The Redeemed Christian Church of God

In July 1909, a son was born into the Akindayomi family of Ondo State, Nigeria. Despite growing up amidst idol worshippers, he knew there was a greater power and yearned to find out, “The God who created the earth and everyone on it.” This quest for God led him to the Church Missionary Society, where he was baptised in 1927. Still feeling spiritually unfulfilled, he joined the Cherubim and Seraphim church in 1931. During his time there, he began to hear a voice inside saying, “You will be my servant.” Not wanting to accept this, he decided to ignore the voice. This continued for seven years, during which all his business ventures failed. In debt and seeking peace, he became completely dependent on God’s grace. This marked the start of a strong relationship with God. Feeling utterly broken, he surrendered, saying, “Lord, I will go wherever you want me to go.” He asked for signs to confirm that this was truly God’s calling. The signs appeared through Bible passages like Jeremiah 1:4-10, Isaiah 41:10-13, and Romans 8:29-31. God assured him He would supply all his needs, with no salary from that moment onward. This brought comfort during subsequent trials.  

 

He married in 1941 and continued worshipping with the Cherubim and Seraphim. By 1947, he grew concerned that the church was straying from the true Word of God in some practices. By 1952, he was fully persuaded to leave. He began a house fellowship called the Glory of God Fellowship at Willoughby Street, Ebute-Metta, Lagos. Initially, there were nine members, but it quickly grew as news of their miracles spread. Pa Akindayomi also saw a vision of words on a blackboard: “The Redeemed Christian Church of God.” Remarkably, he, who was unable to read or write, was supernaturally able to write these words down. In this visitation, God told him that the church would reach the ends of the earth and that He would meet the Lord Jesus Christ in glory when He appears. God then made a covenant with Pa Akindayomi, similar to the biblical Abrahamic covenant, promising to meet all the church’s needs if its members served Him faithfully and obeyed His Word. The church was built on this covenant. Consequently, the Redeemed Christian Church of God was born in 1952, destined by the Lord to take His message worldwide.  

 

The church initially met at 9 Willoughby Street until they acquired land at the current headquarters—1-5 Redemption Way, Ebute-Metta, Lagos (formerly 1a, Cemetery Street). In the early 1970s, God spoke to Pa Akindayomi about his successor. He revealed that this man, then not a member, would be a young, educated individual. When a young university lecturer joined in 1973, Papa recognised him spiritually as the chosen one. Enoch Adejare Adeboye, then a Mathematics lecturer at the University of Lagos, became involved and started translating Pa Akindayomi’s sermons from Yoruba to English. He was ordained in 1975. As Papa prepared to meet his Maker, he summoned Pastor Adeboye and spent hours sharing details of the covenant and God's plans for the church. Even though Adeboye was told a year earlier he would succeed Papa, he found the responsibility daunting. Pa Josiah Akindayomi died at 71. Amid controversy, Pastor Adeboye’s appointment was confirmed through the reading of Papa’s sealed pronouncement after his burial.  

 

From 1981 onwards, the number of parishes expanded rapidly. Today, there are about 2000 parishes across Nigeria. Internationally, the church is active in several African nations, including C’ote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Gambia, Cameroon, and South Africa. In Europe, it’s present in England, Germany, and France. In the US, parishes are located in Dallas, Tallahassee, Houston, New York, Washington, and Chicago, as well as in Haiti and Jamaica.  Today, God continues to perform wonderful deeds through the Redeemed Christian Church of God worldwide. One notable programme is the Holy Ghost Service, an all-night miracle event held on the first Friday of every month at the Redemption Camp on Km. 46, Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Around 500,000 attend each service. These services are now held in various parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, India, the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Dubai, Ghana, the Philippines, and many others.