DOCUMENTARY: Moses Orimolade: The Crippled Prophet Who Walked Nigeria into Revival

 By Victor Olubiye

In the quiet town of Ikare in present-day Ondo State, a child was born in 1879 to the family of Tunolase, a respected herbalist and spiritualist. That child, Moses Orimolade Tunolase, would later become one of the most influential figures in Nigeria’s religious history—the founder of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, and a trailblazer of indigenous African Christianity.

Stories about his birth are wrapped in mystery and legend. Some say he spoke shortly after birth, others claim he walked within days. While these accounts are not recorded in formal documents, they reflect how the people around him saw his life—as nothing short of miraculous. What is well established, however, is that Orimolade was partially disabled, possibly from birth or early childhood, and moved with difficulty all his life. Yet despite his physical limitations, he would travel extensively across Nigeria, preaching a gospel of holiness, healing, and prophetic revival.

He began his ministry as a devout Anglican, but by the early 20th century, he had started holding open-air healing services, fasting and praying for long hours, and prophesying in Yoruba and English. His ministry emphasized spiritual power through prayer, dreams, visions, and the ministry of angels—especially the Cherubim and Seraphim, from which the church takes its name.

In 1925, his ministry took a dramatic turn after he helped revive a teenage girl named Abiodun Akinsowon, who had fallen into a trance after claiming to have seen a heavenly vision. When she regained consciousness, she and Orimolade began holding joint services that attracted massive crowds. Though the two later parted ways due to doctrinal differences, their collaboration marked the birth of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Nigeria’s first Aladura (Prayer People) movement.

Orimolade introduced white garments in worship to symbolize purity. He also popularized the use of anointing oil, incense, candles, prayer staffs, holy water, and handbells—tools that blended Christian symbolism with deep Yoruba spirituality. His followers saw him not just as a prophet, but as a spiritual reformer who challenged the limitations of both missionary Christianity and native religion.

Despite his growing influence, Orimolade remained deeply humble. He lived simply, refused material rewards, and often gave his offerings to the poor. He never sought political power or personal titles, preferring instead to be called Baba Aladura—Father of Prayer.

He passed away in 1933 in Lagos, and was buried in Ojokoro, near Agege, where his tomb remains a pilgrimage site to this day.

Through his life and ministry, Moses Orimolade Tunolase gave birth to a religious legacy that still flourishes across Nigeria and beyond. The Cherubim and Seraphim Church, with its millions of adherents worldwide, stands as a living monument to a man who, though physically limited, moved an entire generation by the force of his faith.