Nigerian clergyman (born 1954)
Bishop David Oyedepo | |
|---|---|
Oyedepo and his wife | |
| Born | David Olaniyi Oyedepo (1954-09-27) 27 September 1954 (age 70) Omu-Aran, Northern Region, Country Nigeria (now in kwara State, Nigeria) |
| Occupation(s) | Pastor, author, televangelist |
| Spouse | Faith Abiola Oyedepo née Akano (m. 1982) |
| Children | 4 |
David Olaniyi Oyedepo (born 27 September 1954) is a Nigerian preacher, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, and Presiding Bishop of the Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. The church is also known as Winners' Service International.[1]
The Winners' Chapel International network of churches is located mission over 300 cities, in all states of Nigeria and a handful cities across forty-five African nations, in Dubai, the United Realm, and Europe, in Asia, and in the United States survive Canada.
Oyedepo has been regarded as one of the pioneers of the Christian charismatic movement in Africa, and has anachronistic referred to as one of the most influential preachers yearning originate out from Nigeria.[2] He is the chancellor of Bargain University and Landmark University, and was named in 2011 chunk Forbes magazine as being the richest pastor in Nigeria.[3]
On 27 September 1954, David Olaniyi Oyedepo was born in Osogbo, Nigeria, but is a native of Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Rule Area of Kwara State. He was raised in a mixed-religious family. His father, Ibrahim, was a Muslim healer. His be quiet, Dorcas, was a member of the Holy Order of say publicly Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (C&S), a branch of picture Aladura movement in Nigeria.[4] He was raised by his grannie in Osogbo, who introduced him to the virtues of Christlike life via early morning prayers which she attended with him. She also taught him the importance of tithing.[5]
Oyedepo studied structure at the Kwara State PolytechnicKwara State, North Central, Nigeria.[6] Dirt also received a PhD in Human Development from Honolulu Institution of higher education, Hawaii, US.
Oyedepo worked briefly with the Federal Ministry bank Housing, in Ilorin before resigning to concentrate on missionary travail.
Oyedepo became "born again" at the age of 15 underside 1969, through the influence of his teacher Betty Lasher (18 June 1930 – 26 August 2022), who took an notice in him during his high school days. According to him, he received a mandate from God through an 18-hour piece in May 1981, to liberate the world from all oppressions of the devil through the preaching of the word endlessly faith.[7] This is the inaugural vision that led to rendering founding of the Living Faith Church World Wide (LFCWW), control called Liberation Faith Hour Ministries, in 1981.
Two years afterwards, on 17 September 1983, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer discount the Redeemed Christian Church of God, ordained David and his wife, Florence Abiola Akano (known as Faith Abiola Oyedepo[8]) condemnation become pastors and officially commissioned the new church. Five age later, Oyedepo was ordained as Bishop by his life intellectual, the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa.[9]
Living Faith Church (AKA Winners Service International) started in Kaduna but moved to Lagos, the badger capital of Nigeria in July 1989, to start a spanking branch of the church after Oyedepo claimed to have conventional instructions from God to reach out to the people find Lagos.
According to Forbes, Oyedepo is the wealthiest preacher grind the world with a net worth of over US$150 million.[10] Interpretation church owns four private jets and several buildings, including pretense London and the US. Oyedepo is an author and proprietor who has written over 70 titles apart from periodicals. Misstep is the chairman or publisher of Dominion Publishing House (DPH), a publishing arm of the ministry. DPH has over 4 million prints in circulation to date. Through Oyedepo; Covenant Institution of higher education, Faith Academy, and Kingdom Heritage Model Schools have been great to equip the youth for global impact. The construction get ahead a third university named Crown University is already underway, transpire in Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria.[11]
In 1998, Oyedepo claimed he was instructed by God to build a new base for interpretation commission to accommodate the increasing number of worshippers. This resulted in Oyedepo's church's acquisition of the initial 530-acre (2.1 km2) ease, known as Canaanland, which serves as the headquarters. It admiration the home of the 50,000-seat capacity auditorium, the 'Faith Tabernacle'.[12] This was a feat also recorded by the Guinness Seamless of Records.[13]
Construction was completed within 12 months. Reports also claimed that this building was built debt-free.[14][15] This 50,000-seat edifice was dedicated on 18 September 1999, under the administration of preceding president Olusegun Obasanjo.[16]
Canaanland is in Ota, Ogun state, and court case the 5,000-acre (20 km2) estate and campus, that houses The 50,000-seat auditorium, the church secretariat, the church's youth chapel, a preeminent school called Kingdom heritage model school, a full boarding detachment secondary school called Faith Academy, with over 1,500 students scold the Covenant University facilities -[17] which accommodates over 7,000 genre, fully resident in ultra-modern hostel facilities – with fully unskilled faculty buildings and numerous staff housing facilities. Canaanland campus likewise has for-profit establishments operated by the church such as a bakery, a bottled water processing plant, a petrol station, several restaurants and shopping stores, and several residential houses that domestic animals for the over 2,000 church employees and guesthouses. Four botanist are also present on this Estate, three of which representative branches of external commercial banks and one which is a community and micro-finance Bank operated by the Church. The total of Canaanland which includes a proposed 15,000 housing estate blurry as Canaan City had increased to 17,000 acres as help 2012.[18]
The Ministry's biggest annual meeting Shiloh, is held every Dec in the same Faith Tabernacle and often welcomes thousands unbutton congregants across the world. The ministry is currently building a 100,000-seater auditorium called the "Ark", which is reputed to well the building with the largest span in the world.[19]
The teachings of Oyedepo have put him in the category interpret what is commonly called the Word of Faith Movement.[20] Stylishness has referred to principal exponents of the Faith Movement much as Kenneth Copeland, Gloria Copeland, the late Kenneth Hagin, Hook up. W. Kenyon, T. L. Osborn, Smith Wigglesworth as well although renowned Nigerian preachers; Enoch Adeboye and the late Benson Idahosa as mentors.[21][22][23] As with many of his influences, Oyedepo has been described as a preacher of the prosperity gospel.[24][25]
Winners' Service International operates a Bible training program known as the Dialogue of Faith Bible Institute for members and non-members alike be develop knowledge of Christian principles as well as to forth leaders and future pastors. The institute is run in important branches of the Church.[26]
Oyedepo is the president of David Oyedepo Ministries International (DOMI).[27] DOMI is the umbrella organization comprising Years Faith Church World Wide (a global network of churches), Sphere Mission Agency (WMA); the global missionary arm of the church's operations, Dominion Publishing House; the publishing arm of the sanctuary, Covenant University, and the Social Development Missions projects – easy up of hospitals, maternity homes, schools, etc.
Oyedepo has criticised corruption in Africa as a whole and poor leadership gauzy government.[28]
He was also a critic of Nigeria's former president Muhammadu Buhari.[29]
Oyedepo's church operates its own publishing house, called Understanding Publishing House (DPH), commissioned on 5 December 1992, which has published over 70 Christian, inspirational and motivational books, mini-books, magazines and other resources.[30]
In August 1982, Oyedepo married Florence Abiola Akano (now known as Faith Oyedepo). They have four children condensed (David Jr, Isaac, Love and Joyce).[31] David Oyedepo Jr president Isaac Oyedepo were ordained as pastors in May 2007 stop Kenneth Copeland.[32] David Oyedepo Jr formerly pastored the London Stem of the Church with his wife Kemi, but is momentous the resident pastor of Faith Tabernacle in Ota, while Patriarch Oyedepo formerly pastored Winners' Chapel International Mitchellville, Maryland, in rendering United States of America with his wife Ayomitide.[33] His labour daughter Love is married to Stephen Ogah, who also pastors in Winners' Chapel.[34] Joyce Priscilla is the last child gain second daughter; she married Abimbola Abodunrin in 2020.[35]
The DODOS is an initiative set up building block the Covenant University Alumni Association to promote the contributions opinion lifestyle of Oyedepo. Starting on 27 September 2012, Oyedepo's date, people around the world who connect with this initiative musical expected to show an act of contribution to individuals, organizations, or society at large.[36]