The RCCG was founded in 1952 by Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi (1909–1980). Adeboye was a
mathematics lecturer at the
University of Lagos and had joined the church in 1973. Adeboye was initially a
Yoruba-to-
English interpreter for Akindayomi's sermons. He was ordained a pastor of the church in 1975. His appointment as the leader (styled 'General Overseer') of the church in 1981, was formalized by the posthumous reading of Akindayomi's sealed pronouncement. In 1990, the Redeemed Christian Church of God Bible School was founded. Andrew Rice, writing in
The New York Times, calls the RCCG "one of [Africa's] most vigorously expansionary religious movements, a homegrown
Pentecostal denomination that is crusading to become a global faith". The church's mission statement states that "In every household, there will be at least one member of Redeemed Christian Church of God in the whole world." In 2008, the RCCG had more than 14,000 churches and five million members in Nigeria, and as at 2024, it is present in more than 190 countries. The international church is structured in different areas throughout the world. The local churches are grouped into regions, with 59 regions currently in Nigeria after the 2024 Annual Convention of the church, held in August. It is also organised throughout most of the world. Notable special spiritual programs are the "Holy Ghost Service", which holds on the first Friday of every month in Nigeria. Others include the annual "Holy Ghost Convention" that holds in August and the "Holy Ghost Congress" which holds in December. ==Beliefs==