Adeboye condemns FG’s interest in church affairs and advise them to desist from it.
This is coming barely few days after[….] the cleric had announced his retirement as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria but still remain the head of the church globally.
Pastor Adeboye verbalised his dissatisfaction over the deliberate act by FG to keep interfering in church matters. In his statement, he said:
“The government has been showing increasing interest in church affairs. Unfortunately, for us in RCCG, it might not be very helpful.
“For example, when I decided on what will be the pension of our pastors, what I decided is not done anywhere in the world. That somebody will retire and continue to earn full salaries all his lifetime.
“This, I started, but government stepped in and made a law that we should be contributing to pension fund.We have to obey and we started doing that.”
“The result is that pastors don’t get as much as they were getting under our own previous arrangement. But, what can we do? We have to obey the law,”.
The cleric further revealed that new laws have been introduced by the government to further extort from the church. He said:
“Now there are fresh laws. We have a rough idea of what the law is about.
“Some people believe that RCCG is becoming too influential and we’re going to be more influential. When you get home, tell members to join a political party.
“Join a party and become a card-carrying member of any party. Just join any party. We shall decide issues right from the ward level.
“If you are not active at ward level, you’ll do what they plan and say at the top. Enrol in any party of your choice and have a card.
“When holding meetings at ward level to choose delegates, be there.”
“One Muslim in Ibadan said years ago that he didn’t know what’s wrong with Christians; that we help them to occupy political positions and refused to capitalise on our population. That’s going to change from now.”
Pastor Adeboye further gave more light to his sudden retirement. According to him:
“The new law that has been announced, they said that nobody can be overseer for more than certain number of years.
“And according to that law, people like me, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi, Bishop Mike Okonkwo were already gone.”
“They also said we must have a secretary; they said we must have a treasurer too. So, I present to you, Pastor Obayemi, Pastor Odesola, and Pastor Adeyokunnu.
“As God will have it, the people have been prepared for the jobs for years. For instance, Pastor Obayemi has been in charge of the salary review committee for years and inland missions.
“He’s been our representative at the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for years, so, he’ll be doing what he’s been doing.About me, no problem. RCCG is in 192 nations of the world and the Overseer in Nigeria will not drive me out of the camp.
He won’t stop me from doing the Holy Ghost Services, and he won’t stop me from visiting you,”
Pastor Adeboye became the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1981 after the death of the founder, Reverend Josiah Akindayomi from Ondo state.
