Founder and Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners’ Chapel, David Olaniyi Oyedepo, clocked 63 on Wednesday
To celebrate the man members of his church call Papa, we present five interesting things you should know about him.
- Raised in a mixed religious family
His father, Ibrahim, was a Muslim healer. 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. 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.
- Architect turned publisher and educationist
Oyedepo studied architecture at Kwara State Polytechnic and worked briefly with the Federal Ministry of Housing in Ilorin before resigning to concentrate on missionary work. He is today an author who has published over 70 Christian, inspirational and motivational books, mini books, magazines and other resources. He is also the chairman of Dominion Publishing House (DPH), the publishing arm of his 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 underway in Calabar, Cross Rivers, Nigeria.
- Richest pastor in Nigeria
Forbes has named Oyedepo the wealthiest pastor in Nigeria with a net worth of over USD150 million. He owns four private jets and several buildings around the world, including real estate in the United Kingdom and in the United States.
- Christianity comes first
Oyedepo is reported to have refused to help his half-sister because she was not Christian. Alhaja Saratu Bello, a Muslim, lives in a deprived area of Lagos.
- Exorcism controversy
During a “deliverance” service in 2011, Oyedepo slapped a girl on the face with considerable force. He suggested to his kneeling victim that she was involved in witchcraft. She denied this, saying instead she was “a witch for Jesus”. The cleric shouted that Jesus has no witches, but when she insisted, the furious Oyedepo called her “a foul devil”, slapped her violently across the face, and shouted: “You can go and burn in hell.”
