The Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) is a

charismatic Charisma () is a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects. Scholars in sociology, political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership seen as extraordinary; in these fields, the term "ch ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

megachurch located in Lagos, Nigeria.

History

T. B. Joshua Temitope Balogun Joshua (12 June 1963 – 5 June 2021), popularly known as T. B. Joshua, was a Nigerian charismatic pastor, televangelist, and philanthropist. He was the leader and founder of Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), a Chris ...

wrote that in a heavenly vision he received 'divine anointing' and a covenant from God to start his ministry in 1987. The church started with a handful of 8 members but has since become one of Nigeria’s most influential churches, attracting over 50,000 people to its weekly Sunday services at the headquarters in Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos. Joshua, the church's founder and senior Pastor died following services on June 5, 2021.

Religious tourism

SCOAN is especially known for the huge number of foreign visitors it attracts with ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' reporting the church receives more weekly attendees than the combined number of visitors to

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

and the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

. This Day newspapers reported that “about two million local and inbound tourists” visit SCOAN annually. It has been described as “Nigeria’s biggest tourist attraction” and “the most visited destination by religious tourists in West Africa”. Figures released by the Nigerian Immigration Service indicated that six out of every ten foreign travellers coming into Nigeria are bound for SCOAN. SCOAN’s contribution to Nigeria's religious tourism was highlighted when the cleric hinted at the possibility of relocating his ministry to Israel during a Sunday service. The announcement proved controversial with several prominent Nigerians urging him to remain in the country, citing the economic setbacks Nigeria would likely experience through his potential relocation. The church's popular services have also resulted in an enormous boost for local businesses and hoteliers.

Faith healing

SCOAN claims regular occurrences of divine miracles. It has published numerous videos claiming to document the healing of incurable disabilities and illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, blindness and open wounds. Spiritual healing at SCOAN has been the subject of several media reports, including a mention in ''

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...

'', an ''

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'' interview and an article by ''

Foreign Policy A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...

''.

Television

The church's weekly services are broadcast live on

Emmanuel TV Emmanuel TV is a Christian television network with headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. It was founded by T.B. Joshua, former senior pastor of the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), in Lagos, Nigeria. It is also the most subscribed Christian ...

as well as on SCOAN's social media platforms. SCOAN is particularly popular on social media with 1.4 million YouTube subscribers and 3.5 million Facebook followers.

References

External links

* {{coord missing, Nigeria Christian organizations based in Nigeria Christianity in Lagos Evangelical megachurches in Nigeria Religious organizations based in Lagos 1987 establishments in Nigeria Churches in Lagos Pentecostal churches in Nigeria