Benson Idahosa
Benson Andrew Idahosa (born September 11, 1938 in Benin City , † March 12, 1998 ) was a Nigerian evangelist and the first Pentecostal Archbishop of Nigeria.
Life
Born into a poor family, the father had the always sickly child tossed in the trash at the age of 18 months. However, the mother had pity on the child because she could not bear his screaming. Rejected by her father, Idahosa had to work as a field laborer. He could not get a regular school education.
Parents traditionally had religious beliefs , but Idahosa professed Christianity as a youngster after a pastor approached him during a football game with friends one Sunday afternoon. He soon became one of the most dedicated Christians in the small community in Benin City, and following a nocturnal vision, he soon set out as a minister preaching the gospel from village to village. After he discovered the healing properties of his prayers, he received an enormous number of visitors. By 1971 Idahosa had planted over 6,000 churches in Nigeria and Ghana . His mission took him to 143 countries and at the end of his life he was said to have preached to more whites than any other black preacher and to more blacks than any white. With his focus on evangelism, he organized mass events called crusades . A Crusade held in Lagos in April 1985 drew nearly one million participants.
In the later years of his life Idahosa found the opportunity to catch up on his education, so he obtained various theological diplomas in the United States and a doctorate in law in 1984 from Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma (USA). After establishing a church of the Church of God Mission International with headquarters in Benin City, this established various foundations, including a university, the Benson Idahosa University , and a television station with a subscriber number of up to 50 million in Nigeria. The Bible School of the Church of God Mission in Benin City attracts seminarians from all over Africa, many Asian countries and also Europe. Idahosa was the founding president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), the umbrella organization of Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. He maintained close contacts with international evangelists, including Billy Graham .
Teaching
Idahosa’s theological message was simple and massively effective. It can be summed up in the sentence, "Anything is possible for someone who believes". He believed that a thorough study of the Bible combined with unwavering faith could change any life. One of his most famous sayings is: "If your faith says yes, then God cannot say no". Like most Pentecostals, Idahosa also proclaimed material success as a blessing from God: "My God is not a poor God," he used to justify this message. Belief in the supernatural activity of God was also the subject of his preaching. That nothing seemed impossible in principle for Idahosa is illustrated by the fact that it is claimed that during his years of evangelism he raised 28 dead to life.
Works
- Faith Can Change Your Destiny. Highland books, 1986, ISBN 978-0-946616-26-8 .
- Faith for all life storms. New Leaf Press, 1992, ISBN 0-89221-222-5 .
- Strangers to Failure. Harrison House, 1994, ISBN 0-89274-761-7 .
- Faith to change the world. Destiny Image Pub., 1994, ISBN 1-56043-760-X .
literature
- Ruthane Garlock: Fire in his bones: The story of Benson Idahosa - A leader of the Christian awakening in Africa. Logos Associates, 1982. ISBN 0-88270-451-6 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Idahosa, Benson |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Idahosa, Benson Andrew |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Nigerian Evangelist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 11, 1938 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Benin City |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 12, 1998 |