Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye -General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God
By Elegbede Abiodun
• Born on 2 March, 1942, in Ifewara, near Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
• Adeboye began his education at Ilesa Grammar School, Ilesa, Osun State in 1956. He then proceeded to the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) in Nsukka, but because of the Nigeria Civil War, he completed his first degree in the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 1967.
That same year, he married Foluke Adenike. He obtained a Master’s degree in Hydrodynamics from University of Lagos in 1969. He obtained a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Lagos in 1975.
• Adeboye joined the Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1973 and served as an interpreter before he was ordained a pastor in the church by Pa. Josiah Akindayomi in 1975.
• He became general overseer of the church in 1981. For three years, he filled the role part-time while still lecturing at University of Ilorin before giving up his university position to preach full-time.
• The church which was not well known before Adeboye became the general overseer, now has branches in about 198 nations as at March 2017, including more than 14,000,000 worshipers in Nigeria. Adeboye has stated that he aims to put a church within five minutes walking distance in developing cities and five minutes driving distance in developed cities.
• In 2019, Adeboye who was born without a silver spoon was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine.
Source: Tribuneonline
