Pastor T.B Joshua and the Power of Healing

Synagogue, Church of All Nations and Miracles of This Era

Apr 16, 2009 Tongkeh Joseph Fowale

Pastor T.B Joshua and his Synagogue, Church of All Nations continues to create sensations around the world with his ability to cure diseases as deadly as AIDS and Cancer.

The fame of Nigerian pastor T.B Joshua touched the sky when TIME Magazine of February 12, 2009 ranked him among the great faith healers of this era.

A picture of the Nigerian pastor shows the man of God at work. “At the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos,” it reads, “Pastor T.B. Joshua absolves a woman of her sins, part of an effort to cure her of skin disease. People come to the church from all over Africa to seek treatment for afflictions like AIDS, cancer and infertility.”

The Man Of God – T.B Joshua

There is a mountain of mystery and controversy surrounding the life and activities of Temitope Balogun Joshua. He was noted for his ability to predict the future since his school days.

There is also the claim that a sage had predicted his birth a century earlier and that Joshua remained in his mother’s womb for fifteen months before being born. The pastor himself claims to have received divine revelation after fasting for forty days and forty nights.

Perhaps the greatest living proof of Pastor Joshua’s spiritual powers is his stewardship of the now famous SCOAN - Synagogue, Church of All Nations. This church which he founded in 1987 has now grown in size and popularity beyond Nigeria and Africa.

With a busy website and a powerful TV station known as Emmanuel TV, T.B Joshua reaches out to every part of the world. His church services which include healing and deliverance have created sensations worldwide.

Besides spiritual healing, T.B Joshua has also shown concern for the material needs of his followers. He administers humanitarian assistance to the needy through what he calls “Another Ministry.” The poor, widows, orphans, dwarves and disadvantaged children all benefit from Pastor Joshua’s kindness. Newswatch of February 24, 2008 reported Pastor Joshua’s rehabilitation of former armed robbers. Similar stories are reported about his show of mercy and compassion to prostitutes.

The Power of Healing and Prophecy

“Healing and prophecy are perhaps his forte,” says the Daily Sun of February 3, 2008. Pastor Joshua’s healing powers seem to fear no diseases, not even those like HIV/AIDS and cancer that have threatened human existence and challenged modern medicine.

It is claimed that the Nigerian healer has restored fertility to barren women, cured madness, enabled the lame to walk, restored sight to the blind and healed deadly body afflictions such as incurable ulcers and skin diseases.

The Pretoria based paper News24 of May 27, 2002 carries a story of Pastor Joshua bringing 76 year Moses Marule back to life after he was certified dead. This claim was confirmed by South African neurosurgeon Dr. Johan Wilkinson who had certified Marule’s death.

“People must choose whether they believe in science or in God,” said Dr Wilkinson, adding, “I believe it is possible, I saw it with my own eyes and I believe in the Bible.”

Pastor Joshua’s ability to predict major events around the world before they happen is also a rare spiritual gift. Daily Sun of February 3, 2008 carries an interview with Pastor Joshua about his prediction of the crash of a British Airways plane, Flight B-A38 from Beijing which did happen. It is also said that he predicted the death of Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa and the recent tragedy at the Houghouet Boigny stadium in Ivory Coast on march 19 2009.

Impressions About T.B Joshua

As he brings healing and food to multitudes, his popularity continues to soar. His humanitarian gestures have won him praises and awards from the Federal Government of Nigeria and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NAN).

His extraordinary powers have made his SCOAN the destination of African leaders. Ghana’s President John Atta Mills, Omar Bongo of Gabon and Zulu King Zwelithini Kabhekuzulu count among many African dignitaries who have courted with Pastor Joshua.

To say Pastor Joshua is loved by all could be very misleading. He is at odds with many of his contemporaries in Nigeria. Authoritative religious bodies in Nigeria refuse to recognize SCOAN. These include the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

“PFN considers him a worshipper of the devil,” says Christopher Anu Fobeneh, a Cameroonian journalist and writer who held an interview with Pastor Joshua in 1997.

While the controversy over the source of Pastor Joshua’s power rages on, there is likely no force strong enough to divert the river of people flocking to Lagos for healing and salvation. The answer to this puzzle might be hidden somewhere in the Bible. “Leave them alone, if what they have planned and done is of human origin, it will disappear, but if it comes from God, you cannot possibly defeat them.” (Acts 5.38-40).

Selected Sources

Achi, Louis. “Joshua: What Manner of Healer?” This Day, 26 April 2004.

Azu, Vance “AIDS Patient Marries.” The Mirror, 30 April 2001 at

Beeld, Neels “Back from the Dead.” News24, 27 May 2002

Omoarelojie, Ernest. “Offering Hope.” The News, 25 February 2008.

Phillips, Barnaby. “Chiluba Worships in Controversial Church.” BBC., 12 November 2000.

The copyright of the article Pastor T.B Joshua and the Power of Healing in Alternative Spirituality is owned by Tongkeh Joseph Fowale. Permission to republish Pastor T.B Joshua and the Power of Healing in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Pastor T.B Joshua