Bishop David Oyedepo, founding Bishop of Living Faith Worldwide, popularly known as Winners' Chapel, reflects on his life, achievements and the Winners Chapel. "Everything great is a result of grace. I think I'm primarily a beneficiary of the grace of God. God's grace makes the journey of any man great. It's the rapid grace of God." According to him, "I met Jesus Christ in February 19, 1969. That day, to me, was the most important. I was a victim of tuberculosis early in life. We came from a fairly average family. I was given birth to in a church, so I thought I was 'born again' from birth, but that February 19, 1969, was when grace found me." More in this story.


There are other days: "Having met the Lord, I had an insatiable appetite for the gospel. I had the first privilege to share the gospel in March, 1970 and from that day till now, I've never missed the opportu­nity to share the gospel."

In 1970, he said he prayed: "Lord, whatever weight that I would bear when I'm old, let me bear it now that I'm young, so that when I'm old, I would be relaxed and enjoy my life. I read that from Lamentation 3.27." In Septem­ber, 1976, he said after reading a book, titled, The man God uses, he entered into a covenant with his Creator to live the remaining days of his life for God.

"I was in courtship with my wife then, she was my fiancee. I documented my vow and I invited her, we entered into a church and I showed her the vow. Would you still be willing to follow me? I asked her and she said yes. I asked her to sign and she did. I dedicated myself to Christ with one secret burning in my soul: except a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone but if it dies, it brings forth more fruit. I was willing to die, indeed, so that I can be alive, indeed. People may hear our principles and read all the books I've written, 50 titles to date, but until you know my heartbeat for God, you don't know my secret. I'm just in love. I want the remaining days of my life to be sold out to Him. That is the greatest of the secret behind my simple life.

As he spoke, he punctuated most of his statements with scriptural references. He also would string events with either one book he read or how God spoke to him concerning events. "In 1976, I read a book by T.L Osborne, The Purpose of Pentecost . What the book did to me was to paint a very unique picture of the Holy Spirit as a person. I was baptised in the Holy Ghost in 1975. I wanted to share what I'd read with my friends and I went to them. When I got there, they had packed from the house and I asked the Holy Spirit to direct me to where they were. And the Holy Spirit, for the first time in my life, said to me: 'Go forward'. That was August 12, 1976. I kept going and He directed me to where they were.



", And I heard a voice say: "But from the beginning, it was not so. The hour has come to liberate the world from all oppression of the devil through the preaching of the word of faith and I'm sending you to undertake this task. That was May 1 and 2, 1981. The voice I was privileged to catch in 1976 became the live-wire of this ministry today, "


Winners Chapel
The church, Winners Chapel, Oyedepo revealed was a mandate given by God. "I went to see a friend. This friend was not in and I was very disappointed. There was Modakeke crisis in Ife . The place was llesa. I had friends in llesa, but the Lord said: 'Seek a quiet place, I want to talk to you.' I got a hotel in the outskirts and as I knelt down to say, 'Father I thank you,' that was all knew. It took me 18 hours in a vision of heaven. I saw the afflicted masses on the earth. I was crying, I was sobbing. I was not sleeping. I saw an array of afflicted people before me. Groaning and agonising for rescue. I asked: 'What is it Lord?' And I heard a voice say: "But from the beginning, it was not so. The hour has come to liberate the world from all oppression of the devil through the preaching of the word of faith and I'm sending you to undertake this task. That was May 1 and 2, 1981. The voice I was privileged to catch in 1976 became the live-wire of this ministry today.'

Hearing God? The Garden of Faith , Kaduna , came to be by this same voice. "We got into Kaduna , God gave us grace, the church was growing. We held the first crusade at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna , March 1986, a no-go place for the gospel but God gave us grace."

The story changed in 1989. "I was to attend a meeting in Kessington Temple , London . There was another meeting with Frederick K C Price in Los Angeles . It was too much of an honour to miss. Then we had flight disappointment. On getting to Kaduna , I lost my box. In the midst of that devastation, the voice came strong: 'Arise, go to Lagos and raise me a people!' If I didn't hear from God, I would not have done that because we had 3,000 people in Kaduna and I was coming to Lagos to start afresh. That was July 19. Our first service in Lagos was 224 people. That was September, 1989. We got our facilities in Iyana Ipaja.” He said. “Again, the voice came. That was December 12, 1995 before we dedicated the old church. The Lord said to me, I will yet re-locate my church. On December 30, we dedi­cated the church”

From Lagos , the journey to Ota began. "I thought the voice was for the future,” he explained of the voice. When I was brought to Ota, I was furious. Who would come here for church? We got here and as I prayed to thank God, He said 'This is the place.' I suggested that it could be used for a farm and we would build later, but the Lord said: 'It is now!' So, May 8, 1998, we got the C of 0 for the land, 530 hectares. On August 29, 1998, we did the ground-breaking for the church and September 18, they started marking out the place where the church building would be. I also announced in the other church that the same September 18, the following year, we would dedicate the church that we had not started. That was what the Lord said to me. We don't do anything that is not commanded."


'If you ask me my challenge in the ministry, I will say: It is People, People and People. With hearts too deep to uncover, thoughts too obscure to discern, words too sweet to doubt, I've suffered in the hands of men. Sometimes, it pains too deep to bear. Words too piercing to ignore. Actions too destructive to overlook. What is the matter with people?

You would agree that a ministry of a size like his should have problems. He agreed, but explained them as chal­lenges. His countenance changed and he said: 'If you ask me my challenge in the ministry, I will say: It is People, People and People. With hearts too deep to uncover, thoughts too obscure to discern, words too sweet to doubt, I've suffered in the hands of men. Sometimes, it pains too deep to bear. Words too piercing to ignore. Actions too destructive to overlook. What is the matter with people? Deception, hypocrisy, double-dealing. The list is unending because of the evolving nature of man." Sounds poetic, but ironically, the father of four, who is fondly called Papa by his congregation, said again: "This may sound as a paradox. If asked what is my greatest asset? The same answer: People. People and people. In the pursuit of destiny, people are the greatest asset. Even the Messiah came and needed people to run His vision.

Where do we strike a balance? Love. It is the covenant way of striking a balance in relationship with all men. No ministry without people. Ministry is about touching people, reaching people, building people, raising people, reconstructing destiny. Ministry is set up to meet the needs of people. If you are not meeting the needs of people, you are not in ministry.

A man spoke a wisdom to me in March, 1990. He said: "It is true that you are sent to people to deliver them, but you also need to be delivered from the people to whom you are sent. He read from Acts 26 :16 - 18. One day, I was laying hands on people and someone carried a dagger and was coming to the front! We go through this deliverance over and again because of the wicked nature of man.

The first shock I got in ministry was from a friend of mine. We went for a meeting. I thought I was to minister, but he did. All the things I told him about this commission, he took it up in the atmosphere. He battered the faith topic. He said faith was one way the devil wanted to rupture the move of God in Nigeria . Even prosperity too, using my old car as an example. The only thing he didn't do was mention my name!

"This was somebody to whom I was so close that he took my wife to the hospital when we were having our first baby, because I was not in. How I drove home that night, I can't tell! I could not tell my wife! We have been flattered, battered but God will not allow our burial.

That gives you an idea of what I mean by people. You are to touch them, but you have to be delivered from them, so that you don't speak unadvisedly. This happened in 1983, but it never came out of my mouth to any man until it was mature for a testimony after things had changed. Those are the pains you bear. You say it to somebody and they over-say it. That is why when things happen, and they ask me, I say -that I have no comments.


"This may sound as a paradox. If asked what is my greatest asset? The same answer: People. People and people. In the pursuit of destiny, people are the greatest asset. Even the Messiah came and needed people to run His vision.

My comments could be misinterpreted and miscarried; However, I have every cause to give glory to God now. I've looked back, I'm not perfect. No. I don't claim perfection. But I want to submit with all humility that to the level that He (God) has exposed Himself to me, I have been faithful in doing this job. I have followed him to this point''

There was no air around him. He spoke seriously. He cracked jokes and as he continued in his reflections, he was asked the question on his home. How does his wife cope with his schedules? The kids? The family's pure among other things? In his charismatic manner, Omu Aran born Oyedepo said of his wife, Faith and his two sons and daughters, “I must say that the home front has been absolutely supportive of my dedicated stance. They are even stretching me on it. We have a Zimbabwean student about whom my two sons would not allow me rest until we got his school fees paid in America . His sister's husband, who was paying his fees, had divorced her and refused to pay for the boy. It has intoxicated everyone. No stress at all. When we got married on Saturday. I had things to do on Sunday night and Monday night.

“There were so many things to do; I was invited here and there, so we agreed on December. December came and the honeymoon could not hold! So I said to her on December 31, that year. “Is it not better to have a lifetime honeymoon than a one-week honeymoon? When I stay in this office, I might be here till 3.00am, my wife would call me 2.00am that it is getting late and I would tell her, don't worry, until its 3.00am, don't bother asking me to come. We have aligned so much in the things of the spirit that there has not been any traceable tension, either on the children, on herself or anyone in the family. The giving spirit is resting on everyone. We give God all the glory”

Asked how he feels whenever he sees his photographs or stories on the covers of magazine, oftentimes, negative. “What do you expect me to do? “ he asked smiling. “My body is immune to such. I've had vendors come to me while in the car, but I said no. But the man showed me the one that had my picture full blown. I don't buy, the reason is, take heed what you hear. If you are not careful in hearing junk, you would find it impossible to walk in love. If there is anything you owe yourself, it's walking in love.”

Like the one they said I took N300million in a Navigator car to llesa. Some of our relations at home read it and the whole place was in disarray. They didn't sleep! They called me and I wondered what was happening. That I bought gold? That would be ridiculous because I've never seen gold in my life. I don't even know how it looks like, I've never seen N300 million packed in one place. I can't get annoyed over that. You should not get angry with that. You should avoid anger in ministry. We don't play perfection, but we don't want to be corrupted. My principle is, no attack no defense.''


Known to be one of the crusaders of the prosperity message, he revealed that the ministry, which was officially commissioned by Pastor E.A Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, preaches more than prosperity. “There is no genuine coin without counterfeit,” he began. “There is nobody who loves poverty. Nobody wishes anyone long life and poverty. Everybody loves long life and prosperity, but not everybody knows the way to it. Only God has the way to it and the way is in His word. But abuse has been so pronounced that people who react have their basis for reaction.

“I have said that Covenant University , among other things, has validated the relevance of the prosperity message. Prosperity is all about having a culture of liberality, servicing the needs of humanity. It begins with God and then it spreads out to the men and women around you. Prosperity covenant practitioner is the joy of seeing people who otherwise would never have laughter on their faces having laughter. The journey started long ago with me.”

This is for those who dont know much about David Oyedepo yet they speak evil about him

It is a pity he was not asked why he needed four planes - poor journalism.

Becos he does not have four planes, Winners Chapel has TWO planes

Ok, why does Winners Chapel need two planes ?

So simple winners have so many things they do on weekly basis missionaries go in and out, materials of the ministry are sent out to different part of the world add that to Bishop Oyedepo's itinerary and that of other Bishops, wisdom should tell us to have a plan for smooth running of the ministry. Also, imagine if you have one car and you have to share it with you wife once you start having children one car will not be enough to meet the family needs this is why Winners need two planes

EarsWide:

Ok, why does Winners Chapel need two planes ?

Why does FED-EX need plane ? . It's just a vehicle .

^^^
What kind of daft analogy is this So fedex and oledepo are now in the same line of business? The logical question to ask is why can't oledepo use the services of fedex to distibute his so called missionary materials worldwide instead of buying a jet for the same purpose. Using fedex would be far more efficient and cheaper.

Joagbaje:

Why does FED-EX need plane ? . It's just a vehicle .

KunleOshob:

^^^
What kind of daft analogy is this So fedex and oledepo are now in the same line of business? The logical question to ask is why can't oledepo use the services of fedex to distibute his so called missionary materials worldwide instead of buying a jet for the same purpose. Using fedex would be far more efficient and cheaper.

Why don't fed ex use Nigerian airways? Let's leave other people's matters alone.

The church members are not complaining ,they rather rejoice, God is not complaining either.

1 Peter 4:15
15 But let none of you suffer . . . as a busybody in other men's matters.

Joagbaje:

Why don't fed ex use Nigerian airways?

is winners in business for monetary gains/profit? What has FED-EX using planes got to do with Oyedepo buying private jet Is oyedepo in the business of moving goods for monetary profit goods that need to be delivered to the recipient within 24hours if he is, he need to get large cargo planes for efficiency , not luxury planes

Joagbaje:

Why does FED-EX need plane ? . It's just a vehicle .

A silly and uninspired analogy.

@Supporters of Oyedepo having 2 planes

Number of Dialysis machines in Nigeria : less than 50
Cost of dialysis machine : $25000 - $30000

Number of MRI Scanners in Nigeria : Less than 50 - In case you dont know, an MRI scanner is used for diagnosing illnesses such as cancer.
Cost of MRI Scanner : $2,000,000

Conservative cost of Planes owned by Oyedepo : $20,000,000

From the figures above - do you think it makes sense for the church to spend so much money on a luxury for the pastor(s). Thousands, possibly hundreds of Nigerians die every year from kidney failure, cancer and treatable diseases and yet you people think it makes sense for a church to spend the money on planes. If any of you falls ill with a serious illness - you will most likely DIE in Nigeria because of the appalling health system.  Miracles do happen but not on a routine basis - in anycase your health care cannot be based on miracles. Even more amaxing is the fact the charlatans fly their families abroad when they fall ill possibly on the same private planes. Now where did the money from the planes come from - from the congregation!! Come on people - lets not be so st*pid. When Oyedepo's wife fell ill - the best doctors were called - when a poorer member of the congregation falls ill with a serious illness - he/she dies.

Oyedepo and co like to be called 'daddy/papa' by members of their congregation - what father would treat his children in such a callous/wicked manner ?

^^^

Oledepo's new jet is a gulf stream 5 and it cost a whopping thirty million dollars. That is apart from the cost of the previous one.

jidex119:




Winners Chapel
The church, Winners Chapel, Oyedepo revealed was a mandate given by God. "I went to see a friend. This friend was not in and I was very disappointed. There was Modakeke crisis in Ife . The place was llesa. I had friends in llesa, but the Lord said: 'Seek a quiet place, I want to talk to you.' I got a hotel in the outskirts and as I knelt down to say, 'Father I thank you,' that was all knew. It took me 18 hours in a vision of heaven. I saw the afflicted masses on the earth. I was crying, I was sobbing. I was not sleeping. I saw an array of afflicted people before me. Groaning and agonising for rescue. I asked: 'What is it Lord?' And I heard a voice say: "But from the beginning, it was not so. The hour has come to liberate the world from all oppression of the devil through the preaching of the word of faith and I'm sending you to undertake this task. That was May 1 and 2, 1981. The voice I was privileged to catch in 1976 became the live-wire of this ministry today.'
me, I will yet re-locate my church. On December 30, we dedi­cated the church”

The bolded is  what I find puzzling.  Liberate the world from oppresion? The last time I checked, Palestine is still oppresed, Somalia is stateless, poverty in kenya, Libya in turmoil, various forms of oppression still occuring around the world.

Which world did God speak to him about?

In Nigeria for instance, oppression is an understatement. From  Extreme poverty to incredible opulance, and God told this guy to "Liberate the world", really?? and he or his church acquired jets for transportation. lol, Liberate?

Did God tell anyone he spoke to him??

It is always inspiring to read about MOG, the passion, sacrifice and love for the master is always encouraging. If they can do it, i can also do it. Bishop continue the good work, you are an example to follow indeed. When i read articles like this i seat down and think about my commitment to the master's work.

dare2think:

The bolded is what I find puzzling. Liberate the world from oppresion? The last time I checked, Palestine is still oppresed, Somalia is stateless, poverty in kenya, Libya in turmoil, various forms of oppression still occuring around the world.

He did succeed in liberating himself

@op

There are just too many things in that story I find appalling.

Jeez, these men are too pathetic. Their s.tupid saviour mentality derived from their mountain sized egos does not cease to amaze me.

"Mandate given by God" my (you know what)  

Nonsense.

@Earswide

The information you have given as sad as it is possibly has very little impact on most of the followers of these men, most have completely lost the use of their brains when it comes to "men of god".

Oyedepo is a goat head. He took 30 million $ from poor, and use it to buy a private jet,

@KunleOshob

Thanks, I was been conservative so the mugus dont start playing with numbers

@eyzhvntsn
I really find it hard to understand how anyone can justify Oyedepo's actions. This is the same fool that had a special service dedicated to 'destroying your enemies'

@Winner Chapel Members
Doesnt any of you have any misgivings about buying two planes in the midst of so much poverty.

EarsWide:



@Winner Chapel Members
Doesnt any of you have any misgivings about buying two planes in the midst of so much poverty.

Dude, Bigots don't reason, there minds fluster at the mention of thought and due to their incomprehension, they either find silly excuses or resort to name calling and baseless innuendoes. Reason is their GREATEST ENEMY AND THEY ALWAYS RUN AWAY FROM IT.

jidex119:

This is for those who dont know much about David Oyedepo yet they speak evil about him

Why do you not understand the implications of something as simple as owning two jets in a country such as Nigeria? The man's source of income unless I'm mistaken was mostly via his church and her members.
Consider this: General Motors, Toyota Corp and Volkswagen do not have private jets. These are large companies with a global reach and huge financial resources. Yet we have a man who runs a church in a poor country owning two. Please think of this.

Sighs, homer, homer, homer


Pls read my comments above your recent post.


REASON IS AN IGNORANT'S MIND GREATEST ENEMY.

Joagbaje:

Why does FED-EX need plane ? . It's just a vehicle .

OMG! This is the dumbest thing I have ever read on NL. what an analogy why does FED-EX need plane is like asking 'why does British Airways need plane?' duuuuh!

word of advice to Earswide & co: There is no point arguing with joagbaje and co. I was in their shoes and understand where they are. It is like a spell, when you are under it you just can't see it even though it's as clear as day. It takes the mercy of the almighty to open someone's eyes to see that they are being deceived

jpworld:

Oyedepo is a goat head. He took 30 million $ from poor, and use it to buy a private jet,

A man of god buys planes and we can easily jump to the conclusion that he took the money from the poor. If they are poor where did they get the money to give to him,
I think we should be more concerned about the fact that these planes are used for missionary work instead of being used by unbelievers to transfer all manners of wrong goods

Azibalua:

A man of god buys planes and we can easily jump to the conclusion that he took the money from the poor. If they are poor where did they get the money to give to him,
I think we should be more concerned about the fact that these planes are used for missionary work instead of being used by unbelievers to transfer all manners of wrong goods

Can you please give the doubters an example of the missionary work the planes have been used for.

Thank you.

Why not start first by giving examples of what you think the planes are used for

Azibalua:

Why not start first by giving examples of what you think the planes are used for

I only asked a simple question. You dont answer a Question with another question.

Just say you dont know. Simple.

Travvelling to minister in other countries,
Conveying materials to other parts of the world

Azibalua:

Travvelling to minister in other countries,
Conveying[b] materials [/b] to other parts of the world

What sort of materials?

Am asking innocently.

Answer my question

Azibalua:

Why not start first by giving examples of what you think the planes are used for

Firstly, I dont think there is a need for a plane in a poverty stricken country like Nigeria. The money for the plane and its maintainance can be used productively on welfare and the less priveledged, not only to church members but anyone who needs help.

"Love thy neighbor" not love thy Christain neighbor.

To answer your question, I think the planes are used to satify Oyedepo's ego, and an unecessary show of wealth in a country or continent ravaged by poverty and disease.

So, what materials do they carry?

food? mosquito nets? what materials does a luxury jet carry??