| Celestial Church of Christ | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | |
| Theology | Aladura |
| Governance | RevEmmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa, Pastor Head, CCC Worldwide (2002–Date) |
| Region | Worldwide |
| Headquarters | Porto-Novo Supreme Headquarters: Tchakou Benin International Headquarters: Mission House, Ketu, Lagos, Nigeria Holy City: Celestial City Imeko, Ogun State |
| Founder | Samuel Oshoffa |
| Origin | 29 September 1947 Porto-Novo,Benin |
| Official website | Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide |
TheCelestial Church of Christ (CCC) is a Pentecostal church in theAladura movement, which was founded bySamuel Oshoffa on 29 September 1947 inPorto-Novo in modernBenin.[1] It has spread fromWest Africa with theAfrican diaspora in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[2][3] The CCC has followers in Benin andNigeria, particularly inLagos andOgun State.[3]
Oshoffa was born inFrench Dahomey (nowBenin) in 1909.[4] Raised as aMethodist, he claimed to have had a divine revelation while lost in a forest on 23 May 1947 during asolar eclipse. (The nearest recorded solar eclipse visible inAfrica occurred on May 20, not May 23, of that year.) He felt called to pray, to heal the sick, and to raise the dead. He founded his church in September 1947.[5]
Having appointed himself Prophet, Reverend, Pastor, and Founder, he occupied the highest office of his movement. The hegemony he exercised on doctrine and discipline issues made succession difficult when he died in 1985 inLagos, Nigeria.[4] The CCC was recognized and authorized by theRepublic of Dahomey in 1965. From 1976, the church launched an evangelistic campaign in that country, a former colony ofFrench West Africa which gained independence in 1960.
Since the late 1990s, the CCC has used theinternet as a means ofevangelization, allowing the many existing branches of the church within theAfrican diaspora in theUnited Kingdom,Germany,Austria,France, theUnited States and elsewhere to maintain contact with each other and withNigeria, the nation in which the CCC is currently most popular.[6]
The movement has continued to grow since Oshoffa's death after a contentious succession.[7] Oshoffa was succeeded byAlexander Abiodun Adebayo Bada, who was head of the church until his death on 8 September 2000.[8]
Bada was briefly followed as leader byPhilip Hunsu Ajose, who died in March 2001. A dispute followed over the succession to Ajose. Some declaredGilbert Oluwatosin Jesse as the new leader, while the majority recognised the ReverendEmmanuel Oshoffa, son of Samuel Oshoffa.[9]
Following Jesse's death, his faction declared that Superior EvangelistPaul Suru Maforikan was the new spiritual leader of the church.[10] Contrary to the procedure of succession in Nigeria, the supreme headquarters inPorto-Novo chose Benoit Agbaossi to head the church. Agbaossi appointed Benoit Adeogun as the next director shortly before his death in 2010.
The CCC is a prophetic Christian church. Its members call themselves "Celestians", and the church is sometimes informally called “Cele”. The formal name of the church is inspired by a vision, in whichJesus said that Church members adore him as do the angels inheaven,[1] and fromDeuteronomy 26:15: "Look down from thy Holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel and the land which thou hast given us, as thou didst swear to our father, aland flowing with milk and honey".
The church claims inspiration from God through the manifestation of theHoly Spirit among the faithful. Its doctrinal teachings are based on theBible, and any superstition or animist belief fromAfrican traditional religions is excluded,[1] as in other churches in theAladura movement. The church is governed by twelve major recommendations, consisting of several prohibitions, including food, common to a number of othermonotheistic religions.[1]Tobacco,alcohol, and the consumption ofpork are forbidden.
Church members wear white one-piece garments during worship, and must not wear their shoes whilst wearing their garments or while within the main church.[11] Men and women are separated at the church.Menstruating women and those who have recently given birth are considered to be "unclean" and must not enter the church building or wear the garment for seven days, after which they are to be "sanctified" by the use of water, candle, sponge and soap with palm fronds.
Members of CCC are forbidden to engage or participate in any form ofidolatry,fetish ceremony or cults, black magic and charms. Only men who are "anointed" are allowed access to the altar. Services often use candles and perfumes during prayers.[11] The church usesEnglish language Bibles, as well asYoruba translated versions.[12]
The church supposedly takes elements fromOgu andYoruba thought. It also has strong similarities to the "purification movements" againstpaganism that are relatively common inAfrican Christianity. Oshoffa believed he had a mission to combat "Satan, 'fetish priests' and other 'powers of darkness'" (seeMarburg colloquy).[citation needed]
Every December, usually, between the 21st and 24th, the church hosts an international event called the Imeko Convocation. It is mandated that every member of CCC attends as a pilgrim. The CCC believes the event attendance is a mandate made by Oshoffa following his declaration that God had chosenImeko as the New Jerusalem for the fold.[13]
The temples of worship always face east. An altar stand has seven candle holders that represent the seven spirits of Jehovah as represented inRevelation 4:5. The church auditorium also has different rows for male and female seats. On days that services are observed during the week, such as the Wednesday and the Friday services, another altar is made which has three, rather than seven, candles.[citation needed]
In 2001, it was the second largest church in Benin by the number of its practitioners with nearly half a million followers.[14] In France, the church is suspected by two anti-cults associations,ADFI andCCMM, of "cultic deviances"[15] and of having committed acts of violence involving the death of a fifteen-year-old minor.[16][17]
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