Tobi Adegboyega: Grandmaster of Glamorous Evangelism
Designer wears and flashy cars are the hallmarks of the flamboyant lifestyle of Tobi Adegboyega, the Senior Pastor of Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church, popularly known as SPAC Nation. For always being in the news for one controversy or the other, Azuka Ogujiuba recently had a candid conversation with this Man of God where he addressed the public perception
Many are called, but few are chosen” goes the popular biblical saying but in today’s world, the selection process to climb the pulpit has been watered down, thus the gospel can be found in the hands of many who considered themselves worthy to spread the message of God. Gone are the days when conventions are followed to the tee. Nowadays, people serve the Supreme One in whatever way they deem best. The implication of this is blistering criticisms from the public. One preacher who has continued to be under constant public scrutiny for his unconventional ways is the Senior Pastor of Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church, popularly known as SPAC Nation, Tobi Adegboyega.
Tall and dark, the Nigerian born UK-based preacher is one whose lifestyle raises eyebrows. Whether he is displaying his luxury cars or making philanthropic gestures on social media, his actions usually spark conversations.
Recently, he was captured on camera spraying bundles of money (pounds) on Nigerian musician Davido at a wedding reception of one of his church members which generated a social media frenzy. Reacting to the news, Adegboyega explained himself thus:
“David came for a wedding of one of my daughters and pastor, and he came by himself—he wanted to support the lady that got married. We had a restaurant party and David had just sold out the 02 Arena. He has made Nigeria proud and he deserves triple of all he got. Every Nigerian should spray them money and encourage them and that’s what and how we will do it. It wasn’t a nightclub as people are saying, it was a well-deserved honorarium to David for a job well done, for being a good ambassador of the country.”
For Adegboyega, being generous with his money to whoever he chooses is his prerogative and no one else’s.
“This is public knowledge; we have lost count on the number of people we have sent to school on scholarship. We have built water cisterns in Makoko; the number of mosques that we feed is much, so it is endless the amount of money we spray on Nigerians,” he said.
“I don’t tell Nigerians how to spend their money, or how to put their resources to use, so I don’t think people can wake up and tell us how to spend our resources. We have spent a lot of money to support the less privileged and the people we believe in. I’ve seen how people put money together; how young people contribute money to vote for people on Big Brother Nigeria, how they support them, how they send them money, how they buy them a gift, houses according to what we read in the media. So, are you saying Davido does not deserve that?! Or he doesn’t work as hard as that?” he queried.
Adegboyega believes that Davido deserves triple of his kindness and is likely to do more if he gets an opportunity. He stressed that the singer who hails from a wealthy family is not the only beneficiary of his largesse.
“I support what he does, like we support many other artists as well—artists, musicians, widows, orphans, and scholarships. I think Nigerian youths have way more situations to deal with other than that because I have never received anything from Nigerians. Nigerians have never given me anything in this lifetime, so it is impossible for them to be the ones to tell us how to spend our own resources. We don’t tell them how to spend their resources when they use them to vote for their loved ones on BBN – when they buy them gifts, we don’t tell them how to spend, so they are not the ones to tell me what to do, and again I repeat, we have done a lot in that country, I can’t begin to count, there are public knowledge, home and abroad about what we have done to help humanity. So, let’s keep our focus on how many more people we can be of help to.”
He further disclosed that SPAC Nation runs a programme Wealth Nation which empowers young people. According to him, the church has spent close to N30 million on young Nigerians with ideas and problems. About 30 youths were given N1million each and the church intends to help 100 youths with their businesses. He clarified that he is not after public praise but genuinely wants to help people with needs.
To be sure, Adegboyega comes from a Christian family. His father was a preacher. He came to the United Kingdom at the age of 25 after studying law at Ogun State University.
“When I got here, I realise that they had problems with young people. Young people were going astray including guys that grew up in church. I started talking to the churches. In my Uncle’s church, I told them that these young people are not stubborn; they have labelled them already. They are not just connecting with the church. I realised that we can stop teenagers’ death which is what London is popular for; among the black community, young people between the ages of 13 and 14 years die on the street of London. I felt that we could stop it, so I started gathering people in Queen’s Road and Peckham. At that time, they were very notorious areas. I took up a job, washing plates. Whatever I got from there I was giving to that community to encourage them and then the work started to grow. That was how I became a preacher. It was almost by default. I have always seen a line that if I am going to reach the community (we grew up in community houses being a pastor’s kid), it will be through church, it can’t be through music, I am not a musician or a footballer.”
SPAC Nation became a reality in 2008. Adegboyega’s preaching has been described as uplifting and transformational. His messages are seen as enlightening and soul-lifting, and with his practical expression of God’s words, he has helped in changing the mindset of a lot of faithfuls in his church and beyond to better position them for God’s glory and manifestation in their lives. However, not many are comfortable with his unconventional ways, particularly his luxury lifestyle to the extent that many doubt his calling to the altar.
Addressing the controversy over his extravagant fashion taste, Adegboyega said: “Well I’m sorry, I didn’t get the memo, I didn’t know that there was a dress code for being a Man of God. You see the problems with Africans, and that is why we have such a dark continent, are that we embrace cultures and traditions we don’t know about. Pastors wear suits and tie under the sun. There was no suit and tie in the Bible. Jesus dressed according to the order of his day as a Jewish man. So, for me, I dress according to my generation and the people I am trying to reach.
“The people I am trying to reach are what I look like and so if people say it’s funny – because it makes you wonder how people process thoughts – if your pastor wears suits and ties, you should doubt that he is a man of God!? People dress according to their generation. Imagine Jesus dressed like people dressed 100 years ago or even dressed like Adam in the garden of Eden, it makes no sense. I deal with a generation that wants to follow actors and rappers and if we are going to change them to God’s glory, we have to look like them. Do you remember the scriptures where Paul said, ‘to all men, I became all things? Just in case I might be able to gain some?’”
Adegboyega added that most of the things he wore are from his members. It is his way of promoting and supporting their business. He thumped his chest that he is probably the only Nigerian in the UK who has taken many young people off the streets.
“It amazes the police system in the U.K how many times people and how many young people have come to the church, trying to kill or stab someone and then drop their knives on the altar—the highest ever and they did this because they heard the word. They are pastors now and they are multi-millionaires. How many drug dealers have been taken off the streets? Go and do the research, sometimes they are on BBC news and other news platforms the number of young people that left their guns and decided to follow Christ, so let me not speak for myself on that let the result and the work speak.”
