Was She Really A Witch? Untold true story of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola Wife

 

As a young believer I have heard of great things done by Gods general, Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola, but I have also heard stories of his wife called a 'witch.' I vividly remember a story in which Apostle Babalola's wife was said to be a witch. It was said that the Apostle was going to a particular ministration, but his wife refused to let him go. Frustrated, he rested against a pillar, disappeared and he and his wife found themselves at the ministration ground.

Of recent I got interested about Apostle Babalola's wife story and I'll be sharing with you in this article. So lets briefly go into Apostle Babalola story.

Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola was born on April 25, 1904 into a Christian family. His father was David Rotimi (the Lay President of the Anglican church in his hometown) and his mother was Marta Talabi. He hailed from Odo-Owa, a village near Ilofa, in the present Kwara State of Nigeria, West Africa.

He was called into the ministry in 1928 at the age of 24 when he encountered the voice of God at Ikeji Arakeji while working for a road construction company as the driver of the steam roller.

Babalola started his ministry that same year and God began to work with him confirming His Word with outstanding miracles, notable signs and wonders.

By the year 1930, his fame began to spread abroad most especially due to his amazing exploits at the Great Revival that happened at Ilesa which changed the spiritual climate of the western region.

Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola became a force to be reckoned with in the Nigerian church and became the leader of the pentecostal movement in Nigeria. His name was virtually on every lip both of friends and foes, admirers and critics.

Babalola however remained single and many of his family members, followers and colleagues were becoming curious as to why he was not considering marriage being a church leader.

It then came to pass that after persistent pressure from his father, Pa David Rotimi Talabi, the heat was tense and Apostle Babalola had to seek the face of God for a wife and God led him to marry Sister Dorcas on April 25, 1935. About 6000 people attended the wedding,  she was 23 year old when she married.

The wedding took place at the first Aladura assembly at Efon Alaaye and was conducted by Pastor David Odubanjo, Pastor J.S.B Odusona and Pastor Medaiyese.

During their lifetime, Babalola used to call his wife " Mama Abiye" and Dorcas would also call him "Baba Abiye". They settled down in Efon Alaaye.

Much has been said about Dorcas Babalola. Dorcas was born on March 10, 1912 to the family of Fowowe at Ilesa. Many people regarded Dorcas as being mean and aggressive but we have to look at the circumstances of her frustrations.

After the marriage, Apostle been a man of God got burdened and there wedding started with a mission and it gave no room for honeymoon.

In the first few years of their marriage, Apostle Babalola house is usually filled up with people and when he is coming back from his mission trips, he also sometimes bring some people along with him to the house. Apostle wife, Dorcas would cook from morning till evening for visitors. And according to report she receives no help from those staying with her which make the work very tedious.

The no-privacy life eventually wore Dorcas out. Dorcas was extremely stressed primarily because of the Apostle's busy schedule; otherwise she was humorous.

Their sitting room was always besieged and turned to a classroom; there were 47 children the Apostle was either sponsoring or tutoring, and who were always coming in and out of the house.

Apostle Babalola hardly slept on his 'Vono' bed. He vacated it to sleep on a camp bed and sometimes on the floor. All these compounded Dorcas' frustrations.

What also added to her frustration was that many times her husband would go on lengthy mission and would not return home for over a week.

At some Point, Dorcas would try to prevent Babalola from stepping out of the house because she felt he needed some rest and those who looked up to Baba will feel she is a 'witch' for not allowing or telling their mentor not to go for missions and of a truth, the visible hand of God was upon the life of Apostle Babalola.

It was extremely difficult for both couple balancing family life with the work of God because of the conditions of missions field then.

Apostle Babalola clearly prioritized his calling and the building of the church. There was no time for vacations; even though the church planned to organize a trip to Israel for him, it never materialized. Fortunately, his efforts continue to bear fruit to this day.

Despite a few challenges in their marriage, there was no record of domestic violence between them. Both were responsible in managing their household duties. Babalola frequently expressed his love and respect for his wife and never spoke ill of her.

When Dorcas began to gain her feet and mature in age at home while Baba was away on mission trips, she would often ask those living with her to help with household chores to lighten her load, though some viewed this as harsh. When Baba returned from his missions and noticed someone hadn't eaten, he would offer his own meal to that person, which worried Mama Dorcas. She feared this would lead to health issues for her husband, such as ulcers.

After Apostle Babalola passed away in 1959, Dorcas stayed in Efon Alaaye until 1962, when she moved to Ilesa with her daughters.

In Ilesa, Dorcas supported her family by trading in raw food products, particularly beans. She continued to be an active member of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) and was honored as the patroness of CAC, Okesa, Ilesa.

Dorcas passed away in Ilesa on December 28, 1993, and was laid to rest on January 15, 1994, behind CAC, Okesa.

Despite her significant role and contributions, Dorcas has been unfairly labeled as a witch and a troublemaker, largely due to misconceptions and misinformation from those who saw her been harsh, those who wanted to marry Baba and those who wanted to give Baba lady before he married Mama Doarcs.

This effort aims to contribute to the understanding of Dorcas Babalola's true experience and the challenges she faced as the wife of a prominent public figure. 

Drawing from articles we’ve read and videos shared by Apostle Babalola’s daughter, we hope to clarify her story and dispel the misconceptions surrounding her as a witch. 

So, if you still think she is a witch we ask you repent.

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