Enoch Adejare Adeboye is a Nigerian cleric leader and the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG). Pastor Adeboye held the position of second national president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria.
He was a lecturer of Mathematics at the University of Lagos, Lagos state. The former academician is not the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, but it is his leadership, vision, and “expansion mindset” that took the church from a barely known position to a church known globally. Basically, he is the brand of the church.
Furthermore, Adeboye is a well-respected man of God in Nigeria, Africa, and the whole world. His impact in Nigeria and Africa is so enormous. In addition, he is one of the few men of God people look up to in the country.
Follow Us As we highlight Some Of The Important Things About Pastor E.A Adeboye;
Early Life And Education
Adeboye was born in Ifewara, Osun state in the Southwest region of Nigeria. Adejare Adeboye was born on the 2nd of March 1942 into a very poor family background. Sometimes, he tells the story of having his first shoes at 18.
Adeboye started his life in abject poverty. His father was so poor the extent he was nicknamed “poor”. He said the day his father bought an umbrella, all of them rejoiced, as it is out of their place for people like his family to have an umbrella.
Due to his poor background, he could only attend a public school. In 1956, he began his education in his hometown, at Ilesha Grammar School in Osun State. He then had his tertiary education at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Enugu state. However, he couldn’t finish the university because of the civil war in Nigeria at the time and had to get his first degree in Mathematics at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Osun State in 1967.
Furthermore, he did his Master’s in Hydrodynamics at the University of Lagos in 1969. He also got a Ph.D in Applied Mathematics from the university.
Family Life
On the 17th of December 1967, he became the husband of Folu Adeboye. Their union produced 4 children, 3 sons, and a daughter. They were also blessed with several grandkids from their children. Unfortunately, he lost his third child on the 4th of May 2021. The son passed away at the age of 42.
Ministry
During his lecturer years at the University of Lagos, he faced some challenges that his education couldn’t solve. It was at that point that someone offered him Jesus and the challenges went off. That was the beginning of his journey in the ministry.
Before he was ordained as a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God by Pa. Josiah Akindayomi in 1975 he was an interpreter in the church two years after he joined the church. Furthermore, he was ordained the General Overseer of the church in 1981. After 3 decades, he resigned from the position of General Overseer, but he still carries out the role of General Overseer to date.
The Redeemed church was not popular pre-Adeboye. The church became a gigantic well-known church as Adeboye became the General Overseer. As a result, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has branches in about 198 countries. It has over 14 million redeemers in Nigeria. Adeboye’s goal is to put a church a kilometer away in developing cities and a driving distance of 5 minutes in developed cities.
Moreover, He is considered a teacher of the prosperity gospel, a description he acknowledges. He says that while we worry about the kingdom of God, there are beautiful things God could bless us with on earth.
Pentecostals have such an impact because they talk of the here and now, not just the by and by… while we have to worry about heaven, there are some things God could do for us in the here and now.
Adeboye says
His 80th birthday in 2022 was marked with donations through his Adeboye’s foundation. The foundation gave out 8 dialysis machines, a reverse osmosis, and an electrical generator to Wuse District Hospital, Abuja.
A year later, in the celebratory mood of his 81st birthday, a movie titled “Enoch” was released. The movie talks about the life of Pastor Adeboye to celebrate his birthday. Adeola Emmanuel Abolaji was the lead actor in the biopic.
RCCG
2 years after Pastor Adeboye became the General Overseer, the land for the church camp in Mowe, Ogun state, was bought. In 1988, a student organization of the church was established. It is commonly known as RCF, the Redeem Christian Fellowship. The body is the youth division of the church, and it is majorly concentrated in tertiary institutions in the country.
In addition, Christ the Redeemer’s Friends Universal (CRFU) was created to bring human resources from the very rich and affluent ones in society. In 2005, the establishment of Redeemers University took place.
A writer for The New York Times, Andre Rice wrote about how the church is vigorously expanding, as it is a homegrown church turning into a global faith;
One of Africa’s most vigorously expansionary religious movements, a homegrown Pentecostal domination that is crusading to become a global faith”.
Andre Rice wrote in The New York Times
Furthermore, the church has special spiritual programs like the popular Holy Ghost Service which is held on 1st Friday of every month. Other programs include the Holy Ghost Convention and the Holy Ghost Congress in August and December respectively.
Awards And Recognition
In 2008, Pastor Adeboye was listed among the 50 most powerful people in the world by Newsweek. Also in 2019, he was listed among the Top 100 most influential people on the African continent by New African Magazine.
An Author
Pastor Adeboye is also a writer. He has written several books on the gospel. Some of them include;
- Open Heavens Daily Devotional
- Lessons from the Sower
- Christians Moderator
- Deadly Enemy of Man
- Divine Favour
- Kingdom Prosperity
- Fruits of the Spirit
- God of Wonders, etc.
Honorary Doctorates
Moreover, Pastor Adeboye has received quite a several honorary doctorates. Some of them are; Honorary Doctorate, University of Lagos (2009), and an Honorary Doctorate, University Of Nigeria (2009). Also, Doctor of Theology, from Canada Christian College (2009) and an Honorary doctorate from the University of Ibadan, in 2011.
Others include; Doctor of Science, University of Lagos (2015). An Honorary Doctorate, Obafemi Awolowo University (2016). Doctor of Divinity, University of Nigeria (2017). Doctor of Divinity, Oral Roberts University (2022).
Conclusion
Pastor Adeboye is a man who believes in hard work, prayers, and consistency. His influence is seen and felt across many churches in Nigeria and the African continent.
Despite his humble beginnings and challenging family background, Pastor Adeboye’s remarkable life is a working proof of prayers, determination, and hard work.
