At the RCCG Annual Ministers Thanksgiving this (Saturday) morning, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, announced his retirement as the General Overseer of the church.

The Church is now to be led by Pastor Obayemi, as the new General Overseer, Pastor Funsho Odesola, as the new Church Secretary and Pastor Adeyokunu, as the new Church Treasurer.

This is sequel to the new legal requirements set up by the Financial Regulations Council, guiding all registered churches, mosques, CSOs. They have a maximum period of twenty years to lead their organisations. In retirement, they are not permitted to hand over to their families.

I met Pastor Adeboye in or around year 1999, whilst I was still a lawyer in the Chambers of Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN.

While in the office one day, a colleague walked up to me, seeking assistance for me to link him with my juju man, having observed that I'd not been having major issues with Chief Fawehinmi. So he thought that I must have a serious mystical power, to command his Favour. He said he's aware that most lawyers are neck deep into occultism and secret societies.

When I got home that night, I thought very deeply on this encounter. It dawned on me then right away that if I want to go far in legal practice, I need to be fortified, either to join a secret society or get closer to God. I chose the latter option, since my grandfather and my father were known Christians.

Prior to this time, I do always hear the loud preachings and prayers of the Redeemed Christian Church of God on Sundays, in my family house in Ebute-Metta. So I decided to visit the church and see things for myself, one Sunday.

I managed to be listening to the sermons but I would have left before the offering time, since I did not want to give my money to pastors then, although I know better now.

In year 2000, I set up my law firm, in the midst of great financial challenges. I was very confused, until I met my friend, Bamidele Aturu, for counseling. He urged me to follow him to the Rccg Holy Ghost service at the Redemption Camp, and right there till now, everything has changed for the better, in my life.

At that great encounter with God in July 2000, Pastor Adeboye gave a word of knowledge, that someone was attending that meeting who is afraid of his future but God has assured that He would help him. I was sitting next to Aturu, who told me to "claim" it for myself, by faith, which I did.

From that time on, I became a serious member of Rccg, at the headquarters parish, in Ebute-Metta. I listened to two great messages from Pastor Adeboye from the pulpit:

Be Ye Separate- 2 Corinthians 6:14-18;

and

Divine Priority- Matthew 6:25-33.

I was completely overwhelmed by the power of his oratory, the simplicity of his message and the humility of his person, to the extent that I jotted everything he said down and even waited to buy the tapes. They have remained my personal mission statement for life.

I got baptized in the church subsequently and went through a rigorous training as a worker. Pastor Adeboye was gracious to ordain me a Deacon, an Assistant Pastor and a Full Pastor of the church, but I was only seeing him from afar.

I will later meet Pastor Adeboye, personally, on Monday June 2, 2002, when my chambers and library got razed down at Lapal House, Lagos. I had attended the Bible Study for that day, where Pastor Adeboye took the topic Divine Champions, using the life and times of Samson, as a case study. I was so transformed by that message that I decided to wait to see him.

In his office, he was just smiling, and patiently listened to my very long story of the disaster of the fire. The way he was smiling, I had to ask him if he heard all that I had narrated. He just responded jokingly, with a question: "I hope your brain is not burnt?"

He then went on to tell me that God has great plans for me and He has just closed one door to open a greater door! I became convinced that there was a great future for me in the church.

Pastor Adeboye has been of tremendous positive influence on me, and on so many other leaders world wide. He became General Overseer in 1981 and has taken the Redeemed Christian Church of God to about 192 nations of the world.

I and all other members of the church will miss him and his wisdom and counseling but we are glad that he is still around for the monthly Holy Ghost services.

God bless Daddy GO!

•Ebun-olu Adegboruwa, eminent Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, sent this piece from Lekki, Lagos, yesterday.

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