30 former members and workers of TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) accused him of abuse, harassment, rape, manipulation, torture, and staged miracles – BBC report
The documentary is baseless. The people interviewed in it are unknown to the church – The Church
MultiChoice confirmed that Emmanuel TV, founded by the late Nigerian televangelist Temitope Babatunde Joshua, popularly known as TB Joshua, would be removed from the DStv and GOtv platforms as well as StarSat and other pay-TV providers from January 17.
The popular Christian TV station, placed on (DStv 390), has also announced its withdrawal from MultiChoice’s DStv and GOTV, as well as other pay-TV services, effective January 17, 2024.
The pastor, who died on June 5, 2021, is the subject of a three-part documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation, Africa Eye, which chronicles the alleged horrors and sexual crimes committed by him.
At least 30 former members and workers of TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) accused him of abuse, harassment, rape, manipulation, torture, and staged miracles.
The 3-part documentary revealed the clandestine lifestyle of the now-deceased founder of SCOAN. It detailed stories of abuse, harassment, rape, manipulation, and staged miracles. Sources told the BBC that the church knew about all the allegations but never investigated them. They alleged the sexual crime spanned over two decades.
A part of the documentary revealed how SCOAN shielded its congregation from the truth about the collapse of one of the church’s guesthouses in 2014. A video that was shown multiple times to members on Emmanuel TV showed a short clip of the structure with something that seemed like an aircraft flying over it.
Emmanuel TV, founded by the late televangelist TB Joshua in Nigeria in 2006, gained popularity and expanded its reach through its YouTube channel, which became one of the most subscribed Christian ministry YouTube channels globally.
However, in April 2021, YouTube shut down the channel due to “gay curing” claims, as it violated policies against alleging mental illness, disease, or inferiority based on membership in a protected group, including sexual orientation.
Consequently, Emmanuel TV had to start over on YouTube, and some of its posts were also removed by Facebook for the same reasons.
Following TB Joshua’s passing in June 2021, Emmanuel TV has relied heavily on rebroadcasting old content and repeats of the late televangelist’s programs, producing less new content compared to the prolific scale during Joshua’s lifetime.
It was gathered that the new management at the Synagogue Church of All Nations led by the wife of the late founder, Pastor Evelyn Joshua, are facing numerous challenges following the inability of the new management to fully step into the shoes of late TB Joshua.
Though the new management seems to be trying their best to revive the church after the demise of Prophet Joshua through various programs to win back their lost members and equally win new members, that has not been achieved yet.
The SCOAN on the other hand, responded to the BBC documentary on its founder, late Joshua.
The church called the documentary baseless, adding that the people interviewed in it were unknown to the church.
The church’s Public Affairs Director, Mr Dare Adejumo, issued a statement in response to the viral documentary.
The statement, according to the church, was intended to disabuse the public of the story.