[Theme: *Fathers of the Faith*]
THE THREE CHRIS 'es: Princes of the Kingdom
Chris Joda
Chris Okotie
Chris Oyakhilome
The Faith Movement, which rocked Nigeria from about the year 1982, through 1999 (17 years altogether), remains the watershed through which much of what has since been known as "new generation churches" and "believers" became a household phenomenon in this country.
Prior to the Faith Movement, there had been, especially after the "Babalola Revival" (also known as the "Aladura Revival") of the 1920's - 1950's, there had been the "evangelical" move that swept across the country, spearheaded by the Scripture Union (SU) and, to an extent, the Christian Unions of the various campus fellowships. The main thrust of the "evangelical" move was to call people to basic faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Saviour.
That "evangelical" move really picked up momentum from immediately after the civil war that ended in 1970, up to about 1975.
By 1975, the "pentecostal" move, going beyond basic faith in Christ Jesus, but also embracing "the Baptism of the Holy Ghost," evidenced in "speaking in tongues," began, especially on the university campuses of Ibadan, Lagos, Ife, Nsukka, Benin and Zaria (ABU) (about the only universities in Nigeria up till that time), and particularly through the ministry of Pa (Revd.) S. G. Elton, a British pentecostal missionary who was the first person to "teach" the Baptism of the Holy Ghost in Nigeria (in 1936) (although there had been people who spoke in tongues prior to that time, e.g. Apostle Moses Orimolade of the C&S Church and who is the "great-grandfather" of charismatic ministry in Nigeria, but who didn't specifically "teach" the experience); and this Pa Elton was also a colleague of Apostle Ayo Babalola (the grandfather of the pentecostal ministry in Nigeria).
That "pentecostal" move, spearheaded by Pa S. G. Elton, and having its nucleus especially on the campus of the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where Barrister Emeka Nwankpa and Engineer Steve Okitika, then students of the university and leading members of that great move of God, lasted from about 1975 to 1979.
By 1979, another "move" of God, the "charismatic" move, started, again across university campuses especially and having its nucleus at the University of Benin (where I was), lasting through to about 1982 (after I had left school two years earlier). The primary force behind that nucleus of the "move" at the University of Benin was Engineer Hope Ovwah (my president under whom I served on the Executive Committee of the Christian Union), who "laid the wood on the altar," through deep teachings and various specialised Bible studies on Gifts of the Spirit, from 1976 - 1979. However, it was Dr. Omadeli Boyo (who later established Pinecrest Hospital in Lagos) that "ignited the fire" that became the hub of that charismatic move. Under Boyo, the University of Benin became the hub of the charismatic move sweeping across Nigeria. The Christian Union of the University of Benin became the strongest affiliate member of the Nigeria Fellowship of Evangelical Students (NIFES), while NIFES itself became the strongest member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES). That charismatic move lasted from about 1979 to 1982.
By about the year 1982, another move of God, the Faith Movement - - by which we came to learn the nitty-gritty of the faith-life, started, but this time around having its nucleus at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, where Dr. Chris Tunde Joda (TJ) was a student.
The Faith Movement combined all the elements of the evangelical, pentecostal, and charismatic moves, with a further peculiar emphasis on 'The Word of Faith.' The 'modern day' father of that Faith Movement was Kenneth E. Hagin of Tulsa, Oklahoma (even though there had been great faith preachers and teachers like Smith Wigglesworth and E. W. Kenyon, before Hagin). Alongside Hagin, in the "leadership" of that Faith Movement were Kenneth Copeland, Jerry Savelle, Norvel Hayes, Charles Capps, John Osteen (father of Joel Osteen), and later Frederick K. C. Price.
Emiko Amotsuka was very instrumental in bringing "Word of Faith" magazine - - a monthly publication of Kenneth Hagin Ministries - - into this country. However, it was CHRIS TUNDE JODA - - the first of the three servants of God we're considering in this write-up - - that was, as far as one can remember, the very first person to organise a full-fledged church-ministry around "the Word of Faith." The ministry was known as "Voice of Faith" Ministries, while the church was known as "Christ Chapel" (now Christ Chapel International Churches.) Tunde Joda (our first "Chris") was the VOICE OF FAITH in Nigeria! Even though Idahosa, as a PREACHER OF FAITH FOR MIRACLES, had been doing his work, based in Benin City (and he's the father of our entire generation of ministers, after Pa Elton himself), but it was Chris Tunde Joda, as a TEACHER, who opened up the Nigerian spiritual landscape to faith-teaching, with its concomitant effects on the physical and social dispositions of the "faith generation."
The "Faith Movement," under the un-official "leadership" of Chris Joda, grew by leaps and bounds. He "opened" the door of the Kingdom to "social sophisticats" who, under the previous moves of God, could not openly identify with what God was doing, because of the pedestrianism that always seemed to accompany those moves.
Although at about that time (and precisely 1983-1985, David Oyedepo was already also teaching faith in Kaduna, it is my considered opinion that it was Chris Joda's ministry in Lagos that really popularised the faith message and faith-teaching in Nigeria.
Francis Wale Oke graduated from the University of Lagos in 1982. He was a contemporary of Chris Joda, but Wale Oke, though a man of faith, was more into charismatic evangelism through his Power Crusades and Power Conferences.
At a time when Chris Joda and his Christ Chapel congregation seemed to be reaching their "plateau," God raised up another "Chris," Chris Okotie, to take the work further. It was through Chris Okotie, far more than what Chris Joda had been able to do, it was Chris Okotie that "opened" the door of the Kingdom more than ever before, through his preachings/teachings, to the people we now call "stars," "celebrities," - - the principal figures in the music, movie and entertainment industries. Such people as Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) and Vien Tetsola (first known "born-again" person to win the Miss Nigeria beauty pageant) came through Chris Okotie's ministry!
Meanwhile, while the charismatic move was still on in the late 70's to the early 80's, another "Chris," Chris Oyakhilome, who was to attend the Bendel State University, Ekpoma (now Ambrose Alli University), was being "worked upon" by the Lord of the Harvest Himself. Chris Oyakhilome became (although many people today don't know this) one of the earliest leaders of the Faith Movement, even before Chris Okotie came up with Household of God. Chris Oyakhilome's Fellowships (yes, he had "fellowships" around campuses in Nigeria even when he himself was still a student), was known as Christ Love Fellowship, which later metamorphosed into the Believers' Love World, aka Christ Embassy. As far back as 1985/86, there was a Christ Love Fellowship on the campus of the University of Benin!
Ladies and Gentlemen, a ROUND OF APPLAUSE to these Princes of the Kingdom - - Chris Joda, Chris Okotie, Chris Oyakhilome!
THE THREE CHRIS 'es: Princes of the Kingdom
Chris Joda
Chris Okotie
Chris Oyakhilome
The Faith Movement, which rocked Nigeria from about the year 1982, through 1999 (17 years altogether), remains the watershed through which much of what has since been known as "new generation churches" and "believers" became a household phenomenon in this country.
Prior to the Faith Movement, there had been, especially after the "Babalola Revival" (also known as the "Aladura Revival") of the 1920's - 1950's, there had been the "evangelical" move that swept across the country, spearheaded by the Scripture Union (SU) and, to an extent, the Christian Unions of the various campus fellowships. The main thrust of the "evangelical" move was to call people to basic faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Saviour.
That "evangelical" move really picked up momentum from immediately after the civil war that ended in 1970, up to about 1975.
By 1975, the "pentecostal" move, going beyond basic faith in Christ Jesus, but also embracing "the Baptism of the Holy Ghost," evidenced in "speaking in tongues," began, especially on the university campuses of Ibadan, Lagos, Ife, Nsukka, Benin and Zaria (ABU) (about the only universities in Nigeria up till that time), and particularly through the ministry of Pa (Revd.) S. G. Elton, a British pentecostal missionary who was the first person to "teach" the Baptism of the Holy Ghost in Nigeria (in 1936) (although there had been people who spoke in tongues prior to that time, e.g. Apostle Moses Orimolade of the C&S Church and who is the "great-grandfather" of charismatic ministry in Nigeria, but who didn't specifically "teach" the experience); and this Pa Elton was also a colleague of Apostle Ayo Babalola (the grandfather of the pentecostal ministry in Nigeria).
That "pentecostal" move, spearheaded by Pa S. G. Elton, and having its nucleus especially on the campus of the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where Barrister Emeka Nwankpa and Engineer Steve Okitika, then students of the university and leading members of that great move of God, lasted from about 1975 to 1979.
By 1979, another "move" of God, the "charismatic" move, started, again across university campuses especially and having its nucleus at the University of Benin (where I was), lasting through to about 1982 (after I had left school two years earlier). The primary force behind that nucleus of the "move" at the University of Benin was Engineer Hope Ovwah (my president under whom I served on the Executive Committee of the Christian Union), who "laid the wood on the altar," through deep teachings and various specialised Bible studies on Gifts of the Spirit, from 1976 - 1979. However, it was Dr. Omadeli Boyo (who later established Pinecrest Hospital in Lagos) that "ignited the fire" that became the hub of that charismatic move. Under Boyo, the University of Benin became the hub of the charismatic move sweeping across Nigeria. The Christian Union of the University of Benin became the strongest affiliate member of the Nigeria Fellowship of Evangelical Students (NIFES), while NIFES itself became the strongest member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES). That charismatic move lasted from about 1979 to 1982.
By about the year 1982, another move of God, the Faith Movement - - by which we came to learn the nitty-gritty of the faith-life, started, but this time around having its nucleus at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, where Dr. Chris Tunde Joda (TJ) was a student.
The Faith Movement combined all the elements of the evangelical, pentecostal, and charismatic moves, with a further peculiar emphasis on 'The Word of Faith.' The 'modern day' father of that Faith Movement was Kenneth E. Hagin of Tulsa, Oklahoma (even though there had been great faith preachers and teachers like Smith Wigglesworth and E. W. Kenyon, before Hagin). Alongside Hagin, in the "leadership" of that Faith Movement were Kenneth Copeland, Jerry Savelle, Norvel Hayes, Charles Capps, John Osteen (father of Joel Osteen), and later Frederick K. C. Price.
Emiko Amotsuka was very instrumental in bringing "Word of Faith" magazine - - a monthly publication of Kenneth Hagin Ministries - - into this country. However, it was CHRIS TUNDE JODA - - the first of the three servants of God we're considering in this write-up - - that was, as far as one can remember, the very first person to organise a full-fledged church-ministry around "the Word of Faith." The ministry was known as "Voice of Faith" Ministries, while the church was known as "Christ Chapel" (now Christ Chapel International Churches.) Tunde Joda (our first "Chris") was the VOICE OF FAITH in Nigeria! Even though Idahosa, as a PREACHER OF FAITH FOR MIRACLES, had been doing his work, based in Benin City (and he's the father of our entire generation of ministers, after Pa Elton himself), but it was Chris Tunde Joda, as a TEACHER, who opened up the Nigerian spiritual landscape to faith-teaching, with its concomitant effects on the physical and social dispositions of the "faith generation."
The "Faith Movement," under the un-official "leadership" of Chris Joda, grew by leaps and bounds. He "opened" the door of the Kingdom to "social sophisticats" who, under the previous moves of God, could not openly identify with what God was doing, because of the pedestrianism that always seemed to accompany those moves.
Although at about that time (and precisely 1983-1985, David Oyedepo was already also teaching faith in Kaduna, it is my considered opinion that it was Chris Joda's ministry in Lagos that really popularised the faith message and faith-teaching in Nigeria.
Francis Wale Oke graduated from the University of Lagos in 1982. He was a contemporary of Chris Joda, but Wale Oke, though a man of faith, was more into charismatic evangelism through his Power Crusades and Power Conferences.
At a time when Chris Joda and his Christ Chapel congregation seemed to be reaching their "plateau," God raised up another "Chris," Chris Okotie, to take the work further. It was through Chris Okotie, far more than what Chris Joda had been able to do, it was Chris Okotie that "opened" the door of the Kingdom more than ever before, through his preachings/teachings, to the people we now call "stars," "celebrities," - - the principal figures in the music, movie and entertainment industries. Such people as Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) and Vien Tetsola (first known "born-again" person to win the Miss Nigeria beauty pageant) came through Chris Okotie's ministry!
Meanwhile, while the charismatic move was still on in the late 70's to the early 80's, another "Chris," Chris Oyakhilome, who was to attend the Bendel State University, Ekpoma (now Ambrose Alli University), was being "worked upon" by the Lord of the Harvest Himself. Chris Oyakhilome became (although many people today don't know this) one of the earliest leaders of the Faith Movement, even before Chris Okotie came up with Household of God. Chris Oyakhilome's Fellowships (yes, he had "fellowships" around campuses in Nigeria even when he himself was still a student), was known as Christ Love Fellowship, which later metamorphosed into the Believers' Love World, aka Christ Embassy. As far back as 1985/86, there was a Christ Love Fellowship on the campus of the University of Benin!
Ladies and Gentlemen, a ROUND OF APPLAUSE to these Princes of the Kingdom - - Chris Joda, Chris Okotie, Chris Oyakhilome!
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