TB Joshua: Megachurch leader raped and tortured worshippers, BBC finds Published 4 hours ago Image source, Getty Images Image caption, TB Joshua founded the hugely popular Synagogue Church of all Nations By Charlie Northcott and Helen Spooner BBC News, Africa Eye https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67749215 Evidence of widespread abuse and torture by the founder of one of the world's biggest Christian evangelical churches has been uncovered by the BBC. Dozens of ex-Synagogue Church of all Nations members - five British - allege atrocities, including rape and forced abortions, by Nigeria's late TB Joshua. The allegations of abuse in a secretive Lagos compound span almost 20 years. The Synagogue Church of All Nations did not respond to the allegations but said previous claims have been unfounded. TB Joshua, who died in 2021, was a charismatic and hugely successful preacher and televangelist who had an immense global following. The BBC's findings over a two-year investigation include: Dozens of eyewitness accounts of physical violence or torture carried out by Joshua, including instances of child abuse and people being whipped and chained Numerous women who say they were sexually assaulted by Joshua, with a number claiming they were repeatedly raped for years inside the compound Multiple allegations of forced abortions inside the church following the alleged rapes by Joshua, including one woman who says she had five terminations Multiple first-hand accounts detailing how Joshua faked his "miracle healings", which were broadcast to millions of people around the world One of the victims, a British woman, called Rae, was 21 years old when she abandoned her degree at Brighton University in 2002 and was recruited into the church. She spent the next 12 years as one of Joshua's so-called "disciples" inside his maze-like concrete compound in Lagos. "We all thought we were in heaven, but we were in hell, and in hell terrible things happen," she told the BBC. Rae says she was sexually assaulted by Joshua and subjected to a form of solitary confinement for two years. The abuse was so severe, she says she attempted suicide multiple times inside the compound. The Synagogue Church of All Nations [Scoan] has a global following, operating a Christian TV channel called Emmanuel TV and social media networks with millions of viewers. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, tens of thousands of pilgrims from Europe, the Americas, South East Asia and Africa travelled to the church in Nigeria to witness Joshua performing "healing miracles". At least 150 visitors lived with him as disciples inside his compound in Lagos, sometimes for decades. Rae spent 12 years in Joshua's compound Image caption, More than 25 former "disciples" spoke to the BBC - from the UK, Nigeria, US, South Africa, Ghana, Namibia and Germany - giving powerful corroborating testimony about their experiences within the church, with the most recent experiences in 2019. Many victims were in their teens when they first joined. In some of the British cases, their transport to Lagos was paid for by Joshua, in co-ordination with other UK churches. Rae and multiple other interviewees compared their experiences to being in a cult. Jessica Kaimu, from Namibia, says her ordeal lasted more than five years. She says she was 17 when Joshua first raped her, and that subsequent instances of rape by TB Joshua led to her having five forced abortions while there. "These were backdoor type… medical treatments that we were going through… it could have killed us," she told the BBC. Other interviewees say they were stripped and beaten with electrical cables and horse whips, and routinely denied sleep. A shocking journey into a maze of manipulation and terrifying abuse perpetrated by one of the most powerful religious figures of the 21st Century On his death in June 2021, TB Joshua was hailed as one of the most influential pastors in African history. Rising from poverty, he built an evangelical empire that counted dozens of political leaders, celebrities and international footballers among his associates. He did, however, attract some controversy during his lifetime when a guesthouse for church pilgrims collapsed in 2014, killing at least 116 people. The BBC's investigation, which was carried out with international media platform Open Democracy, is the first time multiple former church insiders have come forward to speak on the record. They say they've spent years trying to raise the alarm, but have effectively been silenced. A number of our witnesses in Nigeria claim they were physically attacked, and in one case shot at, after previously speaking out against the abuse and posting videos containing allegations on YouTube. A BBC crew that attempted to record footage of the church's Lagos compound from a public street in March 2022 was also fired at by the church's security, and was detained for a number of hours. The BBC contacted Scoan with the allegations in our investigation. It did not respond to them, but denied previous claims against TB Joshua. "Making unfounded allegations against Prophet TB Joshua is not a new occurrence… None of the allegations was ever substantiated," it wrote. Four of the British citizens who spoke to the BBC say they reported the abuse to the UK authorities after escaping the church. They say no further action was taken. Anneka says she believes there are many victims yet to speak out Image caption, In addition, a British man and his wife emailed eyewitness accounts of their ordeal and video evidence - including recordings of being held at gunpoint by men describing themselves as police who are also members of Scoan - to the British High Commission in Nigeria in March 2010 after fleeing the church. In his email, the man said his wife had been repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped by Joshua. He warned the commission that other British nationals were still inside the compound facing atrocities. He also says no action was taken. The UK Foreign Office did not respond to these claims, but told the BBC that it takes all reports of crime, including sexual assault and violence against British nationals overseas, very seriously. Scoan continues to thrive today, under the leadership of Joshua's widow, Evelyn. In July 2023, she led a tour of Spain. Anneka, who left Derby in the UK to join Scoan at the age of 17, told the BBC she believes there are many other victims who have yet to speak out. She hopes further steps will be taken to uncover Joshua's actions. "I believe the Synagogue Church of All Nations needs a thorough investigation into why this man was able to function for so long the way he did," she said.
And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved...... "When you toss a coin" - (they left that bit out).
Damn it, jesus didn't save them, gummint didn't save them, no one saved them. "Must have been the wrong church where God was absent, fukkit, I need to try a different church next time, hope to get it right, b'jezus might be there next time at the church I try out."
Hey guys! I'M looking fur jesus! Where do I find him? Which church do I go to? Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Mormon, JW, Anglican, Pentecostal, Adventist, Lutheran, Orthodox, Brethren, Baptist....? So many choices and they've all got their different justifications, excuses, opinions, bullshit.
Gloriavale is not too far from Christchurch (just across on the opposite coast of South Island). Christchurch is another place, probably associated by its name, which is a hotbed of religous nutters. I wish Trump would start a cult, I'd join that - oh wait, he already has. It's got everything, sex, money, b'jesus.
Video Duration 24 minutes 40 seconds 24:40 Inside paedophilia scandals in one of the most Catholic nations 101 East investigates alleged paedophilia scandals involving high-profile Catholic priests in East Timor. Published On 14 Mar 2024 https://www.aljazeera.com/program/1...-scandals-in-one-of-the-most-catholic-nations The Catholic Church is central to everyday life in East Timor, where nearly 98 percent of people practise Catholicism. But there is a dark side to the church’s presence in the far east of the Indonesian archipelago – paedophilia scandals involving high-profile clergymen. American priest Richard Daschbach is in prison for his crimes but retains the support of the country’s prime minister, Xanana Gusmao. Meanwhile, Timorese Bishop Ximenes Belo, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been disciplined by the Vatican following multiple accusations of rape and sexual assault of young boys.
Does anyone get scared by these verses? 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ I believe we have to make sure we go to heaven and make sure we are doing God's will.
Well first of all you need to run a few questions. Who actually said those words, who wrote those words? Who is claiming those words are from god? In amongst those words of the entire bible, how many (other) errors are there? How humanly possible is it to achieve these words? Why are humans forced by god to fit a mold of conformity where all must be in lockstep to a single command? I use a lower case 'g' to describe god because in my opinion this is a human invention. There may be a God, but its not the human invention God, its 100% polar opposite to the unattainable unbelievable mythological jewish bullshit that so many humans idolize and fail.
Which flawed humans decided to educate other flawed humans, they represent the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? The irony!