‘Nigerian Million Makers’ are men and women born naked like you and I. They are men and women who face life’s challenges just like every other person. The difference is that, they find solutions to such challenges. They are men and women who discover their purpose on earth and pursue it with everything they’ve got. They have great passion for their calling to making life better for others. This is also true of Nigerian Million Maker of today, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye who went without shoes for the first 17 years of his life. Bill Graham observed: “You don’t have to put greatness on to people, you just have to elicit it, for the greatness is already there”.
Born on March 2, 1942 at Ifewara in Osun state to the family of Mr and Mrs Moses Adeboye, young Enoch grew up lacking the good things of life. The family was so poor that they hardly managed to send him to school. It was a celebration galore when the family bought an umbrella. For the first 17 years of his life, he never wore shoes. Not that he does not want to, but none was available. Today all that is history as Pastor Adeboye can afford anything money can buy in fact he recently acquired a private jet for the promotion of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His education was a struggle. Through the help of God and the assistance of his mother, Mrs Easther Adeboye, he was educated even to the tertiary level, graduating at the age of 25 in 1967. He attended St Stephen’s Anglican primary School, Ilesa Grammar school, University of Nigeria Nsuka, University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo, University) and University of Lagos.
Though the fact was that he attended school under a difficult situation, it did not stop him from sparkling like a million stars, as he was an ‘A’ student from primary school to the University level. What his parents lacked in material wealth, he made up in academic excellence.
With an M.SC in Hydrodynamics and a PhD in applied Mathematics, the soft spoken pastor started his teaching career at Okeigbo Ifetedo Grammar school, where he taught Mathematics and later moved to the Lagos based Anglican Girls Grammer School. He thereafter lectured at University of Ilorin and later University of Lagos. His dream then was to become the youngest Vice-Chancellor in Africa. But, that was a better plan in the offering.
He was once invited by his uncle Reverend Chris Fajemirokun to Redeemed Christian church of God to seek solution to a particular problem. The Redeemed Christian church of God founded in 1952 was led by Rev Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi. Though, led by an uneducated man. Dr Enoch felt the presence of God in the congregation. It was here that he heard that if one does not change from his sinful ways, the person will end up in hell on the day of judgement. With this in mind, when the alter call was made, he wasted no time in giving his life to Jesus. A great choice he made that would changed his life for his life to be an example and be considered on this blog Nigerian million makers.
He became a born-again on July 29th 1973. He acknowledged God in everything he did and was baptised by immersion in September 1973. As a worker in the church, he laboured to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ through his word and deeds. He also conducted lunch hour fellowship at the University community.
He was ordained a pastor of the church on September 14, 1975 alongside four others. He later became official English language interpreter of Reverend Josiah Olufemi. , whose messages were purely Yoruba language. He succeeded reverend Akindayomi when he went to be with the London November 2, 1980 and was ordained General overseer of the Redeemed Christian church of God in 1981. Thus dropping his job as a university lecturer to become a fulltime pastor.
And so at the age of 38, pastor Adeboye became the leader of the church, a move that left many elders of the church surprised. Dropping the chalk to hold the microphone for the rest of his life Pastor Adeboye has changed the face of Christianity in Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world. Unlike most preachers of gospel, his messages are centered on holiness and purity.
Pastor Adeboye is widely respected for his humility and simplicity among most Pentecostal preachers in Nigeria. He introduces the model parishes in Nigeria and first Friday monthly Holy Ghost night. In December 18, 1998, he organised Holy Ghost Festival, tagged Leki ’98 with a record attendance of millions of worshipers. Millions of people have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour under the ministrations of this ‘Nigerian Million makers’.
The Redeemed Christian church of God, which has transform its Redemption camp situated on Lagos Ibadan Express way, Kilometre 45 to a town of its own with every infrastructure a town can boast of, has about 7,000 parishes in over 90 countries of the world. They are involved in establishing schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and other support centers.
Known as the pastor of pastors, Pastor Adeboye married Pastor Foluke in 1968 and they are blessed with children . He was conferred with the officer of the order of the Niger (O O N). The life and attitude of Pastor Adeboye makes true the prayer of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, former Nigeria nationalist and leader. Observing the happening around him, he cried to God, “O God, inspire me with the spirit that I may see the way to true greatness: that I may not be selfish in seeking for academic honours and thereby forget that my main objectives in life is to make lighter the burden for my fellow man.
Dear reader of this blog Nigerian million makers, it is my wish and prayer that we all identify our purpose for being created have the grace for pursuit and end up fulfilling his purpose for our lives. Remain blessed.
