Arguably, the Redeemed Christian
Church of God, RCCG, is Nigeria’s, if not
Africa’s, biggest Pentecostal church.
Speaking on how big and influential the
religious movement is in Nigeria recently, a
renowned American politician, Andrew Rice,
writing in The New York Times , calls the
RCCG as “one of Africa’s most vigorously
expansionary religious movements, a
homegrown Pentecostal denomination that
is crusading to become a global faith.”
In addition, Daniel Ajayi-Adeniran , a pastor
of the RCCG, said: “In every household there
will be at least one member of Redeemed
Christian Church of God in the whole
world.”
Pastor Adeboye of RCCG
In spite of the popularity of the RCCG in
Nigeria and beyond, the church, founded in
1952 by the late pastor Josiah Akindayomi
(1909–1980), has faced a lot of criticisms
lately partly by the actions or inaction of its
present General Overseer, Pastor Enoch
Adeboye. Adeboye, popularly called ‘Daddy
G.O’ by members of the RCCG. Pastor
Adeboye has been overseeing the church
since 1981.
Below opinion, written by Imoh David,
and published by Sahara Reporters
today, Thursday, 4 September, 2014, is
one of the latest criticisms against
‘Daddy G.O’:
The RCCG is the fastest growing
merchandise in Nigeria. Besides potential
conflict zones, the RCCG merchandize is just
about everywhere in Nigeria including the
bedroom of the oga in Aso Rock. This is to
show that “Dia ris God oo”. The God of
Daddy Adeboye is really a “Baba God”. A
Baba of private jets, bank CEO clients on
EFCC lists, oil magnets patronage,
polithiefcians and most especially the man
in Aso Rock.
Pastor AdeboyePastor Adeboye is one
“pulpitarian” that seduces my grin. Adeboye
has proven that once you tell a story that
begins, ends and centres around “Baba
God”, it can be believed by Nigerian
Christians no matter how senseless and
untrue it is. The RCCG Christian clan in
Nigeria is one Christian sect that can believe
any story with the tag of “Baba (God).”
What is more marvelous than the fact that
adults in the 21st century can believe a
story that a man travelled from Benin to
Lagos on an empty fuel tank? None of them
saw it but someone claimed that some sky-
Baba told him to travel that far without
looking at his fuel gauge. Boom! Everyone
believes.
Pastor Adeboye has reached the level where
he can tell adults that he went for jogging
in heaven before coming to mount the
pulpit and the religious folks will believe. I
am jealous. What can I smoke to reach the
level where I can tell people stories and
they’ll believe it to be true whether or not
it is a lie?
But I do not understand why Baba God has
not told Daddy Adeboye to do a crusade in
the North in places like Jigawa, Yobe,
Bauchi, Borno? Haba! Borno? That is too
harsh now! Even Baba does not have such
imaginations to send our Daddy to
Maiduguri. Baba God (*in Adeboye’s voice*)
is not interested in winning Boko Haram
souls; he’ll rather concentrate in repeating
same old message to people who have
already heard it in Lagos and the South.
Baba does not need the souls of terrorists
and almajaris, so he’ll rather concern
himself in giving his servant private jets,
schools, offerings, tithes, etc. They are
more important than the souls of Almajiris
and Boko Haramists.
Isn’t it awesome that Baba could make a
car drive without fuel from Benin to Lagos
(which nobody saw except Baba’s servant),
but cannot use that same power to arrest
Boko Haramists? Is it that somebody’s Baba
cannot do that or somebody has refused to
harken to that voice of Baba or perhaps
somebody is afraid to come in contact with
any incident that will send him to his Baba
God? Hmmm, somebody is afraid to go and
meet Baba. Well, it’s non of my business
before his social bodyguards will “kee” me.
RCCG members are to Nigeria what Ebola is
to Liberia; they are an epidemic. One thing
about them; they do not fail to announce
their presence. Their stickers always do the
talking. “Redeem family” on their door
posts, on the car, in the office and if it
were possible to tattoo it on their forehead,
they’ll do just that. Even the ones that are
flying with their legs will tattoo it on their
briefcases with faith that one day they’ll
paste it on their cars.
These folks can believe anything. A typical
Redeem member can believe that he can
enter Dubai and automatically and then
Baba will give him the ability to speak
Arabic instantaneously so that a big firm
will pay him in millions of dollars to
translate Arabic to English for them
overnight. It’s not their fault. When you
believe that someone drove from Benin to
Lagos on an empty fuel tank without seeing
it, then you can believe anything.
The RCCG church service; well, I’ll give them
a C. Unlike that of Christ Embassy which
full of unending drama scenes, the RCCG
service can put you to snoring.
A mathematician will always be a
mathematician, even in the way he talks. Is
it just me that notices that Adeboye speaks
like he is trying to solve arithmetic without
a calculator? It is good packaging though.
For it is easier to seduce people on the
pulpit when you appear and sound humble.
Talking that way will never anger you to slap
a poor woman for saying she is “a witch for
Christ”. At least he is not temperamental
like his Ota counterpart. Another good
thing about talking that way is that it makes
it so easy to go unnoticed that you are a
lazy praying man.
Adeboye simply calls-out prayer topics and
suffers the poor congregation to pray
lengthy and chew their hearts out and after
that he ends it with a short line “my Baba
says it is done” and they shout Amen! After
all, they won’t call it laziness; it is an
excuse for faith. If it was me that was
praying that way they’ll say I do not have a
spiritual life, since there is no Daddy or
Papa attached to my name; I am jealous.
On the other hand, why would you have to
extend your prayers when you already have
private jets and a Commander-in-Client?
What do you want to pray for? Leave the
prayer for the poor men to tear apart.
I want to make an appeal that the dear
Daddy should refrain from praying and
prophesying about national issues. The first
time I heard him speak about national issue
was when President Jonathan wanted to
contest in 2011. He said Baba God will send
good leaders to Nigeria and we ended up
with President Goodluck Jonathan. If
president GEJ is what Baba intended to send
to us, all I can say is “Baba, you can do
better than this.”
Few months before the subsidy removal, he
prayed that Baba will work on the country.
Before we knew it, the President removed
subsidy.
Again, he prayed and cursed Boko Haram,
few weeks later Boko Haram attacked Yobe
schools and now Baba’s curse on Boko
Haram has led to thr Chibok tragedy and
many more. When news broke that
American soldiers will be joining the Chibok
pursuit, he said that Baba will cause the
girls to be released soon. Baba must have a
special kind of soon.
Whether or not Adeboye’s Baba functions,
nobody asks questions because nobody
questions Baba’s spokesman. I don’t know
whether Adeboye is Baba or Baba is
Adeboye. Because if Baba cannot be
questioned and Adeboye too cannot be
questioned, it means Baba and Adeboye are
the same. Well, let me keep quiet
“Babatards” will nail me for talking about
Baba. Babacracy, you too sweet!
Imoh is a Nigerian Atheist, author,
publisher and business man and he
writes from South Africa. You can follow
him on Twitter @ImohDavid.

I believe the atheist has some valid points but all thesame caution is needed. This is a man of God. MOD please move it to the front page to garner opinions. Thanks.

Interesting article! But coming from an atheist,well let me shut up my mouth before I start rambling rubbish!

@Dan Humphrey, I believe the topic can be tackled diplomatically and with decorum. The atheist has said how he feels without derogatory expressions. I believe we can toe the that line too.

Donrissy: I believe the atheist has some valid points but all thesame caution is needed. This is a man of God. MOD please move it to the front page to garner opinions. Thanks.

You mean a Man Of Guile.

They are all Men Of Guile.

And why is caution needed to call a spade a spade by criticizing these circus clowns?

When a mathematics ( the most important subject in the universe) lecturer decides to promote and merchandise stone-age superstitions of another race to his country folks, that is something worth mocking.

This gotten me LOL and thinkind hard at the same time... What about CHOSEN??... Dem own worst pass epidemic chisos christ of shoesen

Wether u like it or not miracles wont wait for ur mind to believe it before it apuns.. It just apuns.. And u knw miracles are unbelievable things @allAtheistIn theWorld

@platoon, I just want us to avoid foul language, nothing more. As far as calling a spade what it is, u you are welcome.

Now if this Imoh guy was attacking every pastors or (so called) men of God I would understand but why pick on RCCG if its nothing personal?

Laf wan tear my belle. Some people can write.

hmn make i just keep calm. fold ma arms

True talk...... No body questions these so called men of god. If caught in a blunder/lie it becomes parables. Can someone explain to me when a pastor says.....

"the blessings that is not yours, god will direct it to you"

Is that why people are stealing from their employers to pay tithe and offerings.. They are trying to reroute another person's blessings by any means necessary..

These Scripture.are for u:

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:



1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

this is the result of expecting too much from men of God. the problem is the followers, those who dont think for themselves, those girls that cant date a guy without their pastors approval, those people that cant invest without their pastors approval, those that cant travel without their pastors blessings. the worst of all are those that believe every single thing their pastor says and deem him perfect and flawless.

this writer's a bold one, I admire his guts

Oga oo

Nobody is forcing anybody to believe anything.

The ones believing are not complaining either.

I'm not atheist but a freethinker but here is a little story you might find interesting to let you know Christianity is Hypocrisy.....it goes thus,A young lady led astray in life finally of retracing her step to coming back to God and walk in the path of righteousness so on this fateful sunday morning she lend a bible to go to church and the only church nearby was a deeper life church,this lady entered into the church and sat in the congregation,as soon as she sat down,other members around her were all changing seat,moving away from her and were also looking at her so awkwardly,reason why? Because she came to church in a pair of trouser and didn't cover her hair so she was shown discrimination in the House Of God,she couldn't bear it and had to leave the church and vowed never to serve God again since she was stigmatized even in the house of God. Now what is the essence of Religion?

Soon and very soon, d books will be opened and d secrets of men will be revealed.... soon and very soon,.atheists like this guy and his counterparts on nairaland if dy don't repent will seek this Baba's mercy but it will be too late.....mark my words...