Joseph Ayo Babalola

Joseph Ayo Babalola (25 April 1904 – 26 July 1959) was the first General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church, popularly called CAC in Nigeria. He was credited with healing powers.

Joseph Babalola
Born(1904-04-25)April 25, 1904
Odo-Owa, Oke-Ero LGA Kwara State, Nigeria
DiedJuly 26, 1959(1959-07-26) (aged 55)
Ede, Osun State, southwestern Nigeria
Resting placeGrave Prayer House Mausoleum Effon-Alaiye, Ekiti State, Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
CitizenshipNigerian
OccupationApostle, Preacher, Prophet
Years active55
TitleApostle, Prophet
Parent(s)Pa David Lawani Rotimi and Madam Martha Talabi Rotimi

Early life

Babalola was born of Yoruba parents at Odo-Owa, Kwara State, Nigeria.[1] He was brought up as an Anglican. He was registered at an elementary school at Oto-Awori on Badagry Road, Lagos State, in 1914.[1] He got to standard four, before he became a blacksmith's apprentice and he learned it for two years, before he became a steamroller operator under the PWD (Public Works Department), then under the control of Great Britain, learning to become a steamroller driver. After 15 days of learning to drive the caterpillar, he was able to drive it without any assistance. After nine months; he became a master in his class. A steamroller was first given to him on 1 April 1928 to work on the Osogbo – Ilesha road. On June 14, 1928, he was transferred to Akure – Ilesha road.[1] Babalola was baptized in Lagos lagoon in December 1929.[2][3]

Ministry and healing

In 1931 Faith Tabernacle affiliated with The Apostolic Church with general headquarters in the United Kingdom (and not British Apostolic Church, as erroneously called by some authors).[4] Then following a schism in The Apostolic Church about 1940, Babalola went with a group led by Pastors J.B. Akinyele and D.O. Odubanjo to form a new independent church,[5] Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), where he continued his healing and revivalistic activities until his death. The CAC regards Babalola as an apostle, while in actual sense by real church ordination he was not at any time historically ordained into that office. A CAC retreat center was built at Ipo Arakeji, Osun State where Babalola was first called in 1928. However, Babalola was not the sole founder of CAC as many claims today but one of the trio of CAC Founding Fathers.[6]

The Christ Apostolic Church has not died along with Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola in 1959. In fact, it has grown rapidly over the years, with many churches under the Christ Apostolic Church name but each church with a specific branch name. The Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU) a private Nigerian university located in Ipo Arakeji and Ikeji-Arakeji, two neighbouring communities in Osun State, established by the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Worldwide is named after him, located at the place where he says he was called by God in 1928.

References
  1. "Short History of Christ Apostolic Church". joafosco.blogspot.com. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  2. Abi Olowe; Great Revivals, Great Revivalist - Joseph Ayo Babalola Archived 2009-01-30 at the Wayback Machine, Omega Publishers, 2007
  3. "Special Feature on Heroes of Faith". memikoroduroad.org. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  4. (1). S.A. Fatokun(2006), "The Apostolic Church Nigeria: The ‘Metamorphosis’ of an Indigenous-Prophetic Healing Movement into a Classical Pentecostal Denomination" in Orita – Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies, Vol. 38, June & Dec., pp.49-70.http://www.oritajournal.org
  5. (2). S.A. Fatokun(2005), "Pentecostalism in Nigeria with Particular Emphasis on The Apostolic Church in Southwestern Nigeria", PhD Thesis, Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
  6. (3)S.E.A. Oludare (1999), "The Trio of CAC Founding Fathers", M.A. Dissertation, Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Further reading
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