Pastor Adeboye recounts near-death experience at annual Holy Ghost Service
During the ongoing annual Special Holy Ghost Service themed “Joy Unspeakable,” Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye—the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)—recalled a harrowing near-death incident from seven years ago, crediting his survival to divine grace.
At the service, held amid the church’s four-day celebration marking the 39th anniversary of the Special Holy Ghost Service, the 83-year-old pastor shared that he became critically ill during the church’s annual “Let’s-Go-A-Fishing” evangelism program.
He described how severe road conditions led his body to break down completely, forcing him to spend Christmas Day in bed—a first in his life. Collapsing in Ilesha and being too weak to travel by road, Pastor Adeboye explained that a helicopter had been chartered to airlift him back to camp.
However, just as the airlift was about to commence, local miscreants interfered by clinging to the helicopter and even damaging a window. Despite this setback, Pastor Adeboye insisted that God’s grace ensured he reached camp safely and eventually recovered, an outcome that continues to fill him with gratitude.
Shifting from recounting his experience to offering counsel, Pastor Adeboye urged the congregation to remain steadfast in their faith. He advised believers not to compromise their salvation by living double lives—highlighting the need for consistency in behavior both inside and outside the church.
Emphasizing the importance of soul-winning and prayer, he maintained that these practices are essential to experiencing the “joy unspeakable” of God’s presence.
Born on March 2, 1942, in Ifewara, Osun State, Pastor Adeboye joined RCCG in 1973 as an interpreter for its founder, Pa. Josiah Akindayomi. After assuming leadership in 1981, he has steered the church through a period of remarkable growth and global expansion.
His life journey—from enduring extreme poverty and even staging a hunger strike in his youth to protesting financial hardships, to becoming one of the world’s most sought-after ministers—is a testament to perseverance, unwavering faith, and what he believes to be divine intervention.
