General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has explained why he no longer employs female secretaries, linking the decision to a personal commitment to avoid situations that could compromise his spiritual discipline.
The 83-year-old cleric spoke during his sermon titled “Jonah Must Go” on Day 2 of the Holy Ghost Congress 2025 at the Redemption Camp along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. The message was later uploaded on the church’s YouTube channel on Tuesday.
Adeboye recounted that he once worked with a female secretary during his time at Ebute Metta, Lagos, but chose to let her go when he moved permanently to the Redemption Camp. According to him, the change was necessary because he often worked late into the night and did not want to put himself in a compromising situation.
“From the moment I got to this campground, from the moment I got to a stage where at night I still have to work, I ceased to have a female secretary,” he said. “Some people think it is gender discrimination. I know myself. I know who I was before Jesus saved my soul.”
He described his former secretary as a devoted Christian but maintained that wisdom demanded caution.
“I could imagine finishing work at 3 a.m. and she walks in at 2 a.m. to ask, ‘Sir, will you like a cup of tea?’ Jonah must go,” he added.
The RCCG leader also shared two real-life examples of pastors he had advised to dismiss their female secretaries. One obeyed the instruction and, according to Adeboye, later became “a great man of God.” The other refused and eventually lost his position.
In the first case, Adeboye said the pastor confessed he felt unusually excited about going to the office on Mondays just to see his secretary.
“I told him, ‘No prayer needed. Go home and sack her.’ He obeyed, and today he is a great man of God because Jonah left,” Adeboye said.
However, the second pastor — who headed one of RCCG’s large churches in the United States — insisted he could not follow the instruction. Adeboye said the church had to relieve him of his duties after he ignored the warning. The pastor later married his secretary and started his own ministry.
Adeboye maintained that his stance is not about discrimination but about personal discipline and avoiding temptation. He emphasised that spiritual leaders must know their weaknesses and take proactive steps to guard their integrity.
