Odesola JF., PhD
There are times when a statement is repeated so often that people begin to accept it as truth without stopping to ask a simple question: “Is this really true?”
One such statement that has been making the rounds is that Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye, Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye and The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) are doing nothing about the suffering and difficulties facing Nigerians.
With due respect, that is not a fair picture of reality.
Nobody should claim that RCCG has solved Nigeria’s problems. It has not. Nobody should claim that Pastor Adeboye or Pastor Mrs. Adeboye can personally solve the enormous challenges confronting a nation of more than 200 million people. They cannot.
But to say that they are doing nothing is another matter entirely.
The evidence tells a different story.
Behind the sermons, conventions, prayers and church services are thousands of quiet stories of people who have received medical attention, children who have gone to school, families who have received food, young people who have been rescued from addiction, prisoners who have received assistance, and vulnerable people who have been given another opportunity to rebuild their lives.
Much of this work has been carried out through His Love Foundation (HLF), the Christian Social Responsibility arm of RCCG, as well as through specialised ministries and initiatives.
And for that, we should give God the glory.
THE CHURCH CANNOT SOLVE EVERYTHING—BUT IT CAN DO SOMETHING
Let us be honest.
Nigeria is facing serious challenges.
People are struggling with the rising cost of living. Families are worried about food. Young people are looking for jobs. Hospitals need equipment. Children need quality education. Communities need infrastructure. Many people are battling addiction, poverty and homelessness.
These problems are too large for one church, one pastor or one organisation to solve.
Government has a major responsibility.
But that does not mean the Church should fold its arms and say, “It is government’s problem.”
Jesus never taught us to walk past people in need.
When the hungry came to Him, He cared.
When the sick came to Him, He healed them.
When the broken came to Him, He restored them.
And when Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan did not simply look at the wounded man and say, “I will pray for you.”
He stopped.
He went to him.
He treated his wounds.
He took him to a place of safety.
He paid for his care.
In other words, his love became action.
That is the spirit behind Christian Social Responsibility.
WHEN A HOSPITAL BECOMES AN ANSWER TO PRAYER
Sometimes we talk about humanitarian work in figures and statistics and forget that behind every figure is a human being.
Think about a mother sitting beside the bed of a critically ill child.
Think about a husband whose wife needs dialysis.
Think about a family that cannot afford cancer screening.
Think about an accident victim whose life depends on intensive care.
For such people, a hospital facility is not just a building.
It can mean hope.
Through interventions associated with Pastor E.A. and Pastor Mrs. Folu Adeboye, several intensive-care and dialysis facilities have been established or supported.
These include the Enoch and Folu Adeboye Intensive Care Units at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Plateau State, Ogun State and Igando.
There are also dialysis interventions in Abuja, Anambra, Akwa Ibom and Osun, with additional dialysis-centre support in states including Enugu, Ondo, Oyo, Bauchi, Borno and Ekiti.
Imagine what that means to a kidney patient who previously had to struggle to find an affordable place for treatment.
It may not make the evening news.
It may not trend on social media.
But to that patient and his or her family, it is enormous.
There is also the Healing Stripes Cancer Screening and Diagnostic Centre in Lagos, providing subsidised cancer screening and diagnostic services, as well as the Healing Stripes Hospital and Kidney Care Centre.
There have also been medical interventions in correctional facilities, including the refurbishment and re-equipping of the medical centre at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison and the provision of an ambulance.
Similar medical support has reached Agodi Prison in Ibadan.
Medical missions have also provided free surgical procedures, including treatment for facial tumours, cleft lips and cataracts, including interventions carried out in partnership with Mercy Ships.
And through Redeemed Medical Volunteers, healthcare professionals have participated in medical outreaches and humanitarian responses in different parts of Africa.
So, when someone says, “What has RCCG done?”, perhaps the first answer should be:
“Look at the lives that have been touched.”
A CHILD GIVEN EDUCATION IS A FUTURE GIVEN A CHANCE
One of the things that I find particularly inspiring is the emphasis on education.
Because when you educate a child, you are not merely helping that child today.
You are changing tomorrow.
Pastor Mrs. Folu Adeboye has played a significant role in educational initiatives associated with RCCG, including the Christ the Redeemer’s Schools Movement.
There are also schools serving children from disadvantaged communities.
Take Redeemer’s Fortress School in Makoko, for example.
For a child growing up in a difficult environment, receiving education and daily meals can make an enormous difference.
There is also the Glittering Stars School in Costain, as well as Redeemer’s schools serving communities in Ogun and Lagos States.
The educational vision extends to tertiary education through institutions such as Redeemer’s University and Redeemer’s College of Technology and Management (RECTEM).
The importance of technical and vocational education cannot be overstated.
A young person does not necessarily need a white-collar job to succeed.
Sometimes what a young person needs is a skill, an opportunity, a mentor and somebody who believes in him or her.
That is why investments in education and skills development are investments in the future of Nigeria.
There have also been professorial endowments in mathematics at major Nigerian universities and extensive library-development projects.
Again, these things may not always be loudly advertised.
But they matter.
SOME PEOPLE NEED MORE THAN A SERMON—THEY NEED A SECOND CHANCE
Perhaps one of the most painful social problems of our time is drug addiction.
It is easy to look at someone struggling with addiction and say, “He brought it upon himself.”
But what happens when that person is somebody’s son?
Somebody’s daughter?
Somebody’s husband?
Somebody’s father?
Somebody’s child who has lost his way?
That is where ministries such as Christ Against Drug Abuse Ministry (CADAM) become important.
CADAM has provided rehabilitation, spiritual guidance and vocational support to people struggling with substance abuse.
Other initiatives, including Habitation of Hope, Wellspring Rehabilitation Centre, Wholistic Outreach, House of Joy, Aruke Rehabilitation Centre and Beth-Tzadekah Home, have focused on vulnerable young people, abandoned youths, women in difficult circumstances, people battling addiction and victims of exploitation and trafficking.
Pastor Mrs. Folu Adeboye’s involvement in initiatives such as Habitation of Hope reflects something important:
Sometimes ministry means going where others are afraid to go.
It means seeing value in people whom society has already written off.
It means saying to a young person on the street, “Your story is not over.”
WHEN SOMEONE IS HUNGRY, GIVE THEM FOOD
There is another temptation in religious circles—to spiritualise every problem.
Someone is hungry, and we tell them to pray.
Someone has no food, and we quote Scripture.
Prayer is powerful. We absolutely believe in prayer.
But sometimes, after praying, you should also give the person something to eat.
Jesus fed the multitude.
Christian compassion must therefore have a practical dimension.
Through His Love Foundation and related initiatives, feeding programmes have operated in various locations, while food items have been distributed to vulnerable families.
The Central Food Bank has helped coordinate food distribution.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, RCCG also participated in relief efforts involving food, masks, ventilators and other assistance.
Humanitarian relief has not been limited to Nigeria. Assistance has also reached people affected by disasters internationally, including victims of the super typhoon in the Philippines.
That is what love looks like when it moves from the pulpit to the street.
EVEN THE PRISONER MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN
Jesus said something very striking in Matthew 25.
He said:
“I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”
That statement should make every Christian think.
The prisoner may have made mistakes.
The prisoner may have committed a crime.
But the prisoner is still a human being.
Some awaiting-trial inmates may not even have been convicted.
Through prison-welfare initiatives, medical interventions and pro-bono legal assistance, RCCG-related interventions have sought to bring relief to people within correctional facilities.
An ambulance can save a life.
Medical equipment can save a life.
Legal assistance can change a life.
A meal can restore dignity.
Sometimes, the most powerful expression of Christianity is simply telling somebody who feels forgotten:
“You have not been forgotten.”
WHY DON’T WE HEAR ABOUT EVERYTHING?
This is an important question.
Why are people sometimes unaware of these interventions?
One reason is that not every act of kindness is turned into a publicity campaign.
There is a biblical principle about giving without seeking applause.
Not everybody who gives wants a camera present.
Not everybody who helps wants their name on a billboard.
Some people simply believe that God sees what human beings do not see.
That may partly explain why some of these interventions are not as widely known as they should be.
And perhaps this is one area where the Church can improve—by documenting and communicating its social impact more effectively, not for personal glory, but so that the public understands what is being done and other organisations can learn from it.
But we must not make the mistake of assuming that what we do not see on social media does not exist.
A rehabilitated drug addict may never trend.
A child receiving free education may never appear on television.
A patient receiving dialysis may never make the newspaper.
A hungry family receiving food may simply go home and eat.
But God sees.
LET US ALSO BE FAIR TO GOVERNMENT
Defending RCCG should not mean attacking government.
Government has responsibilities that the Church cannot and should not replace.
Government must provide security.
Government must create jobs.
Government must strengthen healthcare.
Government must improve education.
Government must build infrastructure.
Government must create policies that reduce poverty and make life more affordable.
The Church can complement these efforts, but it cannot become the government.
So, when people ask why Nigeria is still struggling despite the work of churches and charities, the answer is simple:
Because philanthropy cannot replace good governance.
A church can build a hospital ward, but it cannot run an entire national healthcare system.
A church can educate thousands of children, but it cannot educate every Nigerian child.
A church can feed thousands of families, but it cannot feed an entire nation indefinitely.
That is why we need both responsible government and compassionate citizens, churches, businesses and philanthropists.
CRITICISM IS ALLOWED—BUT IT SHOULD BE FAIR
Nobody should be above accountability.
Before you questioned RCCG give it to this particular church she has gone extra mile to meet needs of people.
Pastors can be questioned but yours in their shoes.
Churches can be encouraged to do more.
That is healthy.
In fact, instead of saying, “You are doing nothing,” critics could ask:
“What more can you do?”
That question is fair.
It challenges the Church to reach more people.
It encourages better documentation.
It stimulates greater innovation.
It promotes collaboration.
But saying “nothing is being done” simply does not reflect the evidence of the many interventions in healthcare, education, rehabilitation, feeding, prison welfare and community development.
There is still much to be done.
But there is also much that has already been done.
THE QUESTION SHOULD NOW BE: WHAT MORE CAN WE ALL DO?
Nigeria needs everybody.
It needs government.
It needs churches.
It needs mosques.
It needs businesses.
It needs philanthropists.
It needs NGOs.
It needs professionals.
It needs young people.
It needs ordinary citizens.
Instead of turning humanitarian work into a competition over who deserves praise, perhaps we should celebrate every genuine effort to make somebody’s life better.
If Pastor Adeboye and Pastor Mrs. Adeboye can help build an ICU, let us celebrate it.
If somebody else can build a school, let us celebrate it.
If another person can feed 100 families, let us celebrate it.
If another organisation can rehabilitate an addict, let us celebrate it.
If government can provide quality healthcare, let us celebrate it.
The beneficiary does not care who gets the applause. The beneficiary simply wants help.
CONCLUSION: LOVE THAT CAN BE SEEN
At the end of the day, the best defence is not argument.
It is fruit.
A hospital patient who survives.
A child who learns to read.
A young person who leaves the street.
An addict who becomes free.
A prisoner who receives justice.
A hungry family that receives food.
A rural community that receives clean water.
A young person who acquires a skill.
These are the real testimonies.
Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye and Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye have, through their ministry and the wider humanitarian efforts of RCCG and His Love Foundation, contributed to many interventions designed to bring relief and hope to people.
Are there still millions of Nigerians who need help?
Absolutely.
Should we encourage RCCG to do more despite the empty unsubstantiated noise on social Media?
Certainly.
Should Pastor Adeboye, Pastor Mrs. Adeboye and RCCG be encouraged to continue to look for new ways of serving humanity?
Without question.
But should anybody honestly say that they have done nothing?
No.
The evidence tells another story.
And perhaps the most beautiful way to describe that story is this:
They have tried to make love visible.
Because Christianity is not only about telling a hungry person, “God bless you.”
Sometimes it is about becoming part of the blessing.
It is not only about praying for the sick.
Sometimes it is about providing the facility where the sick can receive treatment.
It is not only about preaching to young people.
Sometimes it is about rescuing them from the street and giving them education and a future.
It is not only about condemning addiction.
Sometimes it is about helping an addict recover.
It is not only about talking about compassion.
It is about putting compassion into action.
For every life touched, every child educated, every patient helped, every family fed, every vulnerable person rescued and every broken life given another chance, we give God all the glory.
And rather than asking only, “What have they done?”
Perhaps Nigeria should ask all of us:
“What are YOU doing to make somebody’s life better?”
That is the question that can move us from criticism to compassion, from words to action, and from complaint to genuine transformation.
This is commendable—to the glory of God.
