A few weeks ago I tweeted that I would write an essay about the bombing of
a building at Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua’s Synagogue Church Of All
Nations (SCOAN).
Though I have been writing essays and contributing to the public discourse
for over 27 years, I have never received the number of threats from known
and unknown sources as I did after that tweet.
Yet I am not deterred. As a matter of fact such threats always strenghen my
resolve to stand firm, do the right thing and dig even deeper.
I am a servant of truth and the voice of the voiceless: I cannot be
intimidated and I will not be silenced.
Part of my calling is to speak truth to power, to stand up for the
oppressed and to speak up for the victims of barbarity, persecution,
wickedness and injustice and I will not shy away from doing so on this
occassion.
Prophet TB Joshua started his ministry 30 years ago in 1987 when he founded
his Church. He is a strong and credible voice in the Body of Christ in
Nigeria.
He is a respected and much-loved Christian leader who is doing great works
and wonders for the Kingdom of God both in and outside of our country. He
is reverred in many nations in the world, including numerous countries in
South America, South East Asia, Africa, Europe, the far East, Israel,
Lebanon, India and the United States of America where he is a regular
visitor that is welcomed and received with much love and enthuisiasm.
Such is his following that it is on record that out of every 10 foreigners
that visit Nigeria every year, 6 of them have come to spend time in T.B.
Joshua’s Church and receive ministration from him.
Yet despite all these laudable achievements it is clear that he has many
enemies.
I am not a member of his Church, I have never worshipped there and neither
do I have any reason to defend him or to speak up for him other than the
fact that, in my humble opinion, in this particular case and matter, he and
his Church members are undoubtedly the primary targets and victims of
injustice, wickedness and what can only be described as nothing less than
pre-meditated and cold-blooded mass murder.
They are also the subjects of one of the greatest cover-ups in Nigerian
history and of a massive and well-orchestrated disinformation campaign.
It says a lot for him, his resilience, his ministry, his calling, his
members and the enormous amount of strength and grace that he enjoys from
the Living God that, despite the sheer hell that he has been put through as
a consequence of these ugly events and tragic affair, he has refused to be
broken or silenced.
Rather than capitulate he has risen to the occasion, gone from strength to
strength, stoically accepted the numerous challenges that he has been faced
with and stood firm in the preaching of the gospel and in the battle
against the Kingdom of darkness.
He has also refused to be cowed and instead has stood-by, comforted and
assisted the families of those who lost their loved ones in this brutal
attack as best as he could.
The truth is that whether his detractors wish to admit it or not, T.B.
Joshua has weathered the storm well and he remains one of the most
respected and celebrated Pastors and men of God in Nigeria today and
certainly one of the most internationally-acknowledged and acclaimed of
them all.
The truth is that there is nothing that is ordinary about this man. It
appears that the more his haters (and there are many of them in Nigeria)
throw bricks at him and seek his downfall, the more he grows, prospers and
increases. Only God can do this for any human being.
Like those that are healed of numerous ailments by the Holy Spirit in his
Church, his strength and survival and his uncanny readiness and ability to
continue to spread love and charity to the poor, the weak, the challenged,
the despised and the helpless all over the world, regardless of his own
personal chall