Allegations uncovered by a BBC report that found the late Nigerian televangelist TB Joshua committed widespread sexual abuses could further damage the church's image in Africa, believers say.
"Whatever the case may be, he is dead and gone," Nkechi Anthony, a Lagos resident and member of TB Joshua's church, told DW. "Why all these [accusations] after his death?" Anthony said.
"From my point of view, the evidence and whatever documentary is baseless and pointless," she argued.
Anthony, a charismatic Christian, was reacting to a BBC Eye Africa investigative report that has multiple victims and sources narrating how the late prominent Nigerian televangelist TB Joshua sexually and physically abused his followers. TB Joshua founded the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN).
"How secretive are those places where they were kept for that long and no one saw all these things till he died?" Anthony posed, adding that this [BBC report] is all blackmail and will not negatively impact evangelism in Nigeria because we all know the allegations are baseless.
Jerry Edet, another member of TB Joshua's SCOAN, defended his pastor's reputation, telling DW all the allegations were simply blackmail.
"Don't judge anybody when you yourself are going to be judged," Edet said. "I have gone around the synagogue church, I have even slept there and I don't know where all these stories are coming from. To me, it might be a kind of blackmailing."
Accusations bad for the church
But Lagos Pastor Joseph Adeleke disagrees. "The allegations will bring terrible things upon the evangelical body, especially those of us in the prophetic , deliverance, and miracle ministry," Adeleke said.
"It will cause terrible setbacks for the church," the Lagos-based pastor told DW.
"These are serious allegations of rape and fake miracles. Many of our members are likely to lose confidence in pastors and the church," Adeleke said, adding that there had been similar allegations against some pastors in the past. "This [the rape and torture allegations] is like confirming what people have been hearing before."
Adeleke's sentiment was shared as far as South Africa, where TB Joshua enjoyed a massive following. "The issue of preachers being accused of all these crimes is a pattern," Freeman Bhengu, National Coordinator at United Patriotic Front, a civil society organization, said.
"It's something which is prevalent in Africa, especially in South Africa, whereby we have had preachers who rape," Bhengu told DW.
"We have had preachers who falsely resurrect people from death, preachers who swindle money from their congregants. It says something about us as South Africans. It says something about us as Africans. We are still weak in the mind. We are still taken by false prophets of easy money, easy life, quick everything and instant gratification."
According to local reports, SCOAN has rejected the allegations against TB Joshua in the BBC documentary.
TB Joshua's humble beginning
Temitope Balogun Joshua, popularly known as TB Joshua and fondly referred to as 'The Prophet' by his followers, was born on June 12, 1963, in Arigidi-Akoko, Ondo State, in southwestern Nigeria.
He began his church ministry in the late 1980s after claiming a divine calling at a young age. He founded the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in 1989, quickly gaining popularity in Nigeria and internationally.
TB Joshua's ministry focused on faith healing, deliverance and prophecy. He became widely known for his televised crusades and the alleged miracles during these meetings. Many followers and attendees claimed to have experienced miraculous healings and deliverances through his prayers.
TB Joshua's controversies
TB Joshua's ministry was not without controversy. Critics raised concerns about the authenticity of the miracles and healings, while some accused him of exploiting vulnerable people. Forbes magazine once dubbed him "Nigeria's most controversial clergyman."
For Mabel Ndlovu, a South African Christian, many believers in the Christian faith need to go back to the biblical principles. "Within the Christian faith the standard is to be like Jesus and that is to follow what the Bible guides us in doing," Ndlovu told DW.
"These many things that we are seeing them [some preachers] being accused of, none of that is representative of the Christian faith. None of that is representative of what Christ did."
Ndlovu added that when people decide to follow certain religious leaders, it says, "we are trusting you as a leader for you to enable us and to equip us in also walking along in this journey of wanting to be like Christ, and we do expect you to hold up and to live according to the biblical standard."
Sahara Reporters on Tuesday wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that TB Joshua's TV platform, Emmanuel TV is ending its services on several satellite stations.
In April 2021, YouTube suspended TB Joshua's channel after UK-based rights group Open Democracy filed a complaint against some of the preacher's videos that purportedly showed him praying to "cure" gay people.
In addition, the SCOAN faced legal challenges and regulatory scrutiny in several instances. For example, in 2014, one of his church buildings that housed international guests collapsed, killing at least 116 people, many of them from South Africa.
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No charges for the building collapse
After the tragedy, a local investigation found TB Joshua's "church was culpable of criminal negligence." However, no charges were brought against the influential televangelist.
TB Joshua's SCOAN ministry also extended to humanitarian efforts. SCOAN was involved in various charitable activities, including helping the less privileged, sponsoring scholarships, and contributing to community development projects.
On June 5, 2021, TB Joshua died unexpectedly at the age of 57. His death drew condolences and tributes from followers, religious leaders and political figures across Nigeria and beyond.
In the aftermath of his death, there were discussions about the future of SCOAN and how his influence would continue to shape the church and its followers.
His wife Evelyn -- with whom TB Joshua fathered three children -- is now the ministry leader and continues with her late husband's mission with the help of several disciples.
Edited by: Keith Walker
