
growth and influence of the Nigerian media who leveraged on the reports of the
various attrocites reported across the church as a news banger, attractive
caption and favorite headline. Pastors who were not reckoned with while Oshoffa
was alive had a cheap popularity ride by simply condemning the bad reports on
church, although there were still good report and faithful stewards in those
days, that was not the actual interest of the media, as bad news catches more
attention and sells faster. Almost every week you could find a report about a
celestial pastor’s atrocity, and if pastors from other denominations also
commited one atrocity or the other, the celestial church atrocity would get
media preference and nothing may be said about the other demonations, theirs
were considered a mistake, ours were considered a trend, it was that bad as I
witnessed part of this era of media bias. As at the time I grew up as a young
celestian we already had a “demonic church” status in the same country where we
spread the gospel of Christ with the courage and confidence few other
Christians exhibited.
I was not born into the Celestial Church. I was born on 10th
October 1987, into a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) family. While my father
remains a member of the CAC till date, My mother left the Christ Apostolic Church
to start wearing the white gown attire of the Celestial Church during the
period I was born, such a move was still reasonable at that time, but with the
status attached to the Celestial Church now, its quite unimaginable to think of
anyone without a very serious crisis to leave a church were pastors atrocities
are less reported to join a Celestial
Church of Christ which the press is now tired of putting in the headline as its
reports were no longer making best sellers, rather it is the stand-up comedians
that are now benefiting from unverified reports about any white garment Church
pastor in this new millennium, as long as it made a good joke, whether it is
about the Celestial or C&S Church or just one of the many detachments of
uncensored “white garment churches ”doing whatever they like.
This article is not to tell you whether the Celestial Church
of Christ is a Church of God or not, as it is not the words that reveals
identity but the fruits that a tree produces indicates whether or not the tree
is good (Mathew 7:18). Therefore it is not my style to force a belief on
anyone, with the harsh conditions of critism, rumourmongering, hearsays,
writing-off of celestials under which I grew up into an assured Christian, I have
been psychological molded into a man that is less concerned about crowd
mentality and unfounded opinions. I have only pursued to live by the pattern Paul
instructed timothy in 1Timothy 4:12 and this pattern even without my pursuing
self recognition has made me serve in Christian fellowships beyond the
Celestial Church based on the good reports of men who could see Christ in me, I
will not dwell on that as this article is not about my exploits for Jesus
Christ in Christendom. This article is about the true story of the Celestial
Church of Christ which you can easily verify without any rigorous research many
who were there in 1947 are still alive till today irrespective of their
Christian denomination and many who were healed by the founder Rev Samuel
Bilewu Joseph Oshoffa are still very much alive, I still know a woman who still
tells her story that she was raised from the dead by Rev. Oshoffa. Videos of
Oshoffa’s lifetime are available and the Church still has evidences of this
recent history in her archives. I drafted this article in one day on 22nd
October and tapped my keypad slowly as I typed into my laptop into the early
hours of 23rd October, I didn’t do any special research to cook a
special story. There are no secrets, the church does not hold its fellowships
in secrets, some church have speakers that project the sound of praise and
worship activities to the hearing of people in the neigbhourhood ,parishes are
in open places in residential places and its doors are open to anyone 24hours
daily to either join, watch and assess the church activities, and the Church belongs
to the Christian Association of Nigeria where matters can be reported, verified
or Clarified.
Like the Second Century
Christians, and the likes of “Steven Martyr” who wrote various letters
and apologetics to the Roman and Greek authorities in the eras of severe
Christian persecution, I have told briefly the A-Z of the Celestial Church
story, knowing that In everywhere and in every generation God’s people only
hold on to God’s reports about any matter (Isaiah 53:1) and it is our Christian
obligation to carefully test all spirits and consider what is honorable and
true (Phil 4:8). As for me, I will not deny that the church has a couple of
unresolved internal problems, and that some of the practices in the church have
to be reviewed and some stopped. The major issues includes the practice of a
parish head or church elder practicing polygamy(though legal in most of
Africa), women members being segregated to the level many have become redundant
and to firmly instruct our members that Biblical instructions supercedes the
content of any prophetic messages. We have our differences; a uniform, wearing
our white clothes and regalia to church does not violate any biblical teaching,
putting off our shoes before entering the house of God does not violate any
biblical teaching on the Contrary they all have known bible references such as
the priestly and levitical clothing instructions to the burning bush experience
of Moses’ and Joshua’s separate encounter with the Captain of the Host of God
(which I believe from bible study knowledge is Micheal, but there’s no point
arguing over who the Captain of the Host
of Heaven is, as JESUS Christ is the only focus of our salvation) Joshua
5:13-15. In the midst of our different views and interpretation of the Bible
based on the level of revelation given to each man, I strongly believe there
are focal points upon which we all must agree such as the undiluted truth of
the Gospel message which is salvation through grace by faith in Christ alone,
the Trinity and resurrection of the body, the Virgin conception of Jesus are some
focal points on which Christianity must agree without any variety in
interpretation as to miss these things is to miss the Gospel of Christ in its
totality, even Apostle Paul could not afford to add a single alphabet of opinion
on this things. Other disparities like how some fast or how some pray (Though I
have many reservations about the incomplete teachings some pastors give on
speaking in tongues, by the grace of God, I pray in tongues as well) but While It
is easy to poison the mind of growing Christians over these diversities however
among genuine bible scholars, we as SONS know within us that the “circumcision
or no circumcision” kind of differences are no basis for condemnation of any
Christian group. I have no iota of doubt in me that “EGLISE DU CHRISTIANISME
CELESTE” the name of the Church as written in a town in the French colonized
country of BENIN REPUBLIC ,interpreted as CELESTIAL CHURCH OF CHRIST is wholly
and truly God’s Vision and make no mistake, this vision is not dead, as in the
midst of the harsh words which men have spoken from their hearts of hate, God has been working in
his love and raising a Nehemiah generation who have started work already and
there is nothing the devil can do to stop them, a brand new celestial
church as beautiful as a peacock has
come as prophesized by Late Rev. Oshoffa himself.
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