Prophet Temitope Balogun “TB” Joshua died Saturday after speaking in a meeting on his television channel, Emmanuel TV. The news of his passing was posted on Joshua’s official Facebook page.
“God has taken His servant Prophet TB Joshua home – as it should be by divine will. His last moments on earth were spent in the service of God. This is what he was born for, lived for and died for,” reads the statement. “Prophet TB Joshua leaves a legacy of service and sacrifice to God’s Kingdom that is living for generations yet unborn. The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations and Emmanuel TV Family appreciate your love, prayers and concern at this time and request a time of privacy for the family.”
Joshua was a televangelist and faith healer who pastored and founded the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos, Nigeria. Joshua had more than 3.5 million followers on Facebook, and before his Youtube channel was shut down in April for videos to cure homosexuality, it had close to 1 million followers.
The megachurch pastor has often encountered controversy in his time of ministry. In 2014, 116 members of Joshua’s church died when the church building collapsed in Nigeria. He claimed that the building’s collapse was due to a “strange aircraft,” but leaked audio revealed that he tried to cover the narrative by bribing reporters. It was later discovered that the building was poorly constructed and did not meet basic safety needs.
He also promoted the controversial “prosperity gospel” also referred to as “the health and wealth” gospel. According to The Conversation, “The prosperity gospel is most popular in contexts where people face significant economic and health challenges…Among such populations, faith becomes an important source of meaning and hope because people are vulnerable and face significant challenges or needs.”
Many of Josuha’s supporters have been sending their condolences to his family. One commented, “May your beautiful soul rest in peace Man of God. Yes we are foreigners in this world. Heaven is our permanent resident. May the family, friends and the whole world find solace in the Lord.” Another wrote, “My sincere condolences to his family and church family. May his soul RIP.”