Apostle Babalola, Joseph Ayo
1904 to 1959
Christ Apostolic Church (Aladura)
Nigeria
Leader of the Nigerian Aladura (the
praying people) revival of the mid-
twentieth century.
Babalola was born of Yoruba
parents at Ilofa, Nigeria, and was
brought up as an Anglican. Having
left elementary school, he was
employed in the Public Works
Department as a steam roller
operator. In October 1928, while
trying to repair his machine, he
claimed that Jesus Christ called
him to abandon the job and start
preaching. He then joined Faith
Tabernacle in Lagos, which was
related to an American Pentecostal
organization. In September 1930
Babalola was credited with raising
a dead man to life. From then on,
with bell and Yoruba Bible in hand,
he toured Yorubaland and eastern
Nigeria, preaching about
repentance, and renunciation of
idolatry, the importance of prayer
and fasting, and the power of God to
heal sickness. In 1930 Faith
Tabernacle affiliated with the British
Apostolic Church.
Then following a
schism in the Apostolic Church
about 1940, Bablola went with a
new independent church, Christ
Apostolic Church (CAC), where he
continued his healing and
revivalistic activities until his
death.
The CAC regards Babalola as
an apostle and his revival ministry
as the beginning of the church.
A
CAC retreat center was built where
Babalola was first called in 1928.