At Holy Aruosa, It's A Blend Of Tradition And Christianity
By Godfrey Okpugie
IT is where the Oba of Benin worships. And its doctrines as a church differ markedly from the general grain in christendom. For those pursuing the cause of ecumenism, the Holy Aruosa Church, located on Akpakpava Street in Benin City, the Edo State capital, there is a congruence of tradition and christianity in this place of worship. Known as the Holy Aruosa Cathedral, it is not uncommon for the Oba of Benin to go here for special thanksgiving when the occasion demands. In fact, Oba Erediauwa went there for a thanksgiving service as part of the final ceremonies of last year's Igue festival in Benin City.
The church is said to have been established several centuries ago, even before the advent of the colonial masters. The church building, as it is today, was said to have been built by the late Oba Akenzua, in the 1940s, to give the original Aruosa (Altar of God), a befitting edifice. Explaining the origin of Aruosa and the worshipping of Osanobua (Almighty God) in the place, in the Benin way, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure, the Isekhure of Benin, said in ancient times, Osanobua came personally to the earth three times to answer man's petitions to Him over the problems confronting him (man) on earth.
The very spots where God touched the ground from heaven on each of His three visits to the earth are known in Benin language as Aruosa. The spots in Benin are located at the place where the Benin High Court is erected along Sapele Road; the other place is at Aruosa Street in Benin, and the third spot is where the Holy Aruosa Cathedral is currently erected at Igbesamwan junction, on Akpakpava Road. According to him, the Binis worship God at the Holy Aruosa within the context of a Binis understanding of God; how he sees creation and how he understands the existence of God even before the advent of Christianity. He said neither the Bible nor the Holy Quoran is used in the Aruosa except the book called: "The sayings and teachings of the ancient Binis", which is regarded as a sacred book in the church.Mr. Harrison Okao, an assisting priest (Ohenosa) in the church, said Jesus' name is not used in prayers and worship in the place because the Holy Aruosa was already in existence before Christ was born. "We serve God directly here and use the holy name of God Osanobua in prayers," he said. He added: "We don't believe in praying through any intermediary. We direct our prayers to God." Asked how prayers are usually concluded in the church since Jesus' name is not used, Okao replied that after praying, "we conclude by saying, 'we ask you God to grant our requests in your Holy name' and the congregation would chorus, Amen!"
Reverend Okao, who disclosed that he was ordained as a minister of God by the World-wide Ministry of the United Christian Church, USA, said he later decamped from the Christian fold to become a priest in the Holy Aruosa Church because of the unique perspective the people brings to bear in their worshipping of God. Narrating how his conversion occured, he said: "What I can still remember is that when I returned from USA as a Christian, we organised prayer sessions for the big men in Benin City. So when we visited one of them (in his house) after the prayer meeting, the big man said to me that he would want me to come and be officiating in one church in which he was a member. I asked him which church? And he replied: 'Holy Aruosa.' I told him 'Sir, I am not sure I can come to that church.' The reason why I said so was because I thought at that time that the place was for idol worshipping.
"He (the man) insisted I come to the place to see things for myself. After much persuasion, I went to the church. To my surprise, I discovered that no idol worshipping was going on there. I also discovered that they fear God even more than some Christians. For example, if you forgot anything in the church during service, that thing would be picked up by another member and kept for you. Such lost things could be huge sums of money or valuable belongings. They don't sin because they believe that if you sin, your punishment is right here on earth."
Asked whether they also believe in miracles in the church and if any had taken place there, Okao retorted: "This place is where miracles take place more than any other church. When people come here to request for prayers for specific problems, we pray for them and thereafter they often come back to give testimony of what God has done for them concerning the very problem that was presented to God here.
He said prayers are offered free without asking people to bring money or anything as sacrifice. He, however, said that when the requests are granted by God, the person to whom God had shown favour could come with whatever he has to thank God. "Somebody who has one naira to offer as a token of appreciation of God's doing in his life is accepted just as somebody who has one million naira to offer would also not be turned back from offering the money to God," he said.
Since Okao was trained as minister of God by a Christian ministry, is he now using the knowledge he acquired in a Christian school in performing his priesthood functions in Holy Aruosa? Hear him: "No, I don't use that knowledge here in Holy Aruosa. There is a training programme for intending priests in Holy Aruosa. The training is conducted here in the shrine and in Oba's Palace. It involves the learning of the mode of worship and the sacred book used here. The book is known as the 'The Sayings and Teachings of The Ancient Binis.' It was after I went through the training that I was made a priest in the church.'' According to him, the training period varies and is determined by the learning ability of the student. Commenting on the regularity of worship in the church, Okao said that there is only one service conducted every Sunday. The service consists of prayers, praise-worship, prayer request sessions and offering service.
Currently the shrine has branches in Port-Harcourt, Iguedayi, a village in Edo State, Evbuosa, also in the state, and other places. The shrine in these places are headed by Ohens (priests) who officiate. Worshippers in the branches, according to Okao, include Binis and non-Binis. The common feature of the worship service in the shrine is the use of Bini language, which can be translated to other tongues for the benefit of those who do not understand Bini. Concerning the holy book used in the shrine, Okao informed that it has no particular author. According to him, the book contains the sayings and teachings of Binis in ancient time. It is a compilation of the various teachings and sayings of the ancient Binis.
According to the priest, the Aruosa has no graven image carved by man placed in a particular place. In ancient times, the Aruosa used to be an open space where God (Osanobua) is worshipped in the open. "When praying to God at Aruosa even till this day, we look upward to the sky. There is nothing like sacrifice being offered because it is believed that God owns everything and, therefore, there is no need to offer him the things He owns," he noted. The worship at Aruosa is said to have started from the time of Oba Esigie many centuries ago. That time, there was nothing like Church or Christianity in this part of the world.
As a former ordained Christian minister, who knows who Jesus Christ is and also understands the tenets of Christian faith, Okao was asked whether he feels comfortable serving in a place where God is worshipped without passing through Jesus Christ. Explaining his position, he said: "You see, what one needs in life is comfort. In this church (shrine), I am comfortable. I am comfortable in my secular place of work as a councillor; I am comfortable in my house and in fact, in everything I do. What else do I want in life? "I know that comfort is not salvation but one thing I am sure of and which in fact, keeps my faith in God still, is that, when I pray to God here, my requests are always granted." What is Okao's concept of salvation? "Salvation means to be saved from Adamic condemnation into eternal life through the blood of Jesus", he said. Asked if he thinks worshippers in the shrine are saved in accordance with his own understanding of the word salvation, Okao declines comment.
