Nigerian Televangelist T.B. Joshua Courts Controversy In Death As He Did In Life
NAIROBI, Kenya — Temitope Balogun Joshua — better known as T.B. Joshua — was a Nigerian charismatic pastor and televangelist whose ministry was dogged by one controversy after another until his death on June 5, 2021.
Now controversy has followed the man to grave.
A new documentary, by BBC’s Africa Eye, has unearthed sordid details of what took place at his Synagogue Church of All Nations. Following a three-year investigation, the expose has former members of the church on camera accusing Joshua of all sorts of wrongdoing, including allegations of mind control to physical abuse, sexual exploitation, rape and even forcing women to have abortions.
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For example, a former female member claimed Joshua took her virginity in a room at the top floor of the church complex where he lived. She claims she was then forced to procure an abortion.
As was to be expected, the documentary has stirred a hornet’s nest across Africa. As a result, battle lines have been drawn between those who doubted T.B. Joshua’s ministry — maintaining that the BBC had just confirmed what they knew all along — while supporters see the hand of Satan and a compromised media out to bring down a servant of God.
Agomo Paul, who claims he was the de facto No. 2 to Joshua, said he witnessed some character flaws in the man over the years.
“He passed as a man of great humility. However, there was a cruel side to him that saw him severely punish those who crossed him,” he said.
Agomo said Joshua was fixated with the idea of taking his gospel to White people — starting with South Africa and then later the United Kingdom and the United States.
“He did this by distributing thousands of VHS cassettes of his preaching and it soon started paying dividends with people from these countries flocking SCOAN,” he added.
When the BBC documentary aired earlier this month, one of the first people to support it was Ninyo Odimji, a medical doctor and a commentator on Christian issues. As far back as three years ago (when Joshua was still alive), Ninyo raised issues with the preacher, especially his teachings of Chrislam, which is an amalgamation of Christian and Islamic doctrines.
He said Joshua operated in the supernatural, but not of the Christian type. Ninyo also said Joshua never stated categorically when he had an encounter with Christ. During his transition, he was one of those few “prophets” who popularized what was popularly called Chrislam.
“This should not come as a surprise because he was a Muslim by birth,” Odimji said. “He used Quranic citations copiously and Bible verses scantily and engaged in all sorts of native rituals to initiate spiritual phenomena in his meetings.”
When the BBC documentary was released, he said he had been “vindicated.”
“Three years ago, I wrote an exposé on T.B. Joshua and all hell was let loose. Those he’d bewitched came for me. But truth is not afraid,” he added.
This did not sit well with Joshua supporter Hichi Nji, who said, “In as much as I respect your verdicts and opinions, I see everyone castigating T.B. Joshua as myopic and gullible people with zero sense encased in their cranium. Let the dead rest in peace. To crown it up, who appointed y’all judge over him?”
Perhaps the most unnerving of the accusations against the pastor was one by a woman going by the name of “Ajeke” who told the BBC that she is the preacher’s daughter from a failed relationship. She said Joshua put her through physical torture all her life, a claim Agomo backs up.
Zeinab Hussein, a Muslim convert to Christianity who now works as a pastor who runs the Latter Glory Church in Nairobi, said of the documentary: “If the BBC documentary about what happens behind the scenes in some ministries is true, then we need to pray for discernment and stay in God's word. … The disciples couldn't keep quite anymore.”
She added, “This has shocked me.”
This too elicited debate with those supporting Joshua, who accused her of having prior hate for the late televangelist.
Lenny Judah Sunguti, a Joshua supporter, called out the “secular media” for trying to hurt the late-pastor’s reputation.
“Instead of believing what media says, we would fully talk to and rely of the Holy Spirit to help us to test every spirit,” he said. “Why did God sent us the Holy Spirit? Media can easily liaise with some false brethren in our Churches to discredit the Body of Christ.”
But Lekan Otofundorin, a Nigerian journalist who has followed Joshua’s ministry for years, concluded, “Generally, the old generation who remember the controversies about his activities are not surprised. Some are saying the BBC report is more of a confirmation and old story. Many younger generations are really alarmed and noting the worrisome activities of religious leaders. There are those wondering why the report is coming more than a year after his death, but others say it is good to warn people about the dangers to guide against.”
Tom Osanjo is a Nairobi-based correspondent for ReligionUnplugged.com. He is a former parliamentary reporter and has covered sports, politics and more for Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper.