TB Joshua
Nigerian Christian leader (1963–2021) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Temitope Balogun Joshua (12 June 1963 – 5 June 2021) was a Nigerian charismatic pastor and televangelist. He was the leader and founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN),[2] a Christian megachurch that runs the Emmanuel TV television station from Lagos, Nigeria.
TB Joshua | |
---|---|
Born | Temitope Balogun Joshua (1963-06-12)12 June 1963 |
Died | 5 June 2021(2021-06-05) (aged 57)[1] Lagos, Nigeria |
Occupations | |
Spouse | Evelyn Joshua |
Children | 3 |
Website | The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations, Emmanuel TV |
Joshua was widely known across Africa and Latin America[3][4] and had a large social media presence with over six million fans on Facebook.[5] His YouTube channel, Emmanuel TV, had over one million subscribers and was the most-viewed Christian ministry on the platform[6] before the channel was suspended by YouTube in 2021 for alleged homophobic hate speech. Joshua was described by media outlets as the "Oprah of Evangelism"[7] and "YouTube's most popular pastor".[8]
Joshua was awarded various accolades, notably receiving the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) by the Nigerian government in 2008[9] and being voted the Yoruba man of the decade by Pan-Yoruba media outlet Irohin-Odua.[10] He was called one of Africa's 50 most influential people by Pan-African magazines The Africa Report and New African Magazine.[11][12] By 2011, according to Forbes, Joshua was Nigeria's third-richest pastor,[13] although the claim was immediately denied in a statement by the church.[14] He was a controversial figure, and was officially blacklisted by the government of Cameroon in 2010.[15][16][17]
Joshua died on 5 June 2021 after one of his evening services in Lagos, Nigeria, just one week prior to his 58th birthday.[18][19] In 2024, he was accused, in a BBC investigation, of raping, torturing, and abusing followers over a period of almost 20 years. Accusations included instances of child abuse, taking place in a compound in Lagos.[20]