Brotherhood of the Cross and Star

Brotherhood of the Cross and Star (BCS) is a religious organisation, and was founded in 1956 by Leader Olumba Olumba Obu, in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. It differs from mainstream Christianity in that it maintains that BCS is not a church but the new Kingdom of God on Earth and that its founder, Leader Olumba Olumba Obu, is the Holy Spirit personified, the God of all creation; while His first begotten Son His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu is the returned Jesus Christ. BCS incorporates into Christian teaching ideas of Incarnation, Decarnation, reincarnation and traditional African religions.[1] In the 1990s it was a millenarian religion.

Bethel in Elephant and Castle, London

Beliefs

Central belief: Love towards other men.[2]

God: God is biospiritually interconnected with all things in nature, is male and female, and good and evil.[3]

Jesus: Jesus did not have time to fully communicate his beliefs before crucifixion, and Obu’s role has been to explain, expand upon and add to his teaching. This is why a part of Brotherhood teaching has no counterpart in either the Old or the New Testament.[4] His son, Rowland, continues to add to the teachings. BCS followers suggest that Obu’s achievements have been superior to that of Jesus.[3]

Reincarnation: Because of a belief in the transmigration of souls between humans and animals, BCS members practice vegetarianism and veganism.[5] (They are also teetotal.)

Medicine: The BCS website expressly says that “BCS do not believe in medicine of any form”.[5]

Olumba Olumba Obu: In official BCS literature, it is suggested that Obu has the attributes of God,[5] although Obu has gone on record as saying "I am not Jesus Christ or God.".[6] BCS believes that calamity will come if the world does not worship Obu as God.[7]

Olumba Olumba Obu

Obu was born in 1918 in Biakpan, a village in Biase Local Government Area in Cross River State, South south Nigeria.[8] There are various stories about his early life told by the Brotherhood, and how he performed miracles right from birth. He performed his first miracle when he was just 3 days old. A blind woman who went to carry him received her sight. He later grew up performing more spectacular miracles. This made people to accuse him of being possessed of evil spirit. The BCS sect was officially founded by Obu in 1956.[9] The leader teaches that the sect, the " Brotherhood" which means love and unity was founded spiritually by God himself in the Garden of Eden during creation. Obu's teachings revolves around love and the BCS members are well known for going bare footed in their sparkling white robes. [10]) In the year 2000, Obu crowned his Son then Rowland as the administrative and spiritual head of the sect. Rowland's name was changed to His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu[11]. He has since led the sect with love as the motto. Choristers of the BCS are known for singing melodiously without drums and instruments to the delight of listeners.

Olumba Olumba Obu (son)

Great Leader Olumba Olumba Obu's first son, previously known as Rowland, now teaches in the place of his father. He is in charge of all activities in the sect. Members honour and respect him. His reign has brought about great development in the Kingdom like the establishment of the Starcross TV for wider evangelical coverage and schools for orphans.[12] BCS now call him His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu,"King of Kings and the Lord of Lords".[13]

Millenarianism

In the 1990s BCS through their Spiritual Leader Olumba Olumba Obu said that something spectacular and unprecedented will occur in the year 2000 and that members of the fold should eschew evil, but should embrace love. He publicly declared that the 3 days darkness that was predicted by many religious leaders will not hold[14] . This teachings of Obu was misunderstood by many. They thought that he was referring to the apocalypse. It is now understood by BCS members as having been a Spiritual statement indicating the unconditional reign and rulership of his Son Rowland Obu who took over from Obu that same year. [14]

National politics

BCS is not politically inclined, but her members are involved in Nigerian politics. Their spiritual leader His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu is renowned for making powerful declarations and predictions about Nigerian politics.[15] Many political candidates usually go to the spiritual leader for blessings. They do this amidst heavy donations to the religious sect.[16] In 2015 just before the general elections, His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu predicted during one of their services that the PDP will lose the presidential seat. It came to pass. His most recent notable prediction is the statement he made that president Muhammadu Buhari will not die while on the seat of power. He made this statement during period when the President was critically ill. By this time many Nigerians speculated that he will die while some said that he was dead already. Obu also declared that Nigeria can never be divided. In April 2019 the BCS bethel in Ghana embarked on a mediatory procession to pray for peace in the country's elections the following year. The congregation in Ghana was joined by delegates from Nigeria, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, USA, Uganda and the UK. The march went through some principal streets in the city of Accra and ended at the Independence Square where prayers for peace were offered.[17]

International aspirations

BCS has bethels (churches) in several countries other than Nigeria, and has recently formed a “Government”, sending ambassadors to different countries.[18] The BCS also has a cable TV station, Called "Starcross TV".

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gollark: I'm not running some autoupdating untrusted Electron blob which does stuff like scan processes *already* on an osmarks.tk critical server!
gollark: ··· no.
gollark: I... actually could stick a virtualized Firefox instance on my server, that would be fun!
gollark: In ye olden times I had my desktop on constantly with a Discord instance open.

References
  1. "A New Typology for Africa's New Religious Movements by Friday M. Mbon". dialogcentret.dk. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
  2. What is Brotherhood Of the Cross and Star Archived October 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Olumba Olumba Obu and African Traditional Culture" by Friday M. Mbon, 1985
  4. "Brotherhood for Beginners" by Sister R.Goring Archived April 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Some Doctrines of BCS Archived February 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  6. "I AM NOT GOD BUT OLUMBA OLUMBA OBU". www.wordcenter.org.
  7. A Divine Message Archived October 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  8. Who is Olumba Olumba Obu? Archived January 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  9. Offiong, Essien A (1987). "Schism and Religious Independency in Nigeria: The Case of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star". In Hackett, Rosalind I. J. New Religious Movements in Nigeria. New York: Edwin Mellen Press. pp. 179–190
  10. Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements, edited by Peter Clarke, p.81
  11. Pastor Lovina Amangala Iburene of The Truth Ministry/The True Lovers of Christ World Charity Ministry, Lagos, reported in News Express, 22/11/2012.
  12. "Is the Holy Spirit Really Walking Around in Human Form Today in Africa? - The timeless to the timely: Applying Scriptural Truths to Today". blogs.christianpost.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
  13. The King of Kings Archived April 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  14. BCS_Site_Administrator. "Who are the elects?". www.ooo.org.uk.
  15. BCS Press Release
  16. Akpabio: A governor on spending spree Archived April 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  17. "Brotherhood of the Cross and Star holds peace march for Ghana". www.graphic.com.gh. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  18. "Religious leader sets up alternate govt; appoints ambassadors". legisreportsng.com.

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Further reading
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