By Moses Oludele Idowu
I have just been made aware of a message on Facebook during this year’s Pastors Conference in which some erroneous remarks were made about Joseph Ayo Babalola by one of the resource persons. It is the only message I have heard and my remarks here pertains only to the message and the remarks made by the resource person. Pastor Ayorinde who was the resource person who made the remark is a good man and known personally to me. He is not the person I want to embarrass.
He is a good man and upright, a true gentleman, a beloved pastor and one of the assets of CAC at this time. I have been asking for his phone number to make this privately to him without result so that he can correct the statements which he made sincerely in his message.
Because of many of the pastors who heard him and many more who have also heard the message on Social Media and the fact that Babalola is not here to correct the statements about himself and much more for the sake of truth rather than for the purposes of denigration and especially because of the youths and children of tomorrow I feel irresistibly compelled to correct the statements.
The Two Offending Statements
Pastor Ayorinde in his sermon made two contentious remarks about Apostle Joseph Babalola, both of which are misplaced, contextually misjuxtaposed and an inversion of truth and therefore incorrect. He is a sincere man but in this case he was sincerely wrong.
In the first statement he said Babalola brought Oshitelu to CAC and once Oshitelu asked the Ibadan leaders to be circling round Mapo Hall before someone, possibly Pastor Hanson asked why are we doing this? And when Oshitelu was asked why and who does he believe he said he does not believe in Jesus Name or even the Bible (?)
To anyone who has taken the time to study the history of the Aladura Movement and especially those earliest times (1919-33) there are gross inaccuracies on this story and superimposition of both time, place and personalities.
First let this be corrected once and for all, Babalola never brought Josiah Olunlowo Oshitelu to CAC. In point of fact Oshitelu never had dealings with CAC because there was no CAC as we know it in 1930-1931 when Oshitelu collaborated with the Revival Movement and was forced to separate from the Revival Movement.
The name CAC was not used and came into the Aladura lexicon in 1943 for the first time. Oshitelu’s dealings were with the Faith Tabernacle. Just as Babalola was doing his own things before the Faith Tabernacle heard of him and invited him so also Oshitelu was doing his own at Ogere. It was in fact Pastor Isaac Akinyele who invited Oshitelu to Ibadan and also stayed with him at Ogere. He even sent one of his sons to Ogere to be a disciple of Oshitelu. It was not Babalola.
The mention of Babalola’s name in connection with Oshitelu is most unfortunate and most misleading. CAC need to correct this most unjust misinformation and manipulation of historical facts before the whole assembly of pastors.
Along the line it became clear that Josiah Oshitelu was not part of them and couldn’t be part of them because he believed things that are not scriptural within the New Testament orthodoxy such as use of “holy names”, polygamy, emphasis on detection of witches and wizards and other unscriptural things.
At a meeting at the Alafara Residence of I.B. Akinyele in early 1931 the Faith Tabernacle rejected Oshitelu and separated from him. The decisive remark that occasioned the final severing of relationship was in fact brought or made by Babalola. It was also him the leadership then commissioned to pray and find out what powers Oshitelu was using and what spirit controlled him. Even J.A. Ademakinwa’s 1978 account which represents the official CAC history admitted this much.
It was therefore wrong to say Babalola brought Oshitelu to CAC. He never did. In point of fact it was Akinyele who did and it was not to CAC but to the Faith Tabernacle, there was no CAC then.
Oshitelu finally separated to establish and devote his time to his own Church of the Lord Aladura ( COLA). But Pastor J.A.Aina who brought the Faith Tabernacle to Ibadan and actually brought I.B.Akinyele to the Faith Tabernacle went with Oshitelu. He was the only one who followed the Ijebu prophet.
In closing, contrary to the assertion made by Pastor Ayorinde Oshitelu believed in Jesus. The Creed and Statement of Belief of Church of the Lord clearly shows this. However, he also believed in the use of “holy names.”
The second allegation or charge laid against Babalola in the sermon was even more damaging and egregious. According to the pastor when the idea of establishment of schools was mooted Babalola raised objection that he saw a vision of a mother carrying a child upside down and that Pastor Bolade Orogun quieten or silenced him that the schools must be built because their children are being driven away from CMS schools.
How about that?
That is how small CAC has made Babalola both in its traditions, reconstructed historical accounts and practices. I understand. Babalola and other leaders have been removed from the annual almanac of the church. Bravo, indeed a new pharaoh is now in place that knew not Joseph.
Who was Bolade Orogun to silence Babalola? Can anyone in CAC in those days silence Babalola? No one, not even Akinyele or Odubanjo. Never, much less Orogun or Hanson. That is how pastors in CAC think so highly of themselves and so little of prophets. [ Soon, God willing, I will write on “CAC – OLD AND NEW”, so the children of today may know the difference and see or understand what they have lost.]
I know of an instance when Babalola, Akinyele and Odubanjo were going on a journey and suddenly Babalola stopped and he declared what the Spirit just told him which the two others immediately submitted to. This incident is recorded in Baba Odubanjo’s diary.
Here is another instance.
When in 1954 the kingmakers of Ibadan intimated that it was the turn of I.B Akinyele to be the Olubadan, before giving an answer he still came to Erio – Ekiti Prayer Mountain to meet Babalola to ask him to pray. I have an eyewitness account of the meeting who was there that day.
Both Akinyele and Odubanjo referred to Babalola as “Oga’- Master. Odubanjo’s diary is a testament of the proof. Several times he referred to him as Oga. Same for Baba Akinyele, J.S.B. Odusona, J.A. Medaiyese and the first generation leaders. This is not mere speculation. I have authentic empirical evidence confirming the fact.
These were all senior pastors by far to Pastor Bolade Orogun. So how and where would Babalola stand to talk and Orogun of all people would ask him to keep quiet? He couldn’t have silenced Babalola. He would blame himself. Ti aja ba nsinwin amoju olowe re ( If a dog is growing rabies it still recognizes the voice of its owner)
The old CAC was not a bedlam of impunity or as lawless and indisciplined as this present modern one, (very unfortunate to have to use this statement for a church) there was a spiritual hierarchy and everyone knew his place and took it with love.
Apart from Orogun being Babalola’s brother- in -law he wouldn’t have the courage because he was too junior both in spiritual hierarchy and cadre to even object where Babalola would talk.
I see a game now being played in CAC. There is a contest for supremacy between pastors and prophets. This class struggle has been for long but it now appears that the pastors have won the battle. I have written a journal paper – “The Pastor – Prophet Dichotomy in CAC”. It seems to me that pastors feel the need to downgrade prophets so as to make pastors look big and special and this story must be seen through a reconstructed version of history. It is the only context I can find for this story.
It is in the present modernized CAC that Babalola is no longer honoured; in the days of old and in the CAC of old everyone reverred him who was called “Oga.” And I can show you evidence from primary sources.
Let us now go into what really happened.
Babalola did not oppose the establishment of schools. The vision our learned pastor was referring to belongs to a different era and in an altogether different context. As a proof that Babalola did not oppose schools the first CAC school was established in Efon – Alaaye named St. Stephen School. Efon was the seat of Babalola as everyone knows or should know.
Deaconess Adedeji, wife of Pastor Adedeji who was a teacher in that school told me personally during my research how Babalola welcomed him to Efon as a teacher with great honour just as a fresh graduate from Christ’s School. She never gave me the impression that Babalola was against education.
Dr. Adeware Alokan said in his account of CAC@90 that Babalola gave more donations in terms of money and materials and encouragement to support the establishment of schools.
These are not my voices but CAC men and women who were eye witnesses not people recycling old untrue stories or new leaders who had not been born during the time under review.
In the 1950’s Babalola went to Bachama district of Bauchi after evangelism and brought many Hausa children to Efon to educate them. Pastor Olusheye himself told me this during an interview. He was his personal assistant then.
Are these the actions of someone opposed to schools or education?
CAC, ede beru Olorun
( CAC , fear God, there is God O! )
I have mentioned three witnesses one of which is even a former CAC president, except you wanted to say that your own former President was a liar.
I can cite more.
Babalola was never against education or schools but he was against putting schools ahead of the mission of the church which is evangelism. The purpose of the church is evangelism not schools and education, schools are to be used for evangelism and education as a means to an end not as an end in itself. This was Babalola’s view and he warned against this towards the end as captured in Pastor Olu Young’s small booklet.
Let me now go into the vision the pastor was referring to and how he has muddled up the thing.
Babalola did have a vision of a woman carrying a child upside down. He said the child began to kick the mother until the mother entered real trouble and dies.
At the time he saw this vision in the 1940/50s modernism was already wrecking havoc on the established churches of the West. Basic truths of Scripture that once was taken for granted were being challenged in the seminaries and universities. Modernism, civilization was tearing the church.
This was what God showed his servant. Pastor Olujobi- Olowolagba who was a secretary of Babalola and married to his youngest sister and whom I interviewed personally during my research confirmed this. This story is in my book Babalola :Foundation of An Apostle
It is this “olaju’, this civilization or modernism ( wanting to be like the modern world) that Babalola warned against. Was that not what caused the present crisis in CAC? The Christ Initiative Forum, what was it about and what were they pursuing in CAC? IS IT NOT TO MAKE CAC LIKE OTHER CHURCHES, MODERN AND MODERNISED?
Now that you are MODERNISED, how market? Now that you have socially climbed the ladder of worldly acceptability what next? How market?
There are now four factions or even five. We were praying before that God will restore harmony and bring the two together, and now they have become five factions with CAC Olugbode who does not go either way and stands alone as the Missionary Headquarters of CAC, the seat of I.B.Akinyele and Odusona.
By next year who knows how many factions more will emerge? Since everyone is looking and seeking his own gain and glory. This was what the great Apostle warned the fathers against. And now it has befallen CAC.
“Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord also has rejected you from being king over his people…”
Conclusion
I have nothing against Pastor Ayorinde. He is a good man and he really assisted me during my visit to CAC America in 2015. I appreciate him. I wish I could get his number to correct these things and wouldn’t have made this public but I couldn’t. Unfortunately several people have heard the message publicly and the truth must be corrected so most people do not go away with the wrong information about Joseph Ayo Babalola.
There is a conflict in CAC about the pastor and prophet. It is from the beginning and now it appears the pastors have won the battle but at a great cost. Now CAC is more like Redeemed Christian Church of God or even MFM or TREM.
No visionary elements, no prophecy, no prophets, just pastors as kings and other people as errands. Even evangelists in CAC are more like errand boys. Prophets have been downgraded and sidelined. This was the battle that faced Peter Olatunji that drove him to leave CAC and start CGAC – Christ Gospel Apostolic Church; Emmanuel Omotunde to form African Apostolic Church, etc. And it is the same battle that faced Timothy Obadare, Oyelami, Samson Oladeji Akande… CAC has a history of persecution of prophets, even Babalola himself faced some of them. That is a story for another day.
So much for a church that once stood on Apostolic foundation of prophets and Apostles! So much for a church that began with a Revival started by an apostle and a prophet. Prophet is now a taboo word in CAC. When a church begins to discountenance what she once reverred you know a backsliding has occurred. That is what is called counter- conversion, which is rare but not unheard of in the annals of Church History.
“But I have a few things against you because you have left your first love…. Repent.”
Blessed day to all CAC Family
I am your brother and companion,
A messenger for the Truth
Moses Oludele Idowu
12/10/2026
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