Written Obinna Akukwe
David Oyedepo, Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church
Worldwide aka Winners Chapel, is unarguably the reigning Apostle of Faith and
Prosperity. Bishop Oyedepo, since the inception of Living Faith Church in 1983,
has displayed unusual exploits of faith unrivaled since the Pentecostal Revival
associated with Azusa Street Revival of 1914.
David Oyedepo is married to Faith Oyedepo, herself a product
of faith. As a spinster, she was a prayer leader in her local church and from
what one of her mentors, Pastor Mike Oye, told us, Faith would lead other young
girls to extra prayers in the church after services have closed in the
Methodist Church. Therefore, the explosive faith associated with the Oyedepo’s
is not accidental; it is results of seed sown in times past.Oyedepo's Pastor,
Allegedly, Stole $90,000, N4.5 Million – The ...
Bishop David Oyedepo, born in September 1954, a trained
architect, said that God called him in May 1981 through eighteen hour vision
where God told him that “but from the beginning it was not so, and now the hour
has come to liberate the world through the preaching of the word of faith, and
I am sending you to undertake this task”
This vision which is 39 years ago is the foundation of a
church that has over 12,000 full time pastors on payroll, over 12,000 branches
in over three hundred cities and fifty nine countries worldwide. The church has
two universities and dozens of Faith Academy groups of schools and colleges all
over Nigeria.
Bishop Oyedepo’s Faith Tabernacle located at Ota, Ogun
State, has a seating capacity of 50,000. However, with the overflow facilities,
it could contain over one million persons especially during Shiloh seasons. The
five Sunday services at Faith Tabernacle, as at 2018, has average Sunday
attendance of close to 500,000 and on a few occasions, attendance exceeded
600,000 on a Sunday.
Bishop Oyedepo had repeatedly claimed, in recent times, to
be the Apostle of Faith and he lays claims to collecting the mantle from the
American preacher, Rev Kenneth Hagin and no preacher of note has disputed the
claims. He also claims to be the Apostle of Prosperity and no preacher of note
had any course to disprove the claims.
In another instance, he said that God told him in August
1987 during series of speaking engagement in the United States “arise get back
home and make my people rich” The phenomenal rise and exploits of the church in
39 years could only be combination of Apostleship of Faith and Prosperity.
1 Faith Tabernacle, 50,000 seater auditorium, was built in
one year September 1998-September 1999
2 Covenant University first phase with halls of residence,
lecturers quarters, libraries, lecture theaters , faculty buildings and tarred
roads was built in eight months January-October, 2002
3 In 2019 alone 6,500 Pastors and Missionary Evangelists
were recruited between March and December,
adding extra unbudgeted N400 million naira to the overloaded church wage
bill monthly i.e. N4.8 billion naira annually, and most of these churches are
in the villages and cannot be self sufficient for many years to come.
4 In 2019 alone over 5000 churches were planted, with mini
church offices, pastor’s residence and start-up equipment fully funded. This
put extra expenditures, apart from incremental wage bill, running into billions
of naira of unbudgeted expenses.
5 In 2020, before the advent of Coronavirus, extra 1,500
churches have been planted, remaining 8,500 to be completed before the end of
the year, totaling 10,000 new churches for 2020 church year. These churches
will be manned by full time pastors.
Having been involved in church planting and missionary
activities for about twenty five years,
I know that these expenditures will not be possible under a historical space of
thirty nine years if the God of Prosperity is not at work. All these branches
in 59 nations branches and more than 12,000 branches in Nigeria will not be
possible within thirty nine years if the Apostolic Faith is not in operation.
Winners Chapel is the most flamboyant and boastful
Pentecostal church around. ‘Winners’ as they are popularly called, are singled
out for their pride, self confidence, breakthrough and ‘can do’ spirit. That
church has no respect for rich people because majority of them believes that
though they may be poor now, they will soon be rich. There you see top
politicians, top military brass, top business moguls serving in the White
House( Toilet Cleaning Sub-Unit), Sanctuary Keeping, Ushering, Crowd Control,
Traffic, Gilead (Medial) without announcing their privileged identities.
Bishop Oyedepo runs a twelve month church calendar known as
Pillars of the Commission’, thus every month is dedicated and teachings
centered on a particular pillar. In fact, Bishop Oyedepo introduced the mantra
“Year of ABCD” and ‘Month of ABCD’ mantra into the Christian faith. I have been
around long enough to know when it was first used. In the year 2000, the mantra
was ‘Wonder 2000’ and in 2020 it is ‘Breaking Limits 2020’. The pillars of
faith include The Word, Faith, Prayer, Vision, Wisdom, Praise, Consecration,
Healing, Supernatural, Success, Prosperity, and The Holy Spirit.
I first encountered Bishop Oyedepo in person in year 2000,
at Winners Chapel Durumi, Phase 1, when Bishop Dayo Olutayo was Resident
Pastor, when he came on a prophetic visit and minister’s conference. I noticed
unusual grace, unction, confidence and insight into the Word and that
impression had not changed till date.
Bishop Oyedepo is not afraid of controversy; he speaks his
mind not minding who is offended. He has variously lashed out at Boko Haram
insurgents and cursed their sponsors, including those perceived to be in high
places. He has variously condemned the Buhari Presidency for nepotism and lame
duck approach to insecurity in Nigeria. He has been at the forefront of
criticism of the closure of churches in the wake of coronavirus pandemics
positing that churches are solution centers.
Bishop Oyedepo organized Shiloh Programme is the hotbed of
Christian gathering in Nigeria. It draws the largest viewership of any
religious programme worldwide, including millions present at Shiloh ground in
Canaanland and millions viewing from their branches across Nigeria and the
nations of the world and. Millions at the Shiloh ground would be exceeded by
only the millions at Redeemed Camp for the annual Holy Ghost Congress happening
almost simultaneously. In addition, creative miracles happen at Shiloh and I
know various instances.
Bishop Oyedepo is very rich. He described himself as
‘dangerously blessed’ and it sparked controversy worldwide. The church has four
private jets and choice auditoriums scattered around the world. Winners Chapel
is so rich that despite the unethical
pilfering of its resources by some backslidden pastors, accountants and
church workers, the church still has enough to sponsor projects-schools,
churches, charities, scholarship and yet assist other denominations with aid.
Bishop Oyedepo has influenced my life, probably more than
other pastors in the Pastor Series1 -6, and probably more than others in
upcoming inception in 1994.
Bishop Oyedepo regards the renowned preachers like late
Kenneth Hagin as his senior mentor. He also sees Rev Kenneth Copeland, Pastor
Enoch Adeboye and late Bishop Idahosa as mentors.
Bishop Oyedepo, in my own view, is a bit quick tempered and
impatient. He wants results immediately and this has made many of his pastors
indulge in unethical practices, the subject of which is not of interest here,
to avoid his opprobrium. Records are falsified, results inflated to meet
specific targets. The targets include church attendance, new converts, water
baptism and Holy Ghost Baptism, finance, Satellite fellowships among others.
Winners Chapel is not a place for a lazy and unfocused pastor, it is either you
sit up or gets demoted.
Bishop Oyedepo criticizes his pastors the manner he
criticizes the government. Therefore,
you need a lot of patience to follow him. Those who over the years have
followed him patiently, including Bishops’ David Abioye, Thomas Aremu and
Pastors’ Chris Nwaka, Triumphant Obamoh, Abraham Ojeme, Adekunle Shiyanbade,
Chris Abraham, Joseph Anyanwu, John Adelekan among others, have become
spiritual giants themselves.
Bishop Oyedepo has impacted the world with his message of
faith and prosperity, and he is unarguably the Apostle of Faith and Prosperity.
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