Ahead of his 75th birthday on March 2, 2017, the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, announced his retirement today at the church’s annual ministers’ thanksgiving held in Shimawa, Ogun State.
In his place, the 74-year-old preacher named his former special assistant on finance, Pastor Joshua Obayemi as the new general overseer of the church.
He also announced the former special assistant on administration and personnel, Pastor Johnson Odesola as the church secretary.
Born on March 2, 1942, in Ifewara, Osun State, Adeboye had his B.Sc. in Mathematics at the 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, before going into full time priesthood in 1984.
After joining the RCCG in 1973, he began working to translate the sermons of the pastor and founder of RCCG, Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, from Yoruba into English.
In 1981, Adeboye succeeded Akindayomi, who had died the previous year as the GO.
For three years he performed the role part-time, still lecturing at Ilorin and finally gave up his university position to preach full-time preacher.
The church, which was not well known prior to Adeboye’s ascendency has grown phenomenally to become a global brand with branches in about 190 countries and more than 14,000 in Nigeria.
The outgoing GO endowed four Nigerian universities: Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan and University of Nigeria.
In 2014, Adeboye was recognised as one of the 50 most powerful people in the world by Newsweek. In the same year, he was one of Nigeria’s centenary awardees
The outgoing GO is married to Foluke, a pastor and they are blessed with four children.
Adeboye’s exit is sequel to the new legal requirements set up by the Financial Regulations Council, guiding all registered churches, mosques, civil society organisations. They have a maximum period of twenty years to lead their organizations. In retirement, they are not permitted to hand over to their families.
