Enoch Adeboye 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Source: The Famous People
