Hakeem Gbadamosi traces the roots and mystery surrounding the birth, ministry and death of renowned prophet and founder of Africa’s first indigenous church, the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Moses Orimolade Tunolase.
Though many indigenes of Ikare Akoko in Akoko North East Local Government Area of Ondo State, where the great preacher hailed from, were not very familiar with his ministry until his death when faithfuls turned his resting place to a Mecca of sorts, years after his death, he is still regarded as a great healer.
A miraculous beginning
Moses Orimolade Tunolase was born in 1847 into the family of Tunolase Egunjobi, who was an idol worshipper and a popular herbalist in Ikare Akoko. Speaking on the myth surrounding Moses Orimolade’s birth, one of his cousins, 87-year-old Elder George Olarenwaju Tunolase, disclosed that Orimolade had been a powerful being before he was born. He explained that when Orimolade was in the womb, he usually talked with his mother, giving advice on what to do and what to avoid.
According to him, the first time the mother noticed the baby in her womb talking to her, she was so scared and had to leave for home immediately from the farm.
He said:”The mother was in the farm waiting for someone to help her lift the wood she had fetched onto her head, but after waiting for so long with no help in sight,the baby in her womb told her to lift it, that he would help her. But the mother was so scared that he ran home.
“She informed her husband about the strange occurrence, but her husband told her not to worry. He told her the baby in her womb would be a great person. Since then the baby talked to her, advised her on what to do and not to do until he was delivered.”
Elder George Tunolase, who is the Baba Aladura General, Spiritual Head, Cherubim and Seraphim worldwide, said “the mother found it difficult to deliver him, and it took days before Moses was delivered. When he was eventually delivered,he started walking immediately.
“His father, who was a herbalist, struck him with his magical rod and Moses failed to walk until he was twelve years old. The father’s action was to avoid embarrassment for the family but it took his mother 12 years to carry Moses about, unlike his peers.”
Elder George said the young Moses miraculously stood on his two legs when he was around 12 years old. He said: “Moses’ mother always carried him to the bathroom, but on this fateful day, he did not call his mother but walked straight into the house and everybody was shocked.From that day, he started to walk.”
He also disclosed that Moses did not marry nor have children.
A man of unparalleled Christian conviction
Speaking on how Moses Orimolade got involved in the ministry, a leading Prophet of the Aladura Church in Akure, David Akinadewo, said Orimolade was often left in the custody of the clergyman of a Missionary Society of the Anglican Communion, where he learnt to pray and preach the word of God.
He was said to start reading from the Yoruba Bible earlier translated by Bishop Ajayi Crowther miraculously as he did not attend any school or have formal education.
“He openly confronted witches and wizards, condemning idol worshippers in the town and villages, while he also condemned the prevalent practice of human sacrifice and helped to convert many to embrace the Christian faith,” he said.
According to Akinadewo, traditional worshippers willingly gave up their charms and images for burning in response to his preaching and prayers. He directed his converts to the existing churches, irrespective of denominations, and where no church existed, he helped establish one. Some of the churches established by Orimolade were actually established for the Church Missionary Society before he left for Lagos.
He however said trouble started in the church when some leaders of the church perceived Moses Orimolade to be assuming the leadership of the church through his many miracles, converting people to the Christian faith, while the views of some leaders of the church of the western world contradicted the views and moral values of the European Christians.
The manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit among the African converts were misunderstood and mistaken by the missionaries for diabolical African voodoo. Polygamous marriages were dissolved, resulting in the bastardisation of the children from these African traditional marriage.
The prosperity and popularity of Moses Orimolade was not welcomed among the Anglican leadership and led to his ejection from the premises of the Holy Trinity on September 11, 1924. This aroused the sympathy and support of people in and around the church. They followed Orimolade out of the Holy Trinity and thereafter, to his place of residence.
This led to the formation of a group where drumming, clapping and dancing were introduced as methods of worship and people started gathering into prayer groups, which was referred to as Egbe Aladura. The Aladuras promoted and popularised the power of prayer to heal, which became the known Cherubim and Seraphim of today. Orimolade called this group of supporters and sympathisers the “Aladura Band” and continued his preaching and prayer with them.
A mysterious death
Moses Orimolade died on October 19, 1933, at Ojokoro, where the first Aladura church was built and he instructed his followers to exhume his body forty years after his death and bury him in his hometown, Ikare, Akoko in Ondo State. His body was exhumed after 40 years, but not without another surprise. Orimolade’s body was said to be fresh and intact without decay, while his clothes were as white as snow.
A giant statute of Moses Orimolade, the founder, was erected at the site of the tomb, while people from all walks of life usually come there to pray The church faithful would dance round the mausoleum. Not only this, the faithful also place kegs of water and other things around the site to pray, invoking the God of Moses Orimolade to heal, assist and answer their prayers.
A similar experience is still playing out where he was buried as faithfuls from all walks of life visit the tomb to pray. A member of the church in Ikare said “since 1975 when the body of Orimolade was transfered to his final resting place, people have been coming here and this has placed our town on the world map.
Speaking on the importance of the annual celebration of the founder of C&S, the traditional ruler of Ikare, the Owa Ale of Ikare, affirms that the town has become more or less a Mecca of sorts, as people from across the world visited the mountain the cleric was buried on daily basis.
He described the late founder as a great man and cleric, who would not be forgotten by the people of Ikare Akoko. According to the monarch, the annual celebration of the great cleric added value to the economy of the town.
He said: “We host the C&S faithful here in October who always visit here to celebrate the life and times of Orimolade and I can tell you that this has contributed to the economy of this town.”
The monarch also Orimolade’s roots to the royal family in Ikare Akoko, disclosing that his mother was from the Owa Ale royal family, andthis was the reasons why the rod used by Moses Orimolade was kept in the palace. He said many mysteries were woven round the prophet and he was said to have possessed an unrivalled supernatural power.
When Nigerian Tribune visited the Ori-Oke Aanu, located at Iyometa area, by the tomb, there were kegs of water, Bible, candles, crucifix and other things.At the entrance of the mausoleum, there were kegs of water, while people were on ground to pray for the intercession of Moses Orimolade.
Some of them who spoke with Nigerian Tribune expressed their belief in the power of the late cleric, despite his death some 85 years ago.
There is a well in the mansoleum known as Konga Mose. The water from this well is believed to be efficient in healing all kinds of diseases. The well was said to have been blessed by the late founder who used it for healing all kinds of diseases. Women are not allowed to fetch from the well; only men are permitted. It is said that any female that fetched from the well would have her menstruation seized forever and would not conceive.
A prophet said:”This is a holy land, I am here to pray for my people and I believe all my prayers have been answered. I came all the way from Kaduna and that’s how I come twice or thrice in a year. Some other people come here to spend weeks or months to pray and I can assure you that all prayers are answered here. Though he’s dead, his spirit is still very much alive here,” he said.
Another prophet, Toluwanimi Adesokan, said: “Here at Oke-Anu (Mercyland) all prayers are answered. The 85th anniversary of the founder will be celebrated next October and we are expecting our members across the globe. It is going to be a great event.”
Madam Orilonise Bashiru said: “We always look forward to October, when we usually have visitors from all over the world here to celebrate and remember Moses Orimolade. We usually make a lot of sales. We are looking forward towards October this year but we are all praying towards next year, when the church will celebrate the 85th anniversary of the death of the founder of C&S because business always boom during this period.”
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