Biography of Enoch Adeboye

This post is about Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the Spiritual Leader and General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG worldwide. He is one of the richest pastors in Nigeria and is considered to be also among the richest pastors in the world.

Enoch Adeboye Early Life 

The charismatic preacher and leader of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Enoch Adeboye was born on March 2, 1942 in Ifewara, Osun State, Nigeria. He is just one of four children of his parents. During his early days, Enoch Adeboye’s parents were so poor that this threatened even his education.

His father, an illiterate farmer, was indifferent about giving any of his children an education as he did not see the need to do so. Enoch Adeboye’s family was so poor that they could not even afford to pay the school fees.

Enoch Adeboye persisted on getting a formal education, this persistence was so strong that when his requests to be sent to school were dismissed by his father, he went on a hunger-strike in order to make his father realise his stance.

Enoch Adeboye’s father finally agreed to send his son to school so he sold his goat in order to pay for his son’s school fees.

Finally, Enoch Adeboye got his wish of gaining an education and was thus enrolled at the only missionary school in their village. He started school very late but that did not deter him from the goal he set for himself and he soon realized that he loved to read.

Enoch Adeboye was admitted into the Ilesha Grammar School, Ilesha, Osun State, Western Nigeria in 1956. It was at this time that he discovered his passion for science and mathematics in particular.

After his primary and secondary education, he pursued tertiary education and obtained a Bachelors (BSc.) degree in Mathematics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria in 1967, he also got 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.

Enoch Adeboye Career 

During his young days, Enoch Adeboye had the great ambition to become the youngest Vice Chancellor (University President) of any one of the best universities in Nigeria at that time. Enoch Adeboye was very brilliant and this was reflected in his academic records. So at that point in his life, it seemed highly likely that he would achieve this dream of being a university vice chancellor.

Enoch Adeboye began his career as a lecturer in mathematics at the university of Lagos and later, the university of Ilorin, and looked set to establish himself in the academics career.

In the early 1970s, he was already married, he and his wife faced the challenge of having children. They had two children through caesarean section 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.

This brought them to the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG in the year 1973 which was then headed by the Founder and General Superintendent, Pastor Josiah Oluwafemi Akindayomi.

Enoch Adeboye became born-again in the Christian faith on March 29, 1973, and decided to dedicate his life to the service of God. Enoch Adeboye became actively involved with the church and began propagating the gospel such that in 1975 he was formally ordained a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG.

Upon being called into the ministry, his initial duty at the church at that time was to translate Pastor Akindayomi’s sermons from the pastor’s native language which is the Yoruba language into the English language. As time went by, Enoch Adeboye began organizing Bible Study meetings, Crusades, Revivals, Outreaches and the evangelistic programs known as the Holy Ghost Congress which proved to be very successful.

Pastor Akindayomi was so impressed by the young Enoch Adeboye that he decided that Enoch Adeboye was the man that would succeed him. In 1981, pastor Akindayomi died and Enoch Adeboye took over the mantle of leadership as the church’s General Overseer based on an instruction left by Akindayomi prior to his death.

As the new leader of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Enoch Adeboye worked hard to expand the church’s outreach and in recent times, the church has branches in as many as 110 countries in the world.

Pastor Adeboye is today considered to be one of the most influential pastors in Nigeria and one of the richest pastors in the world.

Enoch Adeboye Personal Life 

Enoch Adeboye married Pastor Foluke Adenike Adeboye at the age of 25 in 1968. His wife also pastors at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG.

Together, they have four children, all of whom also became pastors later on. He is also a proud grandfather to several grandchildren.

Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer

In a recent regulation in Nigeria by the financial regulations council affecting all registered churches, mosques and Civil Society Organizations, a twenty year cap on the leadership tenure of these organizations was put in place and that led Pastor Adeboye to appoint on March 7, 2017 Pastor J.O. Obayemi the new head the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria while Pastor E. A. Adeboye himself still remains the General overseer of the RCCG worldwide.