HISTORY
The church history originates from 1952 when it was first founded. The founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God was the man who was Reverend Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, and he was born in July 1909, in Ondo State. Even though his family worshipped idols, Akindayomi searched for the greater power and believed that it is there somewhere. He had a dream to encounter the higher entity that created the world and denied the beliefs that his family was sticking to. Akindayomi knew very little about the Christian faith, but it was his true calling.
The passion of the young man led him to the Church Missionary Society. He was baptized there in 1927. However, Akindayomi still felt unfulfilled spiritually, which led him to join the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in 1931. This religious institution was an indigenous church of Africa, which came from the Anglican Church in Nigeria, also called Episcopal Church of Nigeria.
While Akindayomi was still involved with Cherubim and Seraphim church, he understood his true calling – to serve God. He ignored the calls for a few years and tried to pursue his businesses for seven years, only to meet failure. This time became a key period in his life and marked the start of his relationship with God. According to Akindayomi’s words, when God originally spoke to him, asking him to be his servant, he ignored the divine voice. However, when all of his businesses came to a dead end and he found himself broke and dependent on God, he agreed to go wherever God will lead him. He wanted confirmation it was truly the voice of God speaking to him and he eventually found this confirmation in the Bible. As he said, the Almighty has assured him that he will not need money, as the higher powers will provide him with everything. This knowledge comforted him in the next months and years.
Akindayomi got married in 1941 and continued worshipping God in the Cherubim and Seraphim church. However, in 1947, he got concerned that not all of the church’s practices meet the true Word of God, and some of them might contradict his beliefs. In the next years, he got more and more convinced to leave the church, and in 1952, he finally did it. This was the new chapter in his life because he felt empowered to found his own church, where he would preach the Word of God and send the message from Almighty to the people.
The same year, Akindayomi started the fellowship on Willoughby Street, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, the fellowship was called the Glory of God Fellowship. Originally, this fellowship involved only nine members. However, soon the miracles started to happen, and the news about the fellowship spread all over the country. This was the start of what is now known as the Redeemed Christian Church of God. According to Akindayomi, God sent him a vision of the words “The Redeemed Christian Church of God” written on the blackboard, and he, an illiterate man, was able to read them. God also let him know that the church will become popular all over the world, and when Jesus Christ appears on earth, he will meet the church.
In conclusion, God said that the members of the church should faithfully serve him and obey the holy words. So, this is how Akindayomi started the church, and the famous church began its development. The members of the church continued to meet at the same address, 9 Willoughby Street. Some time later, they managed to acquire land and relocated to the current site of church’s headquarters, which is 1-5 Redemption Way, Ebute-Metta, in Lagos.
In the 70s, God visited Akindayomi once again and gave him a speech about his successor, who was described to be an educated young man. In 1973, the young Mathematics lecturer from the University of Lagos joined the RCCG, and Akindayomi instantly recognized him. The man’s name was Enoch Adejare Adeboye. He quickly became involved in the life of the church and helped to translate Akindayomi’s sermons to English from the Yoruba language. In 1975, Adeboye officially became a pastor of the RCCG. Papa Akindayomi shared a lot of knowledge about the church with him, and it was hard to believe for Adeboye that he was chosen to carry on such an important mission. However, Akindayomi had faith in him and trusted God. Reverend Akindayomi passed away in 1980. He was 71 years old.
Pastor Adeboye soon became his formal successor. For a few years, he combined his church work with the university lecturing, until he gave up his position at the University of Lagos to dedicate his life to preaching. Now, Pastor Adeboye is 76, and under his guidance and leadership, the church has experienced incredible growth and development, just as God promised to his predecessor Akindayomi. He made the church known worldwide, and it currently has its branches internationally in about 196 countries and nations, as of 2017. It is present in many African countries, Europe (Germany, England, and France), North America (United States), Caribbean islands (Jamaica, Haiti), and Australia. In Nigeria, the church has 14,000 branches. By the way, the international magazine Newsweek has included Pastor Adeboye in their 2008 list of 50 most influential people in the world. He continues to spread the Lord’s message all over the world, maintaining a long-lasting relationship with the Almighty, and sharing his passion with the people who come to the church. His wife, Mrs. Folu Adeboye, is also a Pastor.
HISTORY OF RCCG RESURRECTION GLORY
After a-two days mission outreach during the April 2013 let’s go-a-fishing, while returning Pst Olugbenga Mabo (Zonal Pastor, Life Assembly, Ikotun Lagos) spoke to the two mission brethren with him in his car who were Bro Ogwuche Possible and Bro Olumade Stephen telling them to get a new location to establish a new mission field, not many days after then he named the proposed new mission church RCCG RESURRECTION GLORY ASSEMBLY by the leading of the Holy spirit.
Before the December, 2013 go-a-fishing, Ago-koli, Gasline in Edu, Agbara of Ogun State has been sorted to be the new location for the mission field, which was also chosen as the venue for the December, 2013 go-a-fishing ground for life Assembly Zone. Preparations were made prior to the go-a-fishing by the two mission brethren in the area of evangelism in Edu and Agbo-ogun village through personal evangelism and also the use of mega phone.
The December go-a-fishing which was to kick start the opening of the mission parish in Edu was slated for Tuesday 24th December, 2013. On Monday 22nd December, 2013, three brethren which included Bro Ogwuche Possible, Bro Olumade Stephen and Pst George met for a vigil on the go-a-fishing venue. They held a three hours prayer vigil (to open heavens upon the land for the program) from 12am-3am in the cold of the night on the open field with thick grasses still covering 75% of the land. When the prayer vigil was ended by 3am, instead of resting in the cold, they decided to use their hands with a limited cutlass and hoes to clear the grasses left on the field in preparation for the go-a-fishing, this they did till 7am when the some members of the go-a-fishing planning committee arrived from Ikotun.
The let’s go-a-fishing was successful and was graced by the Pst Obasa Joseph(the then Pastor-in-Charge of Lagos Province 12) who blessed the land and the members who attended the go-a-fishing.
After the let’s go-a-fishing, the parish was commissioned and the two mission brethren Pst Ogwuche Possible and Pst Olumade Stephen were sent to handle the parish as Pastor-in-charge and assistant respectively. Our first service was held on the second Sunday of January, 2014 which was dated 12/01/2014. As service commences in RCCG RESURRECTION GLORY ASSEMBLY every Sunday, other mission minded brethren from Life Assembly like Bro Olugbenga Badmus and Pst George joined to do the work of our father.