The Church of the Lord (Aladura) is an

African Initiated Church An African-initiated church (AIC) is a Christian church independently started in Africa by Africans rather than chiefly by missionaries from another continent. Nomenclature A variety of overlapping terms exist for these forms of Christianity: Af ...

founded by Josiah Olunowo Ositelu in 1925, and inaugurated in 1930 in

Ogere Remo Ogere (also referred to as Ogere Remo or Ogere-Remo or Ogere - Remo), is an ancient town in the present Remo Division of Ogun State, Nigeria. The town was founded circa 1401 A.D. Ogere is part of the Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State. ...

Ogun State Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. Ogun State borders Lagos State to the south, Oyo State and Osun State to the north, Ondo State to the east, and the Republic of Benin to th ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. Ositelu was born on 15 May 1900 at Ogere, ?ijebu-Remo, Ogun State in Nigeria. "Aladura" in

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

means "owners of prayer", "Prayer Fellowship" or "The Praying People". They always wear white. Also known as Aladura churches, they believe in the power of praying and in

faith healing Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healin ...

and various elements associated with

Pentecostalism Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

. Most of the founders of the churches were associated with

Anglicanism Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

, though some

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

s joined the movement as well. The churches oppose traditional African religion, and sometimes burn

cult image In the practice of religion, a cult image is a human-made object that is venerated or worshipped for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents. In several traditions, including the ancient religions of Egypt, Greece and Ro ...

s as idols. They oppose

polygamy Crimes Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is marr ...

and

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have ...

. In contrast with Kimbanguism, the churches tend to avoid politics and focus instead on the

holiness movement The Holiness movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emp ...

Rufus Okikiola Ositelu Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin '' rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include: Given name Politicians * Rufus Ada George (born 1940), Nigerian politician * Rufus ...

is Archbishop And Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Nigeria and the Primate of The Church of the Lord (Aladura) Organisation Worldwide.

History

The First (Aladura: Ositelu) Disciples on 27 July 1930

Titus Olatunde, Joseph Aromuti, Benjamin Afolabi (from Faith Tabernacle Church, Ijebu Ode), Layide Akinyele, etc. The first Tabborrar Festival was 10–22 August 1937.

Evangelism – (Cities Ollunowo Ositelu pioneered)

Ogere (the Fountain), Ibadan, Abeokuta, Sabongidda Orra (where the Hymn "Ati 'Segun de Isegun", and "Angel Ollusegun" derived – (i.e. "from Vic-to-ry unto Vic-tory"), Ijebu Ode, Aiyepe, Sagamu, Ijebu Igbo, Sobe, etc. Ositelu went on missionary journeys throughout Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana and Sierra Leone. Supporters claim that Ollunowo Ositelu demonstrated God's Powers through miracles, healing, the Gospel, as well as victory and power over Satan and evil powers.

Owoade Adeleke Adejobi

Emmanuel Owoade Adeleke Adejobi succeeded Ollunowo Ositelu as the Head of the Church of the Lord (Aladura) on 7 May 1967. During the Mount Tabborrar Festival on 22 August 1945, Ollunowo Ositelu read a message he claimed to have received from God on 18 August 1945: "Adeleke Adejobi is the Gbolahan (Torch Bearer) of the Church of the Lord Aladura". Ollunowo Ositelu also promoted and appointed Adeleke Adejobi prophet and apostle on the Mount on the same day, and pronounced that Adeleke Adejobi would be his successor. In January 1966, presiding over the first International Churches Assembly at Ogere, Ollunowo Ositelu read again in his address his vision of 18 August 1945 in which he said God told him that Adeleke Adejobi was to be his successor. Ositelu confirmed before the house his implicit faith, confidence and trust in Adeleke Adejobi, and declared him his successor. Josiah Ollunowo Ositelu died in July 1966. On Sunday, 7 May 1967, Adeleke Adejobi was inaugurated as the second Primate of the Church of the Lord Aladura.

Tenets

The Six Tenets of the church can be described as: *Pentecostal in Power *Prophetic in Ministry *Biblical in Pattern *Evangelical in Mission *Ecumenical in Outlook and *Social in ResponsibilityJourney So Far, ; Publication - TCLAW Publishers, 2009.

Affiliations

World Council of Churches The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most ju ...

(WCC) 1975 * All African Conference of Churches (AACC) 1975 *

Organization of African Instituted Churches The Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC) is a Christian ecumenical organization founded in 1978. It is a member of the World Council of Churches. It describes itself as "the representative body that brings together African Independent ...

(OAIC) 1978 *

British Council of Churches Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) is an ecumenical organisation. The members include most of the major churches in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. CTBI is registered at Companies House with number 05661787. Its office is in C ...

(BCC) 1979 *

Christian Association of Nigeria The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is an umbrella organisation containing numerous Christian denominations in Nigeria. History The Christian Association of Nigeria was founded in 1976, and originally only contained the Catholic Church a ...

(CAN) 1984 *Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) 1988 *International Ministerial Council of Great Britain (IMCGB) 1993 *founding member of the International Ministerial Council of Germany (IMCOG) 1994 *Afro-Caribbean Churches in the UK (ACCUK). *founding member of the Council of African Christian Communities in Europe (CACCE) 1999 *founding member of the International Convent of Christian Congregations, Rhein-Main, Germany (ICCCRG) 1999 *founding member and initiator of United Aladura Churches (UAC) 2004 In 1996 the Church hosted a WCC Consultative Meeting with African Instituted Churches at Ogere-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria In 2010 the Primate of the Church of the Lord (Aladura) Worldwide

CLAW A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tarsus ...

, Rufus Okikiola Ositelu, was proclaimed and inaugurated as the Pope of the Aladura Communion Worldwide CW with style "His Holiness, Pope Dr. Rufus Ositelu I".

Provincial offices

*Lome, Togo *Kumasi, Ghana *Wellington, Freetown, Sierra Leone *London, England *Bronx, New York, United States of America *Frankfurt am Main, Germany *Sevila, Spain *Luxembourg *Griffen Glen Way, Republic of Ireland

References and Bibliography

*Rufus Okikiolaolu Olubiyi Ositelu, ''African Instituted Churches: Diversities, Growth, Gifts, Spirituality and Ecumenical Understanding of African Initiated Churches'', Series no.:18 ''Beiträge zur Missionswissenschaft und interkulturellen Theologie'' Bd. 18, 2002, 232 Pages., br., * John S. Pobee and Gabriel Olusegun Ositelu, ''African Initiatives in Christianity: The growth, gifts and diversities of indigenous African churches, A challenge to the ecumenical movement'', Risk Book Series no.: 83, Geneva : WCC Publications, 1998, 73 Pages, br.,

External links

Church of the Lord (Aladura) Worldwide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Church Of The Lord (Aladura) African initiated churches Pentecostal denominations in Africa Christian denominations in Nigeria Christian organizations established in 1930 Christian denominations established in the 20th century Christian new religious movements