BENSON IDAHOSA,THE “NEVERS MUMBA” OF NIGERIA

BENSON IDAHOSA,THE “NEVERS MUMBA” OF NIGERIA

Pastor Gabriel C Chewe

Dr Nevers Mumba is probably the greatest Evangelist to ever come out of Zambia.His influence & impact at the height of his Ministry ‘Zambia Shall be Saved’was & is still unmatched,I mean this was a time when there was no social media & TVs were a luxury.His far reaching weight was both in Church circles, mainstream & non,down to the pinnacles of political powers of the time.He was revered.The same as Archbishop Benson.

Benson Andrew Idahosa, was a Charismatic/ Pentecostal preacher. He is the founder of Church of God Mission International, Archbishop Benson Idahosa was popularly referred to as the father of Pentecostalism in Nigeria.

Idahosa was the founder of Benson Idahosa University in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Born September 11, 1938, in Benin City, Nigeria and Died March 12, 1998, Benin City, Nigeria

Recorded down in the annals, a story was told of Arch Bishop Benson Idahosa. The colossal and widely known Arch Bishop once sent his son in the gospel, Duncan Williams to the president of Ghana as at the time.

The fiery Idahosa conveyed his message through his son to the president; he demanded that Duncan Williams, his son, be given space on the National Television to preach. The message accurately sent, to which the Ghanaian president replied: “Who’s Idahosa?

Duncan Williams returned to Idahosa with the response of the Ghanaian president. On receiving the feedback, Idahosa spoke a word: ” I, Benson Idahosa, I dethrone you” in less than a month, the president was killed and was replaced by Jerry John Rawlings .

Again, Idahosa came demanding that space on the National Television be given to Duncan to preach, Jerry, having learnt of what happened to his predecessor, obediently gave Duncan the platform to preach.

Strange to today’s condition, the influence of the late Arch Bishop was not confined to the four walls of the Church as he went about; in his authority, doing good and dominating the cosmos.

In his days, you couldn’t talk down on churches , the secular world, being in awe of him, gladly answered to his authority. The governments of most African countries especially that of Nigeria couldn’t back kick the church. Yes, he was that a force.

Worthy of note also is the recognition he got from the American Christian bodies and his association with the western patriarchs of faith; Diametrically opposed to what we see today.

Idahosa was a close friend to the revered T. L Osborne, mentored by Pa S. G Elton, schooled at Gordon Lindsey’s bible college and an ally to the late, Morris Cerullo.

He lay hands on one of the most celebrated evangelists in Christian history, Reinhard Bonnke & Benny Hinny.