The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye has recounted how a den of highway robbers 42 years ago was turned into massive religious ground that now attracts millions of worshippers across the world.
The Redemption City (formerly Redeemed Camp), which opened in 1983, has since expanded to over 2,500 hectares.
Sharing the captivating story of the Redemption City on the sixth day of the church’s Holy Ghost Congress 2024, the 82-year-old Pastor recounted how God’s providence and the unwavering faith of a few transformed a forsaken land into a spiritual haven.
According to Church Times Nigeria on Sunday, he said: “This place was just about two hectares of land where highway robbers made their base. I was just a little above 40 years old when we came”.
The camp’s inception was fraught with challenges, which Adeboye likened to the Israelites’ encounter with the negative reports of 10 spies, countered by the faith-filled resolve of Joshua and Caleb.
“Not long after we came to the camp, we stumbled on spots where robbers dumped hundreds of suitcases, shoes, and clothes of their victims”, Adeboye recalled.
Nature, too, seemed hostile, he recounted.
“The place was also a land of snakes, especially pythons. Almost every week, huge reptiles were killed on the campgrounds”, he said, adding that, in one chilling incident, a snake was discovered under the bedsheet of one of his children.
Adeboye also recounted the cutting of a strange tree that sparked fear among local villagers, who believed those who cut it would die. “Many years later, nothing has happened to those who cut the tree”, he disclosed.
Despite these adversities, Adeboye credited the unyielding support of elders who laboured tirelessly during the camp’s formative years.
“Don’t look down on elders. They laboured with me when we had nothing. They fetched firewood for cooking, dug holes to get water to drink, and worked tirelessly. They have tried”, he said.
He urged the younger generation to honour their elders, insisting that their experience is irreplaceable.
“The experience gained over years by elders can’t be learned in a seminary”, he added.
He expressed pride in the church’s unparalleled achievements.
“Where else can you find a father in the world that has the kind of choir that we have? I am not a father in a million, not even in a billion, and you’re going to be greater than me”, he said, prompting thunderous applause.
In his closing words, Adeboye called on the congregation to seize the opportunities of their youth with faith.
“If the enemy can’t stop your father, the same enemy can’t stop you. Let’s together take over the world for Christ”, he proclaimed.
He assured them of God’s omnipotence, adding, “If God is on your side, nothing can stop you. By strength shall no man prevail”.
