Bishop David Oyedepo |
Bishop David Oyedepo is one of the most
beloved clerics in Nigeria and was ranked Nigeria’s richest pastor, according
to the recent 2018 Forbes list. But, there is still so much that people do not
know about him.
Here are 10 things you need to know
about Bishop Oyedepo.
1. He comes from a mixed-faith
background
The beloved Man of God was born on
September 27, 1954, to a Muslim healer father while his mother reportedly went
to Cherubim and Seraphim.
His parents were named Ibrahim and
Dorcas.
2. We have a teacher to thank for
his Christian faith
Reportedly, the Bishop became born
again through the help of Betty Lasher, who was a missionary teacher. This
event took place on February 19, 1969.
3. His grandmother played a huge
role in his life
Prior to his teacher, Lasher,
Bishop Oyedepo’s grandmother set him on the Christian path.
During his stay with her in
Osogbo, he learned about early morning prayers and tithing. She is said to have
been a devout Anglican.
4. Before he became Bishop
Oyedepo, he was really into school
Years before his missionary work,
he studied Architecture at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin. Eventually, he also
got a Ph.D. in Human Development from Honolulu University, Hawaii, United
States of America.
He got to use his architectural
degree briefly when he worked the Federal Ministry of Housing in Ilorin.
5. His missionary work began in
1981
Bishop Oyedepo left the ministry
for the House of God after receiving a mandate from God in an 18-hour long
vision. This occurred in May 1981. Before this revelation, it has been reported
that he shared the gospel for the first time in March 1970.
6. Living Faith began in Kaduna state
After this vision, the Living
Faith Church (a.k.a Winners Chapel) was born, originally as Liberation Faith
Hour Ministries, in Kaduna state.
He was ordained to the full-time
ministry by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian
Church of God (RCCG) on September 17, 1983. He became an ordained Bishop five
years after.
Eventually, Bishop Oyedepo moved
to Lagos, where a new branch was born in September 1989. This was the result of
a divine instruction to reach out to Lagosians.
Years later, the well
known 50,000-seater Faith Tabernacle was built to handle the crowd.
7. He has a couple of mentors
Bishop Oyedepo looks up to Kenneth
Copeland, Gloria Copeland, the late Kenneth E. Hagin, T.L Osborn, Smith
Wigglesworth, Pastor Adeboye and the late Arch-Bishop Benson Idahosa.
8. He is also an author and
president of a huge organization
Bishop Oyedepo is not just a
cleric as he is also an author of many bestsellers. These include Pillars of
Faith, Born to Win, and Possessing your Possession.
On the other hand, he is the
President of David Oyedepo Ministries International (DOMI). This organization
comprises of all the Living Faith Churches Worldwide, and World Mission Agency
(WMA); which is the global missionary arm of the church’s operations.
Covenant University, Ota, Landmark
University at Omu Aran, Crown University at Calabar, Kingdom Heritage Model
School, Faith Academy in Canaanland, Ota and the Dominion Publishing House
(DPH); the publishing arm of the church also fall under DOMI.
Reportedly, DPH has published over
4 million prints since its establishment on December 5, 1992.
9. Where Bishop Oydepo’s money
does NOT come from
Over the years, the preacher has
faced many accusations concerning the source of his wealth.
In 2017, he reacted to the rumors
that he maintains his private jets with the church’s money.
During the interview with the
Education Explorer, the pastor said, “I feel very good. It’s an opinion.
Let me tell you what my understanding of persecution is; it’s simply an opinion
harshly expressed. And everybody has a right to his opinion.
“People who are walking in the
truth are hardly bothered when things are said negatively about them because
they have nothing to hide. The truth is I have never felt it, some say it’s not
human, but I have not. I can’t be wasting my time trying to reply lies because
I have too many things to do.
“They are doing their work, let
me be doing my work too and before they wake up in the morning, I’ve done the
next one, so, it doesn’t matter. My idea of it is that, in a football match,
you have only 22 people playing with thousands of spectators.
“And that is the way it is in the
journey of life. In every field, you find just a few players and many
spectators, multitudes. If we don’t know where to place opinions, they will
displace us.”
While announcing the expansion of
his publishing ministry last year, Bishop Oyedepo responded to allegations that
he makes his money off his books.
In his words, “I have
never drawn a dime from my books once-we only feed on the testimonies that come
in.
“No author from DPH earns a dime
from the books in DPH yet it sells around the world. We sell the cheapest of
all Christian literature and we produce among the best.
“The Church has never drawn from
DPH since inception. Why are we so blessed? We are doing the right thing.
“Is it wrong to get money from
books? No, but that’s not my style with Jesus.”
10. Family Life
Bishop Oyedepo met his wife,
former Miss Florence Abiola Akano, when he was only 22 years old at a motor
park.
They tied the knot in 1982. Now,
his wife is known as Pastor Mrs. Faith Abiola Oyedepo.
Their marriage has been blessed
with four children (David Jr., Isaac, Love, and Joy).
David Jr. and Isaac Oyedepo became
pastors after they were ordained by Kenneth Copeland in May 2007.
***
Compiled by Pulse
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
No comments:
Post a Comment