APOSTLE JOSEPH AYODELE BABALOLA OF NIGERIA 4

JOSEPH AYO BABALOLA 1904 - 1959 

BY DAVID O. OLAYIWOLA 

IN MAKERS OF THE CHURCH IN NIGERIA

It was Prof. Saburi Biobaku who said,

Great men appear now and again to help shape the course of human history. The history of their lives does not of itself amount to the totality of the history of man. It nevertheless serves to illuminate that history and unravel the course of human events [l].

The story of Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola, his life and work can be thus classified. His unprecedented Oke-Oye Revival gave birth to what is now known as the Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C.), a Nigerian indigenous church.

HIS BACKGROUND

Joseph Ayodele Babalola was born on April 25, 1904, to David Rotimi and Madam Marta Talabi who belonged to the Anglican Church. The family lived at Odo-Owa in Ilofa, a small town about ninety kilometers from Ilorin in Kwara State, Nigeria. His father was the Baba Ijo (“church father”) of the C.M.S. Church at Odo-Owa. Pastor Medayese wrote in his book, Itan Igbe dide Woli, Ayo Babalola that mysterious circumstances surrounded the birth of Babalola. On that day, it was believed that a strange and mighty object exploded and shook the clouds [2].

On January 18, 1914, young Babalola was taken by his brother M. 0. Rotimi, a Sunday school teacher in the C.M.S. Church at Ilofa, to Osogbo. Babalola started school at Ilofa and got as far as standard five at All Saints’ School, Osogbo. However, he quit school when he decided to learn a trade and became a motor mechanic apprentice. Again, he did not continue long in this vocation before joining the Public Works Department (PWD). He was among the road workers who constructed the road from Igbara-Oke to Ilesa, working as a steam roller driver.

BABALOLA’S CALL TO THE PROPHETIC MINISTRY

Just like the Old Testament prophets, Babalola was called by God into the prophetic office to stand before men [3]. His was a specific and personal call.

Babalola’s strange experience started on the night of September 25th, 1928 when he suddenly became restless and could not sleep. This went on for a week and he had no inkling of the causes of such a strange experience. The climax came one day when he was, as usual, working on the Ilesa-Igbara-Oke road. Suddenly the steam roller’s engine stopped to his utter amazement. There was no visible mechanical problem, and Joseph became confused and perplexed. He was in this state of confusion when a great voice “like the sound of many waters” called him three times. The voice was loud and clear and it told him that he would die if he refused to heed the divine call to go into the world and preach. Babalola did not want to listen to this voice and he responded like many of the Biblical prophets, who, when they were called out by Yahweh as prophets, did not normally yield to the first call. Men like Moses and Jeremiah submitted to God only when it became inevitable. So, Babalola gave in only after he had received the assurance of divine guidance.

To go on the mission, he had to resign his appointment with the Public Works Department. Mr. Fergusson, the head of his unit, tried to dissuade him from resigning but the young man was bent on going on the Lord’s mission.

The same voice came to Joseph a second time asking him to fast for seven days. He obeyed and at the end of the period, he saw a great figure of a man who, according to Pastor Alokan, resembled Jesus [4]. The man in a dazzling robe spoke at length about the mission he was to embark upon. The man also told him of the persecutions he would face and at the same time assured him of God’s protection and victory. A hand prayer bell was given to Babalola as a symbol. He was told that the sound of the bell would always drive away evil spirits. He was also given a bottle of “life-giving water” [5] to heal all manners of sickness. Consequently, wherever and whenever he prayed into the water for therapeutic purposes, effective healing was procured for those who drank the water. Thus, Babalola became a prophet and a man with extraordinary powers. Enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit he could spend several weeks in prayer. Elder Abraham Owoyemi of Odo-Owa said that the prophet regularly saw angels who delivered divine messages to him [6]. An angel appeared in one of his prayers and forbade him to wear caps.

THE ITINERARY OF PROPHET BABALOLA

During one of his prayer sessions, an angel appeared to him and gave him a big yam which he ordered him to eat. The angel told him that the yam was the tuber with which God fed the whole world. He further revealed that God had granted unto him the power to deliver those who were possessed of evil spirits in the world. He was directed to go first to Odo-Owa and start preaching. He was to arrive in the town on a market day, cover his body with palm fronds and disfigure himself with charcoal paints.

In October 1928, he entered the town in the manner described and was taken for a mad man. Babalola immediately started preaching and prophesying. He told the inhabitants of Odo-Owa about an impending danger if they did not repent. He was arrested and taken to the district office at Ilorin for allegedly disturbing the peace. The district officer later released him when the allegations could not be proven. However, it was said that a few days later, there was an outbreak of smallpox in the town. The man whose prophecies and messages were once rejected was quickly sought for. He went around praying for the victims and they were all healed.

Pa David Rotimi, Babalola’s father, had been instrumental in the establishment of a C.M.S. Church in Odo-Owa. Babalola organized regular prayer meetings in this church [7] which many people attended because of the miracles God performed through him. Among the regulars was Isaiah 01uyemi who later saw the wrath of Bishop Smith of Ilorin diocese [8]. Information had reached the bishop that almost all members of the C.M.S. Church in Ilofa were seeing visions, speaking in tongues and praying vigorously [9]. Babalola and the visionaries were allegedly ordered by Bishop Smith to leave the church [10]. But Babalola did not leave the town until June 1930.

On an invitation from Daniel Ajibola, Babalola went to Lagos. Elder Daniel Ajibola at that time was working in Ibadan where he was a member of the Faith Tabernacle Congregation. He introduced Prophet Babalola to Pastor D. 0. Odubanjo, one of the leaders of the Faith Tabernacle in Lagos. Senior Pastor Esinsinade who was then the president of the Faith Tabernacle was invited to see Babalola. After listening to the details of his call and his ministry, the Faith Tabernacle leaders warmly received the young prophet into their midst.

Babalola had not yet been baptized by immersion and Senior Pastor Esinsinade emphasized that he needed to go through that rite. Pastor Esinsinade then baptized him in the lagoon at the back of the Faith Tabernacle Church building at 51, Moloney Bridge Street, Lagos [l1]. Babalola returned to Odo-Owa a few days after that and Elder (later Pastor) J. A. Medayese, paid him a visit.

The news of the conversion of the new prophet reached Pastor K. P. Titus at Araromi in Yagba, present Kwara State. Pastor Titus was a teacher and preacher at the Sudan Interior Mission which was then thriving at Yagba. He invited Prophet Babalola for a revival service. Joseph Ayodele Babalola while in Yagba, performed mighty works of healing. Many Muslims and Christians from other denominations and some traditional religionists were converted to the new faith during the revival [12].

The fact that Babalola did not use the opportunity to establish a separate Christian organization despite his marvelous evangelical success, must be puzzling to historians, but his intention was not to start a new church. He declared to his followers that he had registered his membership with the Faith Tabernacle, the society which had him baptized in Lagos [13]. He thus persuaded them to become members of the Faith Tabernacle. To facilitate this, he went to Lagos to confer with the leaders, especially as he was not yet well acquainted with the doctrines, tenets, and administration of the church.

OKE-OYE MIGHTY REVIVAL

There was a controversy among the leaders of the Faith Tabernacle in Nigeria over some doctrines. In the midst of it were, in particular, the Ilesa and Oyan branches of the tabernacle. The Oyan branch was under the supervision of Pastor J. A. Babatope, a notable Anglican teacher, before his conversion and later, one of the outstanding leaders of the Faith Tabernacle in Nigeria. Issues like the use of western and traditional drugs versus divine healing, polygamy and whether polygamous husbands should be allowed to partake of the Lord’s Supper, were among those doctrines that needed to be agreed on. These issues had caused dissension at the IIesa Tabernacle and in order to avoid a split, a delegation of peacemakers made up of all leading Faith Tabernacle pastors, was sent to Ilesa. It was headed by Pastor J. B. Esinsinade of Ijebu-Ode, president of the General Headquarters of the movement and D. O. Odubanjo of the Lagos Missionary Headquarters. The Ilesa meeting was scheduled for the 9th and lOth of July 1930. The Apostolic Council of Jerusalem in A.D. 48 and other important church councils are precedents in seeking ecclesiastical direction on matters affecting the life and peace of the church [14].

Before the delegation left Lagos for Ilesa, Babalola had been invited to meet the leaders at Pastor I. B. Akinyele’s residence at Ibadan. From there I. B. Akinyele and Babalola joined the delegation to Ilesa. At Ilesa, he was introduced to the whole conference and was lodged in a separate room because of his prophetic mission. The representatives began their meeting and on the agenda were twenty-four items. The first was the validity of baptism administered to a man with many wives. The second was the issue of divine healing because some of the members believed in the use of drugs like quinine to cure malaria fever. They were only able to discuss the first item when there was a sudden interruption which Pastor Adegboyega described thus: “The conciliatory talks at Ilesa were going on, when suddenly a mighty sweeping revival broke out at Faith Tabernacle Congregation Church at Oke-Oye, Ilesa” [15]. The revival began with the raising by Babalola of a dead child. The mother of the dead child who was restored to life went about spreading the news around the town of Ilesa proclaiming that a miracle-working prophet had come to the town of Oke-Oye. This attracted a large number of people to Oke-Oye to see the prophet. According to Pastor Medayese, many of those afflicted with various diseases who came to Oke-Oye were healed. Many mighty works were performed through the use of the prayer bell and the drinking of consecrated water from a stream called Omi Ayo (“Stream of Joy”) [16].

The result was that thousands of people including traditional religionists, Muslims, and Christians from various other denominations were converted to the Faith Tabernacle. As there was no space in the church hall, revival meetings were shifted to an open field where men and women from all walks of life, from every part of the country and from neighboring countries assembled daily for healing, and blessings. Odubanjo testified that within three weeks Babalola had cured about one hundred lepers, sixty blind people and fifty lame persons [17].

He further claimed that both the Anglican and Wesleyan Churches in Ilesa were left desolate because their members transferred their allegiance to the revivalist and that all the patients in Wesley Hospital, Ilesa, abandoned their beds to seek healing from Babalola. Also:

Many of the schools belonging to the Wesleyan and Anglican Churches, as well as to the Baptists and the Roman Catholics, closed down altogether, and there has not been sufficient money again to pay their teachers due to the fact that the majority of their members left to join us” [18].

The assistant district officer in Ilesa in 1930 wrote that he visited the scene of the revival incognito and found a crowd of hundreds of people including a large contingent of the lame and blind and concluded that the whole affair was orderly [19]. Members of the church made fantastic claims such as: “Hopeless barren women were made fruitful; women who had been carrying their pregnancies for long years were wonderfully delivered. The dumb spoke and lunatics were cured. In fact, it was another day of Pentecost. Witches confessed and some demon-possessed people were exorcized [20].

But the general superintendent of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society of Nigeria at the time has described the reports as “grotesquely inaccurate accounts of the operations of Babalola.” This, of course, could be the biased view of a man whose church was said to be the greatest victim of the Ilesa revival.

A revelation was later given to Ayo Babalola to burn down a big tree in front of the Owa’s Palace. The big tree was traditionally believed to be the rendezvous of witches and wizards. The juju tree was therefore greatly feared and sacrifices were usually made to the spirits believed to reside in it. There was apprehension that this bold act would result in the instantaneous death of Babalola since it was expected to arouse the anger of the gods. But to the great amazement of the people, the prophet did not die but rather continued to wax stronger in the Lord’s work. That single event was said to have made even the Owa of Ilesa and important people in the town to fear and respect the prophet.

The tidal wave of Babalola’s revival spread from Ilesa to Ibadan, Ijebu, Lagos, Efon-Alaaye, Aramoko Ekiti and Abeokuta. No greater revival preceded that of Babalola. It was popularly held in Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C.) circles that at one revival meeting, attendance rose to about forty thousand. Among the men of faith who came as disciples to Babalola were Daniel Orekoya, Peter Olatunji who came from Okeho, and Omotunde, popularly known as Aladura Omotunde, from Aramoko Ekiti. These men drew great inspiration from Babalola. Orekoya went on to reside in Ibadan where a great revival also broke out at Oke-Bola through him. It was during his Oke-Bola revival that Orekoya reportedly raised a dead pregnant woman [21].

BABALOLA’S OTHER MISSIONARY JOURNEYS

After the great revival of Oke-Oye, the prophet was directed by the Holy Spirit to go out on further missionary journeys, but even before this, people from other parts of the country had been spreading the glad tidings of Oke-Oye, Ilesa’s great revival, to other parts of the country. Accompanied by some followers, Joseph Babalola went to Offa, in present Kwara State. Characteristically, people turned out to hear his preaching and see miracles. The Muslims in Offa became jealous and for that reason incited the members of the community against him. To avoid bloodshed he was compelled to leave.

He next stopped in Usi in Ekitiland for his evangelical mission and he performed many works of healing. From Usi, he and his men moved to Efon-Alaaye, also in Ekitiland, where they received a warm reception from the Oba Alaaye of Efon. An entire building was provided for their comfort. Babalola requested an open space for prayer from the Oba who willingly and cheerfully gave him the privilege to choose a site. Consequently, the prophet and his men chose a large area at the outskirts of town. Traditionally the place was a forbidden forest because of the evil spirits that were believed to inhabit it. The Oba tried to dissuade Babalola and his men from entering the forbidden forest, but Babalola insisted on establishing his prayer ground there. The missionaries entered the bush, cleared it and consecrated it as a prayer ground. When no harm came upon them, the inhabitants of Efon were inspired to accept the new faith in large numbers.

Babalola’s evangelistic success in Efon-Alaaye was a remarkable one. Archdeacon H. Dallimore from Ado-Ekiti and some white pastors from Ogbomoso Baptist Seminary were believed to have come to see for themselves the “wonder-working prophet” at Efon. Both Dallimure and the Baptist pastors reportedly asked some men from St. Andrew’s College, Oyo and Baptist Seminary, Ogbomoso to assist in the work [22].

The success of the revival was accelerated by the conversion of both the Oba of Efon and the Oba of Aramoko. They were both baptized with the names, Solomon Aladejare Agunsoye and Hezekiah Adeoye respectively. After this event, news of the revival at Efon spread to other parts of Ekitiland [23].

The missionaries also visited other towns in the present Ondo State. Among them were Owo, Ikare, and Oka. Babalola retreated to his home town in Odo-Owa to fortify himself spiritually. While he was at Odo-Owa, a warrant for his arrest was issued from Ilorin. He was arrested for preaching against witches, a practice which had caused some trouble in Otuo in present Bendel State. He was sentenced to jail for six months in Benin City in March 1932. After serving the jail term, he went back to Efon Alaaye.

One Mr. Cyprian E. Ufon came from Creek Town in Calabar to entreat Babalola to “come over to Macedonia and help.” Ufon had heard about Babalola and his works and wanted him to preach in Creek Town. After seeking God’s direction, the prophet followed Ufon to Creek Town. His campaign there was very successful. From Creek Town, Babalola visited Duke town and a plantation where a national church existed at the time. Certain members of this church received the gift of the Holy Spirit as Babalola was preaching to them and were baptized. When the prophet returned from the Calabar area, he settled down for a while. In 1935 he married Dorcas.

The following year Babalola, accompanied by Evangelist Timothy Bababusuyi, went to the Gold Coast. On arrival at Accra, he was recognized by some people who had seen him at the Great Revival in Ilesa. After a successful campaign in the Gold Coast, he returned to Nigeria.

THE BIRTH OF THE C.A.C. IN NIGERIA

The spectacular evangelism by Prophet Joseph Ayo Babalola brought with it a wave of persecution to all who rushed into the new faith. The mission churches allegedly became jealous and hostile especially as their members constituted the main converts of the Faith Tabernacle. It was widely rumored that the revival movement was a lawless and unruly organization. The Nigerian government was put on the alert about the activities of the movement. At this time, the leading members of the movement were advised to invite the American Faith Tabernacle leaders to come to their rescue. The leaders from America, however, refused to come as such a venture was said to be against their principles. As a matter of fact, the association between the Philadelphia group and the Faith Tabernacle of Nigeria was terminated following the marital problems of the leader of the American group, Pastor Clark. The Nigerian group then went into fellowship with the Faith and Truth Temple of Toronto which sent a party of seven missionaries to West Africa. Again, the fellowship was stopped when Mr. C. R. Myers, the only surviving missionary, sent his wife to the hospital where she died in childbirth [24].

Despite these disappointing relationships with foreign groups, the Nigerian Faith Tabernacle still considered it prestigious to seek affiliation with a foreign body. The rationale for this can be found in D. 0. Odubanjo’s letter to Pastor D. P. Williams of the Apostolic Church of Great Britain of March 1931. In the letter, Odubanjo claimed: “The officers of the government here fear the European missionaries and dare not trouble their native converts, but often, we brethren here have been ill-treated by government officers” [25].

This was followed by a formal request for missionaries to be sent to strengthen the position of the Nigerian Faith Tabernacle. Missionaries did come and, on their advice, the Nigerian Faith Tabernacle was ceded to the British Apostolic Church. Consequently, the name changed from Faith Tabernacle to the Apostolic Church [26].

Doctrinal differences between the two groups soon began to appear in forms similar to the ones that caused the termination of the association with the American groups. The subject of divine healing was one of the most important issues. Some of the invited white missionaries from Britain were found using quinine and other tablets and this caused a serious controversy among the leading members [27]. It was unfortunate that the controversy could not be resolved and the movement subsequently split. One faction of the church made Oke-Oye its base and retained the name the Apostolic Church. The other larger faction and in which Prophet Joseph Babalola was a leader eventually became the Christ Apostolic Church. This church had to go through many names before May 1943 when its title was finally registered with number 147 under the Nigerian Company Law of 1924. Today, the church controls over five thousand assemblies and reputedly is one of the most popular Christian organizations in Nigeria and the only indigenous organization with a strong faith in divine healing.

Professor John Peel [28] recorded that the membership of the C.A.C. in 1968 was well over one hundred thousand. That figure must have doubled by now. The church opened up several primary and grammar schools, a teachers’ training college, a seminary, maternity homes and a training school for prophets. The years between 1970 and 1980 saw further expansion of the church to England, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. At present, the church has its Missionary and General Headquarters in Lagos and Ibadan respectively [29].

Babalola was a spiritually gifted individual who was genuinely dissatisfied with the increasingly materialistic and sinful existence into which he believed, the Yoruba in particular and Nigeria, in general, were being plunged as western civilization influence on society grew.

The C.A.C. believes that the spiritual power bestowed on Babalola placed him on an equal level with Biblical apostles like Peter, Paul and others who were sent out with the authority and in the name of Jesus.

Joseph Ayo Babalola slept in the Lord in 1959.

David O. Olayiwola

Notes:

1. Prof. S. O. Biobaku, former vice chancellor of the University of Lagos wrote a foreword in The Life and Works of Uthman Dan Fodio (Lagos: Ismail, A. B. B. Balogun, Islamic Publication Bureau, 1975): 1.

2. J. A. Alokan, Idasile ati Idagbasoke Ijo Aposteli ti Kristi ni Ilu Efon-Alaaye, (Ibadan: Caston Press, 1975): 1.

3. All my sources contended that Babalola’s call to prophetic ministry was genuinely from God. His call is similar in form to those of the Old Testament prophets. See I King 17:1, 18-15 [sic].

4. Alokan, op. cit., p. 5.

5. This is the origin of the practice of healing with consecrated water in the C.A.C. For further information consult E. H. L. Oluseye Saint Joseph Ayo Babalola 1904-1959 (Akure: The Christian Overcomers Publishers, 1983), p. 41. I am however suggesting that the bottle of “life-giving water” presented to the prophet in his visions is very symbolic. The water could be interpreted in connection with the divine assignment of washing away of spiritual uncleanliness from the pagan society of Babalola’s day. In the New Testament, there is an example in Eph. 5:26.

6. Elder Abraham B. Owoyemi, Iwe Itan Igbe dide Woli Ayo Babalola (Ibadan: Pop Omoboriola Printers, n.d.): 5.

7. Ibid., p. 8.

8. Ibid., p. 6.

9. These phenomena are Pentecostal experiences but are strange in the C.M.S.

10. Abraham Owoyemi, op. cit. p. 8.

11. Pastor S. G. Adegboyega, A Short History of the Apostolic Church (Ibadan: Rosprint Press Ltd., 1978): 22.

12. Owoyemi, op. cit. p. 11.

13. Adegboyega, op. cit. p. 22.

14. See J. N. D. Kelly, Early Church Doctrines (London), Adam and Charles Black and R. H. Bainton, Early Christianity (N. Y.: Van Nostrand Company).

15. Adegboyega, op. cit. p. 22.

16. Pastor D. 0. Babajide, Iwe Itan Ibere Ise Woli Joseph Babalola ati ti Daniel Orekoya ni Odun 1930 (Ilesa: Folasayo Press, n.d.): 13- 14.

17. N. A. I. Council F 1301 “Odubanjo to Pastor D. P. Williams of the Apostolic Church of Great Britain,” March 4, 1931.

18. Ibid.

19. N. A. I. Oyo/No. 7.

20. Adegboyega, op. cit. p. 25.

21. Babajide, op. cit. pp. 29-30.

22. Iwe Itan C.A.C., published by C.A.C. Publicity Dept., n.d., p. 65. [Information could not be cross-checked.]

23. Ibid., p. 67.

24. J. A. Omoyajowo, Cherubim and Seraphim Church History of an African Independent Church (N. Y.: N.O.K. Publishers, 1982): 123.

25. J. A. Omoyajowo, Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Relation to Church and Society and State (Ibadan: Claverianum Press, 1976): 115.

26. Pastor Elton was one of the missionaries later sent by the British Apostolic Church to assist in the work in Nigeria in 1937. He left the Apostolic Church during the Latter Rain Movement episode in 1953. See Adegboyega, op. cit. p. 77.

27. Details are to be found in Adegboyega op. cit., pp. 87-114.

28. J. D. Y. Peel, Aladura: A Religious Movement among the Yoruba (Oxford: 0xford University Press, 1968): 55-105.

29. Information was derived from C.A.C. Past and Present, published by the C.A.C. Publicity Dept., n.d., p. 5.

This article was researched and written by Dr. David O. Olayiwola, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, as a chapter of the book Makers of the Church in Nigeria, edited by J. A. Omoyajowo (Lagos, Nigeria: CSS Bookshops Ltd., 1995), pages 137-149.

External link

Encyclopaedia Britannica (complete article): https://www.britannica.com/topic/Aladura

APOSTLE JOSEPH AYODELE BABALOLA OF NIGERIA 3

DEATH

The death and last day of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola of The Christ Apostolic Church was a unique and most glorious to behold in the life of every genuine Christian. He fought the good fight, kept the faith and the final drop his warfare praying sword and righteous helmet of great exploit at the feet of his master; our Lord Jesus Christ.

The encounter of his death and his last few words you are about to read was unveiled by one of his fellow ministers of the Lord in the same ministry. He was a companion and fellow soldier who stood beside our dear beloved Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola.

HOW APOSTLE AYO BABALOLA DIED

Until his sudden departure to glory on Sunday, July 1959, Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola showed no sign of illness. On Friday 24 July, he returned to Ibadan to attend the general council’s meeting slated for that day. On Saturday morning, July, Apostle Babalola conducted the Morning Prayer for ministers and members living in the residence of Christ Apostolic Church; Olugbode, Ibadan and prayed for everybody.

The same day, he sent two of his followers, Michael and another fellow to me at Ede that I should prepare a place for him to sleep. I never knew he was talking about his final sleep. Apostle Ayo Babalola arrived Ede around 6:30 pm in the evening that Saturday and he was gladly received. Before his arrival, I had prepared my bedroom ready for him.

We ensured that nobody was allowed to rush into the bedroom with him; for it was Apostle Babalola’s habit that he never turned away anybody who came to him for prayer and counseling, no matter how weary he might be. After prayer, I informed him that his meal was ready. He declined to take any meal but requested to be allowed to have some sleep, because he had been holding a series of meetings since the past nine days with little or no rest.

He woke up three hours later and took some tea and slept off again. At 4 a.m. on Sunday, he woke up, took his bath, took some tea and had his morning meditation without any disturbance. At 6 o’clock, I went to him in the bedroom and he began to talk about a great convention which will soon be held in his hometown, Odo-Owa.

He was speaking in parables, so I did not suspect that he was talking about his approaching death. He directed me to call in Prophet Babajide who was in the adjacent room. Both of us knelt down beside his bed and he began to narrate to us how he began his ministry. It was such a sublime experience. Both of us just listened; we did not utter a single word during the course of his narration. After this, we knelt down for prayer. The three of us prayed. I took the lead. Prophet Babajide followed.

When it was Apostle Babalola’s turn to pray, he prayed for a very long time, praying for the church, the leaders and for us too. After the special service, people came to Apostle Babalola in my bedroom and bid him farewell before leaving for their various destinations with joy and humor.

He bid everyone farewell and prayed for them. Nobody suspected through his speech or action that death was lurking in the corners. We left him alone to attend to those who were waiting to see him.

Meanwhile, Michael Osabi and Samuel Oluwatusin, the two young men who used to wait on him, remained with him as he took a nap. When he woke up, he called me and returned my covering-cloth to me. His action surprised me and I asked, “Baba, why are you doing this?”

He replied, “A man should sleep with his own clothes.” It did not occur to me that he was speaking of his imminent death. He advised me to go and have some sleep myself. By then, everybody else had gone to church for the evening service.

Around 5 p.m. as he lay on the bed, Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola breathed heavily three times, saying after, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” His breathing was like the rumbling of a rain-storm and there was a great vibration in the bedroom. As this was happening, his personal attendants (Michael and Samuel) ran to call me to his bedside before he gave up the ghost. We began to pray and quickly sent for the church leaders who had gone to church for the evening service.

We all prayed for his restoration. But while this prayer was on, the Lord opened my spiritual eyes to see what was happening in the heavenlies. The heavenly hosts had come to meet this great prophet and joyfully admitted him into the glory above.

He had laid down his sword at Jesus’ feet. So he could not return to earth again. The church leaders and the elders who were present arranged for Apostle Babalola’s corpse to be taken to Efon-Alaaye that same night.

NEXT: Joseph Ayodele Babalola 4 1904 - 1959 By David O. Olayiwola In Makers Of The Church In Nigeria

APOSTLE JOSEPH AYODELE BABALOLA OF NIGERIA 2

THE DIVINE MINISTRY ENCOUNTER IN CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH

Apostle Babalola said the prayers he had prayed are enough to be raising up men and women to evangelize the nation until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. However, if the kingdom of darkness ever believes they were victorious over the ministry life of Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola of Christ Apostolic Church in Nigeria, then their foolishness and stupidity must have increased.

They were confident that Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola ministry will thwart horribly when the demonic astrologers behold his glorious star in sky radiating mightily even before he was born. This envious act prompted them to reprogram against his glorious ministry life and calling. They intended to frustrate and cause him to work contrary to the perfect will of God for his life.

1 Corinthians 2:8 "Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” The devil saw Jesus Christ preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, teaching the Word of God, healing the sick, casting out demons, and working miracles. Little did the devil know that those Acts of Jesus Christ were peanuts, they were not the main reason why He came.

The Acts of Jesus Christ staggered Satan’s mentality, and he said, “Before this Son of God takes over the world from me, let me kill Him.” And it was not until he killed the Lord Jesus Christ that he realized that He had to die to redeem the world; and this was the main reason why He came – to die for the world and shed His Blood for the salvation of mankind.

The devil thought that by greatly troubling Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola with his wife, then the man would be frustrated and not fulfill his ministry. But we can only be frustrated if we do not put the Word of God first in our lives, keep our focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, and follow the Leading and Guidance of the Holy Spirit of the Living God.

And when the devil greatly troubled John Wesley and Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola by their wives, they loved Jesus Christ, trusted in the Almighty God, and put their heart, mind, and energy to the Service of Jehovah our Father. We are going to see many things about the life and ministry of Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola.

THE PRAYER EXPLOIT OF APOSTLE JOSEPH AYODELE BABALOLA

Apostle Babalola said the prayers he had prayed are enough to be raising up men and women to evangelize the nation until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. However, the intent of this post is not to glorify man. God alone deserves all the praise, glory, and honor.

Also, our Ultimate Model is the Lord Jesus Christ; and the Bible is our standard. But, there are many good things that we can learn from the life and ministry of this man of God, who has long gone to glory in Heaven, as we follow God and His Holy Spirit in our individual ministries and areas of call.

Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola prayer ministry exploit was quite remarkable; for example, he could pray for three days nonstop. After tarrying before the Lord in prayers, Apostle Babalola was once commanded by God to cut three leaves from a tree and put them on a rock before him. God asked him to pray until the sweat from his body moved the leaves forward, and he carried out the task.

According to a report, “…that was how he continued praying until he had prayed for seventy-two hours. He started praying around 9:00 p.m. on Sunday and by the time he said a closing “In Jesus’ Name I pray”, it was Wednesday evening. The surprising thing is that, by the time the apostle finished praying, he apologized for prolonging the evening prayer a little longer and then told them to go home and sleep.

They all laughed at him and told him, ‘Sir, you have prayed for three days. We left you most of the time and have been going about our normal duties. Today is not Sunday but Wednesday. You have been standing on your feet praying for three days.’”

He could spend time on the mountain for many days with absolute fasting of neither water nor food (In fact, there was a time when he did 51 days marathon absolute fasting of no food or drink). In effect, it seems that Apostle Joseph Babalola was never hungry while fasting, having been fed supernaturally by the angel who accompanied Jesus Christ to visit him at the start of his ministry, on the seventh day of his initial God-commanded seven days’ fasting of no food no water. He had special grace for long dry fasting.

The man of God could also read and devour the Bible with his time and energy. The Book of Psalm pleased him a lot: he cherished it. But the devil did not know that the apostle’s main call, ministry, authority, and power that he carried was not just to preach, teach, and work healing and miracles; but his greatest call was to pray out the Will, Plan, and Mind of God for the Work of God in Nigeria and the world.

And stupidly, the devil himself helped God and the man of God by driving him away from the comfort zone of a loving, caring, and obedient wife. This started many hidden generators inside the man of God, which made him spend the rest of his life in total consecration, separation, and service to our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church.

Somebody may say, “But he died at the age of 55 years” And I say, “Our Lord Jesus Christ died at the Age of about 33 years.” So, which of them lived longer? The purpose and fact are that he fulfilled his ministry. And in his own words: “The prayers I have prayed are enough to be raising up men and women to evangelize the nation until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.”

Also, he spoke of his death ahead of time, knew when he was about to die, and asked his ministers (with him) to pray to God to forgive him however he might have sinned/misbehaved in the course of his ministry; and later he gave up the ghost and was ushered in to the Kingdom of Heaven.

He prayed with two of his ministers, said the grace and uttered these words: “I THANK GOD BECAUSE THE WAY IS NOW OPEN.”

Later before he died, the apostle cried in a thunderous voice, “In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” and breathed heavily three times. When his attendant shouted, as people opened the door, a great wind blew violently on them all.

The room and everything in it vibrated visibly but no wall cracked. As men of God prayed for him, God revealed to one of them, in a vision, the state of Apostle Babalola in glory. He saw a welcome service being conducted for Apostle Babalola by the host of Heaven with very wonderful Heavenly choristers.

After his death, Apostle Babalola’s body lied in state for seven days before the final burial. And though the corpse was not embalmed, it remained perfect, without undergoing decay throughout the period of lying in state. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ.

While persecutions and rejection can make some people stronger and more spiritual and effective, comfort and acceptance can make some others less effective, unfruitful, and carnal. There are different kinds and levels of witchcraft operations against the ministers of the Gospel. Speaking of the seed which fell into good ground, the Bible says, “…which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matt. 13:23).

While some ministers receive their own witchcraft attack in the form of persecutions, confrontations, and tribulations, many others receive their own in the form of comfort, goodness, prosperity, and being well-spoken of. The devil would be happy to make you the president of your country if he knows that God ordained you to be an international evangelist because he would have gained thereby.

It is our responsibility to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to know the kind and area of attack that the kingdom of darkness has programmed against us. Know about this kind of subtle attack: If the devil sees that he would not stop you from obeying the Call of God on your life, and also notices that persecution can make you stronger, wiser, and bolder, he can create an atmosphere of comfort zone around you, so that you do not meet up with the full potential of your call.

He will be satisfied to have you produce twenty-fold fruit in comfort if he knows that persecution can make you bear sixty-fold or eighty-fold fruit. And this kind of witchcraft attack can come from wives, husbands, friends, colleagues, and associates. Do you know that a caring, obedient, and loving wife (with or without her own knowledge) can be used by the devil to make you get relaxed and never reach your full potential in God’s Service?

She would not talk back at you; she would obey you always, and she would give you no headache. Also, the friend which the devil uses against you in the area of subtle comfort-attack will follow you to church. He/she may even be your prayer partner. Yes, she will encourage you and pray with you when you have harsh experiences. But she (if she is a conscious agent of darkness) will know where and how to manipulate you in order to keep you at a low-level of bearing good fruit in your area of calling.

And if he/she is not a conscious wizard/witch (because some people are mysteriously manipulated and used as blind witches), the devil knows the area that he/she will be used to weaken, reduce, corrupt, and pollute you.

Furthermore, a colleague or an associate (with or without his/her conscious knowledge) can be programmed against you, to give you prosperity, success, and breakthrough in order to keep your full focus and dedication away from your spiritual duties, commitment, and consecration. And by this, even while serving God, you will never reach your full potential in your area of calling.

Whereas prosperity, success, and breakthrough are good things, some Christians and ministers actually allowed their wellbeing to destroy them. Have you never observed that many Believers were more committed to the Things of God when they were not rich and wealthy? This is one reason why some ‘great’ and advanced nations, like America and Britain, have forgotten and despised God and His Word in their prosperity and advancement.

THE MINISTRY EXPLOIT OF APOSTLE JOSEPH AYODELE BABALOLA

According to Kayode Darda, “Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola’s call to the ministry was miraculous, and his mission was full of the supernatural. He was endued with power from on High in order to manifest the greatness of God’s Power over every contending force he faced in his thirty years of active service. God picked and anointed Joseph Ayo Babalola."

Apostle Babalola said the prayers he had prayed are enough to be raising up men and women to evangelize the nation until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. God selected him as a workman selects his tool, chosen to accomplish a Divine work. He had the Stamp of Deity upon his ministry. Signs and wonders accompanied his ministrations.

The blinds were made to see, the dumb spoke, the cripple walked, the demon-possessed and lunatics were instantaneously delivered, the lepers were made whole, the dead were raised back to life, women who carried four to five years of protracted pregnancies were delivered of their burdens.

He entered forbidden forests, silenced demons that demanded worship, emptied hospitals and healing homes by the Healing Power of the Lord Jesus from sicknesses and diseases such as epilepsy, rheumatism, ulcer, pile, dropsy, impotency, goiter, elephantiasis, hernia, cancer and innumerable ‘incurable’ and ‘terminal’ diseases.

His demonstrations of the Power of God in power encounters over evil forces were overwhelming. Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola had a series of face to face encounter with the powers of darkness. He was so clothed with the Power of the Holy Ghost that anywhere he found evil powers, agents of darkness, witches and wizards, powerful idols, and terrible demonic charms, he stood up to demonstrate the supremacy of the Power of God over them. In many power encounters with witch doctors and other demonic priests, God always glorified Himself through His Servant, Apostle Babalola.

He led hundreds of thousands of people to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. The Word of God preached by His Servant, Apostle Babalola, was backed up with God’s Authority. The hearers, at the revival meetings, surrendered their charms and idols. Others ransacked their homes and farms and brought to the revival grounds those things the Lord forbids. There were no dubious assets of certain modern evangelists with their charming, trained voices, glamorous clothes, impressive advertising, and entertaining music.

The only resource of Apostle Babalola was the Power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God worked so mightily, that virtually, the entire… became baptized in a holy flame of supernatural influence. His revival grounds were charged with God’s Presence.

A lot of wicked people who went to test the Power of God in Apostle Babalola’s crusades were confounded by the Presence of God; sometimes they fell down as they were arrested by the Spirit of God, confessed their devilish assignments, and surrendered their charms for burning at the crusade grounds.

According to a close associate and some of his disciples: ‘Apostle Babalola used to pray on his knees for a complete day nonstop; prayers for God’s Goodness for all the people around him and for the salvation of the world.’ ‘He could thank God for what some people might see a little and continue in thanksgiving for three hours.’ ‘He used to engage us in three hours of nonstop prayers for particular requests, and such was truly achieved.’

'Papa used to divide us into seven groups to pray at seven intervals to achieve victory against any satanic contention.’ Apostle Babalola said the prayers he had prayed are enough to be raising up men and women to evangelize the nation until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Many Servants of God used to dread his evening family devotion prayer: they knew he could pray for three hours nonstop and thereby tie them down in prayer for many hours.

Oba Akinyele, the Olubadan of Ibadan told the story of how Babalola, as his guest, was given room to pass the night before the outbreak of the 1930 revival. He said he could not sleep that night as it appeared there were voices of thousands of thunders or mighty waves of the ocean in the room where Babalola prayed all night, even though no one outside his house could hear it. He said from that moment he knew that this young man (Babalola) was going to do something which would shake the whole world.

Apostle Babalola narrated his experience while lying down and praying on the mountain at Odo-Owa one fateful night. He noticed an animal crawling over his legs for over two minutes like drawing long rope. He suspected it could be a snake, but the Holy Spirit instructed him not to open his eyes, and he obeyed until the snake completely crawled over his legs. The Lord told Apostle Babalola that the snake was not ordinary; it was an evil spirit trying to tempt him, but God told him that the snake had dried up.

The spot where Apostle Babalola knelt and prayed during his battle with Satan is marked by his shadow till today. When Apostle Babalola was alive, he prayed ceaselessly on the mountains for Nigeria and the entire world. Apostle Babalola travailed for long hours in intercessory supplication with fasting. He habitually poured out his soul to God alone on the prayer mountain.

It is on record that he fasted for forty days and nights without eating food and drinking water…. This fasting, according to him, took place after the Lord appeared to him during his preparation for his public ministry. On many occasions, he embarked on forty days’ fasting, apart from the forty days’ Lenten fasting he almost institutionalized.

He undertook other series of fasting, ranging from seven days, fourteen days, and twenty-one days respectively. Wednesdays and Fridays were his regular fasting days for spiritual renewal. He said he was not hungry or thirsty when he embarked on that forty days’ marathon dry fast, because Jesus stood by him throughout the days and the nights.

Great spiritual power was released upon him during that period, as that function was essential to lay a solid foundation for the Gospel and the work ahead of him. Apostle Babalola said the reservoir of prayer he had prayed was enough to be raising up men and women to evangelize the nation till the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Secrets Of His Power Included:

Divine encounter; prayerfulness.

The Seal of the Holy Ghost.

Obedience and devotion to his call.

The crucified life.

Faith in God.

Perseverance.

Scriptural preacher.

Servanthood.

Sanctified vessel.

The love mark.

Fasted life.

Spirit-endorsed.

He walked with God.

He knew God.

Endowment with God’s Manifold Grace.

Clothed with the garment of praise.

Zealousness.

Meekness and humility; and

The Stamp of Deity

“HE OUTSERVED, OUTLOVED, OUTFASTED, AND OUTPRAYED US ALL. He can be compared to Saint Dominic, for his apostolic zeal. He can be compared to Saint Francis of Assisi, for his Love of Christ and for his detachment from the world.

He can be compared to Martin Luther, for standing out for God in his generation. Apostle Ayo can be compared to John Wesley, whose stated desire was “to be on full stretch for God.” He can be compared to Iranaeus for upholding the canon of Truth.

He can be compared to Smith Wigglesworth for his boldness and faith in the Living God. He was God’s Servant, who was raised to mightily declare the Greatness of God in this dispensation of grace.

The 1930 revival was not confined by region lines, economic class systems, educational distinctions, social status, denominational preferences, or national boundaries.

The Revival attracted peoples and nations. …it was God at work in the greatest revival waves in the history of Christianity in the world, that touched and transformed millions of lives, peoples, and communities.”

THE DIVINE MINISTRY REVIVAL OF APOSTLE JOSEPH AYODELE BABALOLA

According to a paper presented to an international religious conference on the origins of Christ Apostolic Church, the first Pentecostal churches in Nigeria and Ghana jointly organized by The Centre for World Christianity (CWC) of The New York Theological Seminary (NYTS), Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State, Nigeria, and The Institute for Diasporan and African Culture (TIDAC), held at Joseph Ayo Babalola University, 6th-8th August, 2012.

The legacies of Apostle Ayodele Babalola include:

(1) Firstly, by accepting the call and offering himself as a vessel in God’s Hands, he released vital spiritual forces into the church and society of his days. The Great Revival of which he was the principal instrument leaped denominational boundaries and frontiers and gave new impetus to the Christian religion.

Several mission records in the archives affirm that Babalola was a benefactor of even the Mission churches and by his style of prophetic revivalism impacted the churches and brought a new spirit in the Church. Both the Anglican, Methodist and even Baptist churches awakened anew to evangelism as a challenge in the wake of Babalola’s revival.

This singular action of arousing the church from the stupor of dead formalism to practical evangelism of the heathen is one of his greatest legacies and shows the Aladura as following in the footsteps of Early Methodism.

(2) By rejecting the Western interpretation of Christianity, he, in alliance with others, gave birth to a more practical, more result-oriented Christianity that is more culture-friendly and satisfying; yet without compromising any of the ethical bearings or spiritual principles of historic Christianity.

By his prescription of Divine healing and reliance on God alone for problems without any human means, he drew on the finest sources of apostolic Christianity, sources as old as Christianity itself, thereby ensuring the enthronement of true Christianity.

(3) By his consecration and total submission to God, he released spiritual power to the church and the world thereby inaugurating a new era in the realm of evangelism. In effect, Christian witness moves from the traditional literary-catechumen activities to power-evangelism, power-healing, and spiritual warfare.

(4) By instituting sanitary laws and hygiene standards for masses of people, by consecrating and sanctifying the sources and springs of water for whole towns and poor African communities against pollutions and other health hazards, by establishing many schools for the education of poor children.

By personally taking up the responsibilities of widows, poor, fatherless and setting up training institution for many, by teaching farmers to give to God their first fruits in order to ensure regular rainfall and bountiful harvests in accordance with Mosaic Covenant, by teaching villagers to build goodly and durable houses with molded blocks and burnt bricks instead of mud.

By encouraging villagers to pay their taxes regularly and promptly thereby inducing better social relations between the government and the governed, Babalola established himself, both then and for all time, as not only a revivalist but also a social reformer and crusader, public benefactor, and intellectual, patriotic, and Christian revolutionary.

(5) By introducing the use of indigenous language, idioms and songs, by employing other harmless African styles such as drumming, clapping, singing and dancing, by using native dress in his ministration as against costly vestments and robes, he took Christianity from the realm of the classical Western-trained professionals to the realm of the generality and the layman.

The Christianity introduced by the western missionaries and practiced in Nigeria before the Revival was incomplete religion. It failed to emphasize enough spirituality in a spiritually-alive culture. It seems to be something which begins and ends in church buildings, made up of hymns, read or recited prayers, lessons…. It does not seem to be something that is efficacious for them in every area of their lives and under all circumstances.

There were certain emotional depths in Nigerians which the prefabricated, imported liturgies did not reach; there were spiritual undernourishment and spiritual hunger, because the hungry sheep of God looked up to the Church for food, and were being fed, to a great extent, on kinds of stuff which were alien to their constitution.

But the Great Revival of Babalola and other prophet movements before it freed Nigerians from this aberration. For once it occurred to many Nigerians that Christianity was not really a white man’s religion and that you can be Africans and Christians at the same time; to call the Name of God in an atmosphere of spontaneous joy and cheerfulness, and to pray as Africans naturally would pray.

NEXT: Joseph Ayodele Babalola 3 Death

APOSTLE JOSEPH AYODELE BABALOLA OF NIGERIA 1

THE MINISTRY EXPLOITS IN CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH

This renowned prophet was born on April 25, 1904, Odo-Owa, Oke-Ero Local Government Kwara State, in Nigeria; In the family of Pa David Lawani Rotimi and Madam Martha Talabi Rotimi. He died on July 26, 1959 (aged 55) Ede, Osun State, southwestern, in Nigeria.

Apostle Babalola's only mistake was his choice of wife. History has it that the woman he truly loved was a single mother. But since he was a respected Christian leader, the elders of CAC considered it an embarrassment for their leader to marry a single mother.

Hence, they misled him to marry the spinster who later became the thorn in his flesh. There was a time she poured palm oil on the white garment of the man of God on his way to a crusade ground. Another time after returning from the mountain after long days of prayers and fasting, the wife served him a delicious meal to break his fast.

He had only taken about 2 or 3 morsels when the wife told him, "I thought you were a true prophet because you should have known by the revelation that the chicken in the food was stolen." The great man of God gently left the remaining food and returned to the mountain to ask God for forgiveness.

One of the days, he was expected to preach in an open-air crusade but suddenly his wife locked him inside the room and ran off. The man just looked up and cried. "Oh Lord, see what my wife has done." The Lord instructed him to lay his hands on the wall and immediately he found himself in the crusade ground. He usually floats on air while preaching. He can also pray for 3 months on the knees without standing up.

Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola once told his fellow ministers during a prayer meeting to kneel down for a SHORT prayer. After about 2-3 hours of kneeling down, the ministers became frustrated and sat down, leaving only Apostle Babalola still on his knees praying for about 5-6 hours. The following day, they asked him, "Baba, if you ask us to pray a short prayer with you which took almost 6 hours, how many hours will your LONG prayer last?"

A very popular prayer mountain that still exists to this day is the Ori Oke Aanu (Mountain of Mercy) Praying Ground, Erio-Ekiti in Osun State Nigeria. This mountain of prayer was founded by this same Apostle Babalola. There is a spot on top of that mountain rock where he knelt down to pray and his knees pierced through, leaving a giant hole in the rock due to his long hours in praying. That hole is still over there till to date.

He was the only man that traveled overseas for missionary works without airplane or ship. He traveled abroad with his ministers for missionary work neither by air or water but by supernatural translation. He only gathered his ministers for prayer and instantly they disappeared into thin air. Sometimes, when preaching the angel will lift up his two legs and he will begin to move and float in the air without his feet touching the ground.

APOSTLE AYO BABALOLA MINISTRY CALLING

Babalola was born of Yoruba parents at Odo- Owa, Kwara State, Nigeria. He was brought up as an Anglican. He was registered at an elementary school at Oto-Awori on Badagry Road, Lagos State, in 1914. He got to standard four before he became a blacksmith's apprentice and he learned it for two years, before he became a steamroller operator under the PWD (Public Works Department), then under the control of Great Britain, learning to become a steamroller driver.

After 15 days of learning to drive the Caterpillar steamroller, he was able to drive it without any assistance. After nine months, he became a master in his class. A steam-roller was first given to him on 1 April 1928 to work on the Osogbo – Ilesha road. On June 14, 1928, he was transferred to Akure – Ilesha road.

On 9 October 1928 at about 12 o'clock, he was by his steamroller by the river Ariran. It was here he heard a loud voice from above like the roar of thunder which called his name thrice saying "Joseph! Joseph!! Joseph. Leave this job you are doing; if not, this year you are going to be cut off from the earth."

Again On 11 October 1928, while trying to repair his machine, he heard an audible voice from the Lord to abandon the job and start preaching. That is how he received the call and he went into fasting and prayer. The watershed in his early ministry came when he was commanded by God to go to his hometown to warn his people against idolatry, fetish practices, and evil works.

According to him, "The Spirit told me to go to my hometown, where I was born. The Lord said I should rub my face with ashes and to carry palm leaves in my hand and to buy a bell, which I was to be ringing the moment I entered the town and I obeyed. The voice told me, 'Tell My people that unless they repented, evil beasts would enter the town to destroy them.' "

"On that same day, I entered the town with a bell in my hand. The entire town was moved and there was great stir and consternation as people fled as they saw me. The moment they set eyes on me they fled. The Voice told me to ring the bell in my hand round the town and I obeyed."

His people, however, refused to repent or change their ways. They instead summarily beat him up and his family was subjected to heavy persecution by the people of the town. In defense against the prophesied invasion of the town by wild beasts the people of the town armed themselves with guns and cutlasses. However, God told His Servant to tell them He would not bring beasts but instead would bring epidemics and it would start within forty-five days.

At the expiration of the prophesied forty-five days, an epidemic of smallpox broke out and within 3 weeks about 300 persons had died. But those who repented and those who came to the man of God after contracting the disease were spared. Ayo Babalola was sent out of the Anglican Church of his village by his Bishop because most members of the Church see visions, speak in tongues and pray vigorously.

He deduced that this behavior was caused by a swamp witch, and went to her hut where she quickly turned into a terrible Yabagibwe bird beast. Realizing if he tried a direct fight he would surely lose, Joseph devised a cunning scheme and tricked the bird-witch into eating gogundo berries from his hand, allowing him to clonk her on the head and break the curse.

This led to his joining the Faith Tabernacle Church in November 1929 where he was baptized in Lagos lagoon in December 1929. Ministry and healing of the revival of his mission began with the raising of a dead child in September 1930. What followed this in 3 weeks was the healing of about 100 lepers, 60 blind people, and 50 lame persons.

This also resulted in the desolation of Churches in Ilesa because their members transferred their allegiance to the revivalist and that all the patients in Wesley Hospital, Ilesa, abandoned their beds to seek healing from Babalola. This divinely kicked off The Great Revival of 1930, which saw people coming from most parts of Africa and Diaspora without posters and TV adverts.

On June 25, 1931, he slew the sinister Abugabu dragon of the jungles of Yogumbo, wielding a holy sword imbued with the fire of the Lord. From then on, with bell and Yoruba Bible in hand, he toured Yoruba land and eastern Nigeria, preaching about repentance, and renunciation of idolatry, the importance of prayer and fasting, and the power of God to heal sickness.

In 1930 Faith Tabernacle affiliated with the British Apostolic Church. Then following a schism in the Apostolic Church about 1940, Bablola went with a new independent church, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), where he continued his healing and revivalistic activities until his death. The C.A.C regards Babalola as an apostle and his revival ministry as the beginning of the church. A CAC retreat center was built at Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State where Babalola was first called in 1928.

THE MYSTERIES ENCOUNTER OF BABALOLA

1. The Mysterious Tree of Usi Ekiti: This was a tree in a forest believed to be inhabited by evil spirits and it was in this forest land was given to him for his revival campaign. This tree had been cut many times but it stood again as if nothing had been done to it. However, the Apostle went to the tree and rang his bell and prayed on the tree and it was cut down forever.

2. The terrible gods of Ifira: There was a god called "egule" worshipped in the Isowo Quarters of the town. This god was so ruthless that no man dares point a finger at it to call attention to it as such acts led to the forfeiture of fingers or death. It is said that a big python coiled around the pot on which the god was placed. This god was situated on a bushy hill and no one dares go there for fear of being harmed by the god or the python guarding it.

When the Apostle got to this town he requested to visit the hill of this god. People were concerned about his safety but he insisted. Then people from neighboring towns and villages came to see what was going to happen. All he took was his bell and his staff and he went to the hill with people watching him.

Immediately he sighted this god and its python. He started ringing his bell as he moved towards it. Immediately the pot on which the god stood broke into pieces and the snake fled. When the people saw this they started singing and rejoicing and the people beheld the python and trampled it till it died and the people abandoned the idols for God.

Other instances encounter include The Forbidden forest of EFON ALAAYE, Deliverance of Oke Luse (Ondo State) from Elephants, The case of Isua, Idols jumping out of the fire while they are being burnt etc. A lot has to be done to document the many great works of this man of God.

The Christ Apostolic Church has not died along with Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola in 1959. In fact, it has grown rapidly over the years, with many churches under the Christ Apostolic Church name but each church with a specific branch name.

The Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU) a private Nigerian university located in Ikeji-Arakeji in Osun State, established by the Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C) Worldwide is named after him, located at the place where he says he was called by God in 1928.

He was laid to rest at the Grave Prayer House Mausoleum Effon-Alaiye, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Prophet Joseph Ayo Babalola was the founder of the Christ Apostolic Church, popularly called Aladura in Nigeria. He was credited with healing powers and salvation messages.

NEXT: Joseph Ayodele Babalola 2 The Divine Ministry Encounter In Christ Apostolic Church