Papa Oshoffa: The Man Behind the Movement

Many Celestians know the name Oshoffa from hymns, feasts and the white garment, but how much do we know about the man himself? This quick look back draws on Wikipedia's biography of Samuel Bilewu Joseph Oshoffa.

He was born on 11 October 1909 in Porto-Novo, then part of French Dahomey (today's Benin), into a Yoruba family of mixed faith. His father Joseph, a carpenter, had moved from Islam to Methodism, while his mother, Alake Iyafo, came from Imeko Afon and followed traditional religion.

In 1947, while working in the ebony timber trade, he reported receiving a divine order through an angel to begin evangelising. By his own account he was lost in the bush for about three months before returning to his timber camp, and his followers say he came back with gifts of healing and prophecy. The church spread across Benin between 1947 and 1951, then moved to Nigeria in 1976, and was officially recognised there in 1958.

Papa Oshoffa died on 10 September 1985 and rests at Celestial City in Imeko, Ogun State. His passing opened a hard season of succession, and the church trustees eventually chose Pastor A.A.B. Bada as successor.

Over to you:
- What is the first story about Papa Oshoffa you heard growing up, and who told it to you?
- Which part of his legacy speaks to you most today?

Sources: Wikipedia, "Samuel Oshoffa" (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, "SBJ oshoffa .jpg"