Pastor Peter Kayode
Falarungbon is the Head Pastor of Awakeners Chapel International. He was the
first Head Pastor of the Ghana branch of T.B. Joshua’s
Church, Synagogue Church of All Nations.
In the latest edition of the
world acclaimed Nigerian Religious magazine-Lifeway, Pastor Kayode reveals how
the Head Pastor of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet T.B. Joshua,
virtually sent him into exile in Ghana in order to have canal knowledge of his
(Pastor Kayode’s) wife, Lola.
This is his story:
It was in 1991 that my wife,
Lola, and I went to the Synagogue. We went there because we had been married
for nine years without any child. When we met Joshua he looked like a gentleman,
a kind person and someone that could be relied on. I saw him as someone
representing God because of his physical and outward appearance. Within two
weeks of our going there, he had gotten very close to my wife. That got me
concerned but then I concluded that it could be because my wife hailed from the
village next to his in Ondo State, Nigeria.
One day my former wife told
me that the Prophet wanted her to work with him; that she had to do this before
God could answer our prayer for a child. Since I did not want to be an
obstacle, I gave her the go ahead. Suddenly I found myself going there every
day because we wanted the fruit of the womb. One day, Lola told me the Prophet
wanted to see me. T.B. Joshua told me God wanted to use me and that I should surrender
myself to the service of the lord. It was a big battle in my heart and with my
family but finally I succumbed.
The first thing he did was to
relocate me from where I lived in a three bedroom apartment at Ipaja road. He
gave me a Chamber and hall at Ikoutun Egbe. He told me that if I wanted to
serve the Lord, I have to separate myself from the world, from my family and my
friends. That was the beginning of my journey. I abandoned my parents and
refused to see any of my siblings. I was placed in the evangelical department
to study the scriptures. However, because of my Salvation Army background, I
found loopholes in some of the things he taught us but I could not openly
challenge him.
He later asked my wife to
move into the church permanently, while I continue to stay in the chamber and
hall. I would leave the house in the morning, go straight to the church and
return home in the evening alone. On Sunday mornings, she would rush in early
in the morning around 6am, take a change of clothing and rush back to the
church. Anytime I showed my desire for intimacy, she will refuse on the grounds
that the Prophet said we should not engage in sex yet.
After going through the Bible
Training course for about three to four years, most of my colleagues left. I
was one of two or three people who remained from my set. After a while, a
Ghanaian named Ben and I came to Ghana in 1997 to plan a crusade, We contacted
the Ghana Pentecostal Council and we marketed Joshua very well to them even
though many of them did not know him. We returned to Nigeria and about months
later. I was sent back to Ghana to start a fellowship. We began to grow from
there. Up till this time, my former wife remained in Lagos; we could not talk
on the phone and I could not talk to my family as well. Once in a while, maybe
once in six months or once in a year, Joshua would call me and put my wife on
the line. Our conversation usually went like this: “How
are you?” “I am fine.”
“Well I just want to find out if you are okay.”
That was all. Meanwhile, the real reason why we went to Synagogue was yet to be
resolved – that was our childlessness.
At some point during the
years, I began to awaken from my spiritual slumber. I took a series of
decisions. One of them was I must see my parents. Early one morning, while in
Lagos on his orders, I left Ikotun Egbe at 5.am.for Agege and traced my
parents. They received me coldly. I was not in the least surprised. But then my
mum later disclosed to me that my wife had told one of my old friends that
Joshua told her it was impossible for her to conceive through me, that the lack
of conception was my fault.
An incident I witnessed
convinced me there was something between Joshua and my wife. Joshua used to
flog his followers, old and young. I was privy to him trying to flog my wife
once, but she just walked out on him without anything happening. For her to
have the guts to walk out on him when he was flogging others convinced me there
was more to their relationship.
The allegation of my wife
with the connivance of T.B Joshua that I could not father a child continued to
bother me. I battled with temptation. I came to a decision that I needed to
remarry in order to prevent falling for temptation and also to prove to Joshua,
Lola and everyone who believed the lie that they were wrong. In Ghana, I met a
lady here and I told her everything about my situation. And she agreed to my
proposal. To the glory of God she got pregnant. I jubilantly announced to my
parents, “I told you there was nothing wrong with me!
Five days before my father
passed on, he insisted on speaking with me. But because none of siblings had my
telephone number they could not reach me. Eventually, my father persuaded my
siblings to take him to The Synagogue to meet with Joshua. He was sure that
through Joshua a call would be placed to me.
Unfortunately, when they got
to The Synagogue they were left at the gate unattended to for two hours. They
sent for my former wife and briefed her. She went inside to return two hours
later to tell them that the Prophet was not available to see them. They had to
return home. The next day, my father passed on. That was why my siblings
shunned me. Right there I made up my mind to leave The Synagogue. I told myself
it was time to leave!
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