Nazareth kicks against T.B Joshua’s evangelism outreach

An evangelism outreach of Temitope Balogun Joshua known as T.B Joshua, the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, to Isreal, has been rejected by the locals and religious leaders in the country city of Nazareth. Reports by Israeli medium, Haaretz claimed that Joshua, a popular Nigerian televangelist whose church owns Emmanuel Television, is billed to host the ‘Nazareth Meeting with TB Joshua’ on June 23 and 24 at Mount Precipice. Haaretz, Israeli medium, quoted church officials in Nazareth as urging the clerics in the city to avoid any mention of the visit in their sermons. The officials, according to the paper said: “We beg you to not play in the hands of those organising this type of festival which is an affront to the principles of Christianity, and our national identity, and deals a blow to the social fabric of a city like Nazareth.” Most of the churches in Nazareth have supported the officials’ position, according to the Haaretz, except for the Catholic Church who argued that religious persons from outside Israel should not be stopped from visiting and holding prayers like thousands of pilgrims do. The Haaretz added that Muslims in the city and elsewhere also joined in the demand for the cancellation of Joshua’s event. The newspaper also quoted the Hadash and Youth for Change parties in Nazareth as demanding a meeting about the decision to invite Joshua to hold an event in the city at a city facility against the wishes of a majority of residents. Haaretz quoted the group as saying, “We have asked to take an in-depth look at this issue, at why a city like Nazareth would receive such a person is denied entry to many countries on grounds of criminal suspicions and given his links to the extreme right in Israel. “What’s more, the man is known to have grown wealthy in a way that has raised many questions and therefore we view such a visit as an illegitimate step which contaminates the city and its historic heritage, and we absolutely reject the mayor’s claims that such an event would bring $1 million to the city and would see such a sum were it to actually materialise as an illegitimate contribution that would contaminate the city.” Despite its rejection by the country, the church on Wednesday, June 20, through its social media pages invited people with “health-related challenge” or using “medical support/aid” in Nazareth to meet with the Emmanuel TV team before the day of the event. The invitation added: “Please ensure you bring your medical report or any medical aid you are using.” The page of the Israel newspaper: Haaretz Source: UGC Previously Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of information, culture and tourism, indicated his willingness to visit TB Joshua’s church in Ikotun, Lagos state. He made the disclosure in Lagos, during a recent media briefing with newsmen on the coming UNWTO-CAF meeting scheduled to take place in Abuja.