About The Redeemed Christian Church of God

In the beginning...

The Redeemed Christian Church of God began as a Bible Study praying group called "Ogo Oluwa Fellowship" in 1952 with Bro. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi as the leader of the 12-man group. Akindayomi had been a leading prophet in a white garment church, the Cherubim and Seraphim Church until he could no longer stand what he identified as some unbiblical practices in the Church. He began the Ogo Oluwa Fellowship with their focus on in-depth study of the Word of God, righteousness and prayers.

The Ogo Oluwa Fellowship was indeed God's making as He began to purge and purify the members lives as they continued to meet for prayers, worship and Bible study at 9 Willoughby street, Ebute-Metta, Lagos.
Members surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ, sought for and began to enjoy the sanctification experience, several members, including the leader, carried out restitution in line with the teachings of the Word of God.

As the fellowship began to grow, a search began for the proper name of the emerging church and when one or two attempts to name it did not stick, the leader, Bro. Akindayomi began to seek the face of the Lord in fasting and prayers as to the name the Lord really wanted the church to bear. God answered him in a vision in which he saw words that appeared to be written on a blackboard. The words were written in English, so he had no way of interpreting the letters, but amazingly, the unlettered man was able to write them down. He later showed it to one of his educated lieutenants who read the written words as: The Redeemed Christian Church of God.

God also gave the promise that He would bless the church and meet all its needs if the leader and members will serve Him faithfully and be obedient to His words. The Lord declared to the founder that He will make the church go round the world. This promise came at a time when total number of the congregation was less than hundred. It is upon these and more covenant promises that the RCCG began.

50 years since inception, the faithfulness of God has continued to be proved in the Church. From its humble beginning at 9 Willoughby Street in 1952, the Lord has taken the church with more than 6000 parishes to every state in Nigeria. The Church is today fully on ground in more than 70 other countries and as the General overseer has declared, "we have not started yet..."

November 2, 1980, the founder and the General Superintendent of the Church, Rev. J. O. Akindayomi passed on to be with the Lord. It is to be said of Rev. Akindayomi that he continued in the zeal, holiness and life of prayers with which the church began until he passed on to glory.

Time came for the launching of the church to the next phase in God's programme when in February 1981, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye succeeded the founder and assumed the leadership of the church. Through him, the Lord has brought several innovations and programmes by which the church has continued to grow and expand. These include the establishment of the Christ the Redeemer's Ministries, the School of Disciples, the introduction of the Model Parishes, regular evangelical programme called "let's go a fishing" among others.

The regular monthly Holy Ghost Service, which also holds at various times in diverse lands and nations is one unique way in which God is promoting and enlarging His church.

In 1981, Pastor J. H. Abiona was appointed as the Assistant General Overseer, a position he held till August 1997 when he was elevated to the position of the Deputy General Overseer. Three Assistant General Overseers, Pastor M. O. Ojo, J. A. O. Akindele and D. A. Ilori were also appointed in August 1997 to man the Establishments, Missions and Training departments respectively.

There came a further widening of the administrative structures of the church at the Golden Jubilee Convention in August 2002 when three additional Assistants General Overseers were appointed, each of them leading specific departments as well as overseeing the newly created regions into which Nigeria was also divided. The nomenclature of the mission's outposts around Nigeria was also changed from "States" to Provinces.