a tourist Mecca for Heads of States and VIPs

T.B. Joshua’s Synagogue Church of all Nations has become a tourist Mecca of sorts and most of its visitors are presidents, heads of governments and kingdoms from various parts of Africa When John Evans Atta-Mills, the new Ghanaian president left Accra, Ghana, for Nigeria, January 10, his mission was to attend the meeting of the presidents of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, in Abuja. It was his first official visit to Nigeria after his inauguration as the president of Ghana, January 7. While other ECOWAS leaders headed back to their various countries after the meeting, Atta-Mills flew straight to Lagos to meet with T.B. Joshua, general overseer of The Synagogue Church of all Nations for a thanksgiving service which took place on Sunday, January 11. Atta-Mills recalled that his relationship with Joshua dates back to the time he was vice-president of Ghana more than 10 years ago. “I am no stranger to the Synagogue. Indeed, I have been here very regularly. And I have known the man of God for more than 10 years,” he said. The new Ghanaian president, who is also a professor of law, stunned the world when he gave testimony that Joshua predicted his electoral victory. According to him, Joshua had predicted that his election would be by three successive balloting as no definite winner would emerge in the first and second ballot and the winner will be announced in January 2009. He explained that Joshua’s prophesy came to pass because when the presidential election was first held on December 7, there was no clear winner between him and Nana Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, NPP. A presidential run-off election was subsequently held on December 28, but the problems with polling in the Tain Constituency delayed results as fresh polls had to be held there on January 2, before the Electoral Commissioner declared Atta-Mills the winner.

The new Ghanaian leader was grateful to Joshua for serving as the vessel through which God made his presidential dream a reality. “Now, if there is anybody who does not believe in God, I would say our elections should change that person’s mind. We prayed for peace, stability and unity for our dear native land before, during and after the election. We begged God because He is our creator and He is the great provider. God gave us more than we asked for… Man of God (Joshua) I want to thank the Almighty for using you and many others.”

Atta-Mills said that his bond of friendship with Joshua was further strengthened because despite the mighty works he has been doing through the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he has remained very humble. He described him as his mentor.

Atta-Mills, is, however, not the first African leader who enjoys a robust relationship with the man in the Synagogue. Many other African leaders have literally turned the church situated in Ikotun-Egbe, a Lagos suburb, into a pilgrimage centre of sorts. They include, President Omar Bongo of the Republic of Gabon, Goodwill Zwelithini, King of the Zulu from South Africa, ex-President Frederick Chiluba of Zambia, Andre Kolimba, former president of the Central African Republic, ex-President  Pascal Linssouba of Congo Brazaville  and Yormie Johnson, the former Liberian warlord.

Like the biblical woman with the issue of blood who insisted on touching Jesus Christ, Bongo, the Gabonese president, visited Joshua in January 2008, after the prophet had failed to honour his invitation on several occasions. Bongo had invited him several times to Gabon without success. He then decided to visit the prophet. He was accompanied by his wife, and daughter. Bongo said he was thrilled by the way the prophet was touching the lives of people spiritually and materially whenever he watched Emmanuel TV, the satellite television arm of the church. He  was also compelled to visit the church after listening to several testimonies by many highly placed citizens of his country who had experienced the prophet’s ministration in the past. A few weeks after his spiritual sojourn in Nigeria, Bongo dispatched his presidential jet to bring him to Gabon to pray for divine intervention in the affairs of his country.

The visit to the Synagogue by the Zulu King, on November 15, 2003, was particularly significant. The King came calling a few months after Sibusile, his daughter was healed of an ailment on August 20, 2003, at the Synagogue. The Zulu King was excited about her daughter’s healing because for several years he had taken the princess to many hospitals which failed to cure her. Since she received her healing, Sibusile had remained in The Synagogue where she devoted her life to the service of God as a member of the choir and presenter in French on Emmanuel T.V. Another South African king who is among Joshua’s friends is Koshi Kgabo Moloto of the Limpopo Kingdom. His visit to The Synagogue was on June 22, 2006. He confessed that he came with his entourage to witness the power of Jesus Christ and to seek breakthrough for his kingdom. The king of Limpopo, who was dressed in his traditional regalia, after spending more than one week in the church, acknowledged that he had seen the word of God working in the spirit. Earlier in 1999, Chiluba, who was then the president of Zambia, had paid a visit to the Synagogue where he spent a weekend. After the visit, he had promised to dedicate his post-presidential era to the service of God. Joshua had also been instrumental to the reconciliation of the families of the late Samuel Doe of Liberia and Yormie Johnson, who allegedly assassinated him. Johnson, who is now a pastor, is a close friend of Joshua and visits the church regularly.

Other prominent personalities who have visited the church are Jaso Van de Westhuzen, professional rugby player healed by Joshua, Rev. Tay Cheng Kee, founder of Bethesda Carthedral, Singapore, Raph Beimer, a judge of the US Supreme Court and Dupuo Peter, Premier of Northern Cape, South Africa. The frequent visits of these leaders have greatly enhanced the international profile of the man in the Syngogue. He has become a respected religious leader whom they often go to for spiritual guidance and mentorship. Joshua told Newswatch last week, that these leaders, who flock to the church, were in search of God’s guidance, wisdom and knowledge on how to lead their countries and kingdoms. “The attraction is knowledge of the outside and internal renovation,” he said.