My past was dark, but God rewrote my story – Adeboye

Enoch Adeboye, the general overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God

Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has urged Christians never to write anyone off as irredeemable, declaring that his own life stands as evidence that God can transform even the most unlikely individual.

Adeboye, 83, made the remarks on Saturday while ministering on the fifth day of the ongoing Holy Ghost Congress 2025 at the RCCG Redemption City along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State. The week-long programme, which has drawn thousands of worshippers from within and outside Nigeria, is themed “God of All Flesh.”

Speaking before a congregation that included traditional rulers and church leaders, the cleric reflected openly on his past, admitting that he is not proud of the person he once was. According to him, many people who knew him in his younger years never imagined that he could be saved, let alone rise to become a pastor and global Christian leader.

Challenging the audience to rethink their assumptions about people with troubled histories, Adeboye said God’s grace has no limits. “Do you think there is anybody in your family who is too far gone that God cannot save his soul?” he asked. “Do you think there is anybody God cannot turn into a great vessel unto honour? The man talking to you now many people never thought I could be saved. Even after I got saved, they never believed I could be a pastor.”

He added that his transformation still surprises some who knew him in the past. “I’m not proud of my past; if one can be bad, I was bad,” he said, drawing murmurs from the congregation.

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Adeboye recounted an encounter with a former girlfriend who once visited him, searching for a pastor. According to him, her disbelief was evident when he introduced himself as the pastor she was looking for. “She was shocked,” he recalled. “She said, ‘You, a pastor? You mean you will pray and God will answer?’”

In another instance, the cleric spoke of meeting a former university classmate decades after they last saw each other in 1967. The woman, he said, could barely hide her astonishment at his transformation. “She looked at me and said, ‘You, na wa ooo.’ I replied, ‘Me too, I’m surprised,’” Adeboye said, noting that the conversation was cut short because her son was present.

He also shared a childhood experience involving his uncle and his uncle’s wife, whom he accused of mistreating him. Adeboye said that as a child, he masterminded events that led to their separation, though they later reconciled years afterward. “Thank God we met again after I became the General Overseer. We reconciled, and today, all her children are pastors in this church,” he said.

Emphasising the central message of his sermon, Adeboye stressed that no life is too broken for God to restore. He urged believers to maintain hope and compassion, insisting that divine grace can reach anyone, regardless of their past. “There is nobody God cannot save,” he concluded.

Athekame Kenneth is a politics, economy, and finance reporter whose work is anchored in sharp investigative storytelling. He brings analytical depth to every piece, drawing on a strong academic foundation that includes a degree in Economics, an MBA in International Trade, and a minor in Petroleum Economics from Lagos State University, Ojo. His reporting blends rigorous research with a keen eye for hidden truths, delivering stories that illuminate power, policy, and the forces shaping everyday lives.

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