Adeboye, Obama, 48 others make Newsweek's elite list
From Laolu Akande, New York

PASTOR E. A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God(RCGG) has been listed in the first 50 Global Elite listing of U.S. and international news magazine, Newsweek, emerging as the only African on the list now making the waves in the world.



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Other publications, including Charisma magazine, have been commenting on the inclusion of the only African person on the list, which was tagged by the Newsweek magazine as the Top 50 Global Elite.

Newsweek magazine is one of the two most prestigious and leading news magazines in the U.S. and in the world, and it debuted its list of the most powerful people in the world in its current January 5, 2009, edition now circulating world-wide.

Adeboye, was named the 49th most powerful person in the world by the magazine, describing him as being extraordinarily successful and above the fray of financial misdeeds commonly associated with "other Pentecostal pastors."

According to Newsweek: "Behind Adeboye's extraordinary success is his reputation for honesty. While other Pentecostal pastors (including some Nigerians) have been accused of financial misdeeds or faking supernatural powers, Adeboye remains above the fray."

Other prominent world leaders and eminent names on the list include U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, who topped the list, China's president, Hu Jintao, who came second with his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, coming third.

There is also British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran. Others are Kim Jong II of North Korea, Bill and Hillary Clinton, American billionaire Warren Buffet, U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi; New York billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Pope Benedict who came 37th.

Adeboye and the Pope are the only Christian leaders featured in the list.

Commenting, a U.S.-based Pentecostal historian, Vinson Synan, was quoted by another U.S. magazine, Charisma, supporting Adeboye's selection.

"I certainly agree with Newsweek on this," the Pentecostal historian said adding that "I have visited (Adeboye's) campground and preached in one of his large churches in Lagos. In terms of masses of followers and influence in Nigeria, as well as other nations, he is a dominating person with tremendous power."

Another U.S.- based Christian leader, Peter Wagner, was reported by Charisma magazine as lauding Adeboye's inclusion on the list.

According to him: "If I were to name the top 10 apostles in the world, Adeboye would have to be there on the top of the list," said Wagner, who is the president of Global Harvest Ministries and leader of the International Coalition of Apostles. He is also the editor of Out of Africa, which chronicles the growth of the charismatic movement in Nigeria.

Wagner recalled : "I attended his all-night prayer meeting the first Friday of the month, and the leaders apologised to me for the low attendance," Wagner said. "They had only 300,000 the whole night long. Usually, they have 500,000."

He added that Adeboye represents the new centre of gravity for Christianity. "One of the things that excites me is that Newsweek had the wisdom to include a leader from the Global South because that is the focal point of growth and influence of the Christian church," said Wagner, referring to Africa, Asia and Latin America.

According to Newsweek, Adeboye is a Pentecostal preacher from Nigeria who "has made big plans to save your soul."

Continuing the U.S. and international magazine reported thus: "You may never have heard of E.A. Adeboye, but the pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God is one of the most successful preachers in the world."

The report on Adeboye details the growth of the RCCG worldwide disclosing that the church now has outposts in 110 countries, and 14,000 branches in Nigeria. According to Newsweek, the RCCG has 360 parishes in Britain and about the same number in the U.S. Indeed in the New York and Boston regions of the U.S. alone, the RCCG has over 50 parishes.

According to Newsweek, "Adeboye says he has sent missionaries to China and such Islamic countries as Pakistan and Malaysia. His aspirations are outsize. He wants to save souls, and he wants to do so by planting churches the way Starbucks used to build coffee shops: everywhere."

Starbucks is a very famous coffee shops enterprise, especially in the U.S. and can be found virtually on any street in downtown locations.

Quoting him directly, the Newsweek reported thus: "In the developing world, we say we want churches to be within five minutes' walk of every person, in the developed world, we say five minutes of driving."

According to the magazine "such a goal may seem outlandish, but Adeboye is a Pentecostal preacher: he believes in miracles. And Pentecostalism is the biggest, fastest-growing Christian movement since the Reformation."

Commenting, one of the RCCG pastors in the U.S., Ellis Fagbami, said it is noteworthy that Adeboye's name was listed, beating "most of the well-known blockbuster preachers and tele-evangelists from all over the world," to the list.

Fagbami, himself a former media financier, added that "to those who are followers of world events and world news, this is a big deal. So many factors are put together before anyone is included in such a list. It will be instructive for those of us who are Adeboye's children and disciples to revisit all the past pronouncements of our father in the Lord as he has prophesied these things before, yet we were like on the road to Emmaus."

He congratulated, Adeboye whom he described as "our father in the Lord, , for this recognition on the world platform. After a careful study of this list, especially in relation to Christian circles, the word that comes to mind is "whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted, according to Matt 23:12."

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/dec/25/15.html

merry christmas my dear aunty. may you increase and succeed in being what you were created to be this new year in Christ name. i have high hopes for you young lady