How the Celestial Church of Christ Began: Porto-Novo, 1947

Every church has a beginning, and for Celestians it is a story worth retelling. According to the Wikipedia entry on the Celestial Church of Christ, the church was founded on 29 September 1947 in Porto-Novo, in what is now the Republic of Benin, by Samuel Bilehou Oshoffa.

Oshoffa was born in French Dahomey in 1909 and raised a Methodist. Members hold that on 23 May 1947 he received a divine call while lost in a forest, a call to pray, to heal the sick and to serve God. A few months later the church was born. It was recognised by the authorities of the Republic of Dahomey in 1965, and from 1976 it launched an evangelistic campaign across the country.

Today the family of Celestians stretches from Benin and Nigeria to the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. Many parishes keep the same marks of worship that people recognise anywhere: white garments, bare feet in the sanctuary, candles, and hymns sung in Yoruba, Fon and English. Every December the faithful also journey to Celestial City, Imeko, for the annual convocation.

The photo above shows a baptism-style spiritual headwashing in Cotonou, Benin, a small window into how this faith is lived on the ground.

Over to you:
- What first drew you or your family to the white garment church?
- Which part of the church's history would you like Celeland to explore next?

Sources: Wikipedia, "Celestial Church of Christ" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_Church_of_Christ)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, "Benin - baptism ceremony in Cotonou" (CC licence)