- Church of the Lord (Aladura)
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The Church of the Lord (Aladura) is an African Initiated Church founded by the first Primate and Late Prophet Dr. Josiah Olunowo Ositelu in 1925, but inaugurated in 1930 in Ogere-Remo, Shagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria; Reference: Journey So Far, ISBN 3-8258-6087-7; Publication - TCLAW Publishers, 2009.
"Aladura" in Yoruba means "owners of prayer", "Prayer Fellowship" or "The Praying People".
Also known as Aladura churches, they emphasize the power in praying and believe in faith healing and various elements associated with Pentecostalism. Most of the founders of the churches were associated with Anglicanism, though some Methodists joined the movement as well. The churches despise the power of traditional African religion, because they deem that power to be basically malign. Therefore they sometimes burn cult images as "idols" and oppose both polygamy and witchcraft. Unlike Kimbanguism, the churches tend to avoid politics and focus instead on the "holiness movement."
Dr. Rufus Okikiola Ositelu (Ph.D. Comp. Sc.; Ph.D. Theo.) is Archbishop And Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Nigeria and the Primate of The Church of the Lord (Aladura) Organisation Worldwide
Contents
Tenets
The Six Tenets of the church can be described as:
- Pentecostal in Power
- Prophetic in Ministry
- Biblical in Pattern
- Evangelical in Mission
- Ecumenical in Outlook and
- Social in Responsibility
Reference: Journey So Far, ISBN 3-8258-6087-7; Publication - TCLAW Publishers, 2009.
Affiliations
- World Council of Churches (WCC) 1975
- All African Conference of Churches (AACC) 1975
- Organisation of African Independent (Initiated) Churches (OAIC) 1978
- British Council of Churches (BCC) 1979
- Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) 1984
- Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) 1988
- International Ministerial Council of Great Britain (IMCGB) 1993
- founding member of the International Ministerial Council of Germany (IMCOG) 1994
- Afro-Caribbean Churches in the UK (ACCUK).
- founding member of the Council of African Christian Communities in Europe (CACCE) 1999
- founding member of the International Convent of Christian Congregations, Rhein-Main, Germany (ICCCRG) 1999
In 1996, the Church hosted a WCC Consultative Meeting with African Instituted Churches.
Provincial offices
- Lome, Togo
- Kumasi, Ghana
- Wellington, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- London, England
- Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Sevila, Spain
- Luxembourg
- Griffen Glen Way, Ireland
See also
- List of Christian denominations by number of members states there are 2 million members
- Christ Apostolic Miracle Ministry
References
- Rufus Okikiolaolu Olubiyi Ositelu, African Instituted Churches: Diversities, Growth, Gifts, Spirituality and Ecumenical Understanding of African Initiated Churches, Series no.:18 Beiträge zur Missionswissenschaft und interkulturellen Theologie Bd. 18, 2002, 232 Pages., 25.90 EUR, br., ISBN 3-8258-6087-6
- John S. Pobee and Gabriel Olusegun Ositelu, African Initiatives in Christianity: The growth, gifts and diversities of indigenous African churches, A challenge to the ecumenical movement, Risk Book Series no.: 83, Geneva : WCC Publications, 1998, 73 Pages, br., ISBN 2-8254-1277-5
External links
Categories:- African initiated churches
- Christianity in Africa
- Pentecostal denominations
- Christianity in Nigeria
- Religious organizations established in 1930
- Christian denominations, unions, and movements established in the 20th century
- Christian new religious movements
- Christian denomination stubs
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