Nigerian preacher TB Joshua, one of Africa’s most influential evangelists, has died at the age of 57. The BBC broke the news. But, to remember him on his Facebook page, which has more than five million followers, a post was published that said: “God took his prophet servant TB Joshua home – as it should be by divine will. His last moments on earth were spent in God’s service. This is what he was born for, lived for, and died for. ‘
He is reported to have died on Saturday, shortly after conducting a live broadcast, but the cause of his death has not been made public. Tens of thousands attended his meetings and TV reports, including the best politicians from all over Africa among his followers.
Its rise to prominence in the late 1990s coincided with the explosion of “miraculous” programs broadcast on national television by various pastors. TB Joshua, who professed to heal all kinds of diseases, including AIDS, was often contested for his way of preaching and for the moments, defined as “liberation”, a sort of intense prayer that reminded many, exorcism.
Known as the “Prophet” by his followers, he ran the Christian television station Emmanuel TV and often toured Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom and South America.