It is no more a rumour that the founding Prophet of The Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua has passed on. His death which occured on Saturday June 5, 2021 was confirmed by his family and Church authority on Sunday 6th June, 2021, through the prophet’s social media handle @ TB Joshua Ministries on Facebook.
He was said to have died on Saturday shortly after conducting a live broadcast, but the cause of his death has not been made public.
Prophet T. B. Joshua was many things to many people. To many he was a controversial minister of God whose life and ministry were shrouded in mystery. But one area that he could not be faulted or easily matched was in the area of generosity. He was a giver par excellence not only to individuals and groups but also to nations.
He was a miracle worker who performed miracles with ease and that explained why kings, queens, presidents of nations, politicians and business men and women thronged his Church to find one solution or the other to their personal and corporate problems and challenges. He was in control of millions of his church members drawn from all parts of the world with thousands attending his services, with top politicians, business men and women, sportsmen and women from across Africa and all parts of the world.
He was one pastor who actually reached out to poor people, the less privileged, widows and widowers and even disadvantaged ministers of God, always trying to help them in cash and kind.
He was also the founder of a Christian television station Emmanuel TV and he was very popular in Africa, the US, the UK and South America, and other parts of the world. In 2014, one of his churches collapsed, killing at least 116 people, including many South Africans.He would be remembered for his good works.
Tributes
Meanwhile, tributes have been pouring in from the low and the high in the society.
Leading in this capacity is the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari who has commiserated with the family and members of SCOAN on the passing of their father and founder, Prophet T. B. Joshua. The President noted that the renowned televangelist will be missed by his followers all over the world not only for his spiritual contributions, but for touching many lives through philanthropic gestures.
President Buhari urged the followers of the man in the Synagogue to take solace in the knowledge that life is not measured and defined by chronological longevity but by enduring legacies and lives touched positively. In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President condoled with the government and people of Ondo State, his native state and prayed that God would accept the soul of the departed prophet.
Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, in his message of condolence described Prophet Joshua’s death as a rude shock, receiving it with a heavy heart. Governor Akeredolu said the renowned preacher was a blessing to humanity and a great ambassador of the Sunshine State, whose ministry was noted for charity.
“The pains of his death are not mere emotional flashes; they are indeed piercing. The Ondo-born pastor was a philanthropist whose exit will be sorely missed by many. Prophet Joshua was committed to giving and was more often, inexorably imbued with calmness while lifting the downtrodden. As a televangelist, he did not just win souls for Christ, he was passionate about changing lives.”
He added: “He demonstrated timelessly, an alluring service to humanity and compassion by assisting not only his home local government, Akoko North West. Other adjoining local governments in Akoko land benefitted from his large heart of benevolence. To us in Ondo, we consider this a personal loss. He was a pride to the Sunshine State.”
Also in his message, the Zaki of Arigidi Akoko, Oba Yisa Olanipekun, the traditional ruler of Prophet Joshua’s home town, described the deceased as a peace lover who had put the town’s name on the global map.
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, also extended his condolences over the death of the leader of the Synagogue Church, Prophet T. B. Joshua. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, Governor Ortom described the sudden demise of the renowned preacher as shocking and unfortunate. He prayed that God would grant the soul of Prophet Joshua eternal rest, and his family and members of his church the strength to bear the loss.
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, also mourned the passing of Prophet Joshua. In a statement, the governor said he was saddened by the pastor’s death, noting that the deceased impacted the lives of millions of people across the world.
“Pastor Joshua deployed his gift of delivering the Word of God in relatable terms to advance the church of Christ and brought laughter, solace and comfort to many with Christ’s message of love.”
He added: “The Synagogue Church of All Nations, which Pastor Joshua superintended, was a home of refuge for those desirous of God’s word and also for the desolate, providing a beacon of hope to many worshippers from across the globe.
The national body of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and its Lagos State chapter have mourned the death of Joshua. The CAN President, Dr. Samson Ayokunle said: “CAN commiserates with the family and members of the church and prayed that God would give them the fortitude to bear the loss.
Dr. Ayokunle also took the advantage to tell everyone to prepare for the inevitable, “because we don’t know the day and time when the end will come. But the time, we have should be well spent for the Lord and impact positively upon our generation.”
Speaking also in his capacity as the Chairman of CAN, Lagos State, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, described the late Prophet Joshua as a man who served his maker and humanity. He said the Synagogue founder relieved hope, love and restoration to ordinary citizens. “I passed through his church just a week ago, that was on Sunday and I saw the magnificent building where he worshipped God and where he had been enjoying his work.”
Also in a similar development, the World Bishops Council in Nigeria and the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Osun State have also mourned the death of Prophet T.B. Joshua.
While Osun CAN described his demise as a reminder to all that death is inevitable, the Council of Bishops said the televangelist has left big shoes for his successor and that his charities and assistance to the needy and downtrodden would be greatly missed.
The spokesperson of the Council in Nigeria, Bishop Seun Adeoye, and the Chairman of Osun CAN, Bishop Amos Ogunrinde, while reacting to the demise of the popular charismatic cleric said the entire Christendom would feel it.
Burial Arrangements
Arrangements have been concluded for the burial of the late Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua. According to sources from the Church, the burial programmes will hold between Monday July 4, and Sunday July 11, 2021. His body will be interred on Friday, July 9, 2021, and thanksgiving on Sunday.
The burial programmes take place at his Church premises, in Ikotun area of Lagos. The programme would be aired life through the Church’s Emmanuel TV.
Prophet Joshua until his death was a globally acknowledged preacher, miracle worker, a philanthropist, and a very generous man of God.
He was reverred for his unique contributions to the development of his immediate Ikotun Community as well as his place of birth, Arigidi, in Akoko area of Ondo State.
Life History
Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua was born on 12th June 1963 at Arigidi, Ikare-Akoko, Akoko North Local Government Area of Ondo State.
His father was Pa Kolawole Balogun from Imo quarters and mother, Madam Folarin Aisha Adesiji Balogun of was of Oosin quarters of Agbaluku in the city.
He attended St. Stephen’s Anglican Primary School, Imo, Arigidi from 1971 to 1976. He was said to be a very brilliant student but had a recored of attending 10 different secondary schools under one year.
According to him, “That time, I lived with an uncle of mine. In the secondary school, I taught my colleagues the Scriptures, although I did not have any Bible training. At school, my mates called me “Small Prophet” because of my power to foretell.”
On how he found his Church, the prophet who grew from grass to grace had this to say in an interview, “I used to bring children together for the word of God. In 1992, the church began because people who came to listen to the word of God were increasing in number. Thus, the Synagogue Church of All Nations became a church for the rich, poor, the powerful, the powerless.
To many of his followers and admirers, Prophet T.B. Joshua was a man who ran the assignment God gave to him with due diligence. He kept no friends aside his close ministers, family members and his church congregation.
He was a man that feared no death. According to Prophet Prophet Joshua Iginla, the General Overseer of Champions Royal Assembly, who disclosed what the late televangelist, Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua told him about his death after his prophecy.
Prophet Iginla recalled that Prophet T.B Joshua, said he was not afraid of death and was ready to die at any time.
Prophet Iginla recalled that thrice he had “a vision in 2015, 2016 and 2018 that a great man of God was quitting the scene, it was T.B Joshua.”
Prophet Iginla added that when he communicated the vision to him, Prophet T.B Joshua said “Thank You, my brother. If it’s His (God’s) wish to keep me, He will keep me. There is nothing I am afraid of anymore. I think I have done the work the Lord sent me. I will always take a bow to the sovereignty of God,” as he referred to the deceased as “a man of humility, ambassador of love to the less privileged, and a blessing to the body of Christ.”
Also reacting to the sudden death of her husband of about 30 years Evangelist Evelyn Joshua, wife of the deceased preacher, took to social media to express deep emotions over the loss of her husband.
She said: “Losing a loved one is never easy; whether sudden or foreseen. It is always heart-breaking. Grief can wreak havoc on our overall wellbeing. That’s why it’s important to stay rooted to the Almighty. Only He can lessen our heartache and comfort us in these times.
In another scene while welcoming Lagos state delegation that paid her a condolence visit, the beautiful wife of the Synagogue leader affirmed that what happened was an act of God, as there is time for everything.
She said, “What happened was an act of God. There is time for everything, like my husband would say. That is the word I knew from him very well. This is the job he was known for. That is what he lived for, and that is what he died for. “So, it did not come to me as a surprise. I was not surprised when it happened. As we all know, he was in service that day. So, that’s it.”
Prophet Joshua died on Saturday June 5, 2021, a week to his 58th birthday. He was survived by wife and three biological daughters, and millions of spiritual children all over the world.
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