Renown American televangelist Kenneth Copeland on Sunday joined David Oyedepo, 63, the founder and presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners’ Chapel, as the ministry marked 37 years of existence with a thanksgiving service.
Before Copeland left USA, photos made rounds on social media of Pastors at Eagle Mountain Church, Forthworth, praying for him in preparation for the African visit.
The anniversary celebration, graced by various church, political leaders and member of the congregation from Lagos and Ota, Ogun State among others happened at the Ministry’s headquarter, Faith Tabernacle – Canaanland.
Faith Tabernacle is reported to be the largest church auditorium in the world by the Guinness World Records.
Bishop Oyedepo, according to local sources, received a 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, 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 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 claimed to have received instructions from God to reach out to the people of Lagos.
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 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, accoridng to the ministry.
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