TB Joshua is a Nigerian pastor, tele-vangelist and philanthropist.
He is the leader and founder of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations, SCOAN, a Christian
organisation that runs the Emmanuel TV television station from Lagos, Nigeria.
TB Joshua was born on 12 June 1963, at Arigidi, Ondo State, Nigeria.
Currently, he is almost 56 years.
He resides in Lagos, in Nigeria.
TB Joshua is a Nigerian by birth and citizenship.
His net worth is between $10 million to $15 million, according to Forbes, 2011.
TB Joshua got married to Evelyn Joshua in 1990, and they are going strong.
They have three children.
His eldest daughter, Serah Joshua, is a graduate from the London School of Economics, Department
of Law, and she was 'called to the bar' in Nigeria in December 2015.
His second daughter, Promise Joshua, is studying Politics and International Relations, also
at the London School of Economics.
TB Joshua is known for his popularity across Africa, and Latin America, and his social
media presence with about 3.5 million fans on Facebook.
His YouTube channel, Emmanuel TV, has over 1.2 million YouTube subscribers, and over
4.2 million views, and it is the world's most viewed Christian ministry on the platform.
Google ranked one of Emmanuel TV's YouTube videos, as the fourth most viewed clip ever
within Nigeria.
Described as the "Oprah of evangelism" and "YouTube's most popular Pastor", Emmanuel
TV is among the world's largest Christian television networks.
TB Joshua has been awarded various accolades, notably receiving the Officer of the Order
of the Federal Republic by the Nigerian government in 2008, and being voted the Yoruba man of
the decade by Pan-Yoruba media outlet, Irohin-Odua.
He has been called one of Africa's 50 most influential people, by the Pan-African magazine,
The Africa Report, and the New African Magazine.
As of 2011, according to Forbes, TB Joshua was Nigeria's third-richest pastor, although
the claim was immediately denied in a statement by the church.
He is known to be controversial, and was even 'blacklisted' by the government of Cameroon
in 2010.
According to TB Joshua's official biography, unusual circumstances surrounded his birth.
He says that he spent 15 months in his mother's womb, and narrowly avoided death after a quarry
explosion near his house sent rocks through its roof, just seven days after his birth.
It is also alleged that TB Joshua's birth was 'prophesied' 100 years earlier.
TB Joshua, then known as Balogun Francis, attended St. Stephen's Anglican Primary School,
in Arigidi, in Akoko North-West, Nigeria, between 1971 and 1977, but failed to complete
one year of secondary school education.
In school, he was known as "small pastor", because of his love for the Bible.
He worked in various casual jobs after his schooling had ended, including carrying chicken
waste at a poultry farm.
He organised Bible studies for local children, and attended evening school during this period.
TB Joshua attempted to join the Nigerian military, but was thwarted due to a train breakdown,
that left him stranded en route to the military academy.
TB Joshua wrote that, in a heavenly vision, he had received divine anointing, and a covenant
from God to start his ministry.
Following this, TB Joshua founded the ministry organisation, The Synagogue, Church of All
Nations, SCOAN.
According to the organisation, more than 15,000 members attend its weekly Sunday service;
visitors from outside Nigeria are accommodated in the accommodation blocks constructed at
the church.
The Guardian reported that, The SCOAN attracts more weekly attendees than the combined number
of visitors to Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London.
The SCOAN's popular services have also resulted in an enormous boost for local businesses
and hoteliers.
Despite TB Joshua's popularity, the church only has a branch in the country of Ghana,
TB Joshua stating that, "it is not yet time" for him to have branches worldwide as "it
will be too much for his character".
The SCOAN has been described as "Nigeria's biggest tourist attraction" and "the most
visited destination by religious tourists in West Africa," with thousands of foreigners
flocking to attend the church's weekly services.
Figures released by the Nigerian Immigration Service indicated that, six out of every ten
foreign travellers coming into Nigeria are bound for The SCOAN, a fact discussed in Zimbabwean
parliament when addressing the economic potentials of religious tourism.
This Day newspapers reported that, "about two million local and inbound tourists"
visit The SCOAN annually.
The church's popularity has led to an increase in flight routes to Lagos from several African
countries in 2013.
TB Joshua's contribution to Nigeria's religious tourism, was highlighted when he hinted at
the possibility of relocating his ministry to Israel, during a Sunday service.
The announcement proved controversial, with several prominent Nigerians urging him to
remain in the country, citing the economic setbacks Nigeria would likely experience through
his potential relocation.
SCOAN claims regular occurrences of divine miracles.
Several hundred Nigerians, and international visitors come to the SCOAN each week, to register
for the prayer lines, where the visitors are prayed over by TB Joshua.
SCOAN has published numerous videos, claiming to document the healing of incurable disabilities
and illnesses, such as HIV AIDS, blindness and open wounds.
Spiritual healing at The SCOAN has been the subject of several media reports, including
a mention in Time Magazine, an Associated Press interview, and an article by Foreign
Policy, detailing the tendency of Nigerians to seek 'spiritual' help due to insufficient
medical facilities.
A huge debate was stirred within Nigeria, when the father of abducted school girl, Ese
Oruru, stated his intention to take his daughter to TB Joshua for 'prayers' following her release.
Similarly, a leaked report stating the intention of Nigeria's embattled former petroleum minister,
Diezani Alison-Madueke, to visit TB Joshua for 'spiritual support', in her battle against
breast cancer, elicited controversy.
Many have also claimed to be healed through 'Anointing Water', which has been prayed
over by TB Joshua, and given to those who are unable to physically attend his church
in Lagos.
Others claim they were protected from deadly incidents because they had the water with
them.
In 2013, four people died in a stampede in TB Joshua's SCOAN, Ghanaian branch, when an
unadvertised service drew huge crowds far beyond the churches capacity, bringing Ghana's
capital city Accra almost to a standstill.
TB Joshua also made headlines, when he claimed that his Anointing Water could cure the deadly
disease, Ebola.
He subsequently sent 4,000 bottles of the water alongside a cash gift of $50,000 to
the Ebola-stricken nation of Sierra Leone.
This came after Lagos State Health officials visited TB Joshua, requesting him to publicly
discourage Ebola victims from visiting his church for prayers.
A Sierra Leonean politician, later claimed the water helped stop the spread of the disease,
and cured several Ebola victims.
SCOAN is also known for the purported "deliverance" of those allegedly possessed by evil spirits
during its services.
Strange occurrences have been reported during these deliverance prayers, including the case
of a South African girl, who allegedly 'cried blood', and a Liberian man who began behaving
'like a dog'.
A young man allegedly delivered from a 'homosexual demon' at The SCOAN, also attracted widespread
media attention, as did the 'transformation' of a Paraguayan transvestite.
After 'deliverance', those involved often confess the atrocities which the 'evil spirit'
allegedly pushed them to engage in, such as prostitution, armed robbery, internet fraud,
and human trafficking.
The wife of a Ghanaian goal keeper, Richard Kingson, was delivered of an evil spirit which
was supposedly behind her husband's inability to procure a contract.
Notable Ghanaian human rights lawyer, Kwabla Senanu, claimed that he was delivered from
a spiritual problem.
Similarly, Ghanaian musician, Denise Williams said she was delivered from a demon that had
pushed her to become a drug addict, and suicidal.
Veteran Nigerian Nollywood actress, Camilla Mberekpe, was also said to have been delivered
at The SCOAN.
Popular Nollywood actor, Jim Iyke, also said he received deliverance at The SCOAN, the
video of the event subsequently going viral.
A video of Kenyan Olympic athlete, Mercy Cherono, receiving 'deliverance' through TB Joshua's
prayers, attracted widespread attention in Kenya.
She subsequently testified, in the company of her husband, how the 'evil spirit' had
negatively affected her young marriage and career.
Although TB Joshua rarely goes abroad, he has travelled to Korea, Singapore, Indonesia,
Australia, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Paraguay to hold 'crusades'.
He also visited Israel to receive a humanitarian award from ZAKA and visit Biblical sites.
His 'Miracle Crusade' in Cali, Colombia in July 2014, was allegedly attended by 100,000
people, and held in the Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero.
He additionally held a meeting with Cali's police force, giving a donation of $100,000,
to support the families killed, or injured in the course of their duties.
The SCOAN is involved in extensive humanitarian projects worldwide.
A Forbes blogger estimated that, TB Joshua has spent $20 million on charitable activities.
Several media reports show the church has donated large amounts of money, in order to
help orphans, widows, elderly, physically challenged, and destitute.
There is also a rehabilitation programme for militants from Nigeria's volatile Niger Delta
region, repentant armed robbers, and sex workers who came to the church for 'deliverance'.
TB Joshua, allegedly, joins his team in several of the humanitarian journeys they undertake,
to less-privileged communities.
TB Joshua has come to the aid of several communities in distress, notably providing two transformers
to a local community after theirs was burned beyond repair.
He donated over 26 million naira towards restoring electricity, and putting an end to over two
years of power outage, in four councils in Akoko area of Ondo State.
Also, he has additionally, made several large donations to the police force in Nigeria,
Ghana, and Colombia.
The SCOAN has a 'scholarship program' which caters for the academic needs of students
in their thousands, ranging from primary to tertiary education.
In 2012, TB Joshua sponsored a Nigerian student, doing a PhD in Oxford University, with Nigerian
media reporting she received £100,000 from the church.
He also gave a scholarship to a young Motswana to study at Harvard Law School in America.
After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, TB Joshua sent a team of medical personnel and humanitarian
workers, to the affected area, establishing a field hospital called 'Clinique Emmanuel'.
Additionally, he sent support to nations such as Philippines, India and Ghana in the wake
of varying natural disasters.
The 'Emmanuel TV Team' also assisted victims of the earthquake that struck the nation of
Ecuador in April 2016, providing over $500,000 worth of humanitarian aid.
TB Joshua funded the building, and running of a school in Lahore, Pakistan, named 'Emmanuel
School'.
He also rebuilt a school in a rural area destroyed by the 2016 Ecuador earthquake, travelling
to Ecuador for the opening of the school in June 2017.
Several groups of Nigerians attempting illegal travel to Europe through Libya, have been
supported at The SCOAN, following their deportation from the North African nation, with only the
clothes on their backs.
Stories of the harsh conditions they encountered, and TB Joshua's subsequent assistance made
headlines in several local newspapers.
In 2008, TB Joshua started a football club, My People FC, as part of efforts to help the
youth.
Two members of the team played for Nigeria's Golden Eaglets in the 2009 FIFA Under-17 World
Cup.
Sani Emmanuel, who apparently lived in The SCOAN for several years, was Nigeria's top-scorer
and the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Emmanuel and his colleague, Ogenyi Onazi, signed professional contracts with SS Lazio,
Onazi, a key player for the Nigerian Senior Team, the Super Eagles.
WBO International Light Middleweight boxing champion, King Davidson Emenogu, said that
TB Joshua has financially supported him throughout his career, and purportedly prophesied that
he would be a world boxing champion.
TB Joshua was involved in the meeting of the family of the late president of Liberia, Samuel
Doe, with the former warlord Prince Johnson, who was responsible for Doe's death.
During this meeting, the family publicly forgave Johnson, who said it was through TB Joshua's
prayers, that he stopped drinking alcohol and turned to Christianity.
In recognition of his humanitarian activities, he was awarded a National Honour, by the Nigerian
government in 2008, as well as receiving a letter of appreciation from the United Nations.
He was further honoured as an Ambassador of Peace, by the Arewa Youth Forum, a predominantly
Muslim organisation, as well as being recognised with an 'award of excellence' by ZAKA, Israel's
primary rescue and recovery voluntary service.
SCOAN claims that TB Joshua has successfully predicted events in the lives of individuals
who attend his church services, as well as worldwide events, including a purported prophecy
of Michael Jackson's death, and the outcome of two African Cup of Nations final matches,
which were won by Zambia, and Nigeria respectively.
He has been voted by the public among the most famous prophets.
His prophecy about the impending death of an African president, was widely reported
in African press.
TB Joshua's followers believe the prophecy concerning the former president of Malawi,
Bingu wa Mutharika, who died in 2012, aged 78.
False rumours spread, using TB Joshua's name, are known to have caused widespread panic
in communities, affected sporting events, music concerts, and led people to stop using
social networks.
When Hamza Al-Mustapha, the Chief Security Officer of former Nigerian President, Sani
Abacha, was released after eleven years of imprisonment, his first port of call was to
TB Joshua's church, in acknowledgement of a 'prophecy' TB Joshua, allegedly, gave him
when Abacha was still in power.
SCOAN released a video, claiming that TB Joshua predicted the Malaysian Airlines, MH370 event.
The prophecy received a lot of attention on social media, and its accompanying YouTube
video amassed over 1 million views.
Several terrorist attacks perpetrated by ISIS, Al-Qaeda affiliates, and Al-Shabaab militants,
have allegedly been predicted by TB Joshua, including the November 2015 Paris attacks,
the Garissa University College attack in Kenya, the Ouagadougou hotel siege in Burkina Faso,
and the 2016 Brussels Bombings.
It is also claimed that he predicted the Boston bombing attacks in America.
TB Joshua's alleged prophecy in April 2016, that an impending terror attack would befall
Ghana, made national headlines in the West African nation, and led the national police
to issue a statement, calling for the general public to be calm and vigilant.
600 foreigners reportedly cancelled their visits to Ghana in the wake of the statement.
Days later, a captured Malian terrorist confessed that his group had planned to target Ghana.
TB Joshua, incorrectly, predicted that Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 US election.
After this prophecy failed to materialise, with Donald Trump winning the election, TB
Joshua stated that he was referring to Clinton's win in the popular vote, and any misinterpretation
was due to a lack of "spiritual understanding".
A video of TB Joshua, predicting "the military", of an undisclosed Southern African nation,
embarrassing, killing or capturing "a President or Vice-President, or the First Lady of that
nation‚" surfaced on social media after the statement, which was made and recorded
in August 2014, was interpreted as a prophecy of the 2017 coup against Zimbabwe's long-term
leader Robert Mugabe.
Notable visitors to SCOAN have included the late Ghanaian President, John Evans Atta Mills,
South Africa's Winnie Mandela, EFF leader, Julius Malema, the Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini,
former Malawian President, Joyce Banda, Zimbabwean Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangarai, and the
late Zambian President, Frederick Chiluba, who once stated that he watched 'Emmanuel
TV' daily.
Tanzanian President, John Magufuli, visited The SCOAN in 2011.
Days to his inauguration in November 2015, TB Joshua visited Tanzania, where he met Magufuli,
who received him at the airport, the outgoing President Jakaya Kikwete and opposition leader
Edward Lowassa.
His visit caused a media storm in Tanzania, even though he did not publicly appear at
the inauguration.
Nigeria's former President, Goodluck Jonathan, visited The SCOAN in September 2014, following
the tragic building collapse of a guest-house within the church premises.
After Jonathan conceded defeat to Muhammadu Buhari, in Nigeria's historic 2015 elections,
TB Joshua controversially claimed he had warned him of his impending electoral defeat, an
assertion later corroborated by one of Jonathan's aides.
A BBC Africa journalist, once questioned whether TB Joshua was "the most powerful man in
Africa", due to his alleged influence in the African political sphere.
Days after the late John Atta Mills became President of Ghana in 2009, his first port
of call was TB Joshua's church, for a thanksgiving service, where he revealed that TB Joshua
had accurately 'prophesied' his ascension to power, and specific details relating to
his narrow victory over Nana Akufo-Addo.
TB Joshua was a regular visitor to Ghana, during Mill's early presidency, and allegedly
organised prayer warriors to be praying in Osu Castle.
TB Joshua's much-publicised prophecy, concerning the death of Malawian President, Bingu Mutharika,
garnered intense media attention, and was subsequently the subject of a Malawian government
inquiry as his successor, Joyce Banda, is a devotee of TB Joshua.
Banda claimed TB Joshua's prayers, healed her husband, after he suffered a stroke, and
regularly visited TB Joshua in Nigeria, while she was Head of State.
TB Joshua played the role of a peace-maker in the aftermath of the Tanzanian elections
in 2015, visiting the country to meet, and hold reconciliatory talks with President John
Magufuli, a member of his church, and opposition leader, Edward Lowassa.
Commentators acknowledged that his visit, significantly, reduced tensions in the country
after the elections, which the opposition party alleged were fraught with irregularities.
TB Joshua was a key influence in former Liberian warlord Senator, Prince Johnson's decision,
to endorse the candidacy of George Weah, for president in the 2017 Liberian elections.
His endorsement came days after the two were spotted publicly together in The SCOAN, a
visit that caused a media storm in Liberia.
Weah's main opponent, and current Vice President, Joseph Boakai, also allegedly requested to
visit TB Joshua in lieu of the elections.
Emmanuel TV, the SCOAN television station, broadcasts 24/7.
Its Sunday services are broadcast live.
TB Joshua's programmes also air weekly on a number of local television stations across
Africa.
It debuted on DStv and GOtv in November 2015, as well as StarTimes in February 2016.
In its profile on TB Joshua, the BBC described him as "Nigeria's best known televangelist".
A Ghanaian psychiatrist in the UK, was controversially sacked from the NHS, after recommending Emmanuel
TV to a patient with a history of 'satanic abuse', although later cleared of any wrongdoing
by a tribunal.
Emmanuel TV's motto is, 'Changing lives, changing nations, changing the world.'
The station is also known for its catch-phrase, 'Distance Is Not A Barrier', encouraging
viewers to 'pray along' with TB Joshua by 'touching the screen'.
There are several claims of people receiving miraculous 'healing' through these prayers,
including popular Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, who said TB Joshua's prayers ended
her 14-year smoking addiction.
TB Joshua has earned a reputation for not focusing on the 'Prosperity Gospel', and Emmanuel
TV is known as one of the few Christian channels that does not engage in fundraising on air.
TB Joshua has many critics, and is known to be controversial.
He has been publicly condemned by several prominent pastors within Nigeria, his most
vocal critic being Pastor Kris Okotie, who described him as a 'son of the devil'.
The Christian Association of Nigeria, and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, have both
acknowledged TB Joshua is not a member of either organisation, and denounced him as
an 'impostor'.
Enoch Adeboye, David Oyedepo, Ayo Oritsejafor, Paul Adefarasin, and Matthew Ashimolowo are
among the pastors who publicly denounced TB Joshua, as did disgraced American mega-church
leader, Ted Haggard.
TB Joshua was 'blacklisted' by the government of Cameroon in 2010, and termed a 'son of
the devil'.
Rumours of a visit by TB Joshua to Zimbabwe in 2012, led to an intense national debate,
culminating with pastors and politicians strongly objecting.
A popular Ghanaian 'witch-doctor' said he went to the Vatican City, to 'report' TB Joshua
to Pope Francis, for his 'false' prophecies.
In 2011, several media houses in the UK reported that, at least three people in London, with
HIV, died after they stopped taking life-saving drugs on the advice of their pastors.
The HIV prevention charity, African Health Policy Network, believed that The SCOAN "may"
be one of those involved in such practices, although the three in question have no demonstrable
link to the SCOAN.
The BBC quoted The SCOAN as saying "No, we do not ask people to stop taking their medication".
On 14 September 2015, it was reported that TB Joshua "secretly purchased a $60 Million
Gulf-stream G550 Private Jet".
These rumours were dismissed as false by a media aide of TB Joshua.
A self-confessed member of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, came to The SCOAN in March 2014,
allegedly with plans to 'bomb' the church.
According to him, it was TB Joshua's prayers that prevented the plan, and later compelled
him to confess.
The subsequent clip of the confession went viral on YouTube, and proved very controversial.
A group known as the "Movement for Accountability and Good Governance", has called for the investigation
of the incident based on the claims that were made.
On 12 September 2014, a guest-house collapsed in the SCOAN's premises in Lagos, killing
at least 115 people, 84 of them South Africans.
Controversy has continued to swirl around the circumstances that led to the collapse,
with the former Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, alleging Nigeria's intelligence
agencies 'blew up' the building.
In March 2016, the President of Malawi, Peter Mutharika, attacked TB Joshua as a 'false
prophet' for allegedly predicting his impending death.
His comments were condemned by the Evangelical Association of Malawi, especially as there
was no record of the purported prediction.
Nigeria's Premium Times newspaper stated that TB Joshua incorporated a company, called Chillon
Consultancy Limited, in the British Virgin Islands, in June 2006, based on reports stemming
from the Panama Papers leak.
TB Joshua immediately denied his involvement, stating on Facebook, "I am not a businessman,
and have no business whatsoever.
What God has given me is more than enough."
A prominent Nigerian Muslim cleric, Sheikh Hussaini Yusuf Mabera, threatened to drag
TB Joshua to court for "describing Jesus Christ as God".
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