Enoch Adeboye is a famous Nigerian
pastor who rose to national and eventually international prominence upon being
appointed as the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
Hitherto unknown to the public at large, he began his journey to fame at RCCG
where he
initially translated the sermons of its then Pastor and founder, Rev.
Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, from Yoruba into English. With his undying devotion
towards the Lord and his commitment towards helping the common man understand
the nuances of Christianity, he helped to expand the church which now has
branches in over a hundred countries. Prior to his involvement with the church
he had been a lecturer in mathematics at the universities of Lagos and Ilorin.
Even though he had always known that God existed in heaven, it was not until he
was a young man that he actually realized the truth about God. He had a
revelation in 1973 and received the Lord Jesus as his personal Lord and
Saviour. Since then he has dedicated his life fully to the service of God. As a
born-again Christian he realized that the purpose of his life was to spread the
teachings of Christianity and thus he eventually gave up his prestigious
university position to become a full-time preacher.
Childhood & Early Life
- He was born on 2 March, 1942 in the village of Ifewara,
Osun State, Nigeria. His parents were very poor and he was one of their
four children. An illiterate farmer, his father did not believe in
educating any of his children. In fact, the family was so poor that they
could not afford to pay the school fees.
- Enoch was however very particular about receiving a
formal education and when his requests to be sent to school were dismissed
by his father, he went on a hunger-strike in a bid to persuade him.
- His father eventually gave in and sold his goat in
order to pay for his son’s school fees. Thus Enoch was enrolled at the
only missionary school in their village.
- Even though he started school quite late, he soon
realized that he loved to read. He was admitted into the Ilesha Grammar
School, Ilesha, Osun State, Western Nigeria in 1956. It was here that he
discovered his passion for science and mathematics.
- He badly wanted to pursue a higher education but the
ongoing Nigerian Civil War and his family’s dire financial condition
threatened to thwart his ambitions. Yet he chased his dream relentlessly
and ultimately obtained not only a Bachelors (BSc.) degree in Mathematics
from the University of Nigeria, Nnsukka, Nigeria in 1967, but also a
Masters (MSc.) Degree in Hydrodynamics and a Doctorate Degree (PhD) in
Applied Mathematics, both from the University of Lagos, in 1969 and 1975
respectively.
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Career
- As a young man he had one great
ambition—to become the youngest Vice Chancellor (University President) of
any one of the frontline Universities in Nigeria. Given his brilliant
academic records, it seemed like he would achieve this dream soon.
- He began his career as a
lecturer in mathematics at the universities of Lagos and Ilorin, and looked
poised to establish himself in a successful career in academics.
- Married by the early 1970s, he
and his wife were facing some problems in having children. They had two
children through caesarean surgery and the doctors had advised them
against having more. But the couple desperately wanted more children and
thus embarked on a spiritual journey to seek a solution.
- They came to the Redeemed
Christian Church of God (RCCG) in 1973 which was then headed by the
General Superintendent, Pastor Josiah Oluwafemi Akindayomi. He became a
born-again Christian on 29 July, 1973, and decided to dedicate his life to
the service of religion.
- He became actively involved
with the church and began propagating the gospel. In 1975 he was formally
ordained a pastor.
- Initially his duty at the
church was to translate Akindayomi’s sermons from the pastor’s native
language Yoruba into English. Eventually he started organizing Bible Study
meetings, Crusades, Revivals, Outreaches and the evangelistic programs
known as the Congress which proved to be very successful.
- Impressed by the young man’s
dedication towards religion Akindayomi decided that Adeboye was the man
meant to succeed him. In 1981, Akindayomi died and Adeboye took over the
leadership as the church’s General Overseer based on an instruction left
by Akindayomi prior to his death.
- As the leader of the church he
worked hard to expand the organization’s outreach and today the church has
branches in 110 countries all over the world from Haiti to Germany, from
India to the UK, and also in the US. Pastor Adeboye is today considered to
be one of the most influential pastors in Nigeria.
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Major Works
- As the General overseer of the
Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), he was instrumental in its vast
expansion. The church, which was practically unknown when he took over,
now has its branches in over a 100 countries all over the world including
more than 14,000 in Nigeria.
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Awards &
Achievements
- He was awarded the Order of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria by the Nigerian President in 2008.
- In 2009 he was named one of
‘The World’s Fifty Most Powerful People’ by Newsweek Magazine (USA).
- He is the recipient of several
honorary degrees including an honorary doctorate degree from the
University of Lagos and an honorary doctorate degree from the University
of Nigeria, Nsukka.
- He was presented with the
Spiritual Pillar of Nigerian Sports, a National Sports Honor in 2010.
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Personal
Life & Legacy
- He married Foluke Adenike
Adeboye at the age of 25 in 1968. He was a fresh graduate and thus the
couple had a very simple marriage. The couple faced considerable financial
challenges in their initial years together even though they were very much
in love. His wife is also a pastor.
- He has four children, all of
whom also became pastors later on. He is also a proud grandfather to
several grandchildren.
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