Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, globally strikes as an oracle of God, being both a pastor and a prophet who relishes simple living. The septuagenarian minister of God who is renowned for unfailing prophesies and words of wisdom had announced a 100-day fasting period for members of the Church starting from January 2 to April 11, 2014. The announcement came as Pastor E.A Adeboye released prophecies for the New Year, during a crossover service held on January 1, declaring that “2014 will be the year of overflowing blessings.” He also said, “Nigerians will see the end of all her enemies, after the fasting period.”
In another service tagged, ‘Divine Placement’ in his honour at the Solid Rock Parish, Lagos Province 40, Ojodu, Adeboye stressed that it had become dangerous to continue to tolerate “our enemies for a longer time, as they are capable of waxing stronger and creating more havoc.
“All those enemies blocking your progress in life and the progress of Nigeria must disappear to pave the way for the much-needed change in our lives and nation. That is one of the reasons for the 100 days’ fasting and prayer period by the church,” he said.
According to the man of God, the 100 days fasting and prayer period are being observed to eliminate all enemies of progress, who have refused to repent and change, for good. He said such enemies of progress would be eliminated in the nation and in individuals’ lives after the 100 days fasting and prayer.
Adeboye is perhaps the greatest pastor in Africa and one of the greatest in the world. According to Newsweek magazine in 2008, Adeboye is one of the 50 most powerful people on earth. The RCCG General Overseer is the pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in Christendom today. He is the national president of RCF (an interdenominational fellowship in all the campuses in Nigeria). He is the Convener of the annual December three-day Holy Ghost Congress in Nigeria with an average attendance of over six million people. He is also the host at the annual March three-day Special Holy Ghost Service with an average attendance of over six million people. He in the same vein hosts the monthly Holy Ghost Service with an average attendance of over one million people.
The story of Adeboye is not one of instant success as he was born into poverty. According to him, he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth and did not have shoes for the first 18 years of his life. However, he had vision, determination, diligence and a passion for hard work which he considered to be far more valuable than money. Born in 1942 into a humble family in the village of Ifewara, Osun State, Adeboye stated that his family was so poor that even the poor called him poor. In 1956, he was admitted into Ilesha Grammar School, Ilesha, Osun State and as a young man, he discovered a passion for books, and an aptitude for science, particularly Mathematics. This led to an academic journey in the face of numerous challenges.
He eventually obtained a Bachelors (BSc.) degree in Mathematics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1967, and afterwards a Master’s (MSc.) Degree in Hydrodynamics and Doctorate (PhD) in Applied Mathematics, both from the University of Lagos in 1969 and 1975. Adeboye worked as a lecturer at the universities of Lagos and Ilorin before joining the church.
Initially, his greatest ambition was to become the youngest Vice Chancellor of a prestigious university in Nigeria. It did seem that his ambition would be realised as he was making progress with his plan. However, a divine hand took him into the service of the Lord. He said, ‘‘I came to know God in a fairly dramatic way. I was born into a Christian home and always went to church because my parents said we had to go. But after I grew up and left home, I drifted away from the church until I had a problem that defied solutions and then someone invited me to the RCCG and I came expecting the pastor to pray for me and my problems would just go. But instead, he said I have to give my life to Jesus Christ, that if my sins are gone, my problems would disappear. I resisted, for a while, but eventually, I surrendered and gave my life to Jesus Christ and my problems left me.’’
Adeboye thereafter became an interpreter of the sermons of the then Pastor and founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, a man who though was illiterate, had been endowed with the ability to read the Yoruba version of the Holy Bible. In 1981, he was appointed General Overseer when Papa Akindayomi passed away. He resigned from his university lecturing after three years to devote himself to full-time pastoral work.
In 1977 when he was ordained as a Pastor in RCCG, Enoch Adeboye displayed an incredible passion for the gospel, pioneering Bible Study meetings, crusades, revivals, outreaches and evangelistic programmes known as the Congress. When the founder passed away in 1980, RCCG had 42 parishes. The founder left a sealed document pronouncing Enoch Adeboye as the next General Overseer. Adeboye was thus ordained the General Overseer of the Church in 1981.
The Lord has today through Adeboye, built over 5,000 churches all over the world. In Nigeria, and almost all the nations of Africa, the US, the UK, Canada, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, India, China, Hong Kong, the Far East and even the Middle East, RCCG branches can be sighted.
In the United States alone, there are over 500 parishes and still increasing. In Nigeria alone, it has more than 14,000 branches in cities and rural communities. Adeboye said his vision was to plant a church in every five minutes’ walking distance of developing nations and in every five minutes’ driving distance of developed nations, like coffee shops. According to him, in every family on earth, there must be a Redeemed member. Adeboye founded the Model Parishes which targeted the elite in Nigeria and there are the classical parishes which was more conservative.
The model parishes were an instant success and it helped the Redeemed Christian Church of God to increase astronomically, bringing into the church, a harvest of souls and financial pillars which helped the church in its evangelistic programmes. Adeboye’s deep compassion for souls also push the church into rural communities as there is nowhere the GO is not willing to take the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to. The Holy Ghost Services which he started in the 80s was a once-a-month revival programme which brings the churches together from every corner of the country. It was initially held on the premises of the church headquarters in Lagos but the place was too small for the huge crowd that was coming. The church then required a change in location.
Under his leadership, RCCG purchased an uninhabited forest land located on the outskirts of Lagos. Adeboye moved his family to this forest and called the place, the Redemption Camp. He constructed a large auditorium and began to hold the monthly Holy Ghost Services there which has continued to draw crowds to this day. Today, the crowds in attendance run in the millions every month. From the Redemption Camp, Adeboye faithfully ministers to the body of Christ all over the world. The Redemption Camp is also the home of the Redeemers University, and the other secular and theological schools which were established by the church. The Redemption Camp is a city as many believers now live and worship there, making the place another religious nation in the like of the Vatican city of the Catholic Church.
On December 18 1998, Adeboye hosted the very first Holy Ghost Festival with an attendance of over seven million people. In 1999, there were no fewer than 12 million worshippers present. This programme has since been replaced with the annual three-day Holy Ghost Congress held every December at the Redemption Camp.
In addition to this is a Special three-day Holy Ghost Programme held in the first weekend of March yearly. At these events, miracles, signs and wonders have become commonplace as the power of God moves to set free, heal, anoint, deliver, bless and empower. Adeboye is a father in the lord to many great men of God. He ordained hundreds of pastors at the Redemption Camp on regular basis. He is also pastor and spiritual father to many heads of governments. He travels to minister to unreached places where others may not go.
Adeboye has been conferred with several honorary degrees and national merit awards in appreciation of his contributions to humanity. In 1999, he received the honorary citizenship and key of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. In 2000, he dedicated the first chapel in the Nigerian Presidential Villa, Abuja, Nigeria. In 2005, he received honorary citizenship and key of Dallas, Texas, USA. In 2005, he received honorary citizenship and key of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. In 2008, he was awarded a National Honour of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and led the Pre-Summit Prayers at the 64th General Assembly of the United Nations headquarters in New York. He is the author of the globally- distributed daily devotional manual, Open Heavens.
