PASTOR ADEBOYE: My Successor is Still Drinking in a Beer Parlour

Pastor Adeboye

By Olumide  T. Agunbiade

Humble preacher and General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, has declared another shocker over those jostling for his exalted position.  He said his successor is still drinking beer at a beer parlour.

 Daddy G.O, as he is fondly called, disclosed this to some of his inner caucus that everybody should focus on their God given assignment and not lose focus on who will succeed him.

He then allegedly dropped a bombshell that in fact, the person God will replace him with is still at a beer parlour somewhere drinking liquor and that at the appointed time. God will turn his heart, redeem and prepare him for service.

The declaration was to nip in the bud the raging rumour that there is rancor and silent revolt amongst some of the new generation’s pastors with the ministry on who should succeed the 71- year- old clergy. Their agitation, started over a year ago when he clocked 70. And should retire since he is 70 and should name a successor among them.

However, it was reported that he retaliated by declaring he would disgraces those jostling to succeed him, saying the coveted throne is a spiritual issue not political. One of his spokespersons who pleaded anonymity, and he confirmed the detail. “Yes, it is true that Daddy G.O said his successor is still somewhere drinking beer at a beer parlour. But that’s not new because he has always been saying that.”

Sheer curiosity and the search for a solution to a personal problem led Pastor Adeboye to worship at RCCG Ebute-Metta, Lagos, in 1973.  It was a most unlikely place of worship for a professor of mathematics as the church had very few educated people and it lacked the comfort and grandeur of orthodox churches.

Pastor Adeboye has a 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, he began working to translate the sermons of its then pastor and founder, Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, from Yoruba into English.

In 1981, Adeboye was appointed General Overseer of the church, taking over form Papa Akindayomi, who 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 before Adeboye took charge, now claims branches in over a 100 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).  In 2008, Newsweek magazine named Adeboye one of the 50 most powerful people in the world.  He is married to Foluke Adeboye, also a pastor, with whom he has children.