A brief history of Pastor Enoch Adeboye
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, clocked 80 on Wednesday.
He’s gone a long way from his days as a doctor of applied mathematics. Ifewara is a small, rural community where I was born. He is his mother’s only child, and as soon as he could walk, he went to the farm with his father, who was a peasant farmer.
Even as a child, it was by his personal willpower that he forced his father to send him to school because the poor father saw his future on the farm while the young Adejare thought differently.
While in primary school in the village, an Anglican Bishop visited the village and young pupils, including Adejare, were made to line the street to welcome the Bishop to the town. As of then, he did not know what kind of job Bishops did then, but he wished to be like this august visitor to his hometown.
The young lad later went to Ilesha Grammar School where despite the impoverishment of his family, distinguished himself in all subjects, particularly in English and Mathematics. His father unfortunately died while he was still in school and he had to plead with the principal of the school, the Reverend Cannon Akinyemi, a distinguished Ifewara son, that he would pay the outstanding fees which his father could not pay before his demise. After his school certificate examinations in which he came out with flying colours, he got a job teaching in a secondary school and fulfilled his obligation to Ilesha Grammar School. His word was his bond even at such a young age.
He later went to University of Nigeria at Nsukka on scholarship of the school where he taught, to study mathematics and was bonded to return to the school to teach mathematics because mathematics teachers were very few in those days.
He then became a mathematics professor at the University of Lagos. Pastor Akindayomi, the founder of the little spiritual church in Cemetery Road, Ebute Metta, was introduced to him while he was in Lagos. What began as an almost unthinkable path for an Anglican lad into the world of unrefined spiritual church has evolved into the Redeemed Christian Church of God’s global church (RCCG).
Top influential 100 Africans
Adeboye was also cited as one of the top 100 most influential Africans by New African Magazine in 2019. Notably, the famous pastor appeared in the top 10 on the list alongside business magnates, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and Ellon Musk.
RCCG branches in 100 countries
Since 1981, when he became the General Overseer of the RCCG, the church now has branches in over 100 countries across the world, including more than 14,000 in Nigeria.
Author of over 100 Books
Currently, Adeboye has written over 100 books in English, French and other major languages of the world. The books also serve as his evangelical mission to reach out to the world.
World’s 50 Most Powerful People
In recognition of his track record, Adeboye was named one of ‘The World’s 50 Most Powerful People’ by Newsweek Magazine (USA) in 2009.
Pastor Adeboye indeed a God’s General who has been a blessing to millions of people across the globe through his teachings, prayers backed up with sign, wonders and Miracles and therefore we celebrate him.
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