Africans with Global Voices: Sunday Adelaja

Since today is Sunday it is only befitting to highlight an African who has a Global Voice in the religious arena. Ukrainian Pastor Sunday Adelaja is believed to head the largest church in Europe based in Kiev. Sunday Adelaja was born in the village Idomila in southwest Nigeria who are considered Yoruba. He was born on 28, 1967 and was primarily raised by his grandmother.
Mr. Adelaja, 43, arrived in the Soviet Union in 1986 as a college student, then stayed after the Soviet collapse in 1991, later moving to Kiev. He married his wife, Bose, who is also Nigerian and together they have three children. They speak fluent Russian, which is the native language for many there and is understood by most speakers of Ukrainian, the country’s other main language.
Pastor Sunday Adelaja is the founder and senior pastor of the church “The Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations”, which is located in the capital of Ukraine – Kiev city. Pastor Sunday Adelaja is one of the most dynamic preachers and founders of churches around the world, and is considered to be the most successful pastor in Europe. Beginning with former alcoholics and drug addicts, and to politicians and millionaires his church has a high percentage of Europeans (98%) and many also point out that the church has no racial discrimination in a country that still has racial tensions.