Christiana Abiodun Emanuel, born Abiodun Akinsowon (1907–1994), was the co-founder of the Cherubim and Seraphim, an

Aladura The term "Aladura" means "praying person" in Yoruba. Aladura is a classification of indigenous churches in south-western Nigeria that started in the early 20th century. These churches believe in the efficacy of prayers and practical guidance by ...

Christian denomination A Christian denomination is a distinct religious body within Christianity that comprises all church congregations of the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadership, theological doctrine, worsh ...

. After a

schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...

in the Church, she founded and led the Cherubim and Seraphim Society.

Personal life

Abiodun Akinsowon was born in 1907 to a Saro family. The daughter of a

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

, she was baptised into the Anglican Church in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

, Nigeria, where she attended elementary school. In 1920, she left school to join her aunt as a trader. In 1942, she married George Orisanya Emanuel, a civil servant working in Lagos City Council.

Founding the Cherubim and Seraphim

In 1925, while watching a Catholic Corpus Christi procession, Emanuel reportedly fell into a lengthy trance. She awoke from her coma after the healer Moses Orimolade arrived to pray for her. Waking, Emanuel claimed she had been visited by

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

s who had taken her to heaven. As increasing numbers of visitors came to hear of her visions, Emanuel and Orimolade founded an interdenominational prayer group called the Cherubim and Seraphim. In 1927, Emanuel led an evangelical tour of Western Nigeria, condemning the worship of traditional gods and encouraging Christian prayer. In 1928, they established the Cherubim and Seraphim as its own independent church, within the

tradition.

Schism and reconciliation

In 1929, the Cherubim and Seraphim underwent its first schism, with Emanuel founding the Cherubim and Seraphim Society and Orimolade founding the

Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim The Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim, also known as the esocs, is a church denomination in Nigeria that was founded by Moses Orimolade Tunolase in 1925. Orimolade received considerable media attention when he healed a girl, Christina A ...

. The split arose from disputes within the group over the role of female leadership. Emanuel demanded to be recognised as co-founder of the church. This was viewed by Orimolade, who denied she was co-founder, as insubordination, and led to their eventual split. This was followed by other schisms, leading to the existence of more than 10 separate sects within the Cherubim and Seraphim. After Orimolade's death, Emanuel campaigned to be recognised as the supreme head of the church, claiming she had been discriminated against as a woman. In 1986, in an attempt to reunite the disparate groupings within the Church, she was reinstalled as leader of a united Cherubim and Seraphim Church.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abiodun Emanuel, Christiana 1907 births 1994 deaths Founders of new religious movements Saro people Yoruba Christian clergy Women Christian clergy Angelic visionaries 20th-century Nigerian clergy 20th-century Protestant religious leaders