Reports had filtered in on Saturday, January 7, that Pastor Enoch Adeboye has retired as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Nigeria.
This new decision was informed by a new policy in line with legal requirements set up by the Financial Regulations Council, guiding all registered churches, mosques, and CSOs.
Pastor Joseph Obayemi was announced as the new National Overseer of the body, a position which was hitherto held by Pastor Adeboye.
Amid the confusion trailing the purported resignation of Pastor Adeboye, Naij.com has made a list of 9 top men of God who are due to retire:
1.Ayo Oritsejafor, World of Life Bible Church
Pastor Oritsejafor the founding and Senior Pastor of Word of Life Bible Church, was born on November 10, into the family of Joseph Monday Oritsejafor and Roli Durojaiye Oritsejafor in Lagos, Nigeria.
In 1972, the Lord saved and miraculously delivered him during a crusade.
Almost immediately, he felt the call of God upon his life and enrolled in the New Covenant Bible Institute, Benin City, Nigeria.
He later enrolled with the Nigerian Baptist Seminary, Ogbomosho in Oyo State, Nigeria and later proceeded in 1979 to the United States for further studies at Morris Cerullo’s School of Ministry (El Cortez), San Diego, California.
2.William Folorunsho Kumuyi, Deeper Life Bible Church
Pastor William Folorunsho Ikumuyiwa, popularly known as W.F Kumuyi was a former Anglican who joined the Apostolic Faith Church after his baptism.
In 1975, he was expelled from the church for preaching without credentials. He continued his independent ministry, which in 1982 became the Deeper Life Bible Church. By the early 1980s that small group had grown to several thousand, at which time Deeper Life Bible Church was formally established.
The church has spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa and then to the United Kingdom, from where branches were developed in western Europe, Russia, India, and North America. Already, the soft-spoken preacher has spent 35 years as leader of the church.
3.Lazarus Mouka, Lord Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries
He is the founder and General Overseer of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement.
Lazarus Muoka was born into a Catholic family in Mgbidi in Imo State where he went on to finish his primary and secondary school education. In 1975, he moved into Lagos and worked for some time under a company before starting up his own business which he did until he gave his life to Christ as a full Christian.
Lazaraus Muoka claimed to have had many dreams from God in 1994 prompting him to pull out from the church he was serving as a pastor and set up his own church. Shortly after pulling out, he set up The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement with the aim of “preaching the undiluted word of God”
4.Mike Okonkwo, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM)
Dr. Mike Okonkwo MFR the Presiding Bishop of TREM was born on September 6, 1945 to the family of Pa and Ma Okonkwo of Ogbunike in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Okonkwo graduated from the Morris Cerrullo School of Ministry and the Covington Theological Seminary in USA, and holds several doctorate degrees and honorary awards.
After receiving a call from God into full time ministry, he was consecrated the Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) on the 7th of May 1988. He has clocked 28 years as the head of the ministry.
5.Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM)
Daniel Olukoya was born in Akure, Ondo state to a police officer and his wife, a trader.
He founded the Mountain of Fire Ministries in July 1989 in his sitting room with only 25 people in attendance. Today the church has had a massive growth and expansion with thousands of members and branches spread all over Nigeria and Europe and Africa.
Pastor Olukoya has written many spiritual books and composed over 70 Christian songs.
6.Matthew Ashimolowo, Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC)
Matthew Ashimolowo who was born in Kaduna on March 17 1952 is the Senior Pastor of Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) in London.
Born to Muslim parents, Ashimolowo converted to Christianity at the age of 20 after the death of his father before enrolling with a Bible school.
After Bible school, he began as an assistant Pastor in Foursquare Gospel church, after which he was moved to the UK, where he started his own ministry.
It was in London that he left the Four Square to start his own church, Kingsway International Christian Church in a school hall in North London with only 11 members.
7.Bishop David Oyedepo, Winners Chapel
Born on September 27, 1954, in Osogbo, Bishop Oyedepo, was raised in a mixed religious family. His father, Ibrahim, was a Muslim healer. His mother, Dorcas, was a member of the Eternal Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement (C&S), a branch of the Aladura movement in Nigeria.
Oyedepo got born again in 1969, through the influence of his teacher, Betty Lasher, who took special interest in him during his high school days.
He claimed to have received a mandate from God through an 18-hour vision in May 1981, to liberate the world from all oppression of the devil through the preaching of the word of faith.
This is the inaugural vision that led to the founding of the Living Faith Church World Wide (LFCWW), first called Liberation Faith Hour Ministries, in 1981. Two years later, on September 17, 1983, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, former General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, ordained him and his wife, Florence Abiola Akano (known now as Faith Abiola Oyedepo) to become pastors and officially commissioned the new church.
8.Tunde Bakare, The Latter Rain Assembly
Pastor Bakare attended All Saints Primary School, Kemta, Abeokuta and subsequently Lisabi Grammar School, Abeokuta, after which he studied law at the University of Lagos between 1977 and 1980. He was called to the Bar in 1981 and following his NYSC, he practiced law with Gani Fawehinmi Chambers, Rotimi Williams & Co and Burke & Co, Solicitors. He established his own law firm Tunde Bakare & Co (El-Shaddai Chambers) in October 1984.
In May 1988, at the peak of his legal career he was called into ministry and he founded The Latter Rain Assembly (End-Time Church) on 1 April 1989 and is currently the Serving Overseer of the church for 28 years now.
