Life and mission
Babalola was born of Yoruba
parents at Ilofa, Nigeria, and was
brought up as an Anglican. He
was registered at an elementary
school at Oto-Awori on Badagry
road in 1919. Having left
elementary school, he was
employed in the Public Works
Department as a steam roller
operator. On October 11, 1928,
while trying to repair his
machine, he heard an audible
voice from the Lord 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,
through the power of God, raised
a dead boy to life. This divinely
kicked off The Great Revival of
1930, which saw people coming
from most parts of Africa and
diaspora without posters and TV
adverts. 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 at Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State
where Babalola was first called in
1928.
The Christ Apostolic Church has
not died along with Apostle
Joseph Ayo Babalola in 1959. As
a matter of fact it has grown
rapidly over the years, with many
churches under the Christ
Apostolic Church name but each
church with a specific branch
name.
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