Pastor Joshua Temitope Balogun commonly known as
TB Joshua, a well-known pastor from Nigeria has stirred controversy by
announcing that he will be leaving Nigeria, his home country to settle
in Israel. Social media sites have been awash with the news, stating
that this move has shattered the hearts of his followers in Nigeria.
Daily
Post, an online Nigerian newspaper revealed that the announcement was
made on April 30, 2017 during a church service. The “prophet” as he is
commonly known among his followers had just returned home after holding
meetings with three prominent Israeli mayors of Jerusalem, Tiberias and
the Jordan Valley.
TB Joshua said
Israel offered him different facilities in an area around the biblical
site of the Sea of Galilee to be able to organise meetings for
international pilgrims.
He was quoted saying: “This is where my Father in Heaven came from. It’s non-negotiable.”
The
controversial preacher said: “It’s the best place for you to meet
Prophet T.B. Joshua. After your healing, blessing and deliverance, you
can move around all the spiritual monuments which will establish your
faith.”
He emphahised that his
decision to leave was not related to the persecution he endured during
his previous years in the ministry.
Some
of those who have not received this news well include Femi Fani-Kayode,
former Nigerian Minister of Aviation who tweeted, “We will not allow
T.B. Joshua to leave Nigeria and relocate to Israel. He is one of God’s
end-time generals. We need him now more than ever.”
T.B.
Joshua who has followers from around the world is not only known for
his evangelism and prophecies but also his predictions.
He
was once stated to have predicted pop star, Micheal Jackson’s death
when he proclaimed, “In his own area he is famous. He is known
everywhere. Because I see something will begin to happen to that star
and that will likely end in him to pack his load and go to the journey
of no return.”
However, eyebrows were
raised with some doubting his predictions, calling them fake when he
posted on his Facebook page prophesying that Hilary Clinton would win
last year’s US presidential elections.
After Donald Trump won the election, the “prophet” deleted the post.
Who is TB Joshua?
• Joshua Temitope Balogun commonly known as TB Joshua was born in 1963 in Ondo State, Nigeria.
•
He claims to have been born after spending 15 months in his mother’s
womb and receiving his divine calling early in life. This was after
having a vision of God calling him upon to spread the gospel and perform
miracles.
• He is the
founder of both Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), an
international Christian ministry in Lagos, Nigeria and Emmanuel TV, a
Christian television station.
•
The evangelist has followers around the world who often seek healing
and witness prophesies from his church. He has even established
relationships with world leaders including Tanzania President, John
Magufuli.
• His
popularity extends to social media. For instance, his verified Facebook
page, TB Joshua Ministries has more than 2 million likes while his
Twitter page (TB Joshua) has more than 173,000 followers.
• TB Joshua is married to Evelyn Joshua. The couple has two children.