Before the Advent of Christianity, our forefathers have innate understanding of the existence of a greater being, who they felt created the universe. In their ignorance, they tried to reach this Almighty being(s) through the worship of many local idols or deities like Obatala, Sango, Oyaa, Amadioha and so on. Meanwhile, Christianity was first brought to the shores of Nigeria around the 16th century by the Portuguese Christian Missionaries through Benin, Niger-Delta areas. Unfortunately, their missionary activities could not yield much dividends due to the following reasons: Linguistic problems, Cultural barriers, Transportation problem and High-demonic traffic in the Benin- Niger-Delta areas.
However, around the 1840s, the missionary activities of the Orthodox Churches started in this Country. The Methodist Church started in Lagos State, the Anglican Church was brought to this country through Abeokuta. The Baptist Church started in the western part of this Country with it’s major root at Ogbomosho. The Presbyterian Church started in calabar and was brought in by Hope Waddel. Rev. Father Shaiama brought in the Catholic Church into the Eastern parts of Nigeria.
Before the end of that century, the Sudanese-Interior Mission (S.I.M) started in the Northern part of Nigeria. It later changed to “Evangelical Church of Winning All’.
By the turn of a new Century, that is to say the 20th Century, the S.D.A., Seventh Day Adventist Church and Qua-Iboe Church had already been established in the Country. Unfortunately, despite the high percentage of Christians, most especially in the Western part of Nigeria, there was no much impact, no fire, no miracles, no signs and wonders. Many of the Christians of that time were still serving their idols. There was high-degree of Witchcraft operations in many Churches and many so-called Christians were living at the mercy of wicked herbalists. This was the situation of the Church until 1918, when a terrible epidemic in the form of influenza broke out and the dreaded diseases wasted many lives. However, there was a group of Christians named “precious stones” or “Diamond Society” which belong to our Saviour Anglican Church in Italapo, Ijebu-ode who started praying because they believe so much in the power of the “Holy-Spirit” to heal and to deliver. This group of Christians were under the leadership of one Joseph Shadare, who was assisted in prayer by his relative, a teacher, named, Miss Sophia Odunlami. As they were praying for the sick, many of them were healed miraculously through the power of the Holy-Spirit. This remarkable feat led to the beginning of Pentecostalism in Nigeria.
Interestingly, this group of Christians were later ex-communicated from the Anglican Church, after which they had a link with the Faith-Tabernacle group in the United States of America under Rev. Clark. This F.T. group in the U.S. took it upon itself to supply this Nigerian group with the necessary spiritual literatures i.e. tracts.
Meanwhile, there was another group in Lagos under Pastor D.O. Odubayo, which also came out of the Anglican Church Breadfruit street, Lagos. The group also had contact with the F.T. group in the U.S.A.
Overtime, there were many F.T. groups in the place like: Ibadan, Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Oyan, Benin, Ayangba. These groups eventually came together under the Lagos group as “Faith-Tabernacle”.
Unfortunately, the Pentecostal revival that was championed by F.T. which has it’s roots in Ijebu-ode began to wane and that was the situation until 1928, when the Lord raised another vessel, named Ayodele Babalola. He was brought down to Lagos and was introduced to the Lagos F.T. which was under Ilesha. Babalola was accused of heresies and as a result of this, the leadership of F.T. scheduled a meeting which was held at Ilesha in September 1930 to resolve all these doctrinal problems. Ayo Babalola was invited to follow them but he declined. While others were away for the meeting in the course of the meeting, Ayo Babalola was used used by God to bring back to life a then ten-year old boy named John Ogunolipe. The meeting ended abruptly and an unprecedented rivaval broke out at Oke-Oye in Ilesha in 1930. Every other thing that followed culminated in the establishment of the Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C.) which was the first indigenous Pentecostal Church in the Country.
Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola, was born in Odo-Owa, a small village in Kwara State to am Anglican parents named David Rotimi and Martha Talabi. Many miracles were witnessed during his crusade held in various towns and villages during which he used blessed water. An example was the confession of some witches and wizards of their evil deeds, on consumption of such blessed water. As a result of Ayo Babalola’s exploit, he became the first general evangelist of Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C).
