Celestial Church of Christ

Oshoffa was born in French Dahomey (now Benin) in 1909. Raised as a Methodist, he claimed to have had a divine revelation while lost in a forest on 23 May 1947 during a solar eclipse. (The nearest recorded solar eclipse visible in Africa occurred on May 20, not May 23, of that year.) He felt called to pray, to heal the sick, and to raise the dead. He founded his church in September 1947. Having appointed himself Prophet, Reverend, Pastor, and Founder, he occupied the highest office of his movement. The hegemony he exercised on doctrine and discipline issues made succession difficult when he died in 1985 in Lagos, Nigeria. The movement has continued to grow since Oshoffa's death after a contentious succession. Oshoffa was succeeded by Alexander Abiodun Adebayo Bada, who was head of the church until his death on 8 September 2000. Bada was briefly followed as leader by Philip Hunsu Ajose, who died in March 2001. A dispute followed over the succession to Ajose. Some declared Gilbert Oluwatosin Jesse as the new leader, while the majority recognised the Reverend Emmanuel Oshoffa, son of Samuel Oshoffa. Following Jesse's death, his faction declared that Superior Evangelist Paul Suru Maforikan was the new spiritual leader of the church. Contrary to the procedure of succession in Nigeria, the supreme headquarters in Porto-Novo chose Benoit Agbaossi to head the church. Agbaossi appointed Benoit Adeogun as the next director shortly before his death in 2010. ==Beliefs==

The CCC is a prophetic Christian church. Its members call themselves "Celestians", and the church is sometimes informally called “Cele”. The formal name of the church is inspired by a vision, in which Jesus said that Church members adore him as do the angels in heaven, Men and women are separated at the church. Menstruating women and those who have recently given birth are considered to be "unclean" and must not enter the church building or wear the garment for seven days, after which they are to be "sanctified" by the use of water, candle, sponge and soap with palm fronds. Members of CCC are forbidden to engage or participate in any form of idolatry, fetish ceremony or cults, black magic and charms. Only men who are "anointed" are allowed access to the altar. Services often use candles and perfumes during prayers. The church supposedly takes elements from Ogu and Yoruba thought. It also has strong similarities to the "purification movements" against paganism that are relatively common in African Christianity. Oshoffa believed he had a mission to combat "Satan, 'fetish priests' and other 'powers of darkness'" (see Marburg colloquy). ==Imeko Convocation==

Every December, usually, between the 21st and 24th, the church hosts an international event called the Imeko Convocation. It is mandated that every member of CCC attend as a pilgrim. The CCC believes the event attendance is a mandate made by Oshoffa following his declaration that God had chosen Imeko as the New Jerusalem for the fold. == Architecture ==

The temples of worship always face east. An altar stand has seven candle holders that represent the seven spirits of Jehovah as represented in Revelation 4:5. The church auditorium also has different rows for male and female seats. On days that services are observed during the week, such as the Wednesday and the Friday services, another altar is made which has three, rather than seven, candles. ==Demographics and reception==

In 2001, it was the second largest church in Benin by the number of its practitioners with nearly half a million followers. In France, the church is suspected by two anti-cults associations, ADFI and CCMM, of "cultic deviances" and of having committed acts of violence involving the death of a fifteen-year-old minor. ==Bibliography==

• Regard sur le christianisme céleste, documentary film produced by Albert de Surgy, CNRS Audiovisuel, Meudon, 1995, 40' (VHS) ==References==