Celestial Church of Christ
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Celestial Church of Christ is an African Initiated Church originating with Samuel Bilehou Oschoffa from 1947-1950.
[edit] Founder
Samuel Bilewu Joseph Oshoffa was a carpenter born in Dahomey, now called Benin in 1909. A traumatic experience led to a spiritual awakening which led him to found the group in 1947. His charismatic style earned him honorifics like: Reverend, Pastor, Prophet, and or Founder. As "The Pastor" he had ultimate and unchallengeable authority in doctrinal and disciplinary matters. This made his death in 1985, after a vehicular accident, problemattic. Although the group rebounded and remains a prominent West African denomination, and now has churches all over the United states and in europe.
[edit] Beliefs
Although the group takes elements from Yoruba thought, it also has strong similarities to the "purification movements" against paganism that are relatively common in African Christianity and also Islam. Oschoffa believed he had a mission to combat "'Satan', 'fetish priests' and other 'powers of darkness'."(Marburg article) The name for the group is said to come from an Alexander Yanga that he had healed. The name signifies that they deem themselves as celestial or a representative of the heavenly on Earth. They call God-Jehova, Jesus-Jesu Kristi, and the Holy Spirit is Emi Mimo. The Bible alone is seen as insufficient without the Celestial Church.
They place strong emphasis on contacting angelic forces through prayer and being on guard against demons or sorcerers. The archangels are given strong importance. Therefore prayers are started with an invocation to Jehova, Jesu Kristi, and Michael Mimo (God the Father, Jesus, and Archangel Michael) Archangel Gabriel is said to heal and have jurisdiction of the West. Archangel Raphael is of the South and has force. Uriel is the least invoked and has the north axis. The level of importance given to invoking angels and avoiding demons is believed by some to be a Yoruba spiritualist aspect.
Members give testimonials of past instances of witchcraft. Also they believe objects can be blessed. Prophecies and dreams are deemed important to the group. They are hierarchical and do not ordain women because they are deemed to be ritually impure.
