Aladura
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Aladura is a religion founded c.1922-1930 in West Nigeria by various people, with around 1 million adherents worldwide.
"Aladura" means "Praying People" in Yoruba.
Churches known as Aladura churches emphasize the power in praying and believe in faith healing and various elements associated with Pentecostalism. Most of the founders of the churches were associated with Anglicanism, though some Methodists joined the movement as well. The churches despise the power of traditional African religion, because they deem that power to be basically malign. Therefore they sometimes burn cult images as "idols" and oppose both polygamy and witchcraft. Unlike Kimbanguism, the churches tend to avoid politics and focus instead on the "holiness movement."
Today, although most churches in Western Nigeria can be classified as "Aladura", especially the Pentecostals, there are four pioneering Churches, three of which are also called "White Garment" Churches. The four churches are:
2. Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim
3. Church of the Lord (Aladura)
The only non-White Garment church is Christ Apostolic Church, popularly called CAC.
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[edit] Christ Apostolic Church
The first Aladura Movement emerged from St. Saviour's Anglican Church, Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria in 1918 after the Sexton, Ali, had related a dream to four Elders of the church, J.B. Sadare, E.O. Onabanjo, D.C. Oduga, and E.O.W. Olukoya. They started vigorous prayer sessions. In consequence, they initiated the "Prayer Band", popularly called "Egbe Aladura". After D.O. Odubanjo joined the Movement in 1919, they became influenced by the doctrines of Faith Tabernacle of Philadelphia. They rejected infant baptism and all forms of medicine, whether western or traditional. This led to a conflict of doctrines with the Angligan Church, and as such, they were forced out of the church. Mr Joseph Sadare was compelled to give up his post in the Synod and others were forced to resign their jobs and to withdraw their children from the Anglican School. The Aladura Movement began as a renewal movement in search of true spirituality.
A revival took place in 1918 during the outbreak of influenza epidemic. The group filled with the Holy Ghost used prayer to save many lives affected by the Influenza epidemic. This consolidated the formation of the prayer group. This movement grew gradually and formed branches throughout Nigeria. Also, the name of the group went through several changes, such as Prayer Band, Precious Stone, Diamond Society, and Faith Tabernacle, in that order until 1930. A great revival started in July 1930 by the raising of a dead body by Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola at Oke-Oye in Ilesa. People trooped from neighbouring cities and countries to receive healing at Ilesa. Several people were healed through the power of prayer and there were evidences of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The revival lasted about 60 days and it's still regarded as the greatest revival ever in Nigeria. Faith Tabernacle of Nigeria later invited the Apostolic Church of England in 1931 to form an Association which lasted till 1939. The Revival group went through several name changes until, after 24 years of its formation, it finally adopted the name Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in 1942. Today, CAC has spread worldwide and definitely is the precursor of Aladura Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria. Visit [CAC website] at http://www.cacworldwide.net/ or http://www.greatrevivals.com/. The Church has established several schools at all levels, including Joseph Ayo Babalola University.
[edit] Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim
Moses Orimolade, who was later called Baba Aladura, or Praying Father founded the Eternal Sacred order of Cherubim and Seraphim society in 1925, also as a prayer group within the Anglican Church. Captain Christiana Abiodun his later adapted daughter fell into a trance from which Moses Orimolade, who was already an itinerant evangelist and teacher, was the only one who could awaken her. By 1928 they had left the Anglican church to become independent. Their most distinctive ministry was to openly ferret out and challenge witches on their long evangelistic journeys through the countryside. These long trips were typical of Seraphim (as they are most commonly called) evangelists and missionaries. Today the church is one of the most popular, most attractive and most influential of the Aladura churches worldwide.
[edit] The Church of the Lord (Aladura)
The Church was founded in 1930 by Josiah Ositelu, an Ijebu. Ositelu was an Anglican teacher and catechist who claimed to have received over 10,000 visions in the course of nine years. The content of his visions led to his being dismissed by the CMS mission which had hired him. He believed he was haunted by witches, but managed to overcome them by prayer and fasting. One of his visions instructed him and his followers not to eat pork or any other unclean thing. Ositelu also kept a journal in a secret script that God had revealed to him in a vision, and used a large number of Holy Names and Seals which he also claimed had been revealed to him by God. [This use of Holy Names and Seals may well reflect the influence of such occult texts as the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses. Each of these Holy Names began with his personal revealed name Arrabablalhhubab.
[edit] Celestial Church of Christ
The Celestial Church of Christ (usually known as Cele) was founded in 1947 by a humble carpenter in Porto Novo, Samuel Oschoffa. It is the most popular, most attractive and most influential of the Aladura churches today, in part because of the winsome personality of Papa Oschoffa.
[edit] Controversy
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This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can (April 2008). |
Reports are being heard from Nigeria that some pastors in the church perform rituals. This is based on interviews with former leaders in the church. They use visions and dreams to manipulate people and make almost anyone to do anything they want them to do. Africans have a high regard for visions and dreams so it's the main tool anybody especially a pastor could use to control individuals' lives. Rituals are performed in terms of going to take bath in a river. It's known[citation needed] that 100% of celestial church of christ builings in Nigeria are located near a river, stream, sea or any natural water collection. To achieve control, violence could also be used. For example, to get someone suspected of practising witchcraft to confess, the person could be beaten with sticks and tied down. The church being a big church has lots of power and influence in Nigeria in terms of numbers of congregation, number of parishes, worldwide membership and high-ranking corporate and government officials that attend the church. Having high-ranking government officials in a congragation signifies power in Nigeria and high-ranking corporate officials represents money. Celestial has both power and money. It's not surprising[Neutrality disputed — See talk page] to see the power struggle of late 90's and early 2000's among the leaders because anyone that could be the head of such a world-wide organization has a lot at hand.
