Enoch Adeboye facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Enoch Adejare Adeboye
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| Born | 2 March 1942 |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation | Pastor, professor |
| Employer | Redeemed Christian Church of God, University of Lagos |
| Spouse(s) |
Foluke Adenike Adeboye (m. 1967)
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Enoch Adejare Adeboye (born 2 March 1942) is a Nigerian pastor, General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God in Lagos.
Early life
Enoch Adejare Adeboye was born on 2 March 1942 in Ifewara, near Ife, in Osun State, Nigeria. Born from a very humble background, he recalls that even poor people called them (his family) poor.
Education
Enoch Adejare Adeboye began education at Ilesha Grammar School Ilesha Osun State in 1956. Enoch Adejare Adeboye then proceeded to the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) in Nsukka but because of the Nigeria Civil War, he completed his first degree in the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) graduating with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics in 1967. That same year, he married Foluke Adenike. They both have four children namely: Adeolu Adeboye, Bolu Adubi (née Adeboye), Leke Adeboye and Dare Adeboye (neé adeboye). In 1969, he obtained a master's degree in hydrodynamics from University of Lagos. 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.
Ministry
Adejare Adeboye joined the Redemed Christian Church of God in 1973 and served as an interpreter before he was ordained a pastor in the Church (RCCG) by Pa. Josiah Akindayomi in 1975. He became General Overseer of the church in 1981. For three years, he filled the role part-time at Unilorin before giving up his university position to preach full-time.
The church, which was not well known prior to Adeboye becoming the General Overseer, has branches in about 196 nations (as at March 2017), including more than 14,000,000 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.
Adeboye is considered a preacher of the Prosperity gospel, a claim he does not deny, saying that "Pentecostals have such an impact because they talk of the here and now, not just the by and by… while we have to worry about heaven, there are some things God could do for us in the here and now."
Following new legislation that placed limits on non-profit leadership to 20 years of service and less than 70 years of age, Pastor Adeboye resigned in 2017 as leader of the Redemed Christian Church of God.
University endowments
Pastor Adeboye endowed four Nigerian universities, including Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Nigeria.
Awards and recognition
- 1 of the 50 most powerful people in the world by Newsweek (2008)
- Adeboye was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2019.
Personal life
Enoch Adeboye married Folu Adeboye on December 17, 1967. He is a father of four children (three sons and a daughter) and several grandchildren from the marriage. Pastor Enoch Adeboye lost his son Dare Adeboye on May 4, 2021. who died at the age of 42.
