Mrs Evelyn Joshua will now lead the SCOAN after the Federal High Court approved her appointment as a trustee. The decision follows a petition filed by some church members; the petitioners sought her appointment on the grounds that the two surviving members of the Board of Trustees could not legally make the decision that could help the church move forward as the church constitution states that the church must have a minimum of three-member trustees.
According to a statement issued by the church on Thursday, September 9, 2021, “In the circumstances, it became imperative for an additional trustee to be appointed to fill the vacancy created by the untimely death of the deceased founder. Someone must take charge immediately and give spiritual direction on the mode of service continuity. So much spiritual and financial effort went into building SCOAN and it cannot just waste away."
Since the pastor's sudden death on June 6, 2021, at age 58, no successor was officially picked even though it was generally expected that Evelyn would assume leadership of the church. "None of the pastors had been trained to succeed him,” a top aide at SCOAN said.
The church also recently released a statement dismissing rumours that there was a succession tussle between Evelyn and some evangelists. “Rather than fan the embers of strife and animosity, she has remained focused on preserving the legacies of her late husband...Even when her husband was alive, she was not known to be an over-ambitious and domineering woman. Instead, she preferred to support her husband and the ministry from behind without exhibiting any selfish instincts even when she had all the powers to do so," the statement said.
"What other proof do we need to know that she is a great leader who can manage people and situations?" it added.
Mrs Evelyn Joshua, age 52, was married to Late TB Joshua for 31 years and they have three children.
