PASTOR. ENOCH ADEJARE ADEBOYE

Enoch Adejare Adeboye (born 2 March 1942 in Ifewara, Osun State, Nigeria) is a Nigerian pastor.

A recent regulation in Nigeria by the financial regulations council affecting all registered churches, mosques and Civil Society Organizations was put in place, placing a twenty-year cap on the leadership tenure of these organizations. Consequently, on January 7, 2017, Pastor J.O. Obayemi was appointed to head the church in Nigeria,^[1] while Pastor E. A. Adeboye still remains the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) globally.

Biography

Enoch Adejare Adeboye was born on March 2, 1942 in Ifewara, near Ife, in Osun State. ^[2] He studied at Nigeria University in Nsukka and graduated in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. ^[3] That same year, he married Foluke Adenike. ^[4] In 1969, he obtained a master’s degree in hydrodynamics from University of Lagos. He joined the Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1973 and began interpreting Yoruba to English by Pastor Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi. In 1975, he obtained a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Lagos. He holds a position as Professor of Mathematics at University of Lagos.^[5]

Ministry

He was ordained a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1977. ^[6] He became General Overseer of the church in 1981.^[7] For three years he filled the role part-time, still lecturing at Ilorin, until giving up his university position to preach full-time.^[8][9]

The church, which was not well known prior to Adeboye becoming the General Overseer, currently has several branches globally in about 196 nations (as at March 2017), including more than 14,000 in Nigeria. Adeboye has stated that his aim is to put a church within five minutes walking distance in developing cities and five minutes driving distance in developed cities.^[8]

University endowments

Pastor Adeboye endowed four^[10] Nigerian universities, including Obafemi Awolowo University^[11] and the University of Nigeria^[12]

Awards and recognition

• 1 of the 50 most powerful people in the world by Newsweek (2008)^[8]