Enoch Adejare Adeboye is a Nigerian pastor and General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Biography
Enoch Adejare Adeboye was born in Ifewara, a town close to Ife, in Osun State on March 2, 1942. He was born into an extremely low-income family.
In 1956, Enoch Adejare Adeboye started attending Ilesha Grammar School in Ilesha, Osun State.
The Nigeria Civil War prevented him from finishing his first degree at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), but he later transferred to the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 1967.
He graduated with a Master’s in Hydrodynamics from the University of Lagos in 1969. He got a doctorate in Applied Mathematics from the University of Lagos in 1975. He is a mathematics professor at the University of Lagos.
Career
Enoch Adeboye worked as an interpreter at the Redeemed Christian Church of God after joining in 1973 before being ordained as a pastor by Pa. Josiah Akindayomi in 1975.
In 1981, he was appointed the church’s General Overseer. He served on the job at University of Ilorin for three years on a part-time basis before leaving his academic position to become a full-time preacher.
He was also a mathematics lecturer at the University of Lagos and Ilorin before he received the call to become a pastor.
ALSO READ: Chris Oyakhilome: Biography, career, ministry, net worth
Ministry
In 1973, he and his wife joined the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), led by Pastor Josiah Oluwafemi Akindayomi, the General Superintendent. On July 29, 1973, he underwent a new birth into Christ and decided to live in the service of his faith.
He was actively engaged in church activities and started spreading the gospel. He received official pastorate ordination in 1975.
His initial responsibility at the church was translating Akindayomi’s sermons from Yoruba into English. He eventually began planning Bible study gatherings, crusades, revivals, outreaches, and the highly effective evangelistic events known as the Congress.
Akindayomi chose Adeboye to succeed him due to his fervour for Christianity. Akindayomi passed away in 1981, and Adeboye assumed control as the church’s General Overseer in accordance with a directive he had left behind.
Since he became the church’s head, he has worked hard to increase the group’s reach; as a result, the church now has branches in 110 nations worldwide, from Germany to India, the United Kingdom to the United States.
Pastor Adeboye is also the author of several books. These include The Open Heavens Daily Devotional, Lessons From The Sower, Divine Favour, Kingdom Prosperity, and many others.
He is the Founder of Dove TV, which broadcasts his church’s programmes and other churches’. He owns the prestigious Redeemer’s University.
Church
Many people assume that he is the owner of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. However, he is not the founder of the church. Pastor Adeboye is the General Overseer.
He played a key role in the church’s enormous growth as the organization’s General Overseer. When he took over, the church was essentially unknown. Today, it has branches in more than a hundred nations, including more than 14,000 in Nigeria.
The church’s campground on Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Redemption Camp, is one of the biggest in the country.
ALSO READ: Pastor WF Kumuyi: Biography, ministry, net worth, family, controversies
Net worth
Pastor Adeboye is one of the richest pastors in Nigeria. He has a net worth of $39 million.
Family
On December 17, 1967, Enoch Adeboye married Folu Adeboye. He has four children—three sons and a daughter—and several grandkids. On May 4, 2021, Pastor Enoch Adeboye lost his son Dare Adeboye, who passed away at 42.
Private Jet
When Pastor Adeboye bought the brand-new Gulfstream jet, it became known that the pastor had also recently launched Emmanuel Aviation, a luxury jet firm. The aviation company had been around since 2009, but it had only recently launched a website promoting its posh fleet and aviation services.
The Gulfstream G550 luxury plane owned by Pastor Adeboye was made in Savannah, Georgia, in the US. The jet was created in 2013 and cost $65 million.
He is the second Nigerian preacher to launch a private airline. Bishop David Oyedepo, a controversial prosperity preacher and wealthy pastor, was the first person to own a private airline. The pastor of Winners Chapel has two planes under his Dominion Air Company.
Spiritual father
Rumours circulated on social media that his spiritual father was Rev Dr. Uma Ukpai. However, Pastor Adeboye debunked the rumours stating that they were false. He also stated that his spiritual father remains the late Reverend Josiah Akindayomi, the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Conclusion
Pastor Adeboye has received several recognitions. He was named one of the 50 most powerful people in the world by Newsweek in 2008, and he was also awarded the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by President Goodluck Johnathan in 2008. The man of God was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African Magazine in 2019 and many others.
ALSO READ: Apostle Suleman: Biography, ministry, controversies, net worth, family
