BISHOP DAVID O. OYEDEPO
FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, LIVING FAITH CHURCH WORLDWIDE
Bishop David O. Oyedepo received a call into the ministry through a heavenly vision, where he saw a lineup of battered, beaten, tattered, deformed, groaning for escape, he began sobbing with the. In response to his question, ‘but why Lord?’ God answered, “But from the beginning it was not so, and now the hour has come to liberate the whole world from all oppression of the devil through the preaching of the world of faith and I AM sending you to undertake this task.” Today, he stands as an Apostle of Faith to the nations, the impact of whose ministry has continued to spread across many nations of the world. As an accomplished author, he has written over 100 titles, which circulates both in hard and online stores around the world. A number of these titles have been translated to other major languages of the world including French, Chinese, Spanish and others He is the Founder and President of Living Faith Church worldwide, aka Winners’ Chapel International and presently oversees over 21,000 churches across Nigeria and several thousand across six major continents of the world. He is the founding and Senior Pastor of the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland Ota, Nigeria, the international Headquarter of the Church, which is reputed to be the largest single congregation in the world As a leader of renown, he has redefined leadership as an evolution of values. Today, he is spearheading a revolution in education across the nation, through his network of primary and secondary across the nation and the establishment of two thriving universities, namely, Covenant university, Ota, Lagos and Landmark University Omuaran, Kwara State, both in Nigeria.
WHO IS DAVID OYEDEPO?
– Born on September 27th, 1954. He began his academic career in Architecture and later went on to obtain a PhD in Human Development, from Honolulu University Hawaii, USA.
– Born again – Feb. 19, 1969, at 15
– Received a called to full time ministry – May 2, 1981 at 26
– Began his teaching ministry through a weekly fellowship meeting called ‘Faith Liberation Hour’ and a monthly seminal that covers Friday evening – May 29, 1981
– Began his Church ministry and planted the 1st Church in Kaduna, called, Living Faith World Outreach – Dec. 11, 1983
– Published and released his first 2 books. ‘The Miracle seed and the law of Faith’ – April 25, 1985
– Founded the Word of Faith Bible Institute, which today runs across many nations of the world – Sep. 1: 1986
– Began church planting work in the northern part of Nigeria – May 1987
– His mission acquired a 13-acre property in a prime area of Kaduna city called Garden of Faith – Sep. 1989
– Moved into Lagos, following a divine mandate, “Arise get down to Lagos and raise me a people” – Sep. 24,1989
– Founded Dominion Publishing House, whose printing press has today grown to an industrial scale and currently publishing Bibles – July 1992
– Led a great revival at the Lagos church that took the church from about 3,500 to 50,000 within 5 years – 1994-1999
– Following another divine mandate “the harvest of Africa is overripe, rush in and preserve it from decadence, embarked on Mission to Africa. Today, his mission now has a strong presence in over 41 nations of Africa – Jan. 1994
– His Mission took delivery of the first mission aircraft – Sept. 18, 1996
– His mission acquired 530 acres of property in the outskirts of Ota, a suburb of Lagos which is today called Canaanland – May 1998
– 50,000-seat capacity sanctuary called Faith Tabernacle, was built and dedicated within one year to the glory – Sept. 1998 – Sept. 1999
– Started the annual convocation of Winners worldwide, tagged “Shiloh” which now transmits to about 177 nations real time and draws delegates from between 50 and 60 nations annually, with millions gathering at various viewing centers across Nigeria and many other nations of the world – 1999
– Embarked on Mission to the world, covering Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia and Middle East. – August 2000
– Founded Covenant University, which is today listed among the Elite Universities of the world – October 2002
– Founded Landmark University, a university blazing the trail today within the Nigerian university education space – Mar. 2011
– Led a great church growth revival that doubled the attendance of the Lagos church twice within 6 months. Today, the Faith Tabernacle is said to be the largest local church congregation in the world, which runs four services every Sunday with about 38,000 Home cells – May – Oct. 2015
– By divine instruction, led the planting of over 5,000 churches across Nigeria within one year – 2019
– By divine signal, led the planting of over 10,000 churches within one year across Nigeria and over 1,200 others across 35 other nations of the world in spite of the restriction by the global lockdown occasioned by covid-19 pandemic. – 2020
– By divine instruction, led the replication of over 21,000 new home cells within one year at Faith Tabernacle, which represents about a hundred percent of the existing home cells – 2021
– Led the planting of Churches in 80 additional nations across 4 continents of the world – 2022
– Today the construction of the historic 100,000-seat capacity stadium-like sanctuary, whose foundation was laid on March 25, 2021, is very much in progress, with God’s hand clearly evident in the areas of speed, supplies, etc. To God alone be all the glory.
Christian Ministry
The teachings of David Oyedepo have put him in the category of what is commonly called the Word of Faith Movement. He has referred to principal exponents of this Movement, such as, Kenneth Copeland, Gloria Copeland, the late Kenneth E. Hagin, T.L Osborn, Smith Wigglesworth, as well as renowned Nigerian preachers, Pastor Enoch Adeboye and the late Arch-Bishop Benson Idahosa as mentors.
The teachings of David Oyedepo are grouped under a range of topics called ‘12 pillars of Destiny’, which include: Faith, The Word, Prosperity, the Holy Spirit, Praise, Consecration, the Supernatural, Wisdom, Prayer, Success, Vision and Healing. The overall focus of his teachings center around faith in God’s Word, Prosperity and Signs and Wonders. He teaches that faith in the word of God is the key to a life of God’s blessings and security from the works of the devil. His teachings on prosperity are aimed at empowering people to live free from poverty, particularly on the African continent.
He describes his own teachings on prosperity as “covenant software for programming yourself into victories and triumphs.” Winners Chapel also operates a Bible training program known as Word of Faith Bible Institute (WOFBI) for members and non-members alike to develop knowledge of Christian principles, and to develop leaders and future pastors. This institute is run in major branches of the Church.
David Oyedepo is the President of David Oyedepo Ministries International (DOMI). DOMI is the umbrella organization comprising Living Faith Church Worldwide (a global network of churches), World Mission Agency (WMA); the global missionary arm of the church’s operations, Dominion Publishing House; the publishing arm of the church, Covenant University, Landmark University, and the Social Development Missions projects (made up of hospitals, maternity homes, schools, etc.)
David Oyedepo is also a strong critic of corruption in Africa as a whole and poor leadership in government.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS:
1. Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Education (FNAE)
2. Award in recognition of Leadership in Enhancing Academic and Research Excellence in Higher Education – Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA (2011).
3. Distinguished Award for Excellence in Education, Administration and Leadership – Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (2012).
4. Fellow of the Nigerian Society for Financial Research (FNSFR)
5. Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Strategic Management (FNISM).
6. Honorary Doctor of Divinity – Bethel Graduate School of Theology Riverside California
7. National Honour: A road was named after him by the Federal Government of Nigeria, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (2008).
8. Listed among 100 most reputable people on earth, 2 times running
POSITIONS CURRENTLY HELD:
1. Founder and President, Living Faith Church Worldwide aka Winners’ Chapel International – 1983 till date
2. President, Word of Faith Bible Institute – 1986 till date
3. President, Dominion Publishing House – 1992 till date
4. Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Regents, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria – 2002 till date
5. Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Regents, Landmark University, Omuaran, Nigeria – 2011 till date