What is now termed Pentecostalism in Nigeria ‘began’ in 1918 when a group of believers took a decision to start a prayer band at St Saviours Anglican church Ijebu-Ode to intercede for the church as they were led through a dream.
Before this time, sometime in 1917 David odubanjo came across a booklet titled the seven principles of prevailing payer at a friend’s house. Odubanjo was fascinated by the idea in the booklet that anyone could consistently have their prayers answered. This idea was totally strange at the time.
Odubanjo thereafter began exchanging correspondences with Ambrose Clarke the Pastor of faith Tabernacle church Philadelphia. Clarke responded with a generous number of publications on various topics on the Christian life. By studying, and applying the teachings in the publications Odubanjo experienced a spiritual transformation during which his heart was overwhelmed by love. Hetlater went ahead to start preaching the gospel at Ijebu-Ode.
Throcongregations.orchestration in1919 Odubanjo was invited to attend the prayer group that started in 1918 that started in St Saviour’s church. The exposure to literatures and the ministry of faith tabernacle Church in the United States gave Odubanjo an edge of revelation knowledge over his contemporaries. After a brief fellowship with the prayer band in Ijebu-Ode, everyone unanimously adopted odubanjo as the leader of the group, as it was evident to all that He was ahead of them in spiritual things. The group was first named precious stone society and later renamed diamond society in 1920.
Ambrose Clarke continued to send large quantities of faith tabernacle publications to Odubanjo which he then circulated to members of the group. Pretty soon the members started corresponding with Ambrose Clarke themselves, asking questions about teachings they did not understand. At this time the sword of the spirit publications became the bible of some sort to members of this group. Odubanjo later left for Lagos to establish the Lagos branch of the society and eventually the group metamorphosed into the faith tabernacle group in Nigeria after formal affiliations with the faith tabernacle church in Philadelphia.
The society required its members to abstain from the use of both traditional and modern medicine thereby differentiating itself from the Anglican congregation of which it was still a part. They developed a form that was more rigid and demanding than the Anglican persuasion which eventually led to a clash with the Anglican authorities. Their rules were puritanical in nature, defining as immoral; dancing, drumming, debt, drinking, cigarettes, cards, gambling, interest in money, too much ornaments and chewing kolanut.
The issue of baptism of infants which the group was against as it was being practised in the Anglican Church at the time, created a controversy that led to the group formally exiting the Anglican Church and was subsequently officially affiliated with the faith tubercles church in America. This group in 1923 then became the faith tabernacles church Nigeria. The faith tabernacle church Nigeria exploded numerically due to the fact that most of it’s members were in the employ of the government and whenever they were transferred to other parts of the country, they started branches of the church to cater to their spiritual needs .
To be continued. watch out for the part of this article.
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