T.B Joshua: Biography of T. B Joshua,
Who was T. B. Joshua?
Temitope Balogun Joshua was a Nigerian televangelist and faith healer. He was one of the most influential personalities in Africa. Believed to have been born after being in his mother’s womb for 15 months and also having survived a near-death accident as an infant, he rose to become a self-proclaimed spiritual messenger of the almighty. Obedient to the divine call, he started a ministry with a mere eight members, of which he became the General Overseer.
He was the leader and founder of the ministry organization ‘The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN),’ which spreads his religious teachings and messages around the world. T.B. Joshua began the ministry at a small level and it slowly grew beyond the shores of Nigeria. The organization also runs a Christian television station called Emmanuel TV, and has gathered a large following over the years. He was also a notable humanitarian, providing aid to minorities and the underprivileged. T. B. Joshua published numerous videos claiming to document the healing of incurable disabilities and illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. He was considered to be one of those who have submitted to the will of God and embrace every act of the almighty with love and respect.
T.B. Joshua was born on June 12, 1963, in the small village of Arigidi in Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. According to him, unusual circumstances surrounded his birth as he was born after 15 months since his mother conceived him.
Another remarkable event occurred when T.B.Joshua was three days old, and a large boulder crashed through the roof of his house, missing him by a few inches. After this incident, his mother named him ‘Temitope’, meaning ‘What You (God) have done for me is worthy of thanks’.
From 1971 to 1977, T.B. Joshua attended St. Stephen’s Anglican Primary School in Arigidi, Akoko, Nigeria, but failed to complete secondary school education because of poverty. In school, Joshua was known as “small pastor” because of his love for the Bible.
T. B. Joshua gained reputation for spiritual prowess after confronting a madman in the school premises and collecting his weapon from him. He was the leader of ‘Scripture Union’ whilst in school.
Thereafter, T.B. Joshua washed people’s feet on the muddy streets of Lagos before moving to a poultry farm where he had the demeaning job of carrying chicken waste. At the same time, he organized Bible studies with children and attended evening school.
Thereafter, he laid the foundation of his ministry organization ‘The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN)’.The society has released numerous videos claiming to document the healing of incurable disabilities and illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. The videos have generated a lot of controversy and amassed hundreds of thousands of views.
Many people have also claimed to have been healed through ‘Anointing Water’ that has been prayed over by him and given to those who were unable to physically attend his church in Lagos. His organization has also been in controversy regarding the deliverance of those allegedly possessed by evil spirits during its services.
He claimed to be a prophet and allegedly predicted such events as Michael Jackson’s death, the attack during Boston marathon in America and the outcome of two African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final matches. T. B. Joshua also allegedly predicted the crash of Malaysian Airlines MH370 several months before the incident.
T. B. Joshua also wrote and published several books, including ‘The Mirror’, ‘The Step Between You And The Cure’, ‘Daily Time With God’ and ‘What The Future Holds.’
T. B. Joshua was the leader and founder of the ministry organization ‘The Synagogue, Church of All Nations’ (SCOAN), which runs a Christian television station called Emmanuel TV, available on satellite and on the internet via the Streaming Faith broadcast portal. His shows were also aired weekly on a number of local television stations across Africa.
T.B. Joshua was married to Evelyn Joshua and the couple had three children. His eldest daughter, Serah, is a graduate from ‘London School of Economics Law Faculty.’
T. B. Joshua died on June 5, 2021, shortly after an evening service at Lagos, Nigeria. The cause of his death was not revealed. He was 57. A post on his Facebook page said: “God has taken His servant.”
