Adeboye: Still G.O, RCCG, Worldwide

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, has stepped down as the leader of the church.

Adeboye took the decision few minutes ago at the Ministers’ Conference after last night Holy Ghost Congress of the Church in Ogun State.

He has announced Pastor Joseph Obayemi as the new overseer of the church in Nigeria.

The church, however, wrote to clarify the situation, when the news went viral. In a press release entitled, ‘Pastor E.a Adeboye Remains General Overseer Of Rccg, Worldwide, and signed by Leke Adeboye, the clergyman’s last son and Personal Assistant, the church said”Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye remains the General Overseer, Worldwide of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG. The clarification, according to the release, is coming on the heels of misrepresentation of Pastor E. A Adeboye’s announcement at the Annual Ministers Thanksgiving “held at the Redemption camp today that the Church Nigeria is now to be led by Pastor Joseph Obayemi.”

The statement clarified that the latest development is sequel to the new legal requirements set up by the Financial Regulations Council, guiding all registered churches, mosques, and CSOs.

The regulation stipulates that heads of non profit organisations like churches now have a maximum period of twenty years to lead their organizations while in retirement, they are not permitted to hand over to their families.

Leke Adeboye reiterated that Pastor Funsho Odesola, will now serve as the new Church Secretary while Pastor Joseph Adeyokunu, is the new Church Treasurer.

He advised all members of RCCG to understand this new structure and go about their service to God and humanity in holiness and soul winning.

He also appealed to members to educate people around them and not spread inaccurate information stressing that Pastor E.A Adeboye remains the General Overseer of RCCG Worldwide.

Enoch Adejare Adeboye was born 2 March 1942 in Ifewara, Osun State, Nigeria. He had his B.Sc. in Mathematics at University of Nigeria Nsukka and subsequently got his PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Lagos, and worked as a lecturer in mathematics at the universities of Lagos and Ilorin; After joining the RCCG in 1973, he began working to translate the sermons of its then Pastor and founder, Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, from Yoruba into English.

In 1981, Pastor Adeboye was, according to Wikipedia, appointed General Overseer of the church, taking over from Papa Akindayomi, who had died the previous year. For three years he filled the role part-time, still lecturing at Ilorin, until giving up his university position to preach full-time.

The church, which was not well known prior to Adeboye becoming the General Overseer, has several branches globally in about 190 countries, including more than 14,000 in Nigeria. Adeboye has stated that his aim is to put a church within five minutes of every person on Earth.

He is the national president of RCF (an interdenominational fellowship in all the campuses in Nigeria) which is under the umbrella of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministry (CRM) where he is a founder and president.

At the 2016 annual convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, pastor Adeboye caused a stir on social networks when he made a bold statemment encouraging young men to avoid marrying “lazy women” and those “who cannot cook”. He also advised young ladies to avoid any serious relationship with jobless men. That same month, in regard of his gospel ministers growing a beard as a trend, pastor Edboye declared “I don’t want to see any of my pastors looking like fellows from the training camps of Al-Qaeda”