A prophet-healing church, and a product of the Aladura (praying) movement in Western Nigeria in the early twentieth century, this church was founded by Josiah Olunlowo Ositelu (see Ositelu, Josiah). Born to Ijebu parents who were Ifa worshippers—Ifa is the diviner believed to have created the West African system of geomancy known as Ifa—on 15 May 1902, he was baptized in the Anglican Church in 1914. After completing his elementary education in 1919, he taught as a pupil teacher in several Anglican schools in Ijebuland.
Ositelu’s visionary experiences that began in May 1925 led to his dismissal from teaching and exit from the Anglican Church. In June 1929, he began to preach publicly at Ogere, and in July 1930 the converts were constituted into a group named Church of the Lord (Aladura) in 1931. The church was rather peculiar because of its use of certain holy words, which Ositelu claimed to have received through vision. Among these were the unintelligible words such as Arrabablalhhubab, gbanoyyamullah, and ahhojjammullah, which were used in the Church’s liturgy, thereby causing a parting of ways with the mainstream Aladura movement in 1931.
Its early spread was to Ibadan, Ijebu Ode and Abeokuta in southwestern Nigeria, and later to Lagos and other Yoruba towns in the 1940s. The early converts, most of whom had been members of the mainline Protestant churches, were attracted by Ositelu’s prophecies, his demonstration of power through healing and the unmasking of witches. Ogere, the hometown of Ositelu, eventually became the headquarters of the church.
The expansion of the church to other West African countries began in 1947 when Adeleke Adejobi and S.O.Oduwole, two able Yoruba ministers arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone in March 1947. They conducted prayer sessions for enquirers, and on 6 April, a church was established with forty members.S. O.Oduwole proceeded to Monrovia, Liberia, arriving on 3 April 1947. He centred his work on prayers and the healing of the sick, and despite great difficulties churches were ultimately established in Monrovia and in the interior of the country. From Freetown, Adejobi went to Ghana in March 1953 and established the church first in Takoradi, then Kumasi, where the church witnessed tremendous growth. Oduwole also extended the Liberian work to the coastal region of Ghana in June 1953 and this gave rise to disagreements with Adejobi’s churches. Oduwole then extended the work to Lome, Togo where a church was established in 1961, the first in any French-speaking country. Adejobi went to Glasgow, Scotland also in 1961 for theological training, and on 12 April 1964, he opened a branch in London, thus becoming the first African Independent Church in Europe (see African Independent Churches).
The church believes in dreams and visions as channels through which God makes himself known to humans. Most dreams and visions are facilitated by intense prayers, fasting, and the reading of psalms, and members are encouraged to record their dreams for later interpretation. The church is also Pentecostal (see Azusa Street Revival) because of the prolonged and enthusiastic services, the demonstration of the prophetic gifts, spirit possession and healing. Furthermore, the church prohibits membership in secret societies, any dealing with juju (magic), the wearing of shoes into the sanctuary, and the use of tobacco and cigarettes.
Healing constitutes a major pre-occupation in the church; hence thousands were drawn to the church through various experiences of healing. The belief in divine healing is strengthened with the complete rejection of all medicine whether Western or traditional African. Prayers lie at the root of all healing, and water, when blessed by the ministers, is frequently used sacramentally to convey healing.
The Mount Taborar festival, first celebrated in 1937 and held every August at Ogere, is the biggest event in the life of the church. The festival is devoted to the giving of special revelations, the fulfilment of vows, thanksgiving and celebration. This festival is preceded by a thirteen-day fast, which is celebrated at a special service in all branches of the church. The climax is the service held on the 22 August presided over by the Primate who would give special revelations received from God for the following year. In the 1990s, the Mount Taborar festival became a much-advertised event with the enlargement of the site, a piece of flat land and not a hill, which now lies close to a major motorway.
Ositelu and his church have made a significant contribution to the development of African Christianity both at home and abroad.
