T.B. Joshua at 53: Celebrating an Uncommon Passion for Humanity

By Francis Iwuchukwu Come Sunday, June 12, 2016, Prophet T.B. Joshua will be 53. The clergy, according to those close to him, deserves to be celebrated from different perspectives, especially at a time like this when the nation is passing through some kind of recession. They posited that the prophet has put smiles on faces and has become the greatest friend of the poor and downtrodden in the society. Aside the fact that he is gifted in the area of healing and deliverance, Prophet T.B. Joshua walks tall in several aspects of human endeavours. The story of his life is an excellent demonstration of God’s ability to use the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.With just primary school education, the founder of The Synagogue Church of All Nations has established himself as a force to reckon with in God’s vineyard. His ministry is arguably the most visited Christian ministry in the whole of Africa and has continued to attract scintillating reviews from the international media. Tens of thousands of visitors from across the world have continued to throng the Ikotun-Egbe based ministry in search of spiritual succour. But it does not end there. The man of God understands the challenges of the troubled world and has maintained a rare reputation for helping individuals, institutions and nations overcome their spiritual as well as socio-economic challenges through crusades and humanitarian efforts. Though enemies of the church would always ascribe negative things to the man of God, he has consistently maintained that it is unnecessary joining issues with the world; instead, he has channelled most of his time into catering to the needs of the less-privileged in the society. An uncountable number of people both Nigerians and foreigners have continued to benefit from his ministry’s milk of human kindness. Through his ministry’s Emmanuel TV Partners, millions of lives, nations and destinies have been changed across the world. According to the man of God, true love always searches for whom to help whenever and wherever it is in a position to do so. How he has been able to maturely manage the bad press emanating from the collapsed building incident remains very phenomenal. He has maintained a calm and unperturbed disposition – a quality that can only be God-given especially in situations of crisis. T.B. Joshua according to suggestions is the only Nigerian pastor that is hardly seen in the corridors of power. You will never find him in any government house because he believes that a true servant of God should be for all and not frolic around with politicians. We have seen some Christian leaders who have rubbished their reputation because of money and partisan politics but Prophet Joshua prefers to empower the masses.In the last two years, the man of God has received both national and international recognitions for his exemplary service to mankind. He was recently ranked amongst the most famous prophets in the history of mankind. The ranking was contained in a publication by an America-based research organisation ”“ www.Ranker.com. According to the organisation, the ranking was based on votes from over 250 million people worldwide. A statement on its website reads: “From reputable, prominent, and well-known prophets to the lesser known prophets of today, these are some of the best professionals in the prophet field. If you want to answer the questions, “Who are the most famous prophets ever?” and “What are the names of famous prophets?” then you are in the right place. The publication which parades a total of 71 prophets named T.B. Joshua as number 13 in the world and number one in Africa followed by the late Joseph Ayo Babalola who occupies number 32 in the world and number 2 in Africa. Only these two prophets are named from Africa. The list included great biblical figures like Abraham, Moses, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Elisha, Micah and Paul the Apostle, amongst others. The publication describes Prophet T.B. Joshua thus, “Temitope Balogun Joshua (born June 12, 1963), commonly referred to as T.B. Joshua, is a Nigerian preacher. He is the leader of The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), a religious organisation that runs the Emmanuel TV television station from Lagos, Nigeria. He has been awarded various accolades, notably receiving the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) by the Nigerian government in 2008 and being voted the Yoruba man of the decade by a Pan-Yoruba media outlet, Irohin Odua. He was recognised as one of Africa’s 50 most influential people by Pan-African magazines, The Africa Report and New African Magazine and also listed among world’s most famous prophets”. Born on June 12, 1963, in a rustic village of Arigidi in Akoko, Ondo state, Nigeria, Joshua is said to have spent 15 months in his mother’s womb. His birth and early development are also said to be shrouded in mysteries after narrowly escaping a boulder from a nearby quarry which came crashing inches near him in his parents’ house. The name ”˜Temitope’, meaning “what you (God) has done for me is worthy of thanks”. He attended St. Stephens’ Anglican Primary School but failed to complete secondary school due to poverty. While in primary school, he was referred to as the small pastor and led evangelical activities. His ambition to join the Nigerian Army went crashing after the train that was to convey him developed fault along the way and left him stranded for six days. Prophet T.B. Joshua also washed people’s feet on the muddy corners of Lagos and worked as a poultry attendant to earn a living. His ministry, The Synagogue Church of All Nations, alongside the Emmanuel TV Partners, has become synonymous with acts of charity, healing and humanitarian efforts across the globe. Last year he was listed among the world’s famous people by www.thefamouspeople.com. The avalanche of evidence that the man of God is truly of God notwithstanding, some persons, for reasons best known to them, have decided to continue their campaigns of calumny against him. In the face of all the hatred and condemnation, Prophet T.B. Joshua has remained rather calm and focused on his divine mandate to liberate the oppressed from the shackles of the devil. What other truth is greater than showing love to others? For even Jesus attested to the biblical truth that, whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren that you do unto me. Like John the Baptist, like Jesus and like T.B. Joshua, a prophet is without honour in his own home. No amount of falsehood can truncate the noble and glorious trajectory of truth. It is only a matter of time. Truth, like an immortal seed, will always prevail.