Akindayomi, Josiah Olufemi
1909 to 1980
Redeemed Christian Church of God
Nigeria
Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi was the
founder and first general overseer of what
is today known as the Redeemed
Christian Church of God. The church,
today acclaimed as the fastest growing
Pentecostal church in the world, started
in 1947 as an independent prayer
fellowship, the Glory of God Fellowship.
This group blossomed into the Redeemed
Christian Church of God in 1952.
Josiah was born in 1909 into the
Akindayomi family in Ondo State, Nigeria.
From early childhood Josiah's parents
noticed unusual things about him. When
he was sick, alledgedly his sickness, that
usually defied traditional medecin-the
most common treatment for sickness in
those days-would abate and subsequently
disappear once he was bathed with
ordinary water. Josiah himself also had an
inkling that he was different, for although
he grew up in an environment where the
worship of Ogun (the Yoruba divinity of
iron and war) was prevalent, he was
aware of the existence of a greater power
and yearned to know the true God who
created the earth and everyone in it.
His yearning after God led him into the
Anglican Church where he was baptized in
1927. Still spiritually unfulfilled, he joined
the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in
1931. A few years later he began to hear
a voice inside him declaring that he would
be a minister of God. He was not at ease
with this voice, which he identified as
God's call to full time ministry. For seven
years he ignored it, since he had never
intended to be a pastor. During this
period, virtually everything went wrong
for him. All his business ventures failed;
heavily in debt and without peace of
mind, he found himself totally dependent
on the grace of God.
The turning point for Josiah came when,
in 1940, he dreamed of an old man
scratching his leg. He woke up the next
morning with a sore on his leg that
deteriorated significantly within a short
period of time. Then he heard the voice
inside him telling him to submit to God's
will and to serve him. When he asked for
signs to confirm that the call was from
God he was given the following passages
as confirmation: Jeremiah 1:4-10, Isaiah
41:10-13, and Romans 8:29-31. [1]
Without the use of medication, the Lord
healed the sore on his leg. This marked
the beginning of a definite relationship
with God. Totally broken, he yielded to
God, saying, "Lord I will go wherever you
want me to go." The Lord assured him
that he would provide for all his needs as
he would henceforth receive no salary
from anyone. This promise from the Lord
was a comforting reminder to him during
his trials in subsequent months.
Akindayomi was married in 1947 and
relocated to Lagos in the latter part of
that year. In Lagos, he worshipped with
the Cherubim and Seraphim Church at its
Ibadan Street, Ebute-Metta branch,
where Prophet Onanuga, the immediate
successor to Prophet Moses Orimolade,
the church founder, was the leader. He
was still with the church in 1947 when a
zeal for a better service and a deeper
experience with God prompted him to
start the prayer fellowship later known as
the Glory of God Fellowship that met at 9,
Willougby Street, Ebute-Metta, Lagos.
Initially there were nine members;
however the fellowship gradually grew as
the news of the miracles that occurred in
their midst spread. It became so popular
that it drew not only members of the
church, but others from the
neighborhood.
By 1952 he felt persuaded to leave the
Cherubim and Seraphim Church. The
fellowship he had started then grew into
the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
The name of the church was said to have
been revealed to the founder in a vision.
Allegedly the letters forming the name of
the church appeared in the English
alphabet to Akindayomi, who could
neither read nor write. Miraculously he
was able to scribble down the individual
letters which, when put together, read
"The Redeemed Christian Church of God."
This has been the name of the church
ever since.
In this same vision God promised to take
the church to the ends of the earth and
declared that the Lord Jesus Christ would
meet the church when he returned in
glory. The Lord also established a
covenant with Akindayomi similar to the
Abrahamic covenant in the Bible,
promising to meet all the needs of the
church in wonderful ways if only members
would serve Him faithfully and be
obedient to His Word. The Redeemed
Christian Church of God was formed,
based on this covenant, in 1952. The
church continued to meet at 9 Willoughby
Street until they acquired some land and
relocated to their headquarters at 1-5
Redemption Way, Ebute-Metta, Lagos
(formerly 1a Cemetery Street). In the
1950s it was quite fashionable for
Nigerian independent churches to affiliate
with overseas ministries for expansion
purposes. However, according to sources,
God strongly instructed the Redeemed
Christian Church of God not to merge
with any foreign or overseas body. Today
the church has become one of the fastest
growing Pentecostal churches in the
world.
Like Moses in the Bible, Akindayomi
named his successor before his death. In
the early 1970s God had told him that his
successor, who was not yet a member of
the church, would be a young educated
man. Thus when a young university
lecturer joined the church in 1973,
Akindayomi was able to recognize him in
the Spirit as the one whom the Lord had
spoken of. This man, Enoch Adejare
Adeboye, a lecturer in mathematics at the
University of Lagos, soon became involved
in the activities of the church. He became
one of the interpreters translating
Akindayomi's sermons from the Yoruba
language into English. He was ordained a
pastor of the church in 1975.
One day the Lord revealed to Akindayomi
that it was time for him to die. He then
sent for Pastor Adeboye and spent
several hours with him, sharing the
details of the covenant and the plans of
the Lord for the church. A year earlier,
the Lord had revealed to Pastor Adeboye
that he would be Akindayomi's successor,
but it was too difficult for him to fully
contemplate such an awesome
responsibility. Akindayomi died in 1980 at
the age of 71. Thereafter Pastor
Adeboye's appointment was formalized
and he has since been the general
overseer of the church.
Today God is still doing powerful work
through the Redeemed Christian Church
of God worldwide. In 1981 there was an
explosion of growth in the number of
parishes. At the last count there were
about 2,000 parishes of the church in
Nigeria. The church is also present in
other African nations, including: Côte
d'Ivoire, Ghana, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire,
Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Gambia,
Cameroon, and South Africa. In Europe
the church has spread to England,
Germany, and France. In the Americas
there are U.S. parishes in Dallas,
Tallahassee, Houston, New York,
Washington, and Chicago, and in the
Caribbean states of Haiti and Jamaica.
One prominent program of the church is
the Holy Ghost service, an all-night
miracle service, held on the first Friday of
every month at the Redemption Camp at
Km. 46, Lagos-Ibadan expressway. The
average number of those who attend the
service is about 500,000. The Holy Ghost
service is now also held in London on a
quarterly basis. Sources:
