THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH as a denominational name was adopted in 1916 in the United Kingdom by the body of believers who had been led by God, subsequent to the Welsh Revival of 1904 – 05, into the truth of the Principles and Practices of the early Apostolic Church as contained in the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament;
In Nigeria, in the year 1918, during the period of influenza epidemic, some brethren of a certain denomination started to practice Divine Healing which led to persecution from other members of the aforesaid denomination who did not believe in divine healing, thereby causing the said brethren to withdraw from the said denomination and thereafter formed the “Diamond Society”
In the year 1921, the “Diamond Society” became affiliated with the “Faith Tabernacle Congregation” of Philadelphia, United States of America which also believe in divine healing, confessing and forsaking of sins, tithes and offerings, baptism by immersion, opposition to divorce and re-marriage and other similar scriptural teachings but did not, however, believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit with signs following;
On the 10th of June, 1930, at urches in fellowship with “Faith Tabernacle Congregation” resulting in much pIlesha, a great revival, led by the late Evangelist Joseph Babalola started in chersecution consequent upon which appeals for help were made to the leaders in Philadelphia who failed to respond to the appeals;
Thereafter, appeals were made to the Headquarters of The Apostolic Church in the British Isles, with whom correspondence had earlier been exchanged, enjoyed favourable response consequent upon which three Missionary delegates namely the late Pastors Daniel Powell Williams (President), Andrew Turnbull (Vice President) and Williams Jones Williams (International Prophet) arrived Lagos Nigeria from the United Kingdom on the 23rd of September, 1931 and whose Ministry, after their arrival, God richly blessed and thereafter upon an exchange of views on doctrinal matters and other fundamental scriptural truths, the leaders of the Faith Tabernacle Congregation of Nigeria unanimously decided to affiliate with The Apostolic Church of Great Britain and adopted THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH as a denominational name together with its Principles and Practices.
The work of The Apostolic Church commenced in Eastern Nigeria with the visit from Calabar in 1932 of Pastor George Perfect and Evangelist Idris J. Vaughan to Umuigu Oboro, Nbawsi, Udo Ezinihitte and Aba by which the church was firmly established.
In 1940, The Apostolic Church in the Igbo hinterland achieved Area Status with administrative headquarters in Amumara and Pastor Idris J. Vaughan as the First Missionary Superintendent. Based on the rapid spread recorded, The Apostolic Church, Igbo Area was incorporated on September 12, 1952 and by 1964, Igbo Area consisted of the following component sections: Amumara, Bodo, Nbawsi, Umuahia, Port Harcourt and Enugu with 32 Districts and 170 Assemblies.
In May 1970 when the Nigeria Civil War ended, Pastor Monday M. Anyachor the then Superintendent requested by way of recommendation to Bradford in Britain that Rivers State should have an autonomous administration from Igbo land which request was granted by The Apostolic Missionary Council in Bradford and since then, the work in Rivers State (now Maritime Field) has been administered independently of the Church in Igbo land;
Great men of God who were missionaries ministered in Igbo land. The last Missionary Superintendent was Pastor George Parry Selby who served for 25years and retired in 1980 at the age of 65years. The first indigenous Field Superintendent was Pastor Monday Mboko Anyachor and the second indigenous Field Superintendent was late Pastor Rober Chikezie Nwabuko. Most of them have passed into glory and God blessed their labours with vast expansion. The then Field Superintendent, late Pastor Robert Chikezie Nwabuko was inducted in 1999 and was called to glory in September 2010. He was succeeded by Pastor Sampson Ekwutosi Igwe as the Field Superintendent.
In January 2013, The Apostolic Church Igbo Field transited from Field to Territory which was under the leadership of Pastor Sampson Ekwutosi Igwe as the first Territorial Chairman during whose tenure the Field transited to Territory of eight component Fields and was later changed to Territory of Areas six months later. Hence, due to highly calling as the National President of The Apostolic Church Nigeria, Pastor Dr. Peter Chituru Ahia succeeded him. Meanwhile, on Sunday 10th December, 2017, Pastor Dr. Peter Chituru Ahia was inducted as the seconded Territorial Chairman of The Apostolic Nigeria Igboland Territory.
As a component member of The Apostolic Church Nigeria, and due to expansion in the Ministry, The Apostolic Church Igboland Territory now span eight States of Nigeria comprising about 200 Districts, and 800 Assemblies in 41 Areas with Gabon, Cotonou, Cote D’Ivoire and Togo as Mission Fields.