Benson Idahosa
Benson Idahosa
| Archbishop | |
| Personal details | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 September 1938Benin City,Edo, Nigeria |
| Died | 12 March 1998 (aged 59) |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Denomination | Christian |
| Spouse | ArchbishopMargaret Idahosa |
| Children | 1 son, 3 daughters |
| Occupation | Televangelist,author,pastor |
Benson Andrew Idahosa (11 September 1938 – 12 March 1988), was a Charismatic Pentecostal preacher.
Arch Bishop Benson Andrew Idahosa was born into a family that does not go to Church because his parents are non christian.
The poor state of his parents and the neighbourhood made it difficult for them to take care of him when he was afflicted by spells that make h[50] im unhealthy and sickly most times. To be saved from such worries. the father abandoned him and he was in the care of his mother, until one day when the mother could not bear the agony of carrying a sickly child with no remedy to it, she decided to drop him in a refuse been to die.
Because there is a God who can never abandon His own though they might not be aware of Him when the mother and father rejects them, God showed him mercy and ensured he did not die.
His continous wailing and crawling out of the refuse made the mother to take him again without knowing that the son she is carrying is a prophet to his generation.
Out of God's compassions, the young Benson was able to enter a local government school at 14 years, since his father John and mother sarah could not afford good and quaility education for him.
At a tender age, the young Idahosa that is popularly called BA by those around him or Papa by people in Christian faith got converted and became born again after the ministration of a pastor called Pastor Akpo.
He became a strong follower of the Pastor and were used by God to convert many other into the Christian faith.
The young Benson received revelations to prove that God has called him into the ministry and by 1971, he has began crusades both in Nigeria and Ghana.
Due to the power, faith and the supernatural that goes with his ministration, he began to gain relevance from different parts of the world.
His quotes shows the kind of mindset he has in God.
Some of them includes, " it is risky not to take risk", "my God is not a poor God," " I am a possibilitarian," " your attitude determines your altitude," "if you say yes, God cannot say no," " I am made in Heaven, assempled in Nigeria, and dispatched to my generation."
A story was told of how he was told that the entire witches in the world had agreed to host the first meeting of all witches in the world in Benin City, after they came together in Chicago, U.S.A. when he heard it, he said that the meeting will never hold and can never hold because he is a believer in the word of God that says that whatever you disallow on earth is disallowed in heaven.
Arch Bishop Benson Idahosa said, that the meeting has been cancelled.
There host in Nigeria, said that even if God will come down from heaven, that God can never stop the meeting from holding.
When the arch Bishop was told, he said that God does not need to come down from heaven for this, since he Idahosa is here on earth already.
A life challenge was held in a live broadcast for the two men to meet, do many warned the Arch Bishop to leave those men before they will kill him.
In the live telecast, the man persisted that the meeting must surely hold, but the Arch Bishop said he will tore/burn his Bible if it holds, though he was aware that it will never hold.
The host of the witches was asked to pray, and he did some incantations.
when it was the turn of the Arch Bishop, prayed and later turned to the man to ask him, if he was a witch so that he would kill him immediately because the Bible says that a witch should not be suffered to live.
To the amazement of all, the host of the witches said he was not a witch.
That was how the light of God conquered the kingdom of darkness.
The meeting never happened because the military head of State then, told the Nigeria Embassies all over the world never to grant such Visa to such group.
Some of the degrees he had was Diploma in Divinity, from Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas in 1971, Doctorate in Divinity from the Word of Faith College, new Orleans in 1981, Doctorate of Law from Oral Roberts University in 1984.
His church headquarters in Benin City Nigeria, called the Church of God Cathedral seats up to 10,000 people in a service.
Arch Bishop Benson Idahosa has preached in over 120 countries before his death and was the first president of the Pentecostal Fellowhip of Nigeria.
The Church of God mission which he founded has branches across Afria, Asia, Europe and America.
He was the first president of the Benson Idahosa Univeristy.
Some preachers in Nigeria that gained impact from him at one time or the other includes the founder of Believers Love the world, A.K.A Christ Embassy Pastor Chris Oyalkilome, Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministry and others.
By 1985, his one night program in Lagos Nigeria that was a monthly program, attracts at least 1 million worshippers.
The Redemption Television Ministry he had, was reaching out to about 50 million viewers around the world.
His church has about 7 million followers worldwide.
Some known people around the world had the following to say about him:
According to Mrs. Gordon Freda Lindsay, president of Christ for the Nations Inc., Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.:
I know of no young black in all of Africa who is reaching millions as Benson is,–in crusades with hundreds of thousands in attendance, in his weekly nationwide telecast, in his Bible School, training eager students from several nations.
He also conducts campaigns in Sweden, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Australia and the United States, where he often appeared on national religious telecasts.
His burden for souls, his ministry of healing and miracles, even to the raising of several dead, demonstrates he is especially called of the Lord in these end times.
Dr. Ben Akosa remarked:
Benson Idahosa is sought after by everyone in his state, from government officials to beggars.
When they posed questions and explained their problems to this man they received instantanous miracle solutions, just as people did in Bible days with God’s prophets.
And the people get miraculous answers from this mighty leader of God’s people.
Said Daniel Orris:
Benin City respects and salutes this great man of God, even at death.
I have been with him on visits to many officials, to the governor, to the powerful Benin tribal kings.
He moved with God and his people know it.
His great miracle cathedral (his headquarters) seats over 10,000 (1981).
His Bible School attracts upper class people from different African nations.
And they also come from Maurice, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, the Middle East, Europe and other nations of the world–a truly International Bible Training Centre of dynamic faith.
People know that Bishop Idahosa preached what he practiced.
Dr. Idahosa’s evangelistic ministry has reached nations around the world.
He was the first black African evangelist to shake Australia in a massive crusade that got national attention.
His seminars have affected Christians and church leaders in many countries.
I sincerely salute this man because he practiced among his own people what he preached to the world.
Benson Idahosa was a man who believed God’s promises and that God’s miracle provision applies to Africans as well as to Americans.
He believed that Africa has a part in God’s work, and Africa will reap God’s blessings.
Evangelist T. L. Osborn, from Tulsa, Oklahoma remarked:
Many who follow Idahosa’s teaching have been saved from poverty and have learned to plant out of their desperate need and to look to God as their divine source thereby becoming prosperous Christians in their own land.
Idahosa rose from the rank of an ordinary man to world leadership as a pastor, builder, counsellor, prophet, teacher, apostle, evangelist,–a man of godly wisdom and of Christ-like compassion, whose ministry has blessed millions the world over.
Idahosa was the greatest African ambassador of the apostolic Christian faith to the world.
He believes that if one could study the time always and pray and then take actions in what the Bible says, then people all over the world will look for such a man.
That has been one of his main secrets though he studies a lot about successful people in the Church community and other sectors of life.
Founder of Church of God Mission International, Archbishop Benson Idahosa was popularly referred to as the father of Pentecostalism in Nigeria.[1] Benson Andrew Idahosa was the founder of Benson Idahosa University (BIU) in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.[2] His only son, Bishop F.E.B.
Idahosa, is now the President, Benson Idahosa University (BIU), Founder/President of Big Ben's Children Hospital, Vice-President of All Nations For Christ Bible Institute International, among other positions.[1]
| Archbishop | |
| Personal details | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 September 1938Benin City,Edo, Nigeria |
| Died | 12 March 1998 (aged 59) |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Denomination | Christian |
| Spouse | ArchbishopMargaret Idahosa |
| Children | 1 son, 3 daughters |
| Occupation | Televangelist,author,pastor |
Biography
A claim made by Idahosa that he had raised eight people from the dead was dropped when challenged by the Advertising Standards Authority, who sought evidence that the individuals concerned had in fact been dead.[3]