Benson A
Idahosa –The Revelation
“During
one of my night’s sleep, I was woken up by a voice while my room was filled
with the presence of God. The Lord was telling me about His plans for my life -I
have called you that you might take the gospel around the world in my name,
preach the gospel, and I will confirm my word with signs following”.
Benson A. Idahosa took, known for his courage, authority and
prosperity-based preaching, as well as an great belief in the supernatural, was
influential to the strong wave of revival in the Christian faith and noticeable
conversions from animism that took place in Nigeria between the 1970s and
1990s. Among the christian community, he is noted and referred to as the
father of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, and was the founding President of the Pentecostal
Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). Many Nigerian pastors including the likes of David
Oyedepo, Ayo Oritsejafor (current President of the Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN)), Felix Omobude, Bishop Mike Okonkwo and Chris Oyakhilome,
Apostle Johnson Suleman were his protégés.
Arch
Bishop Benson A Idahosa (11 September 1938 – 12 March 1998) was born to
non-Christian parents in a mostly non-Christian community and he was the fourth
of nine children of Late Pa John Idahosa. He was rejected by his father, John, for being frail
and sickly. He constantly had fainting spells as a child, and on one of his
spells, his mother, Sarah, abandoned him at a rubbish heap presuming him dead.
Hours later, he came to, and began wailing and was rescued by his mother. He
grew up in a underprivileged household and had no access to education until he
was fourteen years old, when he was able to attend a local school. As a young
man, he repented and became a christian through the hand of a certain Pastor
Okpo of the Assemblies of God were he became one of his first members. He was
very active in evangelism and had a supernatural encounter; a revelation from God calling him
into ministry. After this experience he began to do more evangelistic meetings
and outreaches. He would ask the Chiefs who head the villages for permission to
conduct an evangelistic meeting in their village, during which he established
his church in a store in Benin City. Within few years they outgrew the place
and finally bought a piece of land to erect a bigger building.
While
studying for a Diploma in Divinity at the United States of America, he read
T.L.Osbourne’s book on evangelism and he was inspired to massively evangelize
Benin his home town. On return to Nigeria, Arch Bishop B A Idahosa organized the
first of his many crusades at Ogbe stadium in Benin which attracted 10,000
people. This crusade was publicized on radio stations, print posters and
leaflets; the first of its kind in Nigeria by a black man, as it was American
evangelists who usually do this sort of thing.
By 1971,
he had founded churches all over Nigeria and Ghana. The headquarters of his
ministry, Church of God Mission (Faith Miracle Center), is a massive cathedral
that accommodate about 10,000 people. His ministry has branches all over the
world, ranging from Africa to Europe and America to Asia. Because his main
assignment is evangelism, he initiated Idahosa World Outreach television
ministry (IWO TV), which was a broadcast reaching an estimated viewing audience
of 50 million people.
God performed
many miracles through his hands, including healing the blind, and raising up to
twenty-eight people from the dead at different times in his ministry etc. He
was known for many notable quotes among whom are "Faith is not a
superstition or an intention but an action” “my God is not a poor God",
"your attitude determines your altitude", "it is more risky, not
to take a risk", "I am a possibilitarian", "A big head
without a big brain is a big load to the neck", "If your faith says
yes, God cannot say no", among others. He had strong ties with renowned
gospel preachers like Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, T. L. Osborn, Kenneth
Hagin, Benny Hinn, Reinhard Bonnke, Morris Cerullo among others; and preached
in over 144 countries of the world.
In 1981, Arch
Bishop Benson A Idahosa was ordained as the first Pentecostal Church Bishop in
Nigeria by David Du plesis (known as Mr. Pentecost) and two other Bishops. He
also pioneered a television ministry, ‘Redemption Hour’ which made him to
become the first TV evangelist in Africa.The desire of this highly anointed
Man of God to be a blessing and to meet the needs of the total man inspired him
to start many projects of the ministry apart from the church. They include the Faith Mediplex, All Nations for Christ
Bible Institute, Word of Faith Group of Schools and Benson Idahosa University which is currently under the leadership
of his son, Rev. F. E. B. Idahosa.
In 1971,
he earned a diploma in Divinity from Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas,
Texas. Other qualifications includes:
- Doctorate of Divinity in 1981 from the Word of Faith College in New Orleans.
- In 1984, he earned a Doctorate in Law at the Oral Roberts University.
- He was the founding president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN)
- He was a member of the College of Bishops of the International Communion of Christian Churches.
- He was once the President of All Nations for Christ Bible Institute.
Arch
Bishop Benson A Idahosa was married to his wife, Margaret Idahosa who is the
current presiding Arch Bishop of the Church of God Missions. They have about
four children. Before his death in 1998, he was reported to have preached to
more whites than any black man, and to more blacks than any white man.
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