Biography of Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola
Apostle Joseph Babalola Biography
Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola – On April 25, 1904, the late Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola was born into the Anglican Church to David Rotimi and Madam Marta Talabi. The family resided at Odo-Owa in Ilofa, a tiny Nigerian village in Kwara State, approximately 90 kilometers from Ilorin. His father was the C.M.S. Church at Odo-Owa’s Baba Ijo, which translates to “father of the church.” Pastor Medayese claims in his book “Itan Igbe dide Woli Ayo Babalola” that Apostle Babalola was born under unusual circumstances. It was thought that day that a strange and powerful object shook the clouds with its explosion.
Apostle Babalola was brought to Osogbo on January 18, 1914, by his brother M.O. Rotimi, a Sunday school teacher at the C.M.S. Church in Ilofa. Babalola commenced his education in Ilofa and completed his fifth-grade education at All Saints School, Osogbo. But when he decided to acquire a trade and work as an apprentice motor mechanic, he dropped out of school. He did not stay in this line of work for very long before he joined the Public Works Department (PWD) and worked as a steam roller driver, one of the road workers who built the road from Igbara-Oke to Ilesa.
The Call of Apostle Babalola to the Prophetic Ministry
God appointed Apostle Babalola to the prophetic ministry so that he could minister to people. On September 25, 1928, he had a bizarre experience that began when he suddenly grew restless and was unable to fall asleep. This continued for a week, and the reason behind the experience was unknown. He was working on the Ilesa-Igbara-Oke road when, to his complete surprise, the steam roller’s engine abruptly stopped. He was startled to see there was no obvious mechanical issue. A magnificent voice that sounded “like the sound of many waters” called to him three times while he was in this confused state. He could hear the voice warning him that if he disregarded the divine summons to preach throughout the world.
Babalola answered in the same way as many of the biblical prophets, who typically did not answer God’s initial call because they did not want to listen to this voice.
It was only after receiving the assurance of divine guidance that Apostle Babalola yielded. He had to quit his position with the Public Works Department to embark on the mission.
The leader of his unit, Mr. Fergusson, attempted to talk Apostle Babalola out of leaving to pursue the Lord’s mission.
Apostle Babalola heard the same voice again, pleading with him to observe a seven-day fast. He observed a large figure at the end of the period after he obeyed a man who looked like Jesus, Pastor Alokan said. The man in the brilliant robe talked extensively about the assignment he was going to undertake. Along with warning him of the persecution he would experience, the figure also gave him assurances about God’s victory and protection. Apostle Babalola received a hand prayer bell as a token. It was said to him that the bell’s chime would always chase evil spirits away.
Additionally, a bottle of “life-giving water,” also known as “Omi-iye,” was handed to him, which is said to be able to cure all ailments. As a result, people who drank the water reported experiencing complete and powerful healing miracles whenever and wherever they prayed into it. Babalola became a man and a prophet as a result of possessing remarkable abilities. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, he was able to pray for several weeks. According to Elder Abraham Owoyemi of Odo-Owa, the prophet frequently saw angels who brought him messages from God. During one of his prayers, an angel showed up and told him not to wear caps.
He encountered an angel during a prayer session, and the angel handed him a large yam, which he then gave him orders to eat. He was informed by the angel that God fed the entire universe with yams. He went on to say that he was given the ability by God to free people who were under the control of evil spirits on the earth. He was told to head straight to Odo-Owa and begin preaching. On a day when there was a market, he was to arrive in the town, wrap his body with palm fronds, and use charcoal colors to disfigure himself.
When he arrived in the town in October 1928, people assumed he was a lunatic because of the way he had come. Babalola began preaching and prophesying right away. He warned the people of Odo-Owa that there would be danger if they did not turn from their sins. He was detained and brought before the district officer in Ilorin for allegedly upsetting the tranquility of the town. When it became apparent that the accusations were unfounded, the district officer later discharged him. But a few days later, there was supposedly a smallpox outbreak in the town. The individual whose messages and forecasts had once been disregarded was soon sought after. He prayed for the sufferers one by one, and they were all restored.
Babalola’s father, Pa David Rotimi, played a key role in the founding of a C.M.S. Church in Odo-Owa. Many people attended the regular prayer meetings that Babalola arranged in this church because of the wonders that God worked through him. The bishop was soon informed that practically every member of the C.M.S. Church in Ilofa was having intense prayer sessions, speaking in tongues, and seeing visions. Bishop Smith allegedly gave Babalola and the visionaries the order to quit the church. However, Babalola stayed in the town until June 1930.
Soon after, Elder Daniel Ajibola, who was then employed in Ibadan and a member of the Faith Tabernacle Congregation, extended an invitation to Apostle Babalola to come to Lagos. Pastor D. O. Odubanjo, one of the leaders of the Faith Tabernacle in Lagos, was introduced to Prophet Babalola by him. After hearing of Apostle Babalola’s call and ministry, Senior Pastor Esinsinade, who was the Faith Tabernacle’s president at the time, accepted the invitation to meet with him. The Faith Tabernacle leaders subsequently embraced Apostle Babalola into their midst. Senior Pastor Esinsinade stressed the necessity of undergoing the immersion baptism ceremony for Apostle Babalola, who had not yet received it.
Then, in the lagoon behind the Faith Tabernacle Church, located at 51 Moloney Bridge Street in Lagos, Pastor Esinsinade baptized him. A few days later, Babalola went back to Odo-Owa, where he was visited by Elder (later Pastor) J. A. Medayese.
At Araromi in Yagba, Kwara State, Pastor K. P. Titus was informed of the new prophet’s conversion. At the Sudan Interior Mission, Pastor Titus served as a preacher and educator. Prophet Babalola was invited by him to a revival service. When Apostle Babalola was in Yagba, he accomplished amazing healing feats. During the revival, many people, including Muslims and traditionalists, were won over by Christ. Meanwhile, despite his amazing success as an evangelical, Apostle Babalola did not take advantage of the chance to form a distinct Christian organization. Rather, he announced to his supporters that he belonged to the Faith Tabernacle, the group that had baptized him in Lagos. In this way, he convinced them to join the Faith Tabernacle. He traveled to Lagos to meet with the leaders to make things easier, particularly while he was still getting to know the church’s policies, doctrines, and practices.
The Mighty Oke-Oye Revival
A dispute arose over several concepts among the Nigerian leaders of the Faith Tabernacle. These disputes were specifically related to the ministry’s Ilesa and Oyan branches. Before he was converted, Pastor J.A. Babatope was a well-known Anglican instructor who oversaw the Oyan branch. He went on to become one of the exceptional leaders of the Faith Tabernacle in Nigeria. Several concepts needed to be settled upon, including the use of traditional and Western medicines in contrast to divine healing, polygamy, and whether or not polygamous husbands should be permitted to partake in the Lord’s Supper. All of the prominent pastors of Faith Tabernacle were part of a peace delegation that was sent to Ilesa to prevent a split caused by these concerns at the IIesa Tabernacle. It was led by D.O. Odubanjo of the Lagos Missionary Headquarters and Pastor J.B. Esinsinade of Ijebu-Ode, president of the movement’s General Headquarters. The dates of the Ilesa meeting were July 9 and 10, 1930.
Apostle Babalola received an invitation to meet with the leaders at Pastor I.B. Akinyele’s Ibadan home before the delegation departed Lagos for Ilesa. Apostle Babalola and Pastor I.B. Akinyele then accompanied the delegation to Ilesa. Because of his prophetic purpose, he was housed in a separate room at Ilesa and introduced to the entire assembly. Twenty-four things were on the agenda when the representatives started their meeting. The first concerned the legality of baptizing a man who had multiple wives. The second concern pertained to divine healing, as a few members held the view that medications such as quinine could effectively treat malaria.
Pastor Adegboyega stated, “The conciliatory talks at Ilesa were going on, when suddenly a mighty sweeping revival broke out at Faith Tabernacle Congregation Church at Oke-Oye, Ilesa.” This abrupt interruption prevented them from discussing anything save the first issue. Apostle Babalola’s raising of a dead child marked the start of the revival. Declaring that a miracle-working prophet had arrived in the village of Oke-Oye, the mother of the dead child who had been brought back to life went about distributing the word throughout the town of Ilesa. As a result, many people traveled to Oke-Oye to visit the prophet. Many people who came to Oke-Oye suffering from various diseases were healed, according to Pastor Medayese. Using the prayer bell and consuming consecrated water from the Omi Ayo (“Stream of Joy”) stream, many great deeds were carried out.
As a result, thousands of people—including Muslims, Christians of many faiths, and traditionalists—were converted to the Faith Tabernacle. Due to a lack of space in the church hall, revival meetings were moved outside, where every day, men and women from all walks of life, as well as those from neighboring nations, gathered for blessings, healing, and deliverance. Odubanjo stated in court that Babalola healed around one hundred lepers, sixty blind people, and fifty lame people in three weeks. He said that all of the patients at Wesley Hospital in Ilesa fled their beds in search of healing, leaving the Anglican and Wesleyan churches in Ilesa barren since their members had pledged loyalty to Apostle Babalola.
Additionally, in 1930, the assistant district officer in Ilesa reported that he had surreptitiously visited the revival site and observed a gathering of individuals, among them a sizable number of the blind and lame. Churchgoers stated that women who had been hopelessly barren were miraculously conceived; women who had been carrying their pregnancies for a long time were miraculously delivered. The insane were healed and the dumb spake. It was another Pentecost day. Some persons who were possessed by demons were exorcised, and witches confessed. The stories, however, were characterized at the time as “grotesquely inaccurate accounts of the operations of Babalola” by the general superintendent of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society of Nigeria. Due to reports that his church was the biggest victim, this was a prejudiced opinion.
Apostle Babalola received a revelation shortly afterward instructing him to set fire to a large tree in front of the Owa’s Palace. Traditionally, the large tree was thought to be the residence of wizards and witches. The ghosts thought to reside in the juju tree were frequently sacrificed to, and it was a source of tremendous fear. There was concern that the gods would become enraged and Apostle Babalola would die instantly as a result of burning the tree. To the surprise of everyone, however, the prophet did not pass away but instead grew more powerful in the Lord’s ministry. As a result, the prophet gained the respect and terror of the Owa of Ilesa and the town’s significant citizens.
Apostle Babalola’s revival wave traveled to Abeokuta, Ilesa, Ibadan, Ijebu, Lagos, Efon-Alaaye, and Aramoko Ekiti. Omotunde, also known as Aladura Omotunde, from Aramoko Ekiti, Daniel Orekoya, and Peter Olatunji from Okeho were among the men of faith who came to Babalola as disciples. Babalola was a major inspiration to these men. Orekoya thereafter moved to Ibadan, where he was also responsible for the great rebirth at Oke-Bola. It is said that Orekoya revived a dead pregnant woman during his Oke-Bola revival.
Prior to Apostle Babalola’s being sent on other missionary trips by the Holy Spirit following Oke-Oye’s great revival, news of Oke-Oye, Ilesa, had been circulated throughout the nation. Apostle Joseph Babalola traveled to Offa, Kwara State, with a few of his followers, and there was a large turnout to hear his sermons and witness miracles. Muslims in Offa started to instigate the locals against him out of jealousy. He had to go to prevent violence. He then made another healing trip to Usi, Ekiti, where he carried out numerous healing tasks. He and his warriors traveled from Usi to Efon-Alaaye, which is located in Ekiti. There, they were welcomed with open arms by the Oba Alaaye of Efon. For their convenience, an entire building was provided. Babalola asked the Oba for an open area to pray, and he gladly and voluntarily allowed him to select a location. A sizable space on the town’s outside was selected by Apostle Babalola and his men.
Due to the belief that it was home to bad spirits, the area was traditionally outlawed. Babalola persevered in setting up his prayer ground in the forbidden forest despite the Oba’s best efforts to talk him out of it. After entering the bush, the missionaries cleaned it and dedicated it as a place of prayer. The people of Efon were moved to embrace the new faith in great numbers when they experienced no harm.
The evangelical success of Apostle Babalola at Efon-Alaaye was astounding. A few white pastors from Ogbomoso Baptist Seminary and Ado-Ekiti’s Archdeacon H. Dallimore traveled to Efon to witness the “wonder-working prophet” for themselves. The conversion of the Oba of Aramoko and the Oba of Efon contributed significantly to the revival’s success. Solomon Aladejare Agunsoye and Hezekiah Adeoye, respectively, were their baptismal names. Following this, word of the Efon revival spread to other regions of Ekiti. The missionaries also made visits to several additional Ondo State communities, including Oka, Ikare, and Owo. Babalola withdrew to Odo-Owa, his hometown. A warrant for his arrest was issued from Ilorin when he was in Odo-Owa. Because of his anti-witches sermons, which had generated considerable controversy in Otuo (Bendel State), he was placed in jail. In March 1932, he received a six-month prison sentence in Benin City. Upon completing his jail sentence, he returned to Efon Alaaye.
A man named Cyprian E. Ufon traveled from Calabar’s Creek Town to beg Babalola to “come over to Macedonia and help.” Ufon desired Babalola to preach at Creek Town after learning about him and his accomplishments. God led Apostle Babalola to Creek Town, where he followed Ufon. There, his campaign was a huge success. After that, Babalola went to Duke Town a plantation that was home to the national church at the time. While he preached and they were baptized, several members of this congregation were given the gift of the Holy Spirit. The prophet took some time to himself after his return from the Calabar region. He married Dorcas Babalola as his wife in 1935.
Babalola traveled to the Gold Coast with Evangelist Timothy Bababusuyi the following year. Some who had seen him during the Great Revival in Ilesa recognized him when he arrived in Accra. Following his triumphant campaign in the Gold Coast, he made his way back to Nigeria.
Captivity of Apostle Joseph Babalola
By the end of 1931, Babalola had returned to his adopted homeland of Ilofa in order to strengthen his spiritual foundation following his fruitful missionary tour of the states of Ekiti, Ondo, and Edo. He started a 40-day prayer and fasting regimen. He stayed on the Odo-Owa peak, which is currently known as Babalola’s Praying peak, for 40 days. In a vision when he was on the mountain, the Lord informed Babalola that there was an instrument of honor inside the furnace and that it would be his responsibility to go inside and retrieve it. Babalola gave God his word that he was prepared to accomplish everything that God asked of him.
On February 25, 1932, Apostle Babalola engaged in intense warfare prayers on this mountain for about four and a half hours, during which he essentially battled for his life before ultimately winning. In this specific experience, he was taken to the mountain by Pastors David Adio, J.A. Medayese, and Ben Adefabijo.
A warrant for Babalola’s arrest was issued in March 1932, a few days after the spiritual fortification, from Ilorin, in what is now Kwara State. According to the charges against Babalola, two women in Otuo were forced to consume a specifically forbidden poison to clear their names after Babalola called them witches. The specific bark of a tree known as obo is the poison that Apostle Babalola is said to have forced them to swallow. Everyone in the nation was aware that no one, witch or not, had ever consumed this poison without suffering a terrible consequence; either the victim passed away right away or experienced odd vomiting; the women experienced none of these outcomes.
Because the colonial authority considered Apostle Babalola a threat, they cooperated in having him arrested for his anti-witch sermons. Based on this accusation, he was transported to Ilorin and subsequently moved to Benin City, where he was charged in court. Outraged, many devoted Christians sought to engage lawyers to defend the case, but Babalola refused, claiming that the Lord had already determined his course. In March 1932, he was given a six-month prison sentence in Benin City. Many people still hold the view that the sentence was the consequence of persecution, an effort to put an end to the ministry of this prophet who was experiencing a resurgence and generating a lot of worry for the colonial administration and certain mission churches.
Cyprian Ufon was the name of another prisoner now housed in the Benin prison yard. Mr. Ufon, a native of Creek Town in the Calabar region, was ill and despondent. He was healed and delivered from his depression as a result of Babalola’s prayers. He soon joined Babalola’s followers. Later on, Babalola realized that Ufon was the instrument of honor that God had mentioned to him during his Ilofa prayer retreat.
Babalola converted the jail yard into a house of God by electrifying it. Numerous inmates and guards received healing and salvation.
One noteworthy instance included a pregnant woman from Creek Town who gave birth without incident because of Babalola’s jail ministry. In addition, the warders brought their loved ones so that Babalola’s prayers would heal them. Pastors Idris Vaughan and George Perfect were the first missionaries from the Apostolic Church established in Britain to arrive in Nigeria on June 2, 1932. After locating Babalola in jail, they visited him there. The missionaries witnessed firsthand during the tour what the Lord had accomplished in the lives of the guards and inmates via Babalola. After serving his time, Apostle Babalola was eventually freed from prison in October of 1932.
The C.A.C.’s founding in Nigeria
Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola’s amazing evangelism resulted in a wave of persecution for everyone who quickly adopted the new faith. It is said that the mission churches were envious and antagonistic, particularly as their members became major Faith Tabernacle converts. Babalola was a spiritually gifted person who was deeply unhappy with the increasingly materialistic and immoral existence he felt Nigeria in general and the Yoruba, in particular, were being forced into as the influence of Western civilization on society intensified. According to the C.A.C., Babalola’s spiritual empowerment put him on par with biblical apostles like Paul and Peter who were sent forth in the name and authority of Jesus.
The Wife, Marriage, and Children of Apostle Babalola
His astonishing feats during the Great Revival at Ilesa, which altered the spiritual atmosphere of the Western region, were a major factor in his popularity starting to spread worldwide in 1930. Almost the entire nation was affected by the great revival, and Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola rose to prominence in the Nigerian church. As the head of the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria, he was well-known to both allies and adversaries, supporters and detractors. Nevertheless, Apostle Babalola stayed unmarried, which made many of his relatives, admirers, and coworkers wonder why, as a church leader, he was not thinking about getting married.
Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola married Dorcas on April 25, 1935, following constant prodding from his father, Pa David Rotimi Talabi. The wedding was attended by almost 6000 guests, and he was given gifts totaling 3 pounds, 10 shillings, and 6 pence. The wedding was officiated by Pastors David Odubanjo, J.S.B. Odusona, and Medaiyese at the inaugural Aladura assembly at Efon Alaaye. Apostle Babalola had to offer his wife two pounds and ten shillings in exchange for her virginity, as was customary at the time among the Yoruba people.
Babalola used to refer to his wife as “Mama Abiye” and Dorcas to him as “Baba Abiye” during their lifetime. They made Efon Alaaye their home.
Talking about Mama Dorcas Babalola has been extensive. She was born in Ilesa, Illinois, on March 10, 1912, into the Fowowe family. Although a lot of people thought Dorcas was violent and cruel, we need to consider the context of her annoyance. During the initial years of their marriage, she occasionally had to prepare meals for guests from dawn until night. Later, as the house was usually crowded with visitors, some came to lend her a helping hand and some would bring food.
Dorcas soon became weary of living without solitude. The Apostle’s hectic schedule was the main reason of Dorcas’ acute stress; aside from that, she was hilarious.
There were 47 children that the Apostle was either sponsoring or tutoring, and they were always coming and going from the house, so their sitting room was always crowded and used as a classroom.
Apostle Babalola slept on his “Vono” bed very seldom. He left it to occasionally sleep on the floor and a camp bed. All of this made Dorcas’s annoyance worse.
Her husband would frequently leave for extended missions and not come home for more than a week, which only made her more frustrated.
Dorcas had two key reasons why she couldn’t accompany him:
- The difficult conditions of missionary work were beyond her; Babalola did not own an automobile until 1953. He was either walking a distance of several miles, traveling by Raleigh bicycle, or taking public transit, which was typically a truck packed with other male missionaries. Most of the time, Apostle Babalola traveled alone after midnight and before sunrise to rejoin other missionaries.
- Even when Babalola wasn’t home, there were always people inside the house.
She attempted to stop Apostle Babalola from leaving the house at one point since she thought he needed to rest. Additionally, she occasionally vented her anger on the sponsored kids while her husband was gone on missions, which could have resulted in the kids having to fast.
Because of the state of the missions field at the time, it was very difficult for both couples to balance their home lives with their work for God.
Without a vacation period, Apostle Babalola prioritized the construction of the church and answered God’s call. He was supposed to go on a missionary trip to Israel, but it never happened. Thankfully, his labors continue to benefit people today.
Despite a minor bump on the road, their marriage did not involve any instances of domestic abuse. In carrying out their responsibilities at home, they were both responsible. Babalola consistently declared his love for his spouse, showing her respect and never defaming her in public.
Apostle Babalola passed away in 1959, and Dorcas remained in Efon Alaaye until 1962 when she and her daughters moved to Ilesa. Dorcas traded in unprocessed food items, particularly beans, at Ilesa. She continued to be a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) member. She was designated as CAC, Okesa, Ilesa’s patroness.
On December 28, 1993, Dorcas passed away at Ilesa. On January 15, 1994, she was buried behind CAC, Okesa.
Prominent religious figures honored the funeral; Pastor D.O. Babajide conducted the prayers, Pastor Olu Alokan led the wake, and Pastor E.H.L. Olusheye, who had a close relationship with the family, preached during the funeral.
Pastor Olusheye commended Dorcas for her bravery, fortitude, and maternal instincts. Because of ignorance or false information, the majority of people have called this woman a witch and a pain in Babalola’s flesh. For this reason, study is necessary so that people may comprehend the experiences Babalola had as the young wife of a man who was a public asset. (Reproduced)
To this day, a lot of people still think that his wife was a witch who hindered his life and never helped him with his ministry. Several pastors even used the anecdote as a pretext to chastise males during their marriage sermons. Some claimed that he chose the incorrect spouse, which is why his ministry ended prematurely.
I just watched an interview where Mama Apeke Adeniyi, a daughter of the Apostle, spoke candidly about her parents’ marriage. She went on to say that because all of them were female, people claimed that her mother had also taught them all about witchcraft.
She mentioned that Baba’s giving nature was something she could recall that frequently led to arguments between her parents. He provided so much that at times it seemed as though he had lost sight of his family. And Mama would be mad at him for spending all of his money on him when they needed it most at home. “God will provide,” would be his standard response.
Which lady can have a man who visits her once every two months and have her guests not even give him her time, all the while acting as though nothing is wrong? She would be irritated, of course! How much masculinity is there? There won’t be time for you if your spouse spends all of her time in ministry. Haba! Let’s try to be fair once!
Mama Dorcas Babalola was a strict and disciplined Ijesha woman who worked extremely hard and didn’t put up with anything, not even from her children. She was never a witch. She helped her husband in his ministry, and even after the Apostle’s passing, she showed love and hospitality to a large number of churchgoers. For me, seeing the interview was eye-opening.
Who could have started such rumors, I wondered again and again. What possible transgression did Mama Babalola commit that required her reputation to be ruined for generations?
I was led to believe that Baba is from Efon-Alaaye, but in reality, he is based in Efon but is actually from Kwara state, specifically Ilofa. I’ve read that he was born in Odo Owa, but the daughter claimed that her father is from Ilofa.
In 1959, after completing his mission successfully, Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola passed away in the Lord.
