Christiana Emanuel

Background

Abiodun Akinsowon was born in 1907 to a Saro family. The daughter of a pastor, Abiodun was baptised into the Anglican Church in Lagos, Nigeria, where she attended elementary school.

Career

In 1925, while watching a Catholic Corpus Christi procession, Abiodun reportedly fell into a lengthy trance. She awoke from her coma after the healer Moses Orimolade arrived to pray for her. Upon waking, Abiodun claimed she had been visited by angels, who had taken her to heaven.

In 1927 Abiodun led an evangelical tour of Western Nigeria, condemning the worship of traditional gods and encouraging Christian prayer.

The split arose from disputes within the group over the role of female leadership. After Orimolade"s death, Abiodun campaigned to be recognised as the supreme head of the church, claiming she had been discriminated against as a woman.

Achievements

• Abiodun demanded to be recognised as co-founder of the Church. This was viewed by Orimolade, who denied Abiodun was co-founder, as insubordination, and led to their eventual split.