Photo: The late Prophet TB Joshua and widow, Evelyn
The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN) has confirmed Evelyn Joshua, wife of its founder, Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua, as the successor to her late husband barely, one week after his burial.
This is contained in a statement issued by the church at the weekend to the effect that Mrs Evelyn Joshua is to fully take over the church as the successor to her late husband:
The statement reads in part:
“Mrs. Evelyn Joshua is in a mourning mood, following the burial of her late husband on Friday 9 July, 2021 and as a responsible wife and mother, the least favour she deserves from well-meaning Nigerians is for them to respect the family’s privacy at these trying times.
“Rather than fan the embers of strife and animosity, she has remained focused on preserving the legacies of her late husband.
“Even when her husband was alive, she was not known to be an over-ambitious and domineering woman. Instead, she preferred to support her husband and the ministry from behind without exhibiting any selfish instincts even when she had all the powers to do so.
“What other proof do we need to know that she is a great leader who can manage people and situations?
“As the legally married wife of the late Prophet, Mrs. Evelyn Joshua cannot be in contention whatsoever with any person or group of persons over what legally and naturally belongs to her.
“Every member of The SCOAN, including the disciples and Emmanuel TV partners should see themselves as sons and daughters of Mrs. Evelyn Joshua who is an extension of her late husband, according to biblical injunction (Genesis 2:24).
“The general public is hereby advised to disregard all media reports insinuating that elders of the church have rejected Mrs. Evelyn Joshua as the new leader of the church.
“There was never a time when elders of the church sat together to deliberate on any succession issue.
“For now, Mrs. Evelyn Joshua is in charge of coordinating the affairs of the church,” the statement said.
Periscope International reports that there was initially a slew of rumors immediately after the late televangelist died on June 5, that the SCOAN was embroiled in a succession feud between Evelyn and a group of evangelists, to which the ministry earlier refuted but the rumor mills refused to abate.
However, that has been finally laid to rest by the latest statement, which also stressed that the rumors were mere attempts by some mischief makers to drag the ministry into needless controversy.
