• Oladimeji, USA-based Nigerian cleric recounts encounter at RCCG camp
Pastor Elijah Oladimeji is of the Mind of Christ Evangelical Church, New York, USA.
In this interview, he shared his experience of his encounter with Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer, Worldwide, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), with Daily Sun during a recent visit to Nigeria.
What was the experience at your first attendance at the convention?
The closest I have been to you was in New York at the Yankee Stadium some years ago. About a thousand people separated us. Not that it mattered. The hand of God touched me where I was. I attended the annual RCCG convention for the first time in August 2013. By then, I had been in ministry for about seven years. We had struggled much, and labored much. We had results here and there, but it was with much labor and effort.
By the time I arrived the convention ground in 2013. I was spiritually dry so to speak. I arrived the camp desperate, but took consolation in the fact that there were plenty of desperate people like I am. I was not familiar with RCCG, so I simply did what others were doing. When people danced, I danced, when they jumped, I jumped. I saw some people buying anointing oil. I also bought anointing oil. I saw people praying and rolling on the altar after service, I prayed and rolled on the altar.
I dare not return to the United States, the same way I came. I had to contact some fire, some anointing to turn things around. I had done everything I knew to do, and it didn’t work. We have had some success in our work in the United States, Grenada, Haiti, Benin, Togo, but after some time, it appeared that everything dried up.
Our church in Cotonou, Benin Republic, had come under duress. The pastor, an elderly woman, was being with a divorce. The husband told her: “Abandon the church or leave my house.” Our church in Haiti had grown and at some point, was looking for a bigger space. Then suddenly the pastor walked off, and then the congregation dispersed.
Dying child revived
So, in August 2013, I attended the convention, and went to our church in Cotonou, Benin Republic after the convention. A five-day revival program had been set up in anticipation of my arrival. I ministered nightly. A few people received Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. A few members were filled with the Spirit by the evidence of speaking in tongues.
On the last day, a Sunday, the church service was coming to an end when someone shouted “Pastor, pastor!” I quickly ran from the altar. A little girl, about 13 had fainted. She had passed out and fell on the person next to her. All the pastors in the service surrounded her and started shouting “Jesus, Jesus.”
Then, I remembered that I had bought anointing oil at the RCCG camp. I quickly ran back to my seat and grabbed it. I sprinkled some on the girl. She opened her eyes. She closed it again. I sprinkled her one more time she shook her head and tried to stand up.
The shout of hallelujah filled the church. Other members helped her to her feet. She had become conscious. She sat down and regained full consciousness. That was in August 2013
The interesting thing is that Daddy GO did not pray over the oil. I did not pray over it either. I just bought it at the camp, and put it at the altar. That was what I saw people did. I left it on the altar by my side, while I prayed. Without his knowledge, I used the anointing oil bought on a roadside at the camp to revive dying people and break bondages over and over again, in many different places. I just wanted to let him know and thank him.
Dying woman revived
In our church in New York, there was a woman of Caribbean descent. She was not a regular member as such. She had been absent for some Sundays, and by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I decided to visit her. She lived not too far from the church, so I called my wife and children, and one other member to visit her and find out why she was not in church.
On entering the house, we found family members gathered around her. She had become incoherent, eye closed. Like saying the last sentences of her life. I quickly ordered everyone to step aside. I took out the anointing oil. I sprinkled some on her. She jerked. She opened her eyes. I continued to pray. After about a few minutes, she sat up on the bed. We stayed with the family for about 30 minutes. By this time, she had become fully conscious, then, we departed. When I called the husband about two hours later, he told me she had eaten and taken shower, and had become perfectly normal. That was around October 2015
God touches the unwilling husband.
Remember the husband of our pastor in Cotonou, Benin Republic that did not want the woman to go to church? The one that gave the ultimatum: “Leave the church or leave my house.” Well, the Lord eventually touched the man. He is a very wealthy man.
One day, out of the blues, he asked the wife: “Why do you go so far away for church?” “Well, that is where we found space” she replied. He asked: “Why don’t you use the land in this location?” “Daddy, you didn’t give it to us,” she said. “You can take it, if you need it,” he said. “Daddy, thank you. God bless you.”
After about six months, the husband passed by the location, noticed that no work had been done on the land. When he got home, he asked the wife: “I noticed that you have not started any work on the land I gave your church.” She replied: “Daddy, we don’t have money to do any work on the land.” “Why didn’t you say anything?” The husband asked. “You already gave us the land, I did not want to bother you again,” she answered.
“So, what do you need?” The wife said: “If we can get some type of foundation, with some pillars around and roof over it, we will be very happy, daddy.” “Ok. I will call (so and so) to go and lay the foundation, put some pillars and put a roof over it.” She exploded: “Thank you. God bless.”
According to the story that the wife/our pastor told me, the man gave the land, gave one million CFA to buy materials, and paid the laborers. Yes, the same man that was very opposed to the church built the church almost single-handedly. The strange thing is that the man did not attend the church. He visited once in a while, but did not stay. That was in August 2014.
I met a desperate businessman
“I met a businessman, I think his story might interest you. He sat slumped on a bench when I met him. He looked haggard I approached him cautiously because I thought he was a mad man. I asked if he was okay and if he needed anything. He said he had not eaten for days. He said he had just arrived camp by riding behind trailers from Enugu. I realized he was a perfectly normal person, but was in a desperate financial condition.
He said he traveled from Enugu, hopping from back of one trailer to another, for about five days without a cent in his pocket. I walked with him to a food place, and bought jollof rice and turkey. I was fasting so I did not eat.
He told me he had attempted but failed in every business endeavor continuously for about 15 years. He did business in the East and failed. He moved to Ondo in the West and failed. He moved to Jos, North Central and failed. He then returned to the East and failed. He started attending church and things did not get better. It was someone, who heard of his story that advised him that his problem could not be solved, unless he went to RCCG.
I found him a spot next to me at the arena and we talked on and off during the convention. At the end of the convention, I asked him when he was leaving. “I have no money to take transportation first of all, and I have nothing to go to.” I gave him some money, and the mat, which I had used to sleep during the camp. I also advised him to contact the ushers for counseling and assistance. I thought my situation was bad. After I met the guy, I began to thank God. He sat motionless, as I departed the camp. This was August 2015
I also met a young lady in the camp. She looked normal, fairly well dressed. Nothing suggested a life in turmoil. After exchanging pleasantries, I asked her why she came to camp. “It is these people, they won’t let me sleep. Some girls had been appearing to me in my sleep to come for a meeting.”
She said when the spirits first started appearing to her, her mother had taken her to a juju man. At the second visit, the juju man warned her: “You this girl, take your wahala go somewhere else.” She also visited a pastor of a local church. At her next visit, the pastor told her that some people “appeared” to him and warned him to hands off:
“It was someone who heard about my case that advised me. They told me that it is only in camp that this type of problem could be solved. “That is why I came.” After hearing her story, I simply walked away. I have my own issues to worry about, and church members’ issues as well. I didn’t want anyone or anything to “appear” to me.
RCCG camp has become a type of solution center for hard and difficult cases – personal, family, business, ministry, etc. It is a joy to have a place like the Redemption Camp. I also do some reading and writing on evangelical missions, world evangelization, church history, and the like. There is no church in contemporary time that has spread to about 190 nations in about 30 years and have about 33,000 parishes in Nigeria alone! Those who call RCCG the largest growing church in Nigeria deny God’s glory.
Christianity is generally in decline in Europe and UK. Christianity is alive and well in the United States. However, the largest church, the Lakewood Church, pastored by Joel Osteen has a membership of about 43, 000. And I know that we cannot mark God’s presence by size. This is just for argument’s sake.
It is safe to say that RCCG is the fastest growing church in the world and has been like that for decades, based on available data.
Some people have been commenting on social media about the church collecting tithes and offerings, as if the church had waxed great based on tithes and offering. Some derided the increasing parishes as business centers. Anyone with understanding knows that you cannot plant 33,000 branches in 30 years just by collecting tithes and offering!
But the Bible advises: “…the natural man cannot receive the things of the spirit neither can he understands it…” (1 Corinthians 2: 14); “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted” (Titus: 1: 15) The Bible does not even consider money true riches: “And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? (Luke 16:9)
Daddy G..O is a blessing to this generation! Generations coming will hear about his faith, commitment, service, humility and love for Christ the King. Centuries after, the world will speak about the man of unusual grace who moved mountains on the behalf of individuals, families, churches, ministries and nations. Thank God for moving my mountains when I could not.