T.B. Joshua
| T. B. Joshua | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Temitope Balogun Joshua June 12, 1963 Arigidi, Nigeria |
| Residence | Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation | Minister, Televangelist, Philanthropist |
| Net worth | US$10-15 million (Forbes, 2011) |
| Spouse(s) | Evelyn Joshua |
| Website | The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations, Emmanuel TV, YouTube Channel |
Temitope Balogun Joshua (born June 12, 1963), commonly referred to as T. B. Joshua, is a Nigerian Pastor, televangelist and philanthropist. He is the leader and founder of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), a Christian organisation that runs the Emmanuel TV television station from Lagos.
Joshua is known for his popularity across Africa and his online presence with 2,500,000 fans on Facebook and nearly 500,000 YouTube subscribers. Described as the "Oprah of evangelism" and "YouTube's most popular Pastor", Emmanuel TV is Africa's largest Christian television network and the most subscribed Christian ministry channel on YouTube with videos amassing more than 300 million views.
He has been awarded various accolades, notably receiving the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) by the Nigerian government in 2008 and being voted the Yoruba man of the decade by Pan-Yoruba media outlet Irohin-Odua. He has been called one of Africa's 50 most influential people by Pan-African magazines The Africa Report and New African Magazine
As of 2011[update], according to Forbes, Joshua was Nigeria’s third-richest pastor, although the claim was immediately denied in a statement by the church.
According to Joshua’s official biography, unusual circumstances surrounded his birth. He says that he spent 15 months in his mother’s womb and narrowly avoided death after a quarry explosion near his house sent rocks through its roof just seven days after his birth. It is also alleged that Joshua's birth was 'prophesied' 100 years prior.
Joshua, then known as Balogun Francis, attended St. Stephen's Anglican Primary School in Arigidi-Akoko, Nigeria between 1971 and 1977, but failed to complete one year of secondary school education. In school, he was known as "small pastor" because of his love for the Bible. He worked in various casual jobs after his schooling had ended, including carrying chicken waste at a poultry farm. He organised Bible studies for local children and attended evening school during this period. Joshua attempted to join the Nigerian military but was thwarted due to a train breakdown that left him stranded en route to the military academy.
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Wikipedia