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| Pst. E.O Adeboye |
Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, general overseer
of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, fondly called ‘Daddy G.O.’, surprised
many at the just-concluded 63rd RCCG Annual Convention, tagged ‘The All
Sufficient God’, when he said he was led
by the Holy Spirit to provide seven different white flags which would be used
by the entire congregation for a special prayer. The first white flag, he said,
symbolised thanksgiving; the second flag represented prayer point based on gift
of healing; while the third flag stood for soul-winning. The fourth flag, he
continued, stood for prosperity, the fifth flag was based on restoration, while
Flag 6 stood for protection. The seventh and last flag, he revealed, also stood
for God’s protection, as well as how to end well in life.
Then came
the shocker! Announcing how God blessed them during the convention with 105
new-born babies – 50 boys and 55 girls – Adeboye told the congregation to pray
in order to end well, just like the way God had shown to him he was going to
die. He said when it is the time for him to die, it will be on a Sunday, after
he would have eaten pounded yam, gone to church, come back, and laid down on
the bed.
In an abrupt change of mood, Adeboye called out
for those disabled in the congregation to come near the altar, and ordered some
ministers to lay hands on them. Many were healed of their infirmities. Of
particular notice was a man who was said to have been crippled for over 30 years.
He suddenly jumped to his feet, with his crutches in his hand, and started walking.
Adeboye also went down Memory Lane, recalling
the genesis of RCCG and how he took over from the founder, Late Papa
Akindayomi. According to him, Papa Akindayomi was born in 1909 into the family
of idol worshippers in Ondo. He sought the Lord early, and by age 18, he was
baptised in the CMS Church (The Anglican Communion). Four years later, he
joined the Cherubim and Seraphim Church. Thereafter, Rev. Akindayomi started hearing
God’s voice in the C&S Church, but for some reasons he was said to have
ignored it and got busy with his business ventures, which however became
unproductive despite much effort. It was then that he realised he had to take
God’s calling seriously. He thereafter asked God to confirm his calling upon
his life, if possible with signs and wonders, and God assured him and promised
to provide for all his needs, as he would receive no salary nor engage in
business from then on. While he was still at C&S Church, God comforted him
and he got married to Sister Esther Egbedire in 1941. He later left C&S
Church when the doctrines seemed to be absurd to him. He however started Egbe
Ogo Oluwa with seven foundation members in 1952. It was then God gave him the
name, Redeemed Christian Church of God.
In a case similar to
Abraham’s in the Bible when God promised him he would fulfill his covenant, God
promised Rev. Akindayomi that RCCG would take the world and that he would
fulfill his part of the covenant, including naming who the successor should be.
In 1973 Enoch Adeboye was invited to the headquarters of the church by his
uncle called Chris Fajemirokun. Immediately Adeboye arrived the church as a
first-timer, Rev. Akindayomi sighted him and announced him officially as his
successor.
Accompanied by a couple
of other ministers, Pastor Adeboye started as an interpreter for Rev.
Akindayomi and by 1975, he was ordained a full pastor. He initially resisted
the ordination, saying that the church was carrying it too far. But he later
succumbed and accepted the task. Rev. Akindayomi passed on to glory in November
1980. And iIn January 1981, Pastor Adeboye, a former senior lecturer in
mathematics at the University of Lagos, and later University of Ilorin, took
over overseeing the 39 parishes of RCCG.
Today the parishes have
multiplied geometrically and spread over 175 countries. As at the last count
there was a total of 20,000 parishes in major nations of the world, and we can
authoritatively tell you some major programmes and events that have helped
Pastor Adeboye in his accomplishments. They include the establishment of model
parishes, said to have begun in 1988; Holy Ghost Service, which started in
1985; his missions to foreign countries; and three annual events which bring
millions of people together at the Redemption Camp from different parts of the
world.
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