How Ukraine-based Nigerian pastor, Adelaja, escaped Russia’s invasion
Sunday Adelaja, a Nigerian pastor and founder of one of Europe’s largest evangelical churches, has shared the harrowing tale of how he and his family fled Ukraine amidst the chaos of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Adelaja, who leads the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations (Embassy of God), was living in Irpin, a town near Kyiv, when he received urgent warnings from Ukrainian officials. He was told that he was on a Russian hit list, prompting his quick departure with his wife and four students.
In an interview with The Economist, Adelaja described the invasion as “a personal fight” for him, revealing the profound disruption it caused not only to his life but also to his ministry. Despite Ukraine’s majority Orthodox Christian population, his church had become a significant force in the country’s religious landscape, with over 100,000 members in Ukraine and millions worldwide.
Adelaja’s journey to success is a remarkable one. Born in a small Nigerian village, he overcame poverty and hardships such as gathering firewood for survival. A pivotal “supernatural experience” led him to embrace Christianity, which eventually earned him a scholarship to study journalism in the Soviet Union. There, he started clandestine Bible study groups, which later became a foundation for his ministry when he moved to Ukraine in 1993.
His church, Embassy of God, grew to become one of the largest Pentecostal networks in Europe. However, his success also brought controversy. In 2008, Ukrainian authorities accused Adelaja of involvement in a pyramid scheme linked to King’s Capital, a company founded by church members. Despite the accusations, which he maintained were politically motivated due to his ties with former Kyiv mayor Leonid Chernovetsky, Adelaja was never convicted of any crime.
Though the scandal impacted his reputation and church membership, Adelaja remained in Ukraine for over a decade. The war, however, forced him to flee to Brussels, where he now lives as a refugee. Despite this, Adelaja remains committed to Africa’s development, particularly focusing on empowering children.
He has also expressed concern over the abuse reports emerging from some African Pentecostal churches and is determined to give every African child a chance at life.
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