Pastor Folu Adeboye, wife of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has revealed how a church pastor ran away with 8000 dollars meant for missions and abandoned his wife in South Africa.
Pastor Folu shared the story during a programme for men in the church. She said the incident happened while she was on a missionary visit to Cape Town, South Africa.
She explained that she was preaching at an RCCG parish when a woman walked in and started removing chairs, signalling that the church’s time at the venue had ended. She was shocked to see the church operating from a rented eatery.
Pastor Folu asked the parish pastor how much it would cost to secure a permanent space. The pastor, who she said is from Ekiti, told her that with 8000 dollars, they could start raising funds by buying a fairly used vehicle and giving it to a tourism agency, which would pay returns to the church.
Pastor Folu said she was impressed by the idea and quickly released the money. But instead of using it for the church, the pastor disappeared.
“Unknown to me, the man had a different plan,” she said. “As soon as he collected the money, he travelled to the US and left his wife in South Africa.”
She said the pastor later married another woman in the US, leaving his wife behind in distress.
“The woman he abandoned in South Africa is presently in a terrible state now, almost running mad,” she added.
Speaking to the congregation, she asked, “RCCG men, what are we going to do? Are we going to continue with such a lying spirit, a deceitful spirit to the God of the kingdom?” The audience replied loudly, “No!”
Mrs Adeboye urged the church to return to spiritual discipline and obedience. She said, “We must go back to the old path where we look up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”
She also reminded the church of the tough days at the Redemption Camp when there was no electricity for three years and members had to use lanterns and grind with stones.
“We may not know where God will take us, but we have a bright future if we remain faithful,” she said.
