The General
Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare
Adeboye recently celebrated his 72nd birthday and to mark the
attainment, a special Holy Ghost Service was organized by the congregation at
the church’s Redemption Camp located along Km. 46, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The activities
were preceded with thanksgiving service at the mission’s headquarters located
at the national headquarters of the church in Ebute Metta, Lagos on Sunday
March 2nd, the day the man of God was born 72 years ago.
The Special
Assistant to the General Overseer on Administration and Personnel, Pastor
Johnson Odesola-led thousands of parishioners to pray for the good health of
the General Overseer, who was unavoidably absent at the service as he was said
to take time off to pray at home.
There were several
prayer sessions by the children, teenagers, youths, men, women and elders of
the church for the cleric who at the beginning of the year, flagged off 100
days fasting and prayer, obviously to avert the multi dimensional security
challenges currently threatening to tear the nation apart.
Pastor Odesola confirmed that the G.O. always presided over the first Sunday service of every month at the headquarter church, “but usually he doesn’t go out of his home on March 2, because he spends the whole day praying for God’s leading. That’s why he was unable to make the service and I sent letters to all our branches across the globe to spend today (Sunday) praying for our leader.”
According to the
S.A., Pastor Adeboye usually spend quality time to wait on the Lord for a new
direction, noting that there are many challenges including the construction of
new auditorium which has commenced and all that require God’s intervention.
But, one thing
that has continued to re-occur amongst many watchers of events, and which has
almost led to controversy, is ‘when will the man of God retire.’
Speaking on the
sensitive matter, Pastor Odesola described all those who are calling for the
retirement of the 72 year old General Overseer as ignorant of the church’s
constitution, saying that there is no where in the legal document that says he
should resign or retire.
“Whereas the
constitution provided that the deputy and assistant general overseers are
appointed to retire at 70 and enjoy their retirement benefits for life, there
is no such provision for the general overseer,” he stated, adding that on
account of such ignorance even among the pastorate, the governing council had
agreed that the constitution should be printed into a book and made available
to all workers in the church.
Continuing, Pastor
Odesola who disclosed that the General Overseer had thrown his weight behind
the proposed National Conference, but would let the umbrella body speak for the
Church, added that the problem “we have in the church is akin to what operates
in the rest of the continent.
“People have papers but they don’t read them. We have a compendium about the day to day running of the church but people just don’t read.
“People have papers but they don’t read them. We have a compendium about the day to day running of the church but people just don’t read.
“The people who
are agitating for the G.O.’s retirement because he is over 70 years are
ignorant and the Bible says you don’t become foolish,” he explained to journalists.
Pastor Adeboye was
born on March 2, 1942 at Ifewara in the present day Osun State to Moses and
Esther Adeboye, both indigenes of Ifewara, which is about midway between
Ilesha and Ondo towns.
Pastor Adeboye has a PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Lagos, and worked as a lecturer at the universities of Lagos and Ilorin. After joining the RCCG, he began working to translate the sermons of its then pastor/founder, Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, from Yoruba into English.
In 1981 Adeboye was appointed General Overseer of the church, taking over from Papa Akindayomi, who had died the previous year.
Pastor Adeboye has a PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Lagos, and worked as a lecturer at the universities of Lagos and Ilorin. After joining the RCCG, he began working to translate the sermons of its then pastor/founder, Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, from Yoruba into English.
In 1981 Adeboye was appointed General Overseer of the church, taking over from Papa Akindayomi, who had died the previous year.
The church has
since witnessed phenomenal growth under Pastor Adeboye with Nigeria having
about 28,000 parishes, while branches of the church are scattered all over the
world including Europe, Asia and America.
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