Aladura

	Aladura
Classification	Pentecostalism
Founder	Josiah Ositelu
Origin	1930; Nigeria

Aladura is a classification of churches that abide by the religion - Christianity founded c.1922–1930 in West Nigeria by various people, with around 1 million adherents worldwide.

"Aladura" means "Praying People" in Yoruba.

Churches known as Aladura churches emphasize the power in praying and believe in faith healing and various elements associated with Pentecostalism. Most of the founders of the churches were associated with Anglicanism, though some Methodists joined the movement as well. The churches despise the power of traditional African religion, because they deem that power to be basically malign. Therefore they sometimes burn cult images as "idols" and oppose both polygamy and witchcraft. Unlike Kimbanguism, the churches tend to avoid politics and focus instead on the "holiness movement."

Aladura Movement started at Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria in 1918. This movement later metamorphoshed to Faith Tabernacle and finally to Christ Apostolic Church. Today, although most churches in Western Nigeria can be correctly called "Aladura"; they can be categorized into Pentecostals and Spiritualists. The popular Aladura Indegenous Churches are:

Aladura Pentecostals

1. Christ Apostolic Church

2. Redeemed Christian Church of God

3. Mountain of Fire Ministries

4. Deeper Life Bible Church

Aladura Spiritualists

1. Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim

2. Church of the Lord (Aladura)

3. Celestial Church of Christ

4. Celica Church of Christ

The Aladura Spiritualists are also called "White Garment" Churches. Christ Apostolic Church, popularly called CAC, is the precursor of Aladura Pentecostalism.

Christ Apostolic Church

Main article: Christ Apostolic Church

The first Aladura Movement emerged from St. Saviour's Anglican Church, Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria in 1918 after the Sexton, Ali, had related a dream to four Elders of the church, J.B. Sadare, E.O. Onabanjo, D.C. Oduga, and E.O.W. Olukoya. They started vigorous prayer sessions. In consequence, they initiated the "Prayer Band", popularly called "Egbe Aladura". After D.O. Odubanjo joined the Movement in 1919, they became influenced by the doctrines of Faith Tabernacle of Philadelphia. They rejected infant baptism and all forms of medicine, whether western or traditional. This led to a conflict of doctrines with the Angligan Church, and as such, they were forced out of the church. Mr Joseph Sadare was compelled to give up his post in the Synod and others were forced to resign their jobs and to withdraw their children from the Anglican School. The Aladura Movement began as a renewal movement in search of true spirituality.²

A revival took place in 1918 during the outbreak of influenza epidemic. The group filled with the Holy Ghost used prayer to save many lives affected by the Influenza epidemic. This consolidated the formation of the prayer group. This movement grew gradually and formed branches throughout Nigeria. Also, the name of the group went through several changes, such as Prayer Band, Precious Stone, Diamond Society, and Faith Tabernacle, in that order until 1930. A great revival started in July 1930 by the raising of a dead body by Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola at Oke-Oye in Ilesa. People trooped from neighbouring cities and countries to receive healing at Ilesa. Several people were healed through the power of prayer and there were evidences of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The revival lasted about 60 days and it's still regarded as the greatest revival ever in Nigeria. Faith Tabernacle of Nigeria later invited the Apostolic Church of England in 1931 to form an Association which lasted till 1939. The Revival group went through several name changes until, after 24 years of its formation, it finally adopted the name Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in 1942. Today, CAC has spread worldwide and definitely is the precursor of Aladura Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria. Visit [CAC website] at http://www.cacworldwide.net/ or http://www.greatrevivals.com/. The Church has established several schools at all levels, including Joseph Ayo Babalola University.

There are several other churches that stemmed out of Christ Apostolic Church.

Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim

Main article: Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim

Moses Orimolade, who was later called Baba Aladura, or Praying Father founded the Eternal Sacred order of Cherubim and Seraphim society in 1925, also as a prayer group within the Anglican Church. Captain Christiana Abiodun his later adopted daughter fell into a trance from which Moses Orimolade, who was already an itinerant evangelist and teacher, was the only one who could awaken her. By 1928 they had left the Anglican church to become independent. Their most distinctive ministry was to openly ferret out and challenge witches on their long evangelistic journeys through the countryside. These long trips were typical of Seraphim (as they are most commonly called) evangelists and missionaries. Today the church is one of the most popular, most attractive and most influential of the Aladura churches worldwide.

The Church of the Lord (Aladura)

Main article: Church of the Lord (Aladura)

Josiah Ollunowo Ositelu founded the Church of the Lord (Aladura) on 27 July 1930 at Ile Lisa, Ogere-Remo

Ositelu was born in 1902 to Dawodu Ositelu and Madam Rebecca Ejironike. His parents named him "Fakoya" at birth, however, Ositelu told his father he was "Oyelowo" and his baby brother should be called "Oyeleke".

Eventually, Ositelu became School Master Catechist at Orile Imo – Ishan – Erukute, Asha, Erunbe (Oko Egba).

Ollunowo Ositelu all his life used cold water to bath and drink, and never ate pork.

The First (Aladura: Ositelu) Disciples on 24 July 1930

Titus Olatunde, Joseph Aromuti, Benjamin Afolabi (from Faith Tabernacle Church, Ijebu Ode), Layide Akinyele, etc.

The first Tabborrar Festival was 10–22 August 1937.

Evangelism – (Cities Ollunowo Ositelu pioneered)

Ogere (the Fountain), Ibadan, Abeokuta, Sabongidda Orra (where the Hymn "Ati 'Segun de Isegun", and "Angel Ollusegun" derived – (i.e. "from Vic-to-ry unto Vic-tory"), Ijebu Ode, Aiyepe, Sagamu, Ijebu Igbo, Sobe, etc.

The Hymn derived from Mission to Sobe: "Lati 'hin de Sobe Lati Sobe de 'hin Ogun Oso gbona Ogun Aje gbona"

"From here, way down Sobe From Sobe, down way here The Withces Battles hot The Wizards Battles hot"

Ositelu also went on Missionary journeys throughout Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana and Sierra Leone.

God endowed Ositelu with Great Powers and he served the LORD with zeal, dedication, enthusiasm, diligence, and ALL.

Ollunowo Ositelu demonstrated God's Powers through miracles, healing, the Gospel, victory and power over Satan and evil powers.

Owoade Adeleke Adejobi

Emmanuel Owoade Adeleke Adejobi succeeded Dr Ollunowo Ositelu as the Head of the Church of the Lord (Aladura) on 7 May 1967.

During the Mount Tabborrar Festival on 22 August 1945, Ollunowo Ositelu read a message he received from God on Saturday 18 August 1945:

"Adeleke Adejobi is the Gbolahan (Torch Bearer) of the Church of the Lord Aladura".

Ollunowo Ositelu also promoted and appointed Adeleke Adejobi Prophet and Apostle on the Mount on that day (22 August 1945) and most importantly, pronounced that Adeleke Adejobi would be his successor.

In January 1966, presiding over the first International Churches Assembly at Ogere, Ollunowo Ositelu read again in his address, his vision of 18 August 1945, wherein God told him that Adeleke Adejobi was to be his successor. Ositelu also confirmed before the house his implicit faith, confidence and trust in Adeleke Adejobi, and declared him his successor.

Josiah Ollunowo Ositelu died in July 1966.

On Sunday, 7 May 1967, Adeleke Adejobi was innaugurated as the second Primate of the Church of the Lord Aladura.

Celestial Church of Christ

The Celestial Church of Christ (usually known as Cele) was founded in 1947 by a carpenter in Porto Novo, Samuel Oshoffa.

References

^ >Melton, J. Gordon (2003). Encyclopedia of American Religions (Seventh edition). Farmington Hills, Michigan: The Gale Group, Inc.. p. 517. ISBN 0-7876-6384-0.
^ Abi Olowe; Great Revivals, Great Revivalist – Joseph Ayo Babalola, Omega Publishers, 2007

 CELICA CHURCH OF CHRIST

   The Anointed Prophet Emmanuel Adetunji Adeonigbagbe was born on Christmas day December 25th, 1951 in the town of Oke-Odan Ogun State, to the family of Pa Adeonigbagbe and Madam Alice Adeonigbagbe. He was born into a royal family of Ilesha town, Osun State. Before his birth it has been predicted to the Mother (Alice) that the unborn baby would be a powerful man of God, that no herbs or incisions should be used on him. The mother adhered strictly to these warnings and allowed no herbs to be used on him and made sure no incisions were cut on any part of his body. In far away Ayesan town, Ondo State where Emmanuel’s grandmother Emily Eyitayo lived, it had also been foretold to her that her father would re-incarnate. The father (Emily’s) was a powerful herbalist but it was prophesied that her grandson would be powerful, not make use of herbs but use water to heal. These two women kept this prophecies close to their hearts and jealously guarded that no herbs was used on the young Adetunji. His father (Adetunji’s) died when he was four years old and he had to move to Ayesan town, Odigbo LGA in Ondo State to live with his maternal grandmother.

The young Adetunji was loved by his grandmother and he loved her in return. She spoilt him and never allowed him to do household chores. She always called him my father (Baba mi) as she believed he was a reincarnation of her dead father. An incident happened which changed the entire course of the boy’s life. The grandmother fell sick to the point of death and the young Adetunji was distraught and crying. He hid himself in a corner and wept bitterly because he loved her so much then to the surprise of the boy he heard a voice calling him that “did he want him to heal his grandmother to be healed. The boy asked the voice who he was and the voice replied “I am he Lord Jesus Christ”. The boy answered “Yes” and the Lord then told him that he must never bow down to an idol or engage in fetish things. The boy responded positively to this command and the Lord sealed the covenant between himself and the boy. The Lord told the boy to fetch a basin of water keep it outside for 3 hours and at 6pm. The grandmother should use the water to bath. Alas, the granny got well after using the water. Thus this formed the foundation of the call of Adetunji Adeonigbagbe, he was 7 years old at this period. Immediately after this encounter with God he started seeing visions but which he could not comprehend. Prophet Adetunji later had a dream in which he was told to sew the white Garment (Suntana) and keep for 7 years. In 19 God directed Prophet Adetuni Adeonigbagbe to go into the celestial fold. He joined Celestial Church of Christ, Erunmi then under the shepherd evangelist Oyelese. He distinguished himself in prophetic duties that his fame spread within and outside the environs. He was a teacher in Lalupon Erumu and immediately he finished in school. He would report to the church premises to start writing spiritual messages for people being prophesied for. A surprising thing then was that even before the prophet in spirit utters messages prophet Adetunji has already known it divinely and written it down. The Lord later directed Prophet Adetunji to go to the church premises, be in spiritual confinement and observe a forty days fasting eating only fruits. That is the foundation of the great power God has bestowed on him. He became known as a true prophet of God and people came from far and wide to have spiritual consultations with him. He would walk from Ibadan to Erunmi to prophesy for people, his wife tagging along and the people he wanted to assist spiritually would drive past him without giving him a lift. He left Erunmu in 1984 and the Lord directed him to a thick forest to and choose a site for him as t he place where he was to build a church. The Lord told him the Land is divinely chosen out of his love (Ifeoluwatedo) and that the forest will become a town. The prophet bought the land and named it “Celestial Church of Christ” Km 7, Ifeoluwatedo Avenue, Ibadan. He spiritually chosen Kilometer 7 and when he surveyors measured the stretch of road, the junction of the church on New Ife Road was actually 7 kilometres! Another surprising event occurred when the church auditorium was being built, Raffia fronds and bamboo was constructed as a temporary hall for the church. When it is raining at the junction, the rain would not reach the temporary hall. The founder of Celestial Church of Christ, Rev. S.B.J. Oshoffa loved the Prophet Adetunji and always called him quoting “My friend”. On a particular visit to Papa Oshoffa, the prophet Adeonigbagbe gave him an money he (Oshoffa) emptied his pockets and asked Prophet Adeonigbagbe if he knew he had no money on him. Papa Oshoffa removed his cap and place the money on his head and blessed prophet Adeonigbagbe thus saying “you will always be blessed and people will pay homage to you as they pay homage to me now”. However when the spirit of God is at work there are always counter forces of darkness on the other side. Some elders and prophets within the church fold grew envious of the prophet Adeonigbagbe and tried to find ways of stopping the work of God being done through prophet Adeonigbagbe. At the first instance, the prophet Adeonigbagbe was the first person in celestial church of Christ who spoke in tongues so they went to report to the founder Rev. Oshoffa. The founder called (Adeonigbagbe) and instructed him not to speak in tongues anymore, prophet Adeonigbagbe answered that the church belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ, which Papa Oshoffa acknowledged. Prophet Adeonigbagbe also pointed out some spiritual names used in the mode of worship which did not have origin in Yoruba or English language but were angelic languages and he knelt down and told the Papa Oshoffa to pray to “his God” to remove the tongues from his mouth as he laid his hands on him and started praying Prophet Adeonigbagbe went in spirit and started speaking in tongues! Papa Oshoffa had no choice than to let him be as this was the will of God that called Oshoffa. The founder of celestial church of Christ Rev. S.B.J. Oshoffa had said it repeatedly that the holy spirit would choose the next pastor. That succession to the seat of the pastor was not by rank or relationship, that the occupier of the seat could be from anywhere within the ranks in the church but Papa Oshoffa died in 1985 without anointing or choosing his successor as revealed to him by God. Afterwards the Celestial Church was thrown into crisis where different factions emerged. The Lord showed prophet Adeonigbagbe in a vision, a golden cup which was full of dirt inside and outside. The Lord told him to wash the cup, as he washed the cup, in continually became more dirty then the Lord told him that if he was not allowed to wash the cup, he should ask for a new cup. The dirty cup signifies the celestial church after the demise of the founder Rev. S.B.J Oshoffa but the prophet continually declined time after time again. In another vision Papa Oshoffa appeared to prophet Adeonigbagbe he showed him (Adeonigbagbe) 21 louvers of which 18 had bene broken. He told prophet Adeonigbagbe to try and join the louvers together again. The 21 louvres symbolizes the 21 spiritual powers given to Rev. S.B.J Oshoffa. At the burial of Rev. SBJ Oshoffa in Celestial City, Imeko when he was being lowered to the grave, the prophet Adeonigbagbe was there and started looking up at the sun. The sun shone so brightly and as the coffin was being lowered there was a spiritual exercise going on, there was transfer of spiritual power from Rev. SBJ Oshoffa to prophet Adetunji Adeonigbagbe. In another vision prophet Adetunji Adeonigbagbe was in a house which had several rooms, all the rooms except three had collapsed, one of the three rooms belong to prophet Adeonigbagbe, Papa Oshoffa then appeared and prophet Adeonigbagbe told him to enter the house but he refused. He told prophet Adeonigbagbe to command his room to come out the building to the space outside and when he did so it became a house on its own. Rev. Oshoffa then entered the house and conversed with the prophet. He led the prophet outside to a path and showed him a river. There were many people inside the river, it was polluted and dirty. Papa Oshoffa said he (Oshoffa) had allowed people into the river exclusively given to him by God and that they had polluted it. He led him to another river and said thus will be you river now, you can see it is very clean and not polluted, do not let anyone fetch water from it except you. He said these words in Yoruba “Odo kan, Orisun kan” which translates as “One River, One Source” In 1992, the Lord came to Prophet Adeonigbagbe again and asked him to ask for the descent of a new cup he declined as before but the Lord opened his mouth spiritually and the golden cup descended (a new dispensation). The Prophet Adeonigbagbe had no intention to form a new church so he asked the Lord Jesus Christ for signs to show that it was the will of God. His leg was lifted from the ground to mid-air as the first sign. The Lord called Rev. Oshoffa, the Lord asked for the object deposited with him and Rev. Oshoffa said he had given it to someone but the Lord Jesus Christ said this (Prophet Adeonigbagbe) is the rightful owner. The object was brought and the Lord placed the object in Prophet Adeonigbagbe’s body and it spiritually entered and disappeared within his body! On August 15th, 1992, a pastor in South Korea told his congregation that the world was about to come to an end that they should start selling their properties and come and seek abode in the South Korean church. The pastor truly saw a sign but he didn’t get the correct interpretation, the whole church Celica Church of Christ (Km 7) assembled in the mercyland and were united in prayers and spirit then there was an eclipse of the sun spiritually this was announcing the arrival of a new dispensation. Immediately, the holy spirit descended on people and they started giving messages about the divine call of Celica. The prophet Adeonigbagbe that day received three visitors spiritually and they (the four of them) went round the church auditorium seven times. These three visitors were St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase, Founder Cherubim and Seraphim church, Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola, founder Christ Apostolic Church and Rev. Samuel Bilewu Oshoffa, founders, Celestial church of Christ. After going round the church they told prophet Adeonigbagbe they had finished their assignment on earth, that it was now his turn and they passed the baton to him. This was one of the confirmation that he was being sent on a mission by God to the world. The Lord told him his call is divine and that he should open his bible and read Isaiah chapters 60 and 61 for the foundation of his call. During another vision the Lord also appeared to him (Adeonigbagbe)he placed a hot piece of rod in his ands that he should suffer what he (Jesus Christ) suffered too, he also put a garment on him which was too heavy for him (Adeonigbagbe) to carry but he said he will carry it and the Lord Jesus Christ later placed him on a white horse. The Lord Jesus Christ told him that during the time of Rev. Oshoffa a song was sung for him “Jesu ti job (2ce) bi aiye fe bi aiye ko, Jesu ti joba” but that clearing his own time (Adeonigbagbe) this song will be sung “Kabiyesi, hosanna, eyin Jesu Kristi, Oba aiku, Egbe ga, Eyin Jesu o, Eyin Jesu Kristi, Oba aiku. The Lord further took the prophet on a spiritual journey to heaven and placed his (Adeonigbagbe) hand on the throne of God. Prophet Adeonigbagbe’s head was turned backward when he approached the throne which was dazzling and he heard the voice saying “This is the throne of God the father, God the son and God the holy spirit where you are coming too”. In a vision, a dove which spiritually signifies purity, peace and humility brought two leaves, one dried and one fresh, on the fresh leaf, it was written “Celica Church of Christ, the Most glorious church of Christ from heaven. Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna!