INTRODUCTION: THE VISION OUR BEGINNING
The Board was inaugurated on Sunday 11th of February 1996 at the home of Late (Prof) Macauley who was the first Chairman at 4 Onikoyi (Rd) [Formerly Turbull Rd] Ikoyi Lagos, by Pastor Mrs. Adeboye. Her mandate to the Board was that they were to set in motion a process of establishing a secondary school of high standard with international overtones. This was a tall order, but then the indomitable board she had put in place were quite up to the task.. Everyone assumed the school would be established on the Redemption camp, so we felt that the problem of location had been taken care of, not so, since that was only our human thinking, God had other ideas. Our mother in the Lord even had a sight picked which when the Board held meetings with her, we would stand in her home and stretch our hands towards what then was just a parking lot but today is the hostel of, The Redeemer's University. Certainly, His ways are not our ways. In April 1995, Mummy G.O. with members of the CRSM at that time - A/Pastor (Mrs.) Funmito Agusto, A/Pastor (Mrs) Lara Segun, Pastor(Mrs) Christy Obayemi and Pastor (Miss) Antoinette Omo-Osagie visited a site along the old Sagamu-Ikorodu road, a lonely stretch of road between WAPCO (cement company), Sagamu and NNPC, Mosimi. We could not see much, for the forest that had grown around the premises. The only word to describe the site was wilderness. When asked what she thought of the place (the front buildings were only visible through the forest) Miss Omo-Osagie, who was then the Principal of the very posh Corona Secondary School in Agbara, could only comment, that “no one would send their children to this wilderness". Well, God’s ways are not our ways so when Pastor Adeboye sent the Board of Governors back to take another look, we had an interesting divine encounter. As we arrived in a convoy of cars wishing we could really see the property from the inside, a young man who claimed to have heard us from a nearby village came to our rescue. He offered to break the link chain on the gate and ushered us in. He did this on the condition that we were truly interested in the property, we said we were, he promptly broke the chain, went ahead of us cutting the under bush and clearing the path, we all followed single file behind him. As we went, the chairman, late Mama Macauley called for a hush and said we were on Holy ground. It was strange because the place did not look in anyway like my vision of a holy place. Broken glass, snakes skins and scorpions were all over the place, you needed high faith to see holiness here then. Nevertheless, it was something to think about. When this 1st tour ended, (this was indeed a tour all Board members, including myself), we were convinced of a truth that God had provided for us. We were an excited group of people who returned to Redemption camp to report on our findings. What was needed was for Daddy G.O. himself to see the great provision. The next group tour was with our Daddy G.O., we could now enter the premises since the ‘man’ had broken the chain. Daddy G.O.’s visit assured us the property was of the Lord and we were free to pursue its purchase. He actually, knelt down in the rubbles of what was to become the Hall/Chapel and thanked God for giving it to us. The property was finally purchased from Mr. Toyin Munis in December 1995/January 1996. The merry chase to find him is another tale, but find him we did. We got the property, which had originally been built by the 1950’s car magnate Abusi Edumare to be used as a hotel. Mr. Toyin Munis, however, planned reconstructing the hotel for school use. So we inherited a school. God had prepared the place for our use; indeed He had fulfilled His promise again. Renovation work on our newly acquired wilderness began in late March 26th of 1996. The College by now had a name, Christ The Redeemer’s College. Later on we began to call the premises Valley Bowl in recognition of the geographical contour of the environment. However, our Holy spirit inspired College motto is Matt 5:14 – “You are the light of the world, a city set on a hill can not be hidden’. Thus the name Valley Bowl in time took on the inspired name ChristHill, which interestingly has taken hold and except for a few College items which still bear Valley Bowl, we are truly ChristHill, a city that can not be hid. THE TAKE OFF The first admission exam held at the Methodist Girls High School, Yaba, Ibadan and Abeokuta simultaneously. Over 400 candidates sat for the entrance exam on a very rainy day in June. 150 were invited to the written and oral interview in July at Redemption Camp. When all said and done, only 23 students resumed with us on Thursday 7th November, 1996. These are the pioneer students who resumed on November, 7th 1996. Our first week was spent shuttling between Redemption Camp and the College. Water and electricity had not been installed. So we went back and forth to sleep at the camp. We got to ChristHill at 7.30am and began lessons for the day, breakfast came at 9.30am, we had lunch after school and did our afternoon programme and then carried our supper with us back to camp where we ate, did our clean up, prep and went to sleep. By Thursday 14th November, 1996, we chose to take up the challenge of moving in to ChristHill on ourselves. It was a daunting task. We were aided by the scripture, Phil. 4:13 "I can do all things", we could do all things including conquering the wilderness. This was our very humble beginning in ChristHill we trusted in God to truly supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. (Phil. 4:19) He did as He wonderfully met all our needs. It has made the scripture verse Zech 4:10, very real to us in ChristHill, we must never despise the days of small things, for God will surely make Mountains plain for his children . Zech. 4:7. THE STAFF The dedication was done by our father in the Lord, Pastor E.A. Adeboye in the presence of all the Elders and Senior Pastors of the RCCG. Prominent among those present was Our mother-in Israel, the late Mama Deborah Akindayomi, who did the dedication along with deputy General Overseer, Pastor Abiona. It was a most glorious day made even more so by the great store of food and entertainment provided by Mummy G.O. All guests were given a guided tour by the Principal, Miss Antoinette Omo-Osagie who had formally resumed work on the 1st of August, 1996, the tour had people streaming through the buildings and grounds, often most got lost when they strayed from the main tour group. Everyone was excited about the great provision and agreed that indeed the premises had very great potentials. 1st October 1996 will ever be remembered in the annals of RCCG and of course in CRC it was our beginning. When the students arrived the following staff were on hand to receive them: Miss Antoinette Omo-Osagie - Principal FACILITES AT INCEPTION CRC TODAY Today, Christ The Redeemers’ College is perhaps the best modernly equipped school around. It has to its credit been able to offer students for Technical and Vocational subjects such as Applied Electricity, Woodwork, Metal work, Clothing and Textile, Home Management, Food and Nutrition, Shorthand & Typing. Ours has been a challenge even to the examining bodies WAEC & NECO. This is because they find we have almost all the equipments required for all these subjects. This is something they are not used to. The College now operates five departments with departmental heads. This enables the subjects in each group to be fewer and are therefore able to receive better attention by way of facilities and materials as well as supervision. To discuss today’s CRC we must once again talk about our Board of Governors, led by Pastor Peter Adeyemi. He took up the mantle of leadership when our Mama, Pastor (Prof) Mrs. Juliet Iyabode Macauley went home to be with the Lord on 17th July, 2004. Pastor Adeyemi ushered in a New Era, having been with the Board since its inauguration in February 1995, Daddy Mate as we lovingly call him has made the passing of the first Chairman a bridge into a new Era even as we graduated the class of New Era in his first year 2004/2005. God had indeed dealt wonderfully with us. Our Board as at today is made up of men and women of high esteem with a true sense of dedication to the vision and commitment to Christ The Redeemer's College. We are wonderfully blessed. OUR BOARD Pastor Peter Adeyemi - Chairman Before I close this story I must pay tribute to the originators of this vision Pastor E.A. Adeboye and his dear wife Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye . This College, CRC-ChristHill stands today as a result of the unflinching support of the Board, the principal and indeed everyone in ChristHill. No problem has arisen that they did not see us through it. I recall when Daddy G.O. heard that our staff were leaving at an alarming rate he came to the College unannounced and spoke to us all - students, staff and Principal. He encouraged us in the Lord and gave us hope for a brilliant future. One of such was the issue of computers, we had none at the time but today to the glory of God, CRC is totally computerized , students have complete access to computers and the internet. There are computers linked to the internet in the Library, for students’ use in carrying out assignments or researches. The College computer laboratory has state of the art functional computers. A modern Language laboratory and multimedia room to name only a few. Definitely, Daddy’s prophencies in early November 1997 have all come to pass. Our Mummy (we alone have good cause to do so because we wrote the book by that name) Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye has been a mother indeed, when we call, she is always right there for us. We therefore congratulate her and our Daddy and rejoice with them on this laudable vision that has started, the educational revolution so long required in this nation of ours because their ideas have been shared abroad and other missions have begun to take their cue from the RCCG. The yearly gathering of the CRSM Schools every 2nd weekend in March, is an attestation to the goodness of God and the fact that this vision of our father in the Lord is of God and Nigeria will never be the same again for it. Certainly, as our products the First Fruits; Class of Jubilee; Class of New Beginning; Class of New Era; Class of Turning Point; Class of Abundance Grace and now Class of New Anointing have graduated and gone into the world they are everywhere doing exploits for the Lord, we know that the vision is definitely bearing fruit. These ones will certainly fulfill their destiny to take Nigeria and the world for Christ, if Jesus tarries. We will hear from them without doubt. So Mummy and Daddy G.O. , we thank you – Daddy for the original vision, Mummy for holding unto it until its actual birthing. May God honour you both abundantly. Amen. Now you know the story. You see how God has dealt with us most wondrously in all these years of our existence. So, we praise the name of the Lord our God, who has dealt wondrously with us. And we His people will never be ashamed. Joel 2:26. Principal |
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Redeemer’s School Movement), an arm of the directorate of Children & Teens Education of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye, the wife of the General overseer, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, is the director of Children & Teen Education and the Chairman of the CRSM.