Fresh Crisis Looms in Celestial Church As Oshoffa’s 20th Child, Rev Olatoso Mattew, Emerges New Spiritual Leader

The leadership tussle in the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) Worldwide since the death of The late  founder Pastor Samuel Biléhou Oshoffa who founded the church on 29 September 1947 and died in 1985, yesterday took a new turn when some members of the Board of Trustees of the church led by Superior Evangelist Sunday Soroyeun and Superior Evangelist Sunday Adebowale Adebanjo of CCC Adanitan and Progress Cathedral parishes in Lagos appointed the younger Oshofa, Rev Matthew Olatosho Oshoffa, to take over the leadership of the church worldwide. 

Olatoso Oshoffa, the 20th child of the late CCC founder, Samuel Bilewu Joseph Oshoffa, is taking the seat vacated by his elder brother, Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa, following a court order.

Pastor Mobina F. Oshoffa

At a briefing in Lagos yesterday, Olatoso Oshoffa said he had been ordained by God and elders in the church to be the new spiritual head and unify various factions.

Olatoso said, “Now, it is time to unite the Celestial Church family and together build the church and Nigeria. The past struggles in the church were the handiwork of Satan.

“During one of my journeys to France, my father appeared to me and told me to lead the church. I have met many spiritual leaders in the church, telling them the revelation I received.

“A lot of them prayed about it and confirmed that the revelation was truly from God. Hence, my acceptance of the leadership nomination to unite our church, ensure stability and peace in the Celestial Church of Christ worldwide and contribute to the development of the country.”

The 45-year-old new leader of the church noted that his appointment and declaration as the unification leader of CCC was done in Imeko, Ogun State on June 10, 2015, after series of consultations.

He said the development showed that everybody was united and ready for the daunting task ahead.

He added that the age-long crisis in the CCC, since the founder died in 1985, was “a trying time for the CCC”.

“We will restore the lost glory of the white-garment church. My priority will include the unity, welfare of members and workers and completion of the Imeko cathedral and other infrastructure,” Olatoso said.

Pastor Founder Samuel Biléhou Oshoffa

Trouble started when the new leader, Olatosho Oshofa, led by parishioners from Lagos, Ekiti, Osun, Ondo, Oyo and Edo states, and guarded by heavily armed policemen, went to the palace of Onimeko, Oba Benjamin Akanbi Onike, on arrival. The younger Oshofa, who also was accompanied by his elder sister, Ms Yemi Oshoffa, allegedly started raining abuses and curses in the palace, describing some of the church’s leaders as traitors, hypocrites, ingrates and rebels. 

However, Oba Benjamin did not spare the church leaders who accompanied the younger Oshofa. The monarch accused the church elders of planning to tear the Oshoffa family apart and cause row among the children of the late founder by appointing Olatosho to overthrow his eldest brother, Mobiyina. “I am ashamed of you for doing this to your own flesh and blood, who is even your senior. 

The whole family knows that you have a calling, but why can’t you wait for your time? “Our brother is still very much alive and still in charge of the church. But you allowed these old men to push you to your downfall; the family is not in support of this,” the monarch told the younger Oshofa. 

The monarch, consequently, told the gathering the children had behaved irresponsibly and shamefully in the management of the church, citing the case of the abandoned cathedral which should have been a museum in the town where worshippers and investors would have been drawn to the town. He said the children had hindered the prophecy that Imeko would be “a Jerusalem of Africa.” At this point, Olatosho’s sister, Yemi, was in tears, telling her brother not to allow members and leaders of the church use him to tear the family apart. 

However, the ensuing crisis did not deter the leaders and parishioners who came with Olatosho to pronounce him leader by raising his hands before they returned in a convoy to their various destinations. An elated Olatosho, the newly appointed leader, said his leadership of church was foretold right from when he was in the womb. 

It would be recalled that an Ilaro High Court in Ogun State had on March 26, 2015, terminated the tenure of Emmanuel Oshoffa, under whom Olatoso served as personal assistant.

Besides the CCC not allegedly making progress in 12 years of his elder brother’s reign, Olatoso Oshoffa said the court’s ruling “saddened my heart as the church was not developing in the last 30 years that my father had passed on and my brother also being removed as the pastor of CCC, worldwide.”

Explaining the revelation that confirmed his candidacy, he said: “During one of my journeys to France, specifically on the 30th of May 2015, my father appeared to me and said ‘My son, Olatoso, the church has diverted from my calling and I want you to stand up, take up my abandoned work and lead my children.’

“To me, it was a big challenge, even though a confirmation of such had gone forth through several prophesies and revelations since my birth and well even before the appointment of my brother as the pastor of CCC worldwide.

“I have met several spiritual leaders in the church, telling them the revelation I received from my father and from God Almighty. A lot of them did prayed about it and confirmed that the revelation is truly from my father and indeed from God. Hence, my acceptance of the leadership nomination to come and unite our church, ensure stability and peace and to build our Celestial Church of Christ worldwide as started by my father and founder.”

The 45-year-old new spiritual head disclosed that his appointment and declaration as the “Unification Leader” of CCC was done in Imeko, Ogun State on June 10, 2015 after series of consultations.

Oshoffa said the development showed that his siblings were united on his candidacy and ready to support him in the daunting task ahead. He recalled that the age-long crisis in the CCC, since the founder died in 1985, had been foreseen by his late father, and just “a trying time for the CCC”.
Olatoso said his emergence as leader, though “a sacrifice” on his path, would restore all the lost glories of the white-garment church.

He said his priority would, among others, include uniting the church, ensuring physical and spiritual growth, improving upon welfare of members and workers as well as completion and commissioning of the Imeko cathedral and other infrastructure within five years.