The appearance on Tuesday, December 6 of Pastor Ife Akindayomi at the Holy Ghost Congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God came to some people as a pleasant surprise. He is the last born of the founder of the RCCG, Rev Josiah Akindayomi. He ministered for a few minutes and supervised the collection of offerings at the congress.
It was perhaps the first time a biological child of the founder would officiate at a national programme of the church. The real issue however is that many know little about the children of the founder.
But for Leke Adeboye who is quite vocal and maintains regular social media appearances; perhaps many will also know little about the children of Pastor Enoch Adeboye who took over from Pa Akindayomi as the overseer of the church.
However, there is a general belief that only a few people in the church know the children of Pa Akindayomi. This belief was further strengthened a few years ago when one of Pa Akindayomi’s daughters, Pastor Mrs. Titi Akindayomi-Adewale said in a YouTube interview monitored by Church Times that “many people don’t even know her father was the founder of the RCCG.”
She said she established the Josiah Akindayomi Foundation to immortalise his father’s memory. Her words, “Josiah Akindayomi Foundation was founded to immortalize the memory of my father. History will not forgive me if the name dies. A lot of people don’t know the founder of the church. I know a lot of top pastors who don’t know Akindayomi as the founder. The foundation is to bring to the limelight what the man stood for when he was alive. All my father’s life, he would put his children backward and help others. I am trusting God to use the foundation to support the less privileged.”
One is not sure if the foundation is active. But there are clear indications that the children of the founder are barely known. This could be because their father never exposed them to the public when he was alive. From the interview, it was clear that Akindayomi was so selfless to the detriment of his children.
So when Ife Akindayomi was called to come and lead the offering collection many were taken aback because they perhaps had not heard that name before.
In his exhortation, the founder’s son, who took his text from Deuteronomy 15:10 admonished the congregation to give their substance to God generously.
According to him “If you give God little, He will give you little in return.” Pastor Akindayomi is an Assistant Pastor in Charge of the Province (Church Social Responsibility) in Ogun Province 5. He celebrated his 60th birthday last June
Some Church members believe that his public appearance during this year’s Holy Ghost Congress is significant because it is the first time a biological child of the late founder of RCCG will feature during any of the national programmes of RCCG.
None is a full-time pastor
Incidentally, all the five surviving children of the founder are Pastors. However, none of them has ever been a full-time Pastor. They have always been business owners and bivocational Pastors.
The other children apart from Pastor Ife Akindayomi are 76-year-old Pastor Mrs Olubunmi Deborah Akindele. She is the widow of the late Pastor J. Akindele who was a retired Assistant General Overseer. He was at various times in charge of Missions as well as Administration and Personnel in the mission before his retirement and eventual transition. There is also 76-year-old Pastor Mrs Funlayo Olukuwajo, 72-year-old Pastor Kolade Akindayomi, and Pastor Mrs Titilayo Akindayomi-Adewale.
Titilayo Akindayomi-Adewale is the Senior Pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God Holy Ghost Zone located in West Chester County of New York, on the western shore of the city, in the United States of America.
As it is none of them hold any strategic position in the church. It is not certain if they show interest in any of the plum positions or that the odds are against them. But the way their father brought them up may well make them show apathy in the running of the church.
For instance, their mother was not given any position in the church by their father when they were both alive. Titi Akindayomi-Adewale stated in the YouTube interview that it was Pastor Adeboye who ordained their mother and his wife, Pastor Folu Adeboye as mothers in Israel. The Josiah Akindayomi Foundation may well be the fallback option for the children.
Story by our reporter.