In a deeply personal and spiritual revelation, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has disclosed that God once warned him that his firstborn would die if he ever departed from the church.
The 82-year-old cleric made this statement during the Holy Ghost Service themed “Destined for Greatness (Part 2),” held at the RCCG’s Redemption City on Friday night.
Referencing a sermon earlier delivered by his son, Pastor Leke Adeboye, the elder Adeboye stressed the need for divine direction and consistency in one’s spiritual journey. He expressed concern over the growing trend among young Christians who constantly shift from one church to another, often introducing themselves as first-timers wherever they go.
In my early days as a believer, there were three major ministries making waves in Nigeria at the time,” he recalled. “I was tempted to move around, but God spoke clearly to me, saying, ‘Son, I brought you here. This is where you must remain. The day you leave, your firstborn will die.’”
Pastor Adeboye noted that RCCG was then a modest and relatively obscure church headquartered in a small building in Ebute-Metta, Lagos. Despite his position as a university lecturer, he said God instructed him to fully submit to the leadership of the church’s founder, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, a man with no formal education.
I had a PhD. My spiritual father hadn’t even been to primary school,” he shared. “Yet God told me, ‘This is your place.’”
He urged members of the congregation—especially the youth—to seek God’s direction and stay rooted where He has planted them, warning against spiritual instability.
Find out where God wants you, and stay there,” he admonished.
However, Pastor Adeboye was quick to clarify that his revelation was not a critique of other Christian denominations.
This is not about being superior to any other ministry,” he said. “It’s about obedience to God’s voice and remaining where He places you.”
The statement has since sparked widespread reflection among believers, especially those navigating questions of spiritual identity and church loyalty.
