I bluntly refused when asked to head CCC worldwide –Rev. Oshoffa

Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa is the Pastor and the Head of Celestial Church of Christ, worldwide. He tells ‘Nonye Ben-Nwankwo how he rose to become the head of the CCC and why he came back from France to Nigeria

So many churches have not lived up to 70, how has this church managed to remain strong even at 70?

The church came to be at exactly 3pm on September 29, 1947. The founding pastor, my father, was in his room praying and he had a vision and he saw a dim light and he saw an object coming towards him. The object kept getting bigger as it was approaching closer to him. Later, the object manifested and became the image of Jesus Christ. It had a bleeding heart. Thereafter, he heard a voice saying, ‘I am your Lord your God and your creator. I have chosen you as a holy person. I want to send a church to the people through you. This church will be filled with signs and wonders in my name. I want the church to cleanse the world physically and spiritually so that they could be redeemed to God.’ And so, my father founded the church and indeed, miracles started happening. There were so many signs and wonders.

Where was this?

This was in Republic of Benin. And because of the miracles, signs and wonders, people started trooping to the church. The news went round. People were looking for one miracle or the other. A certain woman got a revelation that the founder of the church would die in the course of his stewardship in the vineyard of God. The revelation revealed how my father would die. The church didn’t start with everything in place. It was a gradual process. People started coming. It was through one of the worshippers that God used to give us the name of the church. The person was in trance, he requested for a chalk and he drew an arc on the floor and wrote in French, Celestial Church of Christ.

At what point did it come to Nigeria?

It came to Nigeria in 1951. The church is waxing stronger and stronger.

But the church has not been devoid of controversies especially the ones that have to do with leadership tussle. Even your brother, Matthew, at some point, reportedly said he’s the leader of the church; so how were you able to overcome this?

In the Bible, it is written, wherever you see the gathering of the children of God, you will also see the devil and his people. Read the book of Job, the devil tried Job. God allowed him but told him not to touch the soul of Job. But at the end, Job still prevailed even after the devil tormented him. So, I liken the story of Job to what we faced here. So many people are envious. They think of their stomach first. They really don’t even want to do God’s work. However, God calls who He loves. He will manifest His glory on whosoever He chose to lead his church. Don’t be surprised when such tussle happens, it is devil at work. God will always deal with such people.

Was it because of the church that you didn’t continue your life in Paris?

I have a Master’s degree in Biology/Animal Science. I also worked as a vet scientist. But Baba Bada, our then head, visited Paris where I was. My brother told me Baba was coming and that we should go and meet him and welcome him at the airport. At the airport, in 1987, Baba called me by my first name. He said I should follow him. I followed him and we visited all the CCC parishes in Paris. There were three parishes. At each parish, he would ask them if they knew me and they would say no. He would tell them they would soon know who I was. That was how I was made the head of the diocese in France. But I received the call to head the entire church worldwide in 2002. I was preparing to go to Ajase in Republic of Benin. A call came from Nigeria and they came to look for me in the midnight. They told me that the Lord had chosen me to be the head of the church worldwide.

Did you try to reject the offer when they told you about it?

Of course! When they came and told me, I rejected vehemently! I said, ‘No! No!’  I told them to leave me alone. They told me to come to Imeko (Ogun State). Imeko is like our Jerusalem. It is a sacred city. I had just got to Benin Republic. I came with Afrik Air from France. During transit, my luggage was misplaced. I had nothing on me when I got to Benin. I was just wearing a white robe. So when somebody came and said I should follow them to Imeko, I refused. I told them I didn’t know who they were. They told me I shouldn’t worry. They said there was no way I would reject. I told them I didn’t have anything on me, they insisted I follow them and I did. Even in France, remember I told you we had just three parishes when Baba Bada came. As at the time they were telling me to come to Imeko, we had over 15 parishes. The people in France said I wasn’t going to leave them. Back in 2002, there were crises here; so many of our parishes refused to be under Ketu diocese. But it has changed now. More than 85 per cent of all our parishes have come back to be under the Ketu diocese.

Is it easy to be the head of CCC?

If you are a leader, every responsibility is on your head. Everybody will look up to you.  They will be watching your steps. If you don’t have God’s guidance and direction, you will derail.

Don’t you think you would have made more money and become more prominent if you had stayed back in Paris?

You may be right. But this is what God ordained me to do. God is more than everything. But mind you, if I had remained in France, I would have just been Head of CCC in France. But now, I am the global head of the church by God’s grace. The global head of Cele church is not for money making. All those who lust after money will face the wrath of God, they will never progress. Money is the root of evil. If you lust over money, destruction comes.

But back then in France, didn’t the people over there look at you ‘somehow’ especially when you wear white and go on bare feet?

No way! We have so many French people who are our members. We have Indians and other people from other countries who are our members. It is our faith. It is not because we are poor or that we could not afford a pair of shoes that is making us go on bare feet. It is our faith. So many people have joined our faith.

How did you cope when you came back to Nigeria having spent over 30 years in France?

It wasn’t easy at all. I cannot compare Europe and Nigeria. The mentality of Europeans is different from that of Nigerians. In some ways, I prefer Europeans to Nigerians. You would hardly see a European doing something evil to you. But you cannot really say same for a black man. A black man would just hate and envy you over nothing. They deal with diabolical things all the time. It is not good at all.

You chose to read Animal/Biological Science, why didn’t you read Medicine or a more professional course?

In Nancy where I schooled, we did the same course with medical students in our first and second year in school. It was in our third year that we went different ways. I loved Biology a lot. So I decided to study Biological Science. My father was in support.

You were born and raised in Benin Republic, would you know why your father moved to that country?

My grandfather left Nigeria during the Nigeria/Dahomey war. They were sold to the Portuguese in Benin Republic then. We are Egbas. We are from Abeokuta.

What kind of a young man were you when you were growing up?

I was born a year after CCC was founded. My family has always been religious. There was no way for me to derail or deviate. I left Africa at a young age. Even before then, I didn’t do what other young men did. God chooses His own. I didn’t have time to do what boys usually do anyway. Right from the womb, messages were given to my mother that she would carry in her womb a priest of God. I was always in church when I was born. I was a chorister. I didn’t have a social life because I grew up in a spiritual setting.

How did you meet your wife?

God chooses wives for His sons. If God gives you your better half in His time, things will be smooth for you. I would just say that God chose my wife for me. Don’t be hasty. If you meet the person God ordained for you, you will automatically know. That was what happened in my own case.

Can you tell us why members of your church wear white?

Don’t forget that the church came to this world for a purpose to cleanse physically and spiritually and to sanctify people. White symbolises purity. Our Lord is pure and holy. Wherever you call on God in CCC, it must be a sacred and holy place. That is why we don’t wear shoes to our worship place. Everyone in white garment must have pure heart. He must be a true child of God. He must not be evil minded.

What message do you have for Nigerians especially in this period of hunger and strife?

Have God in your heart. Be patient. Fear God in all your endeavours. Follow Christ diligently and it shall be well with all of us. We should know that God is God and we should reverence Him in all that we do. We should abstain from evil things. Seek peace and honour the king and people in authority. They are in position because God made it so. If you fear God, everything around you will be blessed. If you listen to God, this world will not be difficult for you.

Would we say CCC is a family church since your father founded the church and also you became the overall head of the church years later?

I didn’t become the pastor of CCC because my father was the founder. It was a divine authority that made me the head. I became the head after 17 years of the era of another person who wasn’t my relative. It was not my making that I am here. I told you that I was called. It is not a family church at all.

Do you know your successor?

No way!