Samuel Bilehou Joseph Oschoffa
Celestial Church of Christ
Celestial Church of Christ
Cele; Celestians
Samuel Bilehou [or "Bilewu"] Joseph Oschoffa [or "Oshoffa"] (1909-1985); SBJO
Due to internal conflicts, there are currently multiple claimants to the title of leader.
Porto Novo, Dahomey (Benin) (1947)
According to Afe Adogame, “CCC Worldwide is run through its international headquarters located at the Mission House in Ketu-Lagos. The Supreme headquarters is located in Porto-Novo by virtue of its bi
include Celestial Church of Christ Seminary and Leadership Training Institute, Celestial Church of Christ Unification and Renaissance Group, Celestial Church of Christ Unification and Renaissance Mission, Celestial Church of Christ Academy of Music and Art Technology
The group claims that the "Celestial Church of Christ is a spiritual, world-wide, united, indivisible Holy Church which came into the world from heaven by DIVINE ORDER...through the founder of the Church, the Reverend, Pastor, Prophet, Founder Samuel Bilehou Joseph Oschoffa." Angels are invoked for spiritual purposes. According to Afe Adogame, Oschoffa’s founding vision in September of 1947 "revolves around the mission against ’Satan’, ’fetish priests’ and other ’powers of darkness’ in the world. It also shows that God’s benevolent power as portrayed in the message was to be used to counter the power of Satan and the other mischievous forces." He further explains that "deriving its ethereal name directly from heaven, the church claims to be an extension or a branch of the mother church, ’the celestial in heaven above’ that was specially sent down through Oschoffa to be established on earth."
A succession struggle has followed the death of the movement’s founder. The movement’s toleration of polygamy among some senior leaders led to a denial of its application to join the World Council of Churches in 1998.
CCC is considered an African-initiated church of the Aladura type. It affirms the traditional Apostles’ Creed.
at least five million
Austria, Benin, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Togo, United Kingdom, United States
include English, French, Yoruba, Egun
www.dacb.org/stories/nigeria/oschoffa_samuelb.html
www.cesnur.org/2002/slc/adogame.htm
web.archive.org/web/20050224140534/www.uni-marburg.de/religionswissenschaft/journal/mjr/pdf/1998/adogame1998.pdf www.thearda.com/asrec/archive/papers/Brunger_Benin_Madoff.pdf
allafrica.com/stories/201507020956.html
www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=10777&sec=13&con=60
www.celestialchurch.com
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