Bishop Oyedepo was born September 27, 1954, David Olaniyi Oyedepo was born in Osogbo, Nigeria, but is a native of Omu-Aran, Kwara State. He was raised in a mixed religious family. His father, Ibrahim, was a Muslim healer. His mother, Dorcas, was a member of the Holy Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (C&S), a branch of the Aladura movement in Nigeria.
The Winners’ Chapel network of churches is located in over 300 cities,
in all states of Nigeria, and in several cities in 45 African nations, Dubai, the
United Kingdom and the United States. Oyedepo has been seen as one of the pioneers of the Christian charismatic movement in Africa and has been referred to as one of the most powerful preachers in Nigeria. He is the Chancellor of Covenant University and Landmark University. He was named in 2011 by Forbes magazine as being the richest pastor in Nigeria.
He was raised by his grandmother in Osogbo, who introduced him to the virtues of Christian life via early morning prayers which she attended with him. She also taught him the
importance of tithing. David Oyedepo was “born again” in 1969, through the influence of his teacher, Betty Lasher, who took an interest in him during his high school days.
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He studied architecture at the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin and worked briefly with the Federal Ministry of Housing in Ilorin before resigning to concentrate on missionary work. Oyedepo received a PhD in Human Development from Honolulu University, Hawaii, US. According to him, he received mandate from God through an 18-hour vision in May 1981, to liberate the world from all oppression of the devil through the preaching of the word of faith. This is the inaugural vision that led to the founding of the Living Faith Church World Wide (LFCWW), first called Liberation Faith Hour Ministries, in 1981.
Two years later, on September 17, 1983, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, ordained David and his wife, Florence Abiola Akano (known as Faith Abiola Oyedepo) to become pastors and officially commissioned the new church. Five years later, Oyedepo was ordained as Bishop. Living Faith Church (AKA Winners Chapel) started in Kaduna but moved to Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria in July 1989, to start a new branch of the church after Oyedepo received instructions from God to reach out to the people of Lagos. Oyedepo is an author and published who has written over 70 titles apart from periodicals. He is the chairman/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 University,Faith Academy and Kingdom Heritage Model Schools have been established to equip the youth for global impact. The construction of a third university named Crown University is already underway, located in Calabar, Cross Rivers, Nigeria.
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FAITH TABERNACLE
Oyedepo recieved instructions from God in 1998 to build a new base for the Commission to accommodate the increasing number of worshippers. This resulted in Oyedepo’s church’s acquisition of the initial 530-acre (2.1 km ) facility, known as Canaanland, which serves as the headquarters. It is the home of the 50,000-seat capacity auditorium, the ‘Faith Tabernacle’, which is reputed to be the largest church auditorium in the world. This was a feat also recorded by the Guinness Book of Records. Faith Tabernacle was reported as the Worlds’ Largest Church Auditorium in December 2005 Construction was completed within 12 months. Reports also claimed that this building was built debt free.
This 50,000-seat edifice was dedicated in September 18, 1999, under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Canaanland is in Ota, Ogun state and is the 5,000-acre (20 km ) estate and campus, that houses The 50,000 church building, the church secretariat, the church’s youth chapel, a primary school called Kingdom heritage model school, a full boarding mission secondary school called Faith Academy, with over 1,500 students and the Covenant University facilities, which accommodates over 7,000 students, fully resident in ultra-modern hostel facilities, with fully equipped faculty buildings and numerous staff housing facilities. Canaanland campus also has for profit establishments operated by the church such as a bakery, a bottled water processing plant, a petrol station, various restaurants and shopping stores, several residential houses that provide for the over 2,000 church employees, and guest houses.
Four banks are also present on this Estate, three of which are branches of external commercial banks and one which is a community and micro-finance Bank and operated by the Church. The whole of Canaanland which includes a proposed 15,000 housing estate known as Canaan City had increased to 17,000 acres as at 2012.
MINISTRY
The teachings of Oyedepo have put him in the category of what is commonly called the Word of Faith Movement. He has referred to principal exponents of the Faith Movement such as Kenneth Copeland, Gloria Copeland, the late Kenneth Hagin, E. W. Kenyon, T. L. Osborn, Smith Wigglesworth as well as renowned Nigerian preachers Enoch Adeboye and the late Benson Idahosa as mentors.
His Winners Chapel operates a Bible training programme known as Word of Faith Bible Institute for members and non-members alike to develop knowledge of Christian principles and to develop leaders and future pastors. The institute is run in major branches of the Church. Bishop David Oyedepo is the president of David Oyedepo Ministries International (DOMI). DOMI is the umbrella organisation comprising Living Faith Church World Wide (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, and the Social Development Missions projects (made up of hospitals, maternity homes, schools, etc. Oyedepo has criticised corruption in Africa as a whole and poor leadership in government.
BOOK PUBLISHING
Bishop Oyedepo’s church also operates its own publishing house, called Dominion Publishing House (DPH), commissioned on December 5, 1992, which has published over 70 Christian, inspirational and motivational books, mini books, magazines and other resources. Some of his authored books include:
Pillars of Destiny
Signs and Wonders Today
Anointing for Exploits
Understanding Financial Prosperity
The Healing Balm
The Force of Freedom
Walking in the Newness of Life
Exploits in Ministry
The Unlimited Power of Faith
Winning Prayer
Success Strategies
Breaking Financial Hardship
In Pursuit of Vision
Understanding Divine Direction
The Winning Wisdom
Understanding the Power of Praise
Releasing the Supernatural
Walking in the Miraculous
Anointing for Breakthrough
Understanding Vision
Towards Excellence in Life and
Ministry
Success Systems
Understanding the Anointing
Exploits of Faith
The Blood Triumph
Satan Get Lost
FAMILY
In 1982 he married Florence Abiola Akano (now known as Faith). Theyhave four children together (David Jr, Isaac, Love and Joys). David Jr and Isaac Oyedepo were ordained as Pastors in May 2007 by Kenneth Copeland. David Jr formerly pastors the London Branch of the Church with his wife, Kemi but now the resident pastor of the Ministry’s headquarters church (Faith Tabernacle) while Isaac Oyedepo pastors Winners’ Chapel
International, Lokogoma, Abuja with his wife Ayomitide.
DAVID OYEDEPO DAY OF SERVICE (DODOS)
The DODOS is an initiative set up by the Covenant University Alumni Association with the aim to promote the contributions and lifestyle of Oyedepo. Started on the 27 September 2012, Oyedepo’s birthday, people around the world who connect with this initiative are expected to show an act of contribution to individuals, organizations or the society at large.
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REFERENCES
1. “Faith Tabernacle makes Guinness Book of Records” . Odili.net. Retrieved
2010-02-02.
2. “David Oyedepo Ministries International” . Retrieved 2015-02-04.
3. “Winners’ Chapel Across Europe” . Retrieved 2015-02-04.
4. Mfonobong Nsehe (7 June 2011). “The Five Richest Pastors In Nigeria” .
Forbes. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
5. Adelegan, Femi (2013). Nigeria’s Leading Lights of the Gospel . WestBow
Press. p. 139. ISBN 978-1-4497-6953-6.
Retrieved 2015-02-04.
6. “Brief History” . Retrieved 2015-02-05.
7. Adelegan, Femi (2013). Nigeria’s Leading Lights of the Gospel . WestBow
Press. p. 143. ISBN 978-1-4497-6953-6.
Retrieved 2015-02-04.
8. Nsehe, Mfonobong (2011-06-07). “The Five Richest Pastors In Nigeria” . blogs.forbes.com. Forbes. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
9. “Church of the 50,000 faithful” . BBC News. 1999-11-30. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
10. Category: Headlines. “In Profile Daily” . In Profile Daily. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
11. “Nigeria: Living Faith Church @ 25:Oyedepo Recounts Achievements” .
2008-04-21. Retrieved 2015-02-05.
12. “Extraordinary Amounts of Wealth for the Kingdom” . 2007-03-29.
Retrieved 2015-02-05.
13. “Reply Deleted” . Ofmonline.ning.com. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
14. Adelegan, Femi (2013). Nigeria’s Leading Lights of the Gospel . WestBow
Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-1-4497-6953-6.
Retrieved 2015-02-04.
15. “Covenant University” . Retrieved 2014-08-02.
16. “Central Bank of Nigeria | All Financial Institutions | Covenant University Microfinance Bank Limited” .
Cenbank.org. 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
17. Believers Stand United, “Word of Faith Movement has deep roots in American History” . Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 2010-02-02. .
18. Selome Igbekele Kuponu, S 2005. “Processes of Deliverance Ritual among Nigerian Pentecostals: The Case of the Living Faith Church”, paper presented at the Postgraduate Colloquium, Department of History of Religions, University of Bayreuth/Germany, 24
November.
19. Selome Igbekele Kuponu, S 2006. “Success and Empowerment in Living Faith Church Worldwide, Nigeria”, paper presented at the Postgraduate Colloquium, Department of History of Religions, University of Bayreuth/Germany, 2 February.
20. “Celebrating Papa @ 60! … Bishop David Oyedepo Talks About Life @ 60” .
Retrieved 2014-01-12. “[M]y spiritual life was boosted largely through faith teachings of Kenneth E. Hagin and E. W. Kenyon. T. L. Osborn taught me how to hear from God without which, perhaps, I will not have been in ministry today. Kenneth Copeland taught me how to access divine supplies both for my life and the work of the ministry.”
21. “The Word of Faith Bible Institute” . Retrieved 2014-01-11.
22. “About DOMI” . Retrieved 2014-01-11.
23. “Ghana HomePage – Breaking News, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video News” . Modernghana.com. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
24. “About DOMI” . Retrieved 2015-02-05.
25. “40 Things to know about Bishop David Oyedepo” . Retrieved 2015-02-05.
26. “David Oyedepo Day Of Service” . David Oyedepo Day Of Service. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
External links
Official website
Retrieved from “https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=David_Oyedepo&oldid=842273369”