Life And Mission Of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola

Babalola was born of Yoruba parents at Odo-Owa, Nigeria, and was brought up as an Anglican. Having left elementary school, he was employed in the Public Works Department as a steam roller operator. In October 1928, his steam roller suddenly broke down. While trying to repair his machine, he believed that Jesus Christ called him to abandon the job and start preaching. After a successful first crusade at Yagba, he later joined Faith Tabernacle in Lagos, which was affiliated to an American Divine Healing church.
In July 1930 the Lord used Babalola to raise a 10 years old dead boy to life. From then on, with bell and Yoruba Bible in hand, he embarked on a healing tour of the Yorubaland and eastern Nigeria, preaching about repentance, and renunciation of idolatry, the importance of prayer and fasting, and the power of God to heal sickness.
In 1931, Faith Tabernacle of Nigeria affiliated with the British Apostolic Church to protect itself from colonial persecution. Then following a schism in the Apostolic Church about 1940, Bablola went with a new independent church, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), where he continued his healing and revivalistic activities until his death. The CAC regards Babalola as an apostle and his revival ministry as the beginning of the church. A CAC retreat center was built where Babalola was first called in 1928.
The Christ Apostolic Church has not died along with Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola in 1959. As a matter of fact it has grown rapidly over the years, with many churches under the Christ Apostolic Church name but each church with a specific branch name.