Encomium
Contrary to speculations that that the fear of Ebola virus would scare worshippers from attending Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye led Redeemed Holy Ghost Church Annual Convention, we reliably gathered that over one million worshippers thronged the popular Holy Ghost Camp from Monday, August 4, 2014, till Sunday, August 14.
Prior to the commencement, it was feared that the outbreak of the deadly virus would affect the gathering negatively especially, with government directives that religious leaders should shelve larger gatherings for now. But, Redeemed faithful within and outside the country defied all fears and attended the event.
Consequently, The General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, on Tuesday, August 5, 2014, led a group of worshippers of the church to offer prayers for the release of the Chibok school girls abducted by the dreaded Boko Haram sect in April in Borno State.
Pastor Adeboye also offered prayers for a “quick divine intervention” in the deadly Ebola Virus that is ravaging the West African sub-region.
“Ebola. This disease will never catch your wife, husband, son, daughter, or any member of your family in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our savior.”
The theme of the convention, the 62nd in the series, is the Holy Spirit. The weeklong event ended with the Farewell Service and ordination of pastors.
Enoch Adejare Adeboye is the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). He had his B.Sc. in Mathematics at University of Nigeria, Nsukka and subsequently got his Ph.D 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 from 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 hundred 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.
He recently endowed four Nigerian universities: Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria with professorial chairs in Mathematics to the tune of N50 million.
-FEMI OYEWALE
