Bishop David Oyedepo Biography – Age, Career, Education, Church and Net Worth

David Olaniyi Oyedepo is a Nigerian preacher, Christian author, businessman and architect on the 27th of September 1954 in Osogbo, Osun State Capital.

He is 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’ Chapel Internationa

David Oyedepo Biography

David Olaniyi Oyedepo is a Nigerian preacher, Christian author, businessman and architect on the 27th of September 1954 in Osogbo, Osun State Capital.

Nigerian preacher, Christian author, businessman, and architect David Olaniyi Oyedepo is the presiding Bishop of the Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun State, and the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners Chapel).

Winners Chapel International’s church network spans multiple states in Nigeria as well as multiple countries around the world. Oyedepo is regarded as one of Nigeria’s most powerful speakers and one of the forerunners of the Christian charismatic movement in Africa. He is the chancellor of both Covenant University and Landmark University. Forbes magazine named him the richest pastor in Nigeria in 2011.

David Oyedepo Early Life

Oyedepo is from Omu-Aran in the Irepodun local government area of Kwara State, Nigeria. His clan, Odo-oro (wealthy place), and family lineage value hard work. His father, Ibrahim, was a Muslim healer, and his mother, Dorcas, was a member of the Eternal Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement (C&S), a branch of the Aladura movement in Nigeria. In Osogbo, he was raised by his grandmother, who was a devout Anglican. His grandmother instilled in him the virtues of Christian living. She also laid a spiritual foundation for him, which he has used to build his life and ministry to this day.

Oyedepo was born again on February 19, 1969, when he was only 15 years old, through the influence of his missionary teacher, one Ms. Betty Lasher, who took a special interest in him during his secondary school days. He first shared the gospel in March 1970 and he has not looked back since then. Having rejected a charm his father gave him, he developed whitlow on a finger on his right hand. As a secondary school student, he once challenged God to heal him of tuberculosis after his mates shifted their beds away from him, and he was healed.

David Oyedepo Education

Very little is known about his primary and secondary school education, however, Oyedepo studied Architecture at Kwara State Polytechnic now Kwara State University and worked briefly with the Federal Ministry of Housing in Ilorin before resigning to concentrate on missionary work. He also gained a PhD in Human Development from Honolulu University, Hawaii, United States of America.

David Oyedepo Career

Oyedepo began his ministry in 1981, following an 18-hour vision in May 1981 in which God, according to him, gave him the mandate to preach the word of faith and liberate the world from the devil’s oppression.

This resulted in the establishment and launch of the Living Faith Church World Wide (LFCW), originally known as Liberation Faith Hour Ministries, in 1981.

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), who also commissioned the new church, ordained him and his wife to become pastors two years later. Oyedepo was ordained as a Bishop five years later. The church, popularly known as Winners Chapel, was founded in Kaduna but relocated to Lagos in July 1989.

Four private jets, estates, restaurants, shopping malls, bakeries, processing plants, commercial properties, and educational institutions such as Covenant University in Ota, Landmark University in Omu Aran, and Crown University in Calabar are all part of Oyedepo’s Ministries International.

Oyedepo’s Faith Tabernacle in Ota, which he leads, has a capacity of 50,000 people. It is said to be the world’s largest church auditorium, as measured by the Guinness Book of Records in 2008 and 2009.

It was built in 12 months, debt-free, a feat that many call a “miracle” given that such a structure should take at least three years to complete. This 50,000-seat structure was dedicated on September 18, 1999, during the presidency of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The Faith Tabernacle, also known as Canaanland, is a 5,000-acre estate and campus in Ota, Ogun state that houses the 50,000 church buildings, 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.

Bishop Oyedepo has written over 70 Christian, inspirational and motivational books owing to the fact that the church also operates its own publishing house, called Dominion Publishing House (DPH), commissioned on December 5, 1992, which has also published mini books, magazines, and other resources.

DPH has over 4 million prints in circulation to date. He is the Chairman/Publisher of Dominion Publishing House (DPH). Some of his bestselling books include; Pillars of Faith, Born to Win, and Possessing your Possession, amongst others. His programme, Shiloh, which is nicknamed the “gathering of millions” because of the crowd always in attendance, is hosted by this beautiful auditorium every year.

Oyedepo’s foundation, The David Oyedepo Foundation, is a Christian non-profit organization that is committed to reaching out to the less privileged across Africa so as to bring about change to the economy of Africa as a continent and the rest of the world.

The foundation offers a scholarship program to individuals who are willing to acquire a first degree at the prestigious Covenant University and Landmark University in Nigeria. It covers the full academic fees for 5-year duration of the study and in some categories, travels and living expenses for the duration of the course of study.

David Oyedepo Ministerial Influences

Because of his teachings, Oyedepo is considered a member of the Word of Faith Movement. He has named Kenneth Copeland, Gloria Copeland, the late Kenneth Hagin, E. W. Kenyon, T. L. Osborn, Smith Wigglesworth, and eminent Nigerian preachers Enoch Adeboye and the late Benson Idahosa as mentors. Oyedepo, like many of his influences, has been labelled a proponent of the prosperity gospel.

Winners’ Chapel International operates the Word of Faith Bible Institute, a Bible training school that aims to develop leaders and future pastors while also raising awareness of Christian values for both members and non-members. The institute is run by the church’s main branches.

David Oyedepo Ministries International (DOMI) is led by Oyedepo as its president. DOMI is the umbrella organisation that includes Living Faith Church World Wide (a global network of churches), World Mission Agency (WMA), Dominion Publishing House, Covenant University, Landmark University, the church’s publishing arm, and the Social Development Missions projects, which include hospitals, maternity homes, schools, and other facilities.

Bishop Oyedepo Urging His Members To Kill

Nigerians saw Pastor Oyedepo urging his church followers in a 2017 video to kill any Muslim assailant they came across on church property. In the video, he said that the Boko Haram sect warned him that his church would soon come under attack. He exhorted the congregation to pray and invoke divine judgement on these individuals as well as on the government representatives who are supporting them. He continued by saying that whenever the cult was near the church, they should kill them and spill their blood. The church rose to his rescue when word of the video circulated across the nation and caused alarm. 

They argued in defence of themselves that the video wasn’t recent and wasn’t a reaction to the massacres in Southern Kaduna. The video, according to them, was produced in 2015 following the Boko Haram crisis. As a result, the video was deemed to be inauthentic and to have ignored the national problem at hand.

David Oyedepo Gate of Hell Proclamation

The conflict between Bishop Oyedepo and APC members and sympathisers occurred in January 2015. Before the 2015 elections, David met with Goodluck Jonathan, who was the president at the time. His remarks during his visit triggered insults and negative remarks from the APC group. He allegedly threatened to let those who oppose Goodluck Jonathan through the gates of hell. Some opposition party members insulted and attacked him, but others claimed that there was no reason to be concerned because the APC members had cheered when Fr. Mbaka spoke out against Jonathan.

The president and creator of Winner’s Chapel, however, refuted making such a claim. He claimed to have threatened to let those who oppose Nigeria through the gates of hell. Additionally, he urged the congregation to pray for Nigeria and a peaceful election.

David Oyedepo Sacked Pastors Controversy

It was revealed in 2021 that the Winner’s Chapel fired 40 pastors on June 25 under the pretext of not making enough money. One of the fired pastors spoke candidly to the media about the situation. Peter Edwin, who attended the gathering for which they were invited, claimed that he and other pastors were each given a letter. The letter was a bag letter when it was opened. The church does not function at a loss, and the administration responded when he queried why they were being let go.

They claimed he was expected to raise the funds needed to cover his costs in his church branch. David Oyedepo responded by claiming that the dismissal of the pastors was not motivated by financial considerations. The church, he claimed, does not tolerate failure, and those pastors failed in their responsibilities and produced no fruit.

David Oyedepo Publications

In addition to periodicals, Oyedepo is an author and publisher who has written over 70 books. He serves as the chairman and publisher of the ministry’s publishing division, Dominion Publishing House (DPH). To date, more than 4 million DPH prints have been distributed. It was commissioned on December 5, 1992. Some of the authored books include: 

• All You Need to Have All Your Needs Met
• Anointing For Exploits
• Born To Win
• Covenant Wealth
• Commanding The Supernatural
• Conquering Controlling Powers
• Exploits of Faith
• Exploits in the ministry
• In Pursuit of Vision
• Maximise Destiny
• Not By Power Nor By Might
• On Eagle’s Wings
• Pillars Of Destiny
• Signs & Wonders Today
• Success Systems
• Success Strategies
• The Breakthrough Power of Vision
• The Turnaround Power Of The Word
• The Wisdom that Works
• The Unlimited Power of Faith
• Understanding Financial Prosperity
• Understanding The Power Of Faith
• Understanding The Power Of Praise
• Understanding Your Covenant Right
• Walking in Dominion
• Winning The War Against Poverty
• Walking In The Newness Of Life
• Exploring the Riches of Redemption
• Anointing For Breakthrough
• Breaking Financial Hardship
• The Shower of Blessing
• Riding on Prophetic Wings
• Operating In The Supernatural
• Ruling Your World
• The Blood Triumph
• Keys to Divine Health   
• Put Your Angels To Work
• Keys To Answered Prayer
• Miracle Seed
• The Hidden Covenant Of Blessing 
• Winning Faith

David Oyedepo Awards and Nominations

• Bishop David Oyedepo is a devout individual. He has received recognition for his humanitarian activities. The following are a few of these accolades:
• He was awarded the International Who is Who of Intellectuals, 13th Edition, by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England.
• He was inscribed in the Jerusalem 3000 Scroll # 102268.
• Global Care International awarded him the Man of Dignity.
• Frontline Christian Author by ECOWAS in the ECOWAS International Gold Awards
• He was also named in 2011 by Forbes Magazine as the richest pastor in Nigeria, worth over $150 million.
• He is presently the president of World Mission Agency Incorporated (WMA), a Christian ministry organisation with mission stations in over 40 African nations in Europe, Jamaica, and America.
• Doctor of Divinity by the Bethel Graduate School of Technology, Riverside, California,
• Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Education
• Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria

David Oyedepo Personal Life

Bishop David Oyedepo is married to Pastor Faith Abiola Oyedepo, formerly Florence Abiola Akano, whom he met at a motor park when he was 22. They married in 1982 and have four children: David Jr., Isaac, Love, and Joyce, two boys and two girls. Kenneth Copeland ordained his sons as pastors in May 2007.

Pastor David Oyedepo Jnr. is married to Kemi Olubu-Oyedepo and has 2 beautiful kids (a boy and a girl) from their 6-year union. Pastor Oyedepo Jnr. heads the London branch of Winners Chapel and is also the Regional Overseer of the European Network of churches. Pastor Isaac Oyedepo is currently in charge of the Winners Chapel International, South Africa. He tied the knot in 2010 with Ayomitide Omogbadegun and is blessed with 2 children from a four-year marriage.

Love Oyedepo-Ogah is also deeply involved in her father’s ministry although she is not ordained a pastor yet. She got married a while ago to her husband in a lavish wedding ceremony. Her husband, Stephen Ogah is one of Bishop Oyedepo’s personal aides. Joyce Oyedepo, the last born of the Oyedepo family is a product of Faith Academy school owned by her father. Joyce is currently studying in America and has certain functions she performs in church during her stay in Nigeria.

Oyedepo is the wealthiest preacher in Nigeria, according to Forbes magazine. Having a net worth of over $150 million, the Bishop is also mentioned as the richest pastor in the world. His ministry owns four private jets and several buildings around the world, including London and the United States. His hobbies include reading, reasoning, planning, and writing. He is a strong critic of corruption in Africa as a whole and poor leadership in government.

David Oyedepo Social Media

Bishop Oyedepo is an active user of Instagram where he connects with his teeming followers. He has 1.2 million followers as of August 2022 with a handle @davidoyedepomin.

David Oyedepo Net Worth

According to Forbes, Bishop Oyedepo is the wealthiest preacher in the world with a net worth of over US$150 million.

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