What is today known as Today’s Challenge magazine came into existence about 71 years ago. To be precise, Today’s Challenge was established in July 1951, as African Challenge.  

The magazine was a publication of the Literature Ministry of the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM). It was a publication that metamorphosed out of SIM news publication, the West African Christian.

The idea of starting an evangelic magazine for the African continent was mooted by a Christian missionary Journalist from New Zealand, Mr. Trevor Shaw.

Mr. Shaw came to Nigeria in1950 while responding to call by the SIM for Journalists to be part of its missionary enterprise. To His response to this call led to his redeployment to Nigeria, and his subsequent takeover of the SIM Newsletter which he developed into a Christian journal – the African Challenge.

In an article in the British Challenge of February 23, 1979, Mr. Trevor Shaw, said the African Challenge was published with the sole aim of, “reflecting the African mind, his way of life and circumstances.”

He also pointed out that even though the African Challenge metamorphosed out the SIM newsletter of 1948, West African Christian; it was supported and financed by the founder of the New Zealand Challenge Mr. Keith Rimmer, and other New Zealand Christians.

African Challenge at inception had a circulation figure of over 150,000 copies. And because of its impact in the Christian world the magazine was to become the forerunner to other similar Christian Journals that emerged in other countries.

Mr. Shaw while reflecting over the contribution of African Challenge to the evangelization of the African continent, observed that: African Challenge became, as it were, “a torch lighting similar fires in many lands”.

The countries that witnessed the impact of the brand of Journalism practiced by African Challenge include Africa, Hong Kong, Indi, South America, China, Japan and the West Indies. This development led to the establishment of similar Challenge magazines in these countries.

By 1954, Africa Challenge had expanded rapidly to the extent that, it had to acquire modern technology for the production of the magazine. And so, a new office complex and a press were commissioned for it on March 24, 1954.

In 1959, the Niger Press situated in Jos and belonging to the SIM was merged to the Lagos Challenge Press. African Challenge then became a publication of Niger-Challenge Press.

The fact is that, the impact of African Challenge was so great, that, its circulation outstripped the circulation of all other magazines and journals in the whole of West African sub-region.

African Challenge had among its workforce, nationals from countries like America, Canada, England and New Zealand. Added to this, letters from over 43 countries around the world were received by the editorial department of the magazine, either commending the magazine over its repertorial pattern or seeking to lead others to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Through African Challenge, Bible Study groups were started in almost all countries in Africa. BY 1961, over 300 Bible Study groups were officially registered by the Editorial Department of African Challenge. These groups then, met at appointed times to discuss articles published in the magazine.

One notable thing was that, the readership of African Challenge cuts across all Strata of the society. More so, it was discovered that even Muslims enrolled in the Challenge study groups.

By 1974, African Challenge had its name changed to Today’s Challenge. A name the magazine has retained up till today, and became a publication of ECWA Productions Limited, a literature ministry arm of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA).

Throughout its 71 years of existence, Today’s Challenge has continued to maintain its mission of building up Christian churches, presentation of the gospel of Christ to the people of Africa, and raised its voice against the forces of darkness.

The ten-year legal battle with AMORC is one of its achieved purposes of bringing glory to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

AMORC- ECWA LEGAL BATTLE

A SYPNOSIS

INTRODUCTION:

           The judgment delivered on July 15, 1994, by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Lagos, on the longstanding legal and spiritual battle between an occultic organization known as AMORC and Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), decided in favour of ECWA, Has brought many questions from Christians as to what precisely is the problem that gave birth to the legal tussle.                                                                                                                                

           This book as already mentioned, is an attempt aimed at answering these questions. And because of the use of technical terms by law courts while handling cases, we have decided to provide this background information in a form of a condensed review of the judgements in the case. 

          AMORC is an acronym for Ancient Mystical Order of Rosae Crucis. It is an organization that started around the 17^th century in Europe but only became officially established in 1915, under the leadership of one Harve Spencer Lewis, with its International Headquarters in California, USA. 

           According to AMORC’s publications the organization is a fraternal body of men and women devoted to the investigation, study and practical application of natural and spiritual laws. Added to this, they claim that their organization deals with scientific, philosophical and cultural studies.

         The question is, if AMORC is more concerned with the investigation, study and practical application of natural laws, and as well as, with issues of scientific, philosophical and cultural importance, how come then that its teaching seek to cast aspersions on the person of our Lord Jesus Christ?

         This question has been asked because, AMORC’S Imperator Mr. Harve Spencer Lewis, in his writings discredited the person of Jesus Christ, and claimed that the Bible was incomplete, and that it does not reveal the real aspects of Jesus Christ.

         Furthermore, Harve Spencer Lewis, in one of his books “The Mystical life of Jesus”, claimed that Jesus Christ was a gentile, and that he belonged to a secret society that was based in Egypt.

        The thing is that, these writings of Spencer Lewis form the cardinal doctrines of AMORC, in addition to other occultic teachings like Telepathy, psychometry, clairvoyance, Astrology, Astral-projection, and mental suggestion. These are the issues that brought about the legal battle between AMORC and ECWA.

 

AMORC IN NIGERIA

        AMORC as an organization got to Nigeria around 1993. It was incorporated in Nigeria under the land (perpetual succession) Act of 1958, and had its headquarters established in Calabar.

         As at 1984, when the case between it and ECWA started, the membership strength of the organization was about 216,842. The membership cuts across all professional strata, but it is known to be predominant among Lawyers, judges, Doctors, Engineers, top civil servants and the intelligentsia

THE GENESIS OF THE CASE:

         The genesis of the case between AMORC and ECWA began with the publication in 1984 of articles written by one Henry Awoniyi, a lecturer at the Niger State college of Education, Minna, in the Today’s Challenge Magazine.

         These articles which were published in three editions of Today’s Challenge between the periods of April-August, 1984, were aimed responding to the negative things said about Jesus Christ by AMORC’S Imperator, Harve Spencer Lewis, and cautioning Christians against being lured by false doctrines that are incompatible with the teachings of the word of God.  

         Mr. Awoniyi was prompted to write a book on AMORC, when he discovered that a friend of his, one Dr. Bandipo, who is a member of AMORC, was reported by their pastor to be spreading what can be considered to be heresies to the Christian faith.  

        The gentlemen Mr. Awoniyi and Dr. Bandipo became friends and later exchanged books with each other. And when Mr. Awoniyi read through AMORC publications he collected from Dr. Bandipo, he discovered that what was written was incompatible with the Christian faith.

AMORC’S TEACHINGS

         It was this discovery about the teachings of AMORC that saw Mr. Awoniyi embarking on a research that led to the discovery that AMORC is an occultic organization that teaches occultism.

        Notable among the occultic teachings of AMORC as found by Henry Awoniyi are telepathy, clairvoyance, astral projection and Cosmicism.

        Cosmicism involves the cosmic minds, and is a mind-to-mind communication process that enables initiated members to relate with each other or influence others.

        Clairvoyance which is also practiced by AMORC members is the ability to perceive events, persons or things in remote time, space and places beyond the normal range of vision and knowledge. While astral projection is the practice which enables AMORC members to separate their Psychic bodies from the physical bodies.

      The conclusion of Mr.  Awoniyi after his research findings about AMORC is that, in the light of the position of the Christian scriptures, AMORC is a satanic organization. This he said is because the teachings of AMORC contradict the scriptures. And that since this is the case, the Bible condemns such teaching in John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 and Revelation 12:9, 21:8.

     Another important issue that fired the zeal of Mr. Awoniyi to research into the activities of AMORC is the fire incident that destroyed a secret cult building in Zaria in 1979. AMORC’s documents were found in the burnt building and a human skull was also reported to have been found by the police.

     Mr. Awoniyi having completed the writing of his research findings on AMORC presented it to ECWA Productions Ltd., (EPL), and Publishers of Today’s Challenge Magazine for publication into a book. The book was to enlighten Christians and other unsuspecting members of the public about the falsehood being peddled about by AMORC, and warn about the organization’s satanic activities.

       The Editorial Department of Challenge Publications on receipt of Mr. Awoniyi’s manuscripts discovered that it contains answers to so many questions already raised by some Christians as to whether it was appropriate for them to join AMORC. The Editor then, Mr.  Gabriel Abikoye, on discovery that the teachings of AMORC were contradictory to the teachings of the Bible, resolved to publish it, so that Christians would be accorded with opportunity of knowing what AMORC is all about.

        So, excerpts from the manuscript were published in Today’s Challenge Magazine in the period of the months of March-August, 1984. The published articles pointed out that AMORC’s imperator Spencer Lewis was intellectually fraudulent, a proponent of a doctrine of sexual promiscuity and a fraudulent person who duped other members of the public.

         The criticism of the satanic activities of AMORC by Mr. Awoniyi angered the registered trustees at AMORC, and so, they wrote a letter to ECWA Productions Limited, demanding for an apology, a retraction of the said articles, and payment of ten million naira (N10m) as general damages.

         ECWA Production’s Lawyers on receiving AMORC’s letter, replied back by stating that, Today’s Challenge has no regrets for the publication of these articles. More so, they were aimed at enlightening Christians about the satanic activities of AMORC.

         It was at this point that the Lawyers of AMORC filed a case against ECWA Productions Limited, publishers of Today’s Challenge magazine, at the Calabar High Court in 1984.

          The Calabar High Court presided over by Mr. Justice Edem Kooffreh on receiving the suit filed before it by AMORC, asked ECWA Productions to appear before it to defend itself against the charges of libel and defamation.

           AMORC Lawyers while submitting their case at the Calabar High Court claimed that the articles in Today’s Challenge Magazine were most derogatory, degrading, damaging, and defamatory of the Order. And that the allegations leveled against AMORC were false and malicious.

         The AMORC lawyers also submitted that the articles were misleading and mischievous, and that as a result of the publication, AMORC lost a membership of about 54,036 within that short period of the publication of these articles in Today’s Challenge Magazine.

         Lawyers to AMORC therefore prayed the court to order perpetual injunction against Today’s Challenge from further publication of any such articles and that ECWA Productions be made to pay N10, 000,000 (Ten Million Naira) as special and general damages to it.

          ECWA Productions Limited Lawyers, while making their submissions before the Calabar High Court, stated that the articles published in Today’s Challenge magazine were aimed at educating Christians on matters that directly affect their beliefs.    

          The Lawyers of EPL put-up a defense of justification, qualified privilege, and fair comments. According to them, even if the articles published in Today’s Challenge magazine were defamatory of AMORC, they are the truth of the matter. More so, the articles were written on matters of public interest, based on facts, and aimed at molding society’s moral integrity and protect its spiritual welfare.

           Lawyers to ECWA Productions also raised questions as to why AMORC has refused to accept that it is a secret cult, when it is known that its documents were found in a Lodge destroyed by fire in Zaria, that it has secret doctrines and teaches occultism, and that its teachings are contradictory to the teachings of the Bible.

        AMORC Lawyers while responding to the submission of the EPL Lawyers explained that it was true AMORC used the same hall for meetings with other secret cults, but it was not a secret cult. And that human skull found in its Lodge could not be said to belong to it.

       AMORC also, admitted that it uses secret signs, passwords, handclaps, and also teaches occultism, but it is not an occultic organization.

       On the writings of Spencer Lewis which discredited the person of Jesus Christ, AMORC submitted that its members believe Jesus was a Rosicrucian, born into the Rosicrucian family, and understood the secret of heaven which he taught to his followers.

         They therefore submitted that the case between AMORC and ECWA Productions Limited was a case of multiple libels, which they do not need to prove that they have suffered any actual loss or damage as a result of the publications in Today’s Challenge magazine, and that the defense of justification by ECWA Productions Limited has completely failed

      .    Mr. Justice Edem Kooffreh while delivering judgment on the case, observed that the articles in Today’s Challenge magazine, actually tended to lower the estimation of AMORC, and that it was aimed at destroying AMORC.

            The Judge observed that: “There is no rule that everybody who worships God must believe everything in the Bible, or that the plaintiff (AMORC) professed believing in everything the Bible says.” More so, he said the Bible was written by human being to suit the purpose of time, and that no God spoke to the writers of the scriptures.

            Justice Kooffreh questioned who made Today’s Challenge the champion of Christianity, and that; “What does it matter if the Rosicrucians say that Jesus was a Gentile and not a Jew, and that His parents as well as Himself were Rosicrucians?”

           The judge said he believed “Jesus Himself never knew anything about Christianity if the record called the Bible is to be taken seriously on this point. Therefore, He was not a Christian.” More so, he said: “What is all the talk of somebody having a different opinion about Jesus being a Satan?”

        The conclusion of the Calabar High Court Judge was that the Lawyers to ECWA Productions Limited failed to prove their defense of justification, qualified privilege, and fair comments and therefore, Today’s Challenge was found liable.

          His position was that, “On the totality of the evidence before me, I hold that the defendants (EPL) have not proved any of the allegations amounting to unprovoked libel against the plaintiff, AMORC.”

          He therefore, found ECWA Productions Limited liable for the libel on AMORC and awarded the sum of N1,000,000.00 (one million naira) to AMORC as general damages, N405 out of pocket expenses, and another N500 as special damages.

APPEAL:

FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL, ENUGU

           ECWA Productions Lawyers being dissatisfied with the Calabar High Court Judgment filed an appeal at the Federal Court of Appeal, Enugu on June 7, 1988. The appeal initially had eleven (11) grounds of appeal, with additional twelve grounds of appeal made on August4, 1988.

           However, lawyers to AMORC raised preliminary objections to all the grounds of appeal filed by ECWA Lawyers. They later withdrew their objections to grounds 1 to 11, but stood firm on grounds 12 to 23.

           On Wednesday, July 11, 1990, the Federal Court of Appeal, Enugu, came out with a split judgment of two-to-one in favour of Today’s Challenge magazine.

            The Judges that presided over the case were: Justices Samson Uwaifo, Aloysius Katsina-Allu and Idris Kutigi.

            In passing a majority judgment Justices Samson Uwaifo and Aloysius Katsina-Allu, held that, the preliminary objections of AMORC Lawyers against the 23 grounds of appeal filed by Lawyers of ECWA Productions Limited, has failed because, “The appellants (EPL) filed a valid notice of appeal within three months from the date of the judgment appealed against.” And therefore, the appeal was accepted by the court.

           The grounds of appeal by Lawyers of ECWA Productions Limited covered the following.

1. The insufficient consideration of the defense of justification, fair comment and qualified privilege.

2. Error in the view of what constituted the publication of the alleged libel.

3. The erroneous conclusion that the defendant (Today’s Challenge) libeled the plaintiff (AMORC).

4. The secondary meanings of some of the alleged offending words accepted by the trial judge when no innuendo was pleaded.

5. The view of the trial judge (Calabar High Court Judge) that the defendants (EPL) were actuated by malice.

6. Misdirection in the award of general damages to the plaintiff (AMORC).

            Having listened to the submissions of the Lawyer to ECWA Productions Limited and those of AMORC, the judges came out with the following position on above grounds.          

a)     PUBLICATION

            The judges said since copies of Today’s Challenge magazine that contain the articles about AMORC were produced by the National Library of Nigeria, there was clear evidence that articles were published to a third party, and so, there was publication.

b)    JUSTIFIED PRIVILEGE

On the question of justified privilege pleaded by the Lawyers to ECWA Productions Limited the Judges said, AMORC members who believed in Spencer Lewis or the registered trustees of the organization do not have that privilege of seeking for redress in libel over the attacks on Spencer Lewis, since Spencer Lewis himself is not a party in the case.

     They rather said that the articles written in Today’s Challenge were through a Christian view point, and that Today’s Challenge had the qualified privilege to do so.

          More so, they said that the evidence of AMORC’s witnesses and the documents of AMORC all point to the fact that, the organisation is a secret society and cannot therefore, deny this: “It is futile to try and deny that identity.”

          On the basis of this, the Judges said Today’s Challenge magazine was substantially justified by what it published both as to facts and comments as required by law, by references to AMORC publications, by reliance on the natural and ordinary meaning of the words used by the author of the articles, and in the context in which they were used in the articles in Today’s Challenge magazine.

          The Judges also pointed out that AMORC cannot sue for libel or for slander, because it is an organisation which has no mind, no will, and no sense to do anything criminal, indecent or unbecoming. More so, they held that it is not a human being, and that its officers or members do not have the right to sue for libel, since the case in question is purely of personal nature.

         The Judges also said, the articles published within the period of March – June, 1984 in the Today’s Challenge magazine did not in any way, cause any loss of reputation to AMORC. And that the judgment of Calabar High Court was improperly passed, since it was passed as if AMORC was a human being.

           The Appeal Court Judges then submitted that “the general damages were awarded on a wrong basis”, and that, “the award of general damages cannot be allowed to stand.”

          Based on this position the Federal Court of Appeal, Enugu, set aside the judgment of the Calabar High Court and the costs awarded against ECWA Productions Limited. Instead it awarded the cost of N3, 200.00 against AMORC in favour of ECWA Productions Limited.

          The dissenting judgment delivered in this case by Justice Idris Kutigi of the Federal Court of Appeal, Enugu has not been reviewed here. It has however, been included in full in the book for the records. Readers must note that, the majority judgment of a court is usually, the judgment of the court.

       After the judgment of the Federal Court of Appeal, Enugu, which was decided in favour of ECWA Productions Limited, AMORC immediately filed an appeal at the nation’s highest court – the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Lagos.

      The case was brought before five Justices of the Supreme Court: Salihu Modibbo Alfa Balgore, Abubakar Bashir Wali, Uthman Mohammed, Yekini Olayiwola Adio and Anthony Ikechukwu Iguh.

      The judges on receipt of AMORC’s appeal looked into the Calabar High Court Judgment, Federal Court of Appeal, Enugu, Judgment, and the submissions of counsels to both ECWA Productions Limited and AMORC.

        The Court said AMORC had filed 9 grounds of appeal demanding for the quashing of the majority judgment of the Federal Court of Appeal, Enugu, decided against it, and the upholding of the minority judgment passed by Justice Idris Kutigi of the Federal Court of Appeal, Enugu and that of Justice Edem Kooffreh, of the High Court of Justice, Calabar.

          Counsels to ECWA Productions on the other hand, also filed 6 grounds of cross-appeal demanding that certain decisions made by the lower courts be set aside.

           The Supreme Court Justices in a unanimous judgment on Friday, July 15, 1994, said, Counsels to ECWA Productions filed a valid notice of appeal and later filed additional grounds of appeal within the stipulated time demanded by Law. And so, the Federal Court of Appeal, Enugu was right for hearing the appeal. The opposition of AMORC to this ground therefore, failed.

           The Supreme Court also said, the judgment of the Federal Court of Appeal, Enugu which accepted the allegation that AMORC is a secret and satanic organisation, had extensively and thoroughly considered the issues of the case before arriving at that judgment. It therefore, said AMORC’s appeal has failed since; there was no miscarriage of Justice.

          The judges observed that: “It is satanic to say that Jesus Christ was a member of secret societies and an advocate of occult teachings. There is nothing secret in the messages of Jesus to His people.”

           On the cross-appeal filed by Counsels to ECWA Productions Limited, the Supreme Court Justices said, the decision of lower Courts that a case of publication has been established and that a defense of fair comments and qualified privilege were not made was in line with the findings of the courts and within the framework of the Law. Therefore, the cross - appeal on these issues also failed.

       On the basis of this, the Supreme Court Justices concluded that both the appeal by AMORC and the cross – appeal by Counsels to ECWA Productions Limited have failed. And that, the majority judgment of the Federal Court of Appeal, Enugu, passed in favour of ECWA Productions Limited, stands.

      This judgment marks the end of the ten years spiritual and legal battle between AMORC and ECWA Productions Limited.

      The implication of this judgment is that, AMORC has now been legally declared a satanic organisation, a secret society and an occultic organisation.

THIS IS GOD’S VERDICT!

Culled from ‘God’s Verdict: Victory over AMORC

Published in 1994 by Today’s Challenge, Jos, Nigeria.

Editor Obed Bassau Minchakpu

By:Today’s Challenge, Jos, Nigeria. Editor: Obed Bassau Minchakpu.