JUST IN: Prophet T. B Joshua Is Dead

Information reaching Thinknewsonline.com indicates that the Founder of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Pastor Temitope Balogun Joshua known by as T. B. Joshua is dead.

According to sources, the powerful man of God died two days after announcing plans for this upcoming birthday.

The cause of his death is currently unknown.

PROFILE

Late T. B Joshua was a Nigerian charismatic pastor, televangelist, and philanthropist. He was the leader and founder of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), a Christian megachurch that runs the Emmanuel TV television station from Lagos.

He was born on June 12, 1963, at Arigidi Akoko, Nigeria

T. B. Joshua was known for his popularity across Africa and Latin America and his social media presence with 3,500,000 fans on Facebook.

His YouTube channel, Emmanuel TV, had over 1,000,000 YouTube subscribers and was the world's most viewed Christian ministry on the platform before it was suspended. 

Described as the "Oprah of Evangelism" and "YouTube's most popular Pastor", he was awarded various accolades, notably receiving the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) by the Nigerian government in 2008 and being voted the Yoruba man of the decade by Pan-Yoruba media outlet Irohin-Odua.

He was called one of Africa's 50 most influential people by Pan-African magazines The Africa Report and New African Magazine.

As of 2011, according to Forbes, Joshua was Nigeria's third-richest pastor, although the claim was immediately denied in a statement by the church.

He was known to be controversial and was even 'blacklisted' by the government of Cameroon in 2010.

BIOGRAPHY

According to Joshua's official biography, unusual circumstances surrounded his birth.

He said that he spent 15 months in his mother's womb and narrowly avoided death after a quarry explosion near his house sent rocks through its roof just seven days after his birth.

It is also alleged that Joshua's birth was 'prophesied' 100 years prior.

Late T. B. Joshua, then known as Balogun Francis, attended St. Stephen's Anglican Primary School in Arigidi Akoko, Nigeria, between 1971 and 1977, but failed to complete one year of secondary school education.

In school, he was known as a "small pastor" because of his love for the Bible. He worked in various casual jobs after his schooling had ended, including carrying chicken waste at a poultry farm.

He organized Bible studies for local children and attended evening school during this period.

T. B. Joshua attempted to join the Nigerian military but was thwarted due to a train breakdown that left him stranded en route to the military academy.

The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN)

Joshua wrote that in a heavenly vision he had received the divine anointing and a covenant from God to start his ministry.

Following this, late T. B. Joshua founded the ministry organization The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN).

According to the organization, more than 15,000 members attend its weekly Sunday service; visitors from outside Nigeria are accommodated in the accommodation blocks constructed at the church.

The Guardian reported that The SCOAN attracts more weekly attendees than the combined number of visitors to Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London. 

The SCOAN's popular services have also resulted in an enormous boost for local businesses and hoteliers.

Despite Joshua's popularity, the church only has a branch in Ghana, Joshua stating that "it is not yet time" for him to have branches worldwide as "it will be too much for my character".

RELIGIOUS TOURISM

The SCOAN has been described as “Nigeria’s biggest tourist attraction” and “the most visited destination by religious tourists in West Africa,” with thousands of foreigners flocking to attend the church's weekly services.

Figures released by the Nigerian Immigration Service indicated that six out of every ten foreign travelers coming into Nigeria are bound for The SCOAN, a fact discussed in Zimbabwean parliament when addressing the economic potentials of religious tourism.

This Day newspapers reported that “about two million local and inbound tourists” visit The SCOAN annually.

The church's popularity has led to an increase in flight routes to Lagos from several African countries in 2013.

POTENTIAL RELOCATION TO ISRAEL

Late T. B. Joshua's contribution to Nigeria's religious tourism was highlighted when the cleric hinted at the possibility of relocating his ministry to Israel during a Sunday service.

The announcement proved controversial with several prominent Nigerians urging him to remain in the country, citing the economic setbacks Nigeria would likely experience through his potential relocation.

GHANA

Days, after the late John Atta Mills became President of Ghana in 2009, his first port of call, was Joshua's church for a thanksgiving service where he revealed the cleric had accurately ‘prophesied’ his ascension to power and specific details relating to his narrow victory over Nana Akufo-Addo.

T.B. Joshua was a regular visitor to Ghana during Mill's early presidency and allegedly organized prayer warriors to be praying in Osu Castle.

MALAWI

Late T.B. Joshua's much-publicized prophecy concerning the death of Malawian President Bingu Mutharika garnered intense media attention and was subsequently the subject of a Malawian government inquiry as to his successor, Joyce Banda, is a devotee of the cleric.

Banda claimed Joshua's prayers healed her husband after he suffered a stroke and regularly visited Joshua in Nigeria while she was Head of State.

TANZANIA

The Late Man of God played the role of a peacemaker in the aftermath of the Tanzanian elections in 2015, visiting the country to meet and hold reconciliatory talks with President John Magufuli – a member of his church – and opposition leader Edward Lowassa.

Story by: News Desk Report