General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Enoch Adejare Adeboye became a year older.
Pastor Adeboye is marking his 73rd birthday today, March 2.
The RCCG leader certainly has a lot to be thankful for, having come a long way from a humble Christian family in Ifewara, Osun state to being the General Overseer of one of the most popular churches in the world.
It isn’t hard to see how richly blessed he is
Check out 10 things about the popular preacher that you probably didn’t know
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Enoch Adejare Adeboye was born on March 2, 1942 inIfewara, Osun State into a family with strict Christian upbringing.
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Adeboye was born into a far from affluent family, and suffered various educational set backs due to funds. His primary and secondary school education were almost truncated due to inadequate funding. He never had a pair of shoes till he clocked 18.
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Against all odds, Adeboye graduated from the university in 1967 at the age of 25 with a B.Sc in Mathematics fromUniversity of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu state. He added two more degrees to his qualification between 1967 and 1975 – an M.Sc in hydrodynamics and a Ph.D in Applied Mathematics, and lectured at the University of Lagos and University of Ilorin. Before he became a Mathematics lecturer in these Universities, Adeboye taught at two different secondary schools – Okeigbo Grammar School, Okeigbo near Ondo and the Lagos Anglican Girls Grammar School, Surulere, Lagos.
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In 1968, Adeboye married Mrs. Folu Adeboye (nee Adeyokunnu). Pastor Folu had given birth to her first to children through cesarean section and doctors had diagnosed that in view of the formation of pelvic bones, having babies by natural means was almost impossible, discouraging the couple from having more children. The couple looked for solution through other means other than Christianity – they had sought the help of natural and traditional medicine, but their efforts were futile.
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In a bid to find solution, Adeboye who was still a young University lecturer at that time was invited along with his wife to the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Ebute-Metta, Lagos, by his uncle, Chris Fajemirokun, where he encountered Jesus Christ.
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RCCG then was headed by Josiah Oluwafemi Akindayomiwho was the General Superintendent (GS), a man who did not have any formal education and spoke no English but his native Yoruba language but God’s presence could be felt in the church. After several Sundays of attending church and listening to the thought-provoking and soul searching preaching of Pastor Akindayomi, he finally became born again on July 29, 1973 after an altar call was made.
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Pastor Adeboye or Daddy G.O. as he’s fondly called became RCCG’s General Overseer in 1981.
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Since taking over the General Overseer position, RCCG has spread worldwide with over 12,000 churches in over 120 nations.
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In appreciation for his humanitarian contributions, Adeboye has received several degrees and national merit awards. On January 5, 2009 Newsweek Elite had listed Adeboye as as one of the Fifty Most Influential People In The World.
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The Adeboyes are blessed with four children Bolu, Leke, Adeolu and Dare in their 47-year marriage with several grandchildren.