In Defence of Prophet T. B. Joshua by Dan Amor

That the modern age is an era of great re­ligious speculation will be apparent to even the most casual student of its literature; that it is also an age of great religious faith no one can contest. As things stand, it is evident that not a few contemporaries would be disposed to concur with the popular view that men can­not do without religion, and that they cannot all do with it as it is.
But, surely, it is the dia­logue of the human mind with itself that characterizes man’s continuous search for spiritual meaning in the modern world. Yet, presently, Nigerian men of God have set their stamp more strongly on the general charac­ter of the Christian religion as a way of life. During the last few decades, our generation in par­ticular has seen a re-orientation of our mind and soul, which implies not only a permanent change but, indeed, a shifting of the spiritual horizon, with far-reaching results. All these swiftly rising new men of God in Nigeria, whose names we now recognize as stimulating signals, have one thing in com­mon: they are fully and truly committed. And their congre­gations greet them with enthu­siasm, no matter the location.
One of these anointed serv­ants of the Most High God is the man who is the focus of our at­tention today. It is hardly an ex­aggeration to say that Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua, who will be 53 years on June 12, this year, more than any of his con­temporaries, has exerted a tre­mendous influence on the spir­itual and economic life of his teeming congregation in par­ticular and humanity at large. This piece is not an attempt to embark on a deconstruction of T.B. Joshua. In fact, I have never met this man of God, neither have I exchanged correspond­ence with him since more than two decades of my involvement in this busy profession of mind­ing other people’s business, es­pecially its most intricate and intellectually engaging aspect, the business of informed com­mentary and editorial writing. Admittedly, to offer an honest critical evaluation of the whole corpus of criticisms of this con­troversial pastor is certainly an ambitious undertaking. But it would be more rational to re­pudiate the cynical over-sim­plification by fifth columnists and court jesters whose major pre-occupation it is to ridicule someone who has practically and positively ministered to the vast majority of the downtrod­den. It is certainly not the busi­ness of this column to question the fabrics of the moving saga that wove into autonomous ex­istence the circumstances that surround the dramatic emer­gence of this spiritual chal­lenger.
Amidst the ponderous saga of some “holier-than-thou” men of God who tax their congrega­tions to build schools, colleges and universities to which they (members) cannot afford to send their children due to exor­bitant fees, Joshua has awarded scholarships to thousands of his members and even beyond. His consistent life style has already given proof of his individuality as a true servant of God. And the manifest hand of God that radiates through his ministra­tion has drawn many lost sheep back to the Body of Christ. A close look at the circumstances of his life shows that Prophet Joshua was born with the natu­ral requirements for a calling of an ideal tendency. In recent times, I have heard not less than three pastors, hitherto doubtful of Joshua’s spiritual credentials, now testifying openly that TB is a true servant of God. One of them even confessed at a meet­ing recently, where yours sin­cerely was in attendance, that but for his strong attachment and loyalty to his superinten­dent, he would have resigned to become one of Joshua’s min­isters. Whatever is responsible for this bout of proclamation, the truth is that in spite of the antics of his detractors schooled in the pull-him-down (PHD) syndrome, Joshua possesses a heroic pathos, and has infested in our very eyes an uncommon spiritual candour. Had Thomas Paine watched Joshua closely during his day he would prob­ably not have made his famous declaration that “religion is the opium of the masses.” A recent incident involving an accidental collapse of one of the buildings in his church complex resulting to the death of some members has seen a litany of detractors calling for his head. Yet, this does not deter the faithful from massing into the fold in their thousands.
As a testimony to his rising profile, Joshua has a large flock of Christian believers from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America and his healing power makes headline news in media houses around the world. Again, The Synagogue Church of All Nations at its Ikotun, Lagos headquarters, has played host to very impor­tant dignitaries from across the world. The tremendous growth in population of his ministry apparently accounts for the equally large viewership of his television network programme known as “Emmanuel TV”. As a hard working, loyal and dedi­cated spiritual bulldozer who can shrink up the sundering seas, level all intruding moun­tains, bridge all gulfs and put a lamp in every dark tunnel, TB Joshua is undoubtedly a spiritual phenomenon whose corpus requires a large canvas. It is incontestable that the spir­itual seriousness of the present times, so conspicuous in most Nigerian Christians, is due in no small part to evangelical Chris­tianity, which has coloured the beliefs and practices of so large a segment of the populace. For, much as practical evangelism has nurtured the need for a reli­gious faith in our society, it has inadvertently made allowance for the major ideological devel­opments of the age.
One of such biblical injunc­tions which have become the foundation for human ideo­logical creeds is the command by Jesus Christ for Christians to give to the poor and needy. On this score, Prophet Joshua dwarfs all superlatives, at least in Nigeria. Whereas most men of God tax their congregations (sometimes to breaking point) to acquire aeroplanes and jets to fly all over the world, Joshua is one of the few men of God who have seen the need to in­vest in human capital. In fact, Prophet Joshua, despite the material success of his min­istry, drives a bus instead of a jeep or limousine. It is against the backdrop of this philan­thropic activity that the Federal Government recently awarded Joshua the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Fed­eral Republic (OFR). Bamber Gascoigne, the British journal­ist and television personality, in his book, ‘The Christians’, says: “Whether He was God, man or myth, one thing is cer­tain about Jesus Christ. He has made more impact upon the world than any other person in history.” In fact, if I am tempted to refer to Prophet T.B. Joshua as a bundle of sublimity, it is be­cause of his vitality; and it is the sheer humility and gentility in him that make for this position. Nor is this vitality any less obvi­ous in his actions. For anyone who has ever tried to explain the making of a complete serv­ant of God knows that good­ness must be allowed to speak for itself. In any case, those opposed to T.B. Joshua are en­titled to their opinion. And if Jesus Christ was Himself called all sorts of names and ridiculed by His people, especially at Cappanum, who else is above human condemnation? God, alone, is the true judge! So, let T. B. Joshua be!