Family of Founding RCCG Pastor, Late Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, Accuses Pastor Adeboye of Changing Church Principles, Marginalization

Posted by admin Headlines, Raw Politics, Religion, Top Stories Monday, August 1st, 2011

The family of the founding pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Late Reverend Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, has expressed dissatisfaction with the current leadership of the church and the family’s role in its management.

The family wants to have a representative, elected by the family, in a permanent position on the governing council who will help to ensure that the doctrine being taught by the church is in line with the spiritual beliefs of the late Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi.

In a petition signed by Abiodun (Akindayomi) Olukowajo on behalf of the family, the Akindayomis said that while they are proud of the growth of the church in the past 30 years since the death of the founder, from about 40 parish-churches to more than 22 thousand parish-churches worldwide, their family has received no “noteworthy” support.

They complained that they are playing an insufficient role in the continuation of the legacy of the late Rev. Akindayomi, which they say has been willfully done by Pastor Adeboye so as “to allow for recharismatization” of RCCG.

The Akindayomi family also expressed concern about the transparency of the church, describing as “gross disrespect” the fact that the Akindayomi family is outside the decision making processes of the church, with no role in determining the direction of the RCCG in terms of the vision of the late Rev. Akindayomi.

The Akindayomi family also wants a change in the ascension order of the church, stressing that it is not a fact that the current leader, Pastor Adeboye, was appointed as general overseer for life by the late Rev. Akindayomi, or that Pastor Adeboye has the divine right to choose his successor.

Instead, it calls for the governing council to select three candidates, given to them by the provisional pastors, from whom the worldwide membership of the RCCG would determine its leader.

The accusation of lack of transparency comes from another accusation that Pastor Adeboye bought the Redeem Camp grounds in his personal name and that of his wife, while using church funds to develop the property.

In 2007 a house of representaives inquiry into abuse of import duty waivers alleged the that former president Olusegun Obasanjo issued some N20 billion worth of import waivers to the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, and its pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye. Most of the waivers were reportedly used in importing luxurious cars into Nigeria.

-Saharareporterswp_posts