ome decades ago, he was a Mathematics lecturer
imparting to students the gospel of algebra, quadratic equations and all
the likes. At best, he only punctuated the job with random evangelical
missions to different places. With his academic background, Enoch
Adeboye could thus be said to have eventually ended up in the vineyard
from a relatively unlikely constituency.
The reason is that millions of academics or
philosophers find it very difficult to reconcile intellectual views with
religious ones, since the first thrives on facts and reasoning while
the latter subsists on faith.
Arguably ‘compounding’ the equation for the Ifewara,
Osun State-born man of God, fondly called Daddy G.O., is the fact that
he hails from a very poor background. He has noted in an interview that
his family was so poor that other poor folks used to refer to the
Adeboyes as poor fellows.
Funny enough, the man that can today be described as
pastor of pastors was also a boxer as a young man — another profile that
shows how dramatic his metamorphosis has been. Perhaps if he had
continued in the boxing trade, the highest he could have become is
another Mohammed Alli, as he was very likely to have been mathematical
in his strides.
But If there was anything that seemed to have
signified that Adeboye was going to end up as a phenomenal fisher of
men, it is the fact that, like Disciple Peter, he loved — and still
loves — fishing. Most important is the fact that since divine planning
is far stronger than any human calculation, Enoch Adejare Adeboye has
triumphed over such natural contradictions to become one of the most
revered and successful pastors that have ever lived.
Since he was chosen by the late founder of the RCCG,
Pa Josiah Akindayomi, to be the General Overseer in 1981, the church
founded in 1952 has been growing in leaps and bounds. When Akindayom
died, the RCCG had only 40 branches. Today, it has over five million
members across 20,000 branches in 140 countries worldwide.
Acoording to available figures, there are at least
540 branches in the UK and Ireland alone. But giving such figures is
just a way of being formal because the RCCG is more or less a church of
all churches and, to some extent, all religions. Each time it holds its
Holy Ghost services or when important events like elections come up,
people from all backgrounds head for the Redemption Camp in their
millions.
As Adeboye clocks 70 today, the story of his life,
his essence and influences are bound to come to the fore again. Although
he is humble and unassuming, his influences are overwhelming. His life
has become an open book, a compendium of lessons when issues of what the
character of a church leader should be, church administration,
religious affairs in Nigeria, relationship between politics and
religion, the church and business ventures, among others, are being
discussed.
Interestingly, Adeboye’s journey into spiritual
stardom is a product of ‘‘problem’’. As many motivational speakers and
men of God often teach, challenges and problems usually exist to bring
out the best in people, or to get God’s plan manifested in them. Adeboye
never fails to recall how a hitherto intractable personal problem — he
did not disclose its nature in his February 2011 interview with the Cable News Network
— drove him to Akindayomi. The late man of God assured him that the
problem was going to vanish. But this was to happen on only one
condition: Adeboye must surrender his life to Christ. He did so. The
problem parted ways with him. And, since then, he has had no cause to
look back.
In the reckoning of the foremost juju musician-turned
evangelist, Chief Ebenezer Obey, Adeboye’s essence transcends the RCCG.
According to him, he is a pastor with relevance across churches and
denominations.
The General Overseer of Decross Gospel Mission told
our correspondent, “God created him for this generation and others to
come. He practises what he preaches. Humility and the fear of God
radiate through his life. All over the world, the body of Christ is
looking onto him because he is a global man of God. He is empowered with
special anointing. God has given him the power to represent Christ here
on earth.”
Obey also believes that young pastors have a lot to
learn from the pattern of Adeboye’s ascension. According to him, he is
not the founder of the RCCG, but was asked by the founder to continue
from where he stopped. Obey’s idea is that it takes God to appoint he
who He wants.
“Pastor Adeboye was not looking for position,” he
said. “He was just committed to his job. But God told the founder: This
is your successor. Eventually, he has taken the church to a great
height.”
It is in this light that the President of Eclectic
Network, Rev. Moses Iloh, is inspired to pose a challenge to Adeboye.
According to him, it is now time for him to apply his anointing to
cementing the body of Christ in Nigeria.
Iloh said, “Pastor Adeboye is an epitome of a man
generously endowed by God. He is endowed by the Lord in many ways. And
he has fully manifested this. But as he turns 70, his next programme or
agenda should be how to unite the body of Christ. The effect of his
anointing should not be limited to the RCCG alone. He should transfer
the anointing to the entire body of Christ in the country.”
As part of the legacy of the RCCG under Adeboye, the
opening up and fast development that the Lagos Ibadan Expressway axis is
witnessing can be traced to it. Users of the road have occasionally
experienced gridlock during some of the church’s major programmes. But
the blessings that have accrued to the area far outweigh the challenges.
Aside from the fact that millions regard the
Redemption Camp as a healing ground, the creation of the ‘Redemption
City’ that started as a small community is instructive. Only those who
are familiar with the place, who have navigated its length and breadth,
know that it is a very large domain that has continued to expand — with
all institutions and facilities you would not even see in many orthodox
cities in Nigeria. With the capacity to generate the light it consumes
and expanding road networks, the Redemption Camp has almost become a
nation onto itself.
It is such activities of the church that pushed
several other religious organisations to acquire land and establish
themselves in their various ways. It can also be said that several
business organisations and many individuals that have established their
presence right and left of the road, and digging down to the interiors,
are also indirect beneficiaries of Adeboye’s initiative and foresight to
open up the area.
Of course, the RCCG’s business model is the type that
has also infected a good number of organisations. With academic
institutions that include the Redeemer’s University, liberal housing
model that has continued to fill the camp with people from various
social classes and others, Adeboye has also proved that he could have
been a successful businessman if that is all he had chosen to be.
And apart from the fact that he has led a life devoid
of scandals, testimonies from members of his immediate family equally
prove that he is also a success at the domestic level. An evidence of
this is contained in a message two of his children, Leke and Titilope,
put on an online page dedicated to his birthday.
They write, “Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye is the best
father one can have, even with his ever increasing work within God’s
mission, he still puts his biological family first. Everyone calls him
Daddy G.O. but it is with great honour and priviledge to call him
father. With all the love in our heart, we say “we love you Father and
we pray that God will give you a 70th happy birthday present that no one
on earth can give you in Jesus’ name”. Love you dearly, sir!”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY G.O. as he is fondly called by 'redeemers', wish you many happy returns of the day in Jesus name, amen. Igba Odun, Odun kan ni oooo....70 hearty cheers!!!
Story courtesy of Akeem Lasisi of punch newspaper.
Story courtesy of Akeem Lasisi of punch newspaper.
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