BY TIMOTHY AGBOR AND MAYOWA SAMUEL
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, alongside other leading personalities and Christian bodies in the country, have begun to send condolence messages in reaction to the death of the popular Nigerian cleric, Pastor Temitayo Babatunde Joshua, founder of the Synagogue Church of all Nations who passed on Saturday night.
Pastor TB Joshua, who hailed from Akoko in Ondo State, born on June 12, 1963, dominated the Christian world with his controversial teachings, healings and miracles for many years before his demise.
The former Nigerian President, in a statement on Sunday, said, “I am saddened to hear about the death of Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua known as TB Joshua, the Spiritual Leader of Synagogue Church of All Nations, at a young age of 57.
“TB Joshua was a devout man of God who served God and humanity with relentless passion. He was a man of sound doctrine, meek and faithful to his call and passion of reconciling men to God and offering hope to humanity.
“As a Christian leader, TB Joshua and his Ministry exemplified Christ in faith, love and charity; positively impacting the lives of many Nigerians, Africans and millions of people across the world. I condole with his family, his church and millions of his followers across the world. May God grant them peace and strength to cope with this loss.”
Also, the Christian Association of Nigeria lamented the incident in a message by Reverend Adebayo Oladeji, Spokesman for its President, Reverend Samson Ayokunle.
In the message, Oladeji described Pastor Joshua’s death as a reminder that “there is a time to be born and a time to die.” While praying that God consoles and comfort the family and the church he left behind, he urged all to live a Godly and righteous life, saying, “If you spend 200 years here, where you are going, you are going to spend more. If you spend one year here, where you are going, you are going to spend more.”
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, in a statement issued in Akure, the state capital, expressed shock stating that the Christendom had lost a giant in the event of his death.
Akeredolu, who said that the renowned man of God was a blessing to humanity, described him as a great Ambassador of Ondo State whose Ministry was noted for charity.
The statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, read that “Undoubtedly, Pastor Joshua’s demise came as a rude shock. The pains are not mere emotional flashes; they are indeed piercing.
“The Ondo-born Pastor and Televangelist was a philanthropist whose exit will be sorely missed by many. Pastor Joshua was committed to giving and was more often, inexorably imbued with calmness while lifting the downtrodden.
“As a televangelist, he did not just win souls for Christ, he was passionate about changing lives. He demonstrated timelessly, an alluring service to humanity and compassion by assisting not only his home local government, Akoko North West. Other adjoining local governments in Akoko land benefitted from his large heart of benevolence.
“Of significant note too, Pastor Joshua never hesitated to assist in whatever manner the Ondo State Government desired such. To us in Ondo State, we consider this a personal loss. He was a pride to the Sunshine State.
“Not only Africa is hit hard; this is a great global knock as Pastor TB Joshua’s ministry attracted an immeasurable foreign followership; Christendom has lost a giant. The reality of the finality of death, truly hurts the heart. But for TB Joshua, he had played his own part of the endless life orchestra; he has departed.
“We must take solace in his good deeds. He is now a Heaven’s gain. The people have lost a committed giver. We shall continue to remember his contributions to the development of our State.”
It commiserated with the immediate family, the entire membership of the Synagogue Church of All Nations and the Zaki of Arigidi Akoko, Oba Yisa Olanipekun.
In the same vein, the Nigerian Baptist Convention expressed shock at the news of the death of the cleric.
The spokesman for the Christian body, Pastor Eben Durodola, in an interview with The Point on Sunday, “It was a rude shock to us at the Nigeria Baptist Convention. The only thing for us is to pray for the family for God to console them and at the same time, for God to be with those he left behind.
“It’s a clarion call for all Christians to be closer to the Lord because we don’t know when we will be with the Lord. We Nigerians should move closer to God, move away from wickedness and allow unity to reign in this nation. The cleric had done his best and had left. It’s a clarion call for us to be Godly in all things that we do because everything that has been happening in the nation is an indication of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ which is closer than before.
“Death is not a matter of age, where you come from, or whether you are a pastor or not. It comes when God has ordained it. As a result, the Nigeria Baptist Convention prays that God will be with everybody that the man left behind.”
Also, the World Bishop Council in Nigeria, has lamented that the late cleric had left a big shoe that is difficult for his successor to wear.
The body spoke to The Point through its Spokesperson, Bishop Seun Adeoye, in an exclusive telephone interview on Sunday.
Adeoye, who doubles as the leader of Sufficient Grace and Truth Ministry, Rehoboth Arena, Okinni, Osun State, bemoaned the deaths in the Christendom in the country in recent time recalling that TB Joshua died a month after the passage of sons to the General Overseers of The Gospel Faith Mission International and that of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Emmanuel Abina and Dare Adeboye respectively.
According to him, TB Joshua’s charity and assistance to the needy and downtrodden would be greatly missed.
He said, “It is quite unfortunate that we lost someone like him. I was so sad the moment I heard the news. He was a general; he was a giant in the ministry, and there is no way the entire Christendom will not feel his demise. It is very unfortunate that we get to read that story on a Sunday. It makes it more troubling.
“But, we will keep on praying for his family and his Church and we believe that God will strengthen his Church. The other day, we lost the son of Pastor Abina from GOFAMINT. We also lost the son of Pastor Adeboye and now this one (Prophet TB Joshua). I think it makes one very sad.
“On behalf of the World Bishop Council that I represent in this area, on behalf of the World Anglican Church, of which I am the lead bishop in West Africa, we send our condolences to the family. We will really miss him. The entire Christendom will miss him and we believe that Heaven has gained a real General and Christian Giant.
“He left a big shoe, but I am sure after the demise of Moses, God raised Joshua. I believe that after his demise, God will also raise those that will share what God gave to them because that was what we knew him for. We knew him for his kindness, gift of sharing, helping the needy and downtrodden, and he was not tired of doing that all through his life. We know that one day, we are going to end our journey here on Earth. He ended it well.”
