Pastor Adeboye Reveals: God Has Not Told Me To Retire As General Overseer

His ascension to the post of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in 1981 after the death of the founder of the church, Pastor Josiah Akindayomi, was mired by controversy to the extent that some senior pastors of the church, who considered themselves as being superior to then young Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye in age and rank, reportedly left the church in annoyance.

But, it seems that was not the end of the contention for the highly referred post of the GO, which Pastor Adeboye is occupying as the man in-charge of the fastest growing church in the world. Those, who have been clamoruing for his retirement as the GO of the mission after clocking the age of 70 may be in for a shocker.

As Adeboye reportedly revealed few weeks back, nobody can take over from him as GO until God tells him to leave and sit back to watch another person do it.

When last week we were told of what transpired at the last annual Church Council meeting held at the expansive camp of RCCG located at Kilometer 46, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, during the 61^st Annual Convention of the Church tagged; ‘Jesus,’ and which held between 5^th of August and 11^th August, 2013, we were tempted to conclude that Pastor Adeboye is set to take the bull by the horns.

Sources, who were privileged to be at the meeting, where each of the numerous parishes of the church ought to be represented by a member, on Monday 5^th August, revealed that the respected man of God spoke in an unusual no-holds-barred manner.

They informed us that Baba Adeboye or Daddy G.O as he is fondly called, who did not speak in his usual soft manner, told his numerous followers to be ready to see more of him as their leader as God has not told him to retire as a full time pastor.

This was probably a response to agitations that Pastor Adeboye ought to have retired about two years ago, when he clocked 70 years of age as it is the standard in the mission that pastors must retire from active service at age 70.

Our informant, who gave us graphic details of the discussion last week, revealed that Baba said it point blank that his case was different and that they should be ready to see more of him as their leader, though he would have wished to go the way of others and watch from the back seat, but that doing so would equal to disobedience as said God has not told him to throw in the towel.

“Baba maintained that he could not retire at age 70 like others because God has not told him to do so. He told us that he would continue to work as the General Overseer of the church until God asks him to pass the baton of leadership to another person. He told us that it is not even easy to be the GO of such a big church. For instance, he said he would not eat from the numerous cows being slaughtered on a daily basis at the camp to feed the millions of worshippers that attend the annual convention programme since he has to fast before and during the convention,” our source said.

We were further intimated by the highly reliable source that Baba told those present at the meeting that once God asks him to retire as GO, he would do only the church asks him to do as just an elder and that by that time, he would not need to fast endlessly and would be part of the fun of enjoying the food provided at the camp, especially during conventions.

But, one revelation from the mathematician-turned-pastor that shocked the participants at the expanded meeting, so we gathered, was the revelation by the unassuming man of God that there cannot be two Daddy GOs in the mission at a time.

“He told us that even if he retires, he would still be the Daddy GO, and that the new overseer would be Brother GO, but that his successor would be promoted to the position of Daddy GO after God must have called him (Adeboye) home,” he said.

One other shocker from the septuagenarian was the declaration that the controversial man in-charge of Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet Temitope Joshua, was not a man of God.

He reportedly said that the acclaimed cleric, whose church, located at Ikotun Area of Lagos, has become a Mecca of come sort for numerous miracle-seeking people from all parts of the world including white men, was a magician, who did not have the spirit of God.

“We have never seen Baba speaking like this in the past. This was more than a surprise, Daday GO is not known for criticism, he has never criticized people openly, but he kept saying ‘quote me anywhere, T.B Joshua is not a man of God, he is a magician.’ We are yet to recover from that shock as everyone was more than surprised that Baba is becoming more critical about issues, may be situation now demands that he should not hide his feelings anymore,” our source concluded.