Christ Apostolic Church is a Christian Church and one of the largest following in Nigeria. Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C.) is the first Aladura (prayer) Pentecostal church present in Nigeria and other countries.
The Church is an off-shoot of the prayer Band that began in 1918 at Ijebu-ode, known as “Precious Stone,” later called “Diamond Society. The group came across a magazine of the sword of the Spirit from Philadelphia, America, which outlined the seven principles of prevailing prayers.
In 1928 in answer to their prayers, God raised Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola God used to bring about the great revival of 1930 at Ilesa that spread Across Nigeria. The number of its members exceeds a million.
The revival led by Babalola resulted in thousands burning their traditional fetishes. This disturbed the colonial authorities, and allegations included witch-hunting and opposition to hospitals and medicine. Babalola was arrested and jailed.
The Church operates secondary schools, hospitals, and clinics in Nigeria. With its members spread out across the globe, The Christ Apostolic Church has extended its tentacles across the world to the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, Austria, Australia, South Africa, the Ivory Coast, Togo, and Chad. However, the missionaries’ headquarter is in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Source: Church History In View
The Christ Apostolic Church shows Pentecostal features. The number of its members exceeds a million. Christ Apostolic Church has a major presence among the Yoruba population.
Background Of The Founding Leader Of Cac
Joseph Ayodele Babalola was born on April 25, 1904, to David Rotimi and Madam Marta Talabi, who belonged to the Anglican Church. The family lived at Odo-Owa in Ilofa, a small town about ninety kilometers from Ilorin in Kwara State, Nigeria.
His father was the Baba Ijo, “church father” of the C.M.S. Church at Odo-Owa. Pastor Medayese wrote in his book ‘Itan Igbe dide Woli Ayo Babalola’ that mysterious circumstances surrounded the birth of Babalola.
On that day, it was believed that a strange and mighty object exploded and shook the clouds.
On January 18, 1914, young Babalola was taken by his brother M. 0. Rotimi, a Sunday school teacher in the C.M.S. Church at Ilofa, to Osogbo. Babalola started school at Ilofa and got as far as standard five at All Saints School, Osogbo.
However, he quit school when he decided to learn a trade and became a motor mechanic apprentice. Again, he did not continue long in this vocation before joining the Public Works Department (P.W.D.).
He was among the road workers who constructed the road from Igbara-Oke to Ilesa, working as a steam roller driver.
Babalola’s Call to Ministry
Like the biblical prophets, Babalola was called by God into the prophetic office to stand before men. His was a specific and personal call. Babalola’s strange experience started on the night of September 25, 1928, when he suddenly became restless and could not sleep.
This went on for a week, and he had no clue of the causes of such a strange experience. The climax came one day when he was, as usual, working on the Ilesa-Igbara-Oke road. Suddenly the steam roller’s engine stopped, to his utter amazement.
There was no visible mechanical problem, and Joseph became confused. He was confused when an incredible voice “like the sound of many waters” called him three times. The voice was loud and clear, and it told him that he would die if he refused to heed the divine call to go into the world and preach.
Babalola did not want to listen to this voice, and he responded like many of the Biblical prophets, who, when called out by Yahweh as prophets, did not normally yield to the first call.
Men like Moses and Jeremiah submitted to God only when it became inevitable. So, Babalola gave in only after he had received the assurance of divine guidance.
Despite restraints on the evangelistic mission both by the colonial authorities and the institutional mission Churches, Joseph Ayo Babalola conducted a revival that attracted a broad audience and solidified the place of the Church in the country.
The revival of 1930, which resulted in a significant conversion of Yorubas to Christianity and many abandoning their traditional religion, caught the attention of the colonial authorities who were weary about insinuations of witch hunting and opposition to western medicine when the revival with its Babalola led initiative, the ‘Water of Life’ was introduced for the healing of sickness.
Present Leader Of The Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C.)
Pastor Samuel Olusegun Oladele is the new President of the Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C.) Worldwide. He was appointed by the General Executive Council, the C.A.C.’s highest ruling body, alongside the other three leaders of the Church in October 2020.
Pastor Oladele is the eighth President of the Church. He takes over from the immediate past President, Pastor Akinosun, who retired last year. He was born on Tuesday, August 30, 1955, to the family of late Pa Gabriel and Madam Alice Oladele.
He is from Alagbagba in the Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State. Pastor Samuel Olusegun Oladele attended C.A.C. Primary School, Alagbagba, and at a very tender age of 14, entered into the ministry by training locally under the late Pastors J. B. Akande and J. O. Ogundiran, respectively.
He later went to the C.A.C. Bible Training College in Akure and graduated in 1974. Upon the completion of his studies, he was retained on the staff list of the C.A.C. Bible Training College, where he worked as a tutor until 1977.
He had worked as an Assembly Pastor at C.A.C. Oke-Imole, Ijeshatedo, under Itire DCC, Lagos, and C.A.C. Agbokojo in Ibadan.
He moved up to President of C.A.C. (Worldwide) in January 2021. Pastor Samuel Oladele is happily married to Mrs. Susanna Kehinde Oladele (Nee Olawade), and their union is blessed with four sons.
Doctrine Of The Christ Apostolic Church
The Christ Apostolic Church is sometimes identified with a spiritual legacy and a juxtaposed growth process like that of classical African Instituted Churches and a later-day Pentecostal Church.
Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C.) is the first Aladura (prayer) Pentecostal church present in Nigeria and other countries. The Church is deeply indoctrinated into revival and prayer activities with frequent vigils. In contrast to other doctrines, the C.A.C. does not have infant baptism.
In addition, the Church favors monogamy and frowns at polygamy. Within the Christ Apostolic Church, healing is attempted. There’sA body of water is acclaimed for healing various kinds of infirmities and diseases.
Like the biblical pool of Bethsaida, the Ayo Babalola pool, fondly called ‘Omi Iye’ (water of life) water located at Ikeji-Arakeji Osun state, is acclaimed for various miracles and healing.
People all over the globe troop into this site, seeking spiritual solutions to problems. Taking Holy Communion without baptism by immersion is also frowned upon by the Church.
