Counsel From RCCG 2016 Annual Convention Set Social Media Agog: How Adeboye’s Marriage Teachings Caused Stir

The ongoing annual convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, on Tuesday, received enormous publicity. The publicity, however, came in a controversial manner.

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The General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, in a message on marriage, stirred a widespread debate on social media, with thousands taking to the Internet to protest or support his positions on the categories of people Christians should not marry.

Adeboye, who is fondly called "Daddy G.O." by members of his church, advised a congregation of bachelors and spinsters at the convention to avoid marrying certain individuals in order to enjoy their marriages.

Videos of the teachings, which were uploaded on different social media sites, received huge ‘share’.

The pastor urged bachelors to shun ladies who could not pray “non-stop” for at least an hour. He also advised them against marrying “lazy” women as well as those who could not cook.

The cooking aspect particularly caught the attention of feminists. They took protested the pastor’s remark, saying they were not supposed to be consigned to kitchens just because they were women.

Adeboye also warned ladies against accepting marriage proposals by “jobless” bachelors. He said those who could not earn incomes should not marry.

A social media activist, Asuquo Ulo, said the teachings were part of unacceptable thinking that characterised the age.

The tweeter disagreed with the cleric’s position, saying “marriage is really beyond jobs, cooking and prayers”.

As far as Chinye Onwordi, a Twitter user, is concerned, Adeboye’s advice had solved a persisting puzzle on the social media.

“Whether Nigerian ladies agree to cook when they marry or not, Adeboye has spoken the truth nobody should shy away from,” he tweeted.

One Ahmed Isah also wrote, “Adeboye, we thank you for ending this long debate. You spoke from a spiritual realm, not as a mere mortal.”

As of Tuesday evening, many sites had unveiled online polls with a view to assessing the acceptability of Adeboye’s marriage ‘prescriptions’.

In one of the videos, Adeboye advised, “Marry a prayer warrior! Don’t marry any girl who cannot pray for one hour non-stop. Don’t marry a girl who is lazy! If she is lazy when she is single, what will happen if she is married?”

In another one, he warned, “Don’t marry a man who has no job. Before God gave Adam Eve, he gave him a job. He said, ‘This is the garden, keep it.’ So when anybody comes to you and say, ‘Sister, thus saith the Lord, you are going to be the star in my firmament,’ ask him — ‘What is your job?’

“If he tells you he is a contractor, ask him to show you evidence of all the contracts he has done because the contract he is talking about is you. He wants to live off you.

“Don’t be a fool. If he hasn’t got a steady income, don’t marry him. A man is to provide for the house and not the other way round. If he has no income, he should not marry. Those who do not work should not eat. And if they can’t eat, they can’t even marry.”

Adeboye trended widely on social media platforms as the issues he raised were scrutinized by his fans and foes. The videos became the toast of members of the online community.

Adeboye’s popularity rating, by online metrics, soared. He also enjoyed a huge Google search, as bloggers dissected thousands of comments for catchy headlines for their posts.

190 Countries Expected For RCCG 2016 Convention

The Redeemed Christian Church of God says it is expecting no fewer than 190 countries from different parts of the world for its 2016 convention.

A statement by the Head of the RCCG Media and Public Relations Department, Pastor Segun Adegbiji, on Sunday said the 64th convention, with the theme, ‘AMEN’, would hold from August 1 (today) to 7 at the New Arena in the Shimawa area of Ogun State.

The statement read in part, “Members, delegates and non-members are expected from about 190 nations of the world, where RCCG has its presence.

“The word will be robust from the church’s General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and other ministers. Music will be rich; children, youths and adults will have roles to play.”

The church said vehicles would be available for participants at provincial headquarters of the church in all parts of the country from Sunday, July 31.

It added that provision had been made for the security of lives and property, urging participants to cooperate with security and traffic officials for their safety and comfort throughout the period of the programme.

According to the statement, Pastor Adeboye, popularly called Daddy G.O., said the theme of the convention was derived from one of the names of Jesus Christ.

“Amen, as we all know, is one of the names of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are, therefore, coming into this convention to encounter the Amen,” the statement quoted Adeboye as saying.