By Odesola JF., PhD
There is something increasingly troubling about the way we discuss the children of successful people in Nigeria. When a lawyer’s child becomes a lawyer, we call it family legacy. When a doctor’s child becomes a doctor, nobody immediately screams nepotism. When the son of a politician enters politics, we may debate his competence, but we rarely argue that he must abandon the profession simply because of his father’s name.
So why should the story suddenly become different when the child of a pastor grows into ministry?
The recent criticism surrounding the appointment of Pastor Leke Adeboye and his wife, Pastor Titilope Adeboye, as Assistant Pastor-in-Charge of Region 65 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) raises an important question: Are we judging the appointment by the man’s record, or simply by his surname?
Some have suggested that this is strategic positioning for Leke Adeboye to eventually take over RCCG. Others have dismissed his elevation as nothing more than the privilege of being the son of the General Overseer. Some commentators appear to believe that he woke up one morning as an ordinary RCCG member and was suddenly handed a regional responsibility.
That is simply not an accurate description of his journey.
Pastor Leke Adeboye’s own official profile records significant responsibilities he has undertaken within RCCG, including serving as Executive Assistant to the General Overseer, PSF Coordinator, Local Pastor of a Parish then to groups, Assistant Pastor-in-Charge of Youth Province 1, and Lead Coordinator of Messiah’s Marathon Praise. His profile also identifies him with RCCG The Bridge/Living Seed Church and various ministry initiatives.
So before shouting “nepotism,” perhaps we should first ask a more responsible question:
What has he actually done?
A Pastor’s Child Is Not Automatically Disqualified
There is an unfortunate mentality that suggests that the children of prominent pastors must deliberately stay away from leadership positions in their parents’ churches to prove that they are not beneficiaries of their family name.
That standard is unreasonable.
Imagine telling the son of a lawyer, “Because your father is a Senior Advocate, you cannot practise law.”
Or telling the daughter of a professor, “Because your father taught at this university, you cannot become a lecturer.”
Or telling the child of a business owner, “Because your father built this company, you cannot work here.”
That would be absurd.
The real issue should not be whose son or daughter you are. The real issue should be whether you are qualified, prepared, experienced and capable of carrying the responsibility assigned to you.
Family legacy is not automatically corruption.
It becomes problematic only when family connection replaces competence, due process and character.
That distinction matters.
The RCCG Is Not a One-Man Appointment System
Another misconception that needs to be corrected is the assumption that every major appointment in RCCG is simply the personal decision of the General Overseer.
RCCG is a large, structured global organisation. Its leadership involves layers of administration, ministry structures and experienced pastors. The RCCG National Headquarters itself publicly identifies different levels of pastoral leadership, including the General Overseer, Assistant to the General Overseer, Continental Overseers, Special Assistant to the General Overseer, Pastor-in-Charge of Regions and Pastor-in-Charge of Provinces, Pastor in Charge of Zones, Pastor-in-charge of Area etc. (RCCG Headquarters)
That structure matters.
It means that when someone receives a new responsibility, outsiders who do not participate in the church’s internal administrative processes should be careful about pretending to know everything that happened behind the scenes.
You may disagree with an appointment. You may ask legitimate questions. But disagreement is not the same thing as evidence of wrongdoing.
And criticism without adequate information quickly becomes gossip wearing the clothes of analysis.
Look at the Record
Pastor Leke Adeboye did not suddenly appear in RCCG leadership because his father is Pastor E.A. Adeboye.
His publicly listed ministry experience includes work with young people, administration, planning, crusade coordination, pastoral ministry and executive responsibilities. His official profile describes him as Principal Executive Assistant to the General Overseer and identifies him as Lead Pastor of RCCG The Bridge/Living Seed Church as well as Assistant Pastor-in-Charge of Youth Province 1. (Leke Adeboye)
The Pastors’ Seed Family (PSF) and youth ministry responsibilities are not decorative titles. They involve people, programmes, planning, leadership, coordination and accountability.
Anyone who has ever worked in church administration understands that leadership experience is accumulated one assignment at a time.
In RCCG, good work means more work.
If you serve faithfully, you may be given a larger responsibility.
If you demonstrate capacity, your responsibility can increase.
If you prove yourself in one assignment, you may be considered for another.
That is how leadership development works in many organisations.
The Father’s Name Can Open a Door—But It Cannot Carry the Person Forever
Let us also be honest.
Being Pastor E.A. Adeboye’s son obviously gives Leke Adeboye a level of visibility that an unknown young pastor may not have.
Nobody needs to pretend otherwise.
But visibility is not the same as competence.
A famous surname may introduce you to a room, but it cannot preach your sermon for you. It cannot lead your congregation for you. It cannot organise your ministry programmes for you. It cannot make people respect you. And it certainly cannot sustain you indefinitely if you consistently fail.
Leadership eventually exposes the person carrying the title.
That is why the proper question is not, “Is he Pastor Adeboye’s son?”
We already know the answer.
The better question is:
“Having been given responsibilities, what has he done with them?”
That is where evidence should enter the conversation.
Real Life Gives Us Plenty of Examples
This is not peculiar to Christianity.
Across the world, family businesses, professional firms, political organisations, universities and entertainment industries have seen children follow their parents into the same field.
The Kennedy family in American politics produced multiple generations of political leaders.
The Bush family produced two American presidents.
In the business world, the Walton family remained deeply connected to Walmart after Sam Walton founded it.
In entertainment, the Barrymore family has maintained a multigenerational presence in Hollywood.
In law, medicine, academia and business, family succession is common.
Yet none of these examples proves that every child is competent simply because of his or her parent. Rather, they demonstrate a basic truth:
Being born into a legacy does not automatically disqualify someone from continuing that legacy.
The standard should remain competence, character and performance.
And What About Pastor Adeboye Himself?
There is an even more interesting lesson in RCCG’s own history.
Pastor E.A. Adeboye did not inherit the position of General Overseer from his father. He became a member of RCCG as an adult, after already establishing an academic career. RCCG’s official accounts state that he had earned advanced academic qualifications and had worked as a university lecturer before his ministry career became his dominant assignment. (EA Adeboye)
He eventually became General Overseer in 1981 at the age of 38, after serving under the founder, Pastor Josiah Akindayomi.
In other words, RCCG’s own history demonstrates that leadership can emerge from preparation, service, recognition and responsibility.
The fact that Leke is his son does not automatically erase the possibility that he too has been developed through service.
Criticism Is Permitted. Uninformed Judgment Is Not
Nobody should be above legitimate scrutiny.
If there are credible concerns about an appointment, people have the right to ask questions. If there is evidence of wrongdoing, it should be presented.
But there is a difference between saying, “I have questions about this appointment,” and declaring, “He was promoted simply because he is the General Overseer’s son.”
The first is an opinion.
The second is a factual claim that requires evidence.
We should not manufacture facts because a narrative sounds convincing.
And we certainly should not create a succession story where none has been announced.
The joke that Pastor Leke is being positioned to “take over RCCG” may generate social-media engagement, but it is still speculation. A regional appointment is not the same thing as a succession declaration.
Let the church’s leadership process speak for itself.
Mind Your Business—But Do Your Research First
Perhaps this is where the phrase “mind your business” needs to be understood differently.
It does not mean that Christians should never ask questions.
It means: Do not appoint yourself the monitoring officer of an organisation you do not administer.
You may not know the meetings that took place.
You may not know the recommendations made.
You may not know the evaluations conducted.
You may not know the years of service that preceded the appointment.
You may not know what responsibilities were carried privately before they became publicly visible.
So before concluding that someone was promoted because of his surname, do your research.
Before accusing an organisation of nepotism, understand its administrative structure.
Before reducing a person’s years of service to his family connection, examine his record.
And before turning a ministerial appointment into a social-media scandal, remember that there is a real human being behind the headline.
Pastor Leke Adeboye should be judged by his character, competence, spiritual maturity, service and results—not condemned simply because of the family into which he was born.
If he succeeds, give God the glory.
If he didn’t do too well, hold him accountable.
But do not condemn him before he has even had the opportunity to serve.
Let Pastor Leke Adeboye be.
Let him work.
Let him serve.
Let him prove himself.
And perhaps, before we become judges of everybody else’s assignment, we should remember the biblical warning:
“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” — Matthew 7:1
Sometimes, the most responsible thing we can do is not to speculate, not to sensationalise, not to assume—but simply to mind our business, do our research and allow people to prove themselves.
