How I became General Overseer of RCCG - Pastor Adeboye

Adeboye, during the church's February Thanksgivng Service focused on his 40th anniversary as General Overseer of the church, expressed appreciation to the founder of the church, late Pa Josiah Akindayomi for finding him worthy.

According to Adeboye, he was elected by grace, stressing that when the quest for the founder's successor began, he was the least qualified.

In his words: "I want to thank God for my father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi. I want to thank God that He heard from God, of all the people who were qualified to be the General Overseer, l was the least qualified.

"I just came and after two years, he ordained me a pastor, when he said he will ordain me, my wife and l prayed and fasted for 14 days so that God will not allow it to happen because in those days, being a pastor is a sentence to poverty.

"I have seen poverty before, when l joined the church, my second hand car was the newest car in the Church and suddenly they want me to be a pastor, we prayed and fasted, thank God He didn't answer the prayer.

"When my father in the Lord told me l will be succeeding him, l told him no, it will not happen. I told him anyone He (God) chooses for you, l will support him but for me to leave my comfort to come to one room in Mushin, no, not me.

"He insisted but l wrote him a letter, he could not read but could read the Bible. I told him in the letter to choose somebody else. He said l know what God told me, l know what you are saying, l won't force you and l love you. I couldn't forsake someone who loved me, Papa loved me.

"He was a prayer warrior, He could hear from God and it is the covenant God gave him that we are operating now. Once the head is good, all is well with the body. We had a good head that had a covenant with GodÔÇØ.