Christian Zionist leader mobilizes against the Iraq Study Group

The first part of CUFI Chairman John Hagee's email about the Iraq Study Group (see main story) announces his departure for Nigeria. He writes: "When I went to Nigeria in 2004 more than 3 million people came for one service to hear the Gospel."

That prompted a search for news reports about the massive service. We did not find any. But we learned from Wikipedia that the largest turnout for Pope John Paul II was in Manila, where four to five million people attended a mass in1995. Wikipedia says that may have been the planet's largest assembly ever.

Hagee wrote in his John Hagee Ministries magazine in February (read it here but caution, as it's a large PDF) of an even bigger turnout in "my first time preaching in Nigeria. What a humbling experience that was! Nearly four million souls came to hear the Word of God with many traveling for days to attend the conference."

Neither Hagee's hometown San Antonio newspaper nor the London media, which reports diligently on Africa, noted the event. Whatever coverage the Nigerian press had done has faded from cyberspace.

If Hagee had not identified his host, Pastor Adeboye, for what he described as "one of the most memorable moments of my life," we would not know anything at all about this record-breaking event.

The OnlineNigeria website included Enoch Adeboye near the top of its August 2002 spread on the nation's 50 most powerful pastors. According to author Bideh Williams:

In Nigeria today, there are more than 50 of such powerful pastors in whose areas of speciality are miracles, prophecy, healing, teaching, preaching, marriage counselling, and are attracting people with such problems. They include Pastor Enoch Adeboye, general overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God. Humble, the mathematician-turned preacher has impacted on the lives of millions of Nigerians with his monthly Holy Ghost Night programme.
On every first Friday of the month, all roads virtually lead to the "Redeem Camp" at Kilometre 46, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, venue of the crusade. The programme attracts thousands of miracle seekers every month. And they come from as far as Kaduna , Benue , Ilorin , Ibadan , Lagos and Port Harcourt .
The RCCG is one of the fastest growing churches in Nigeria with branches all over the 36 states of the federation and in London and the United States . In Lagos alone, nearly every street has a branch or fellowship centre of the church. It has been said that this is in line with Adeboye’s vision to spread the gospel.

Click for the page, which briefly profiles 50 of Nigeria's leading pastors.

We found no mention by Adeboye of Hagee, but did find a report from last year in which the "overseer" complained that, when televangelist Benny Hinn preached at his campground, Hinn insultingly ignored his host Adeboye by not asking him to speak. Hinn also, according to Adeboye, said that he wasted $4 million on his visit. (More here.)

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