Renowned by many as the father of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, Archbishop Benson Idahosa was a Charismatic Pentecostal preacher, and founder of the Church of God Mission International. He was also the first ordained Pentecostal Archbishop in Nigeria and was well known for his robust faith in God.

Born on 13th September, 1938 in Benin to a non-christian parents, little Benson was frail and sicky which made him have constant fainting spells as a child. His health was so bad that his father, John ordered his mother, Sarah to throw him away in a rubbish bin. This she did, but after hours of wailing, he was rescued by his mother.

He was rejected by his father, sent to work on a farm as a servant and was denied education until he was 14 years old. Idahosa struggled to get regular education up to the secondary school level, due to his poor background.

Idahosa became a Christian in 1952 after a dramatic encounter with Pastor Okpo on a football field one Sunday afternoon while he was playing football with his friends. He became the first Bini member of the Pastor Okpo’s fledging congregation and as a young convert, he became very zealous in winning souls and in conducting outreaches in villages around Benin City.

One night in 1968, his room was filled with God’s presence and he was awoken from sleep by a voice. It was the Lord speaking to him about his future mission.

“I have called you that you might take the gospel around the world in my name, preach the gospel, and I will confirm my word with signs following.”

After his call, Benson launched into ministry work preaching from village to village the gospel of Jesus Christ. Idahosa started a Bible study group in front of a store and within few years they outgrew the place bought a piece of land to build a bigger church facility. More people confessed Christ as their Saviour, and more healings occurred as he prayed for the sick.

By 1971, he had established churches all over Nigeria and Ghana, and in 1981, he was ordained as the first Pentecostal Bishop in Nigeria by David Du Plesis (known as Mr. Pentecost) and two other Bishops. Idahosa also pioneered a television ministry, ‘Redemption Hour’ which made him to become the first TV evangelist in Africa.

His desire to meet the needs of the total man led him to establish several other arms of the ministry apart from the church. They include the Faith Mediplex, All Nations for Christ Bible Institute, Word of Faith Group of Schools and Benson Idahosa University.

He visited and preached in 125 countries including Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, Mexico, USA, Ghana, Cameroun, South African, Australia and Kenya before he died in 1998, aged 59.

He was survived by his wife, Margaret Idahosa and four children- a son and 3 daughters.

Margaret was born in 1943 and was inducted into the ministry in 1983.

She was made the Bishop of Church of God International in April 1998, a month after the death of her husband and was ordained an Archbishop in November 2009, becoming the first African female Archbishop.

She took over as the Chancellor of the Benson Idahosa University, becoming also, the first female Chancellor of a University in Africa.

She was conferred with the Officer of the Order of Niger (OON) by the federal government of Nigeria in 2008.

Their son, Bishop Faith Emmanuel Benson Idahosa II, popularly known as Bishop FEB has taken the footsteps of his father by towing the ministerial line.

He has been the President of Benson Idahosa University since his father’s death. Along with his duties as President of BIU he is also the President of Big Ben’s Children Hospital, Vice President of Faith Mediplex group of hospitals, Vice President of All Nations for Christ Bible Institute Intl., Vice President of the Archbishop Idahosa Foundation and Idahosa World Outreach.