Liberating the world from all oppressions of the devil through the preaching of the Word of Faith.

The Journey Scroll to walk through the milestones

  1. He was born in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.

    September 271954

  2. At age 10, heaven became so real to him that he wanted to literally run to heaven, knock on the gates, enter, and remain there.

    1964

  3. He started preaching using his grandmother's sitting room as his church hall, her soup cupboard as a podium and five other young boys as his congregation.

    1964 – 1967

  4. He asked a carpenter to make him a rod so he could use it to divide the Red Sea and take people to the Promised Land like Moses did.

    1966

  5. He heard about being born again for the first time, after persecuting and throwing stones at anyone who had previously tried to preach to him.

    1968

  6. He gave his life to Christ, as led by a Christian missionary, Betty Lasher.

    February 191969

  7. He was delivered from the plague of tuberculosis.

    1969

  8. He attended his first Christian conference, organised by the Fellowship of Christian Students (F.C.S.) with the theme “God is not slow.”

    1970

  9. He prayed for his lifeless brother, and he was raised back to life. At 16, he saw from the scriptures in Lamentations 3:27 that taking responsibility early is what secures the future.

    1970

  10. As a student leader in the school, he organised special prayer meetings while other students were partying. He also introduced fasting to the students.

    1971

  11. He rejected a “good luck charm” from his father, who wasn't in the faith then.

    1972

  12. He visited a village as a teacher, turned the village unto the Lord, and built a church there after forty days. On his last day he was presented with a prophetic lantern that read, “This light you brought into our village, let it shine around the world.”

    1972

  13. He got a clear assurance of a victory mentality from the Bible.

    1973

  14. At the age of 20, he encountered light from the Scriptures on the importance of financial integrity.

    1974

  15. The first time he experienced the guiding ministry of the Holy Spirit, after reading “Purpose of Pentecost” by T.L. Osborn.

    August 121976

  16. He entered into a covenant of dedication to Christ, which he termed “Sailing Under Sealed Orders”, after reading “The Man God Uses” by Oswald J. Smith.

    1976

  17. He discovered the mystery of Matthew 6:33: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and ALL other things shall be added unto you.”

    September1976

  18. He read almost all the faith books of Kenneth E. Hagin, which formed a strong faith platform for his life and future tasks. E.W. Kenyon's books brought him encounters with revelation and redemption.

    1976 – 1981

  19. He encountered the anointing of boldness from the books of Smith Wigglesworth, and was launched into prosperity through Kenneth and Gloria Copeland's “The Laws of Prosperity” and “God's Will is Prosperity” — and he screamed, “Yeee! I can never be poor!”

    1976 – 1981

  20. He had an encounter on the mountain in Imo hill, Ilesha, where he studied the book of Ezekiel. There, God told him, “I have touched your tongue with a coal of fire; henceforth, as you say it, you see it.”

    July 231977

  21. God said to him, “Do not borrow.” He asked why, and God gave him the scripture, Proverbs 22:7. Since then, he has never borrowed.

    1977

  22. He got the light of a “far above mentality” from Ephesians 2:6-7 while reading the book ‘Apostle of Faith’ authored by Smith Wigglesworth.

    1979

  23. He received the
    Liberation Mandate

    May 21981

  24. He began his teaching ministry through a weekly fellowship meeting called ‘Faith Liberation Hour’ and a monthly seminar that covers Friday evening.

    May 291981

  25. He got married to his wife, now Pastor Mrs. Faith Oyedepo.

    August 211982

  26. He began his church ministry and planted the first church in Kaduna, called Living Faith World Outreach.

    December 111983

  27. He published and released his first 2 books, including ‘The Miracle Seed and the Law of Faith’.

    April 251985

  28. He founded the Word of Faith Bible Institute, which today runs across many nations of the world.

    September 11986

  29. He began church planting work in the northern part of Nigeria.

    May1987

  30. His mission acquired a 13-acre property in a prime area of Kaduna city called Garden of Faith.

    September1989

  31. He moved into Lagos, following a divine mandate: “Arise, get down to Lagos and raise me a people.”

    September 241989

  32. He founded Dominion Publishing House, whose printing press has today grown to an industrial scale and is currently publishing Bibles.

    July1992

  33. Following another divine mandate, “the harvest of Africa is overripe, rush in and preserve it from decadence”, he embarked on Mission to Africa. Today, his mission has a strong presence in over 41 nations of Africa.

    January1994

  34. He led a great revival at the Lagos church that took the church from about 3,500 to 50,000 within 5 years.

    1994 – 1999

  35. His mission took delivery of the first mission aircraft.

    September 181996

  36. His mission acquired 530 acres of property on the outskirts of Ota, a suburb of Lagos, which is today called Canaanland.

    May1998

  37. A 50,000-seat capacity sanctuary called Faith Tabernacle was built and dedicated within one year, to the glory of God.

    1998 – 1999

  38. He started the annual convocation of Winners worldwide, tagged “Shiloh”, which now transmits to about 177 nations in real time and draws delegates from between 50 and 60 nations annually, with millions gathering at various viewing centers across Nigeria and many other nations of the world.

    1999

  39. He embarked on Mission to the world, covering Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

    August2000

  40. He founded Covenant University, which is today listed among the elite universities of the world.

    October2002

  41. He founded Landmark University, a university blazing the trail today within the Nigerian university education space.

    March2011

  42. He led a great church growth revival that doubled the attendance of the Lagos church twice within 6 months. Today, the Faith Tabernacle is said to be the largest local church congregation in the world, which runs four services every Sunday with about 38,000 home cells.

    May to October2015

  43. By divine instruction, he led the planting of over 5,000 churches across Nigeria within one year.

    2019

  44. By divine signal, he led the planting of over 10,000 churches within one year across Nigeria and over 1,200 others across 35 other nations of the world, in spite of the restriction by the global lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    2020

  45. By divine instruction, he led the replication of over 21,000 new home cells within one year at Faith Tabernacle, which represents about a hundred percent of the existing home cells.

    2021

  46. He led the planting of churches in 80 additional nations across 4 continents of the world.

    2022

Founder & President, Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners’ Chapel International.

Received on May 2, 1981: “The hour has come to liberate the world from all oppressions of the devil through the preaching of the word of faith, and I am sending you to undertake this task.”

Founder and President of Living Faith Church Worldwide, and Chancellor of both Covenant University and Landmark University.

Biography

Founder & President, Living Faith Church Worldwide

The story

  1. The calling

    Bishop David O. Oyedepo received a call into the ministry through a heavenly vision, where he saw a lineup of battered, beaten, tattered, deformed, groaning for escape. He began sobbing. In response to his question, ‘but why Lord?’ God answered:

    “But from the beginning it was not so, and now the hour has come to liberate the whole world from all oppression of the devil through the preaching of the word of faith, and I AM sending you to undertake this task.”

    Bishop David Oyedepo preaching into a microphone against a red stage backdrop

  2. Apostle of Faith

    Today, he stands as an Apostle of Faith to the nations, the impact of whose ministry has continued to spread across many nations of the world. As an accomplished author, he has written over 100 titles, which circulate both in hard copy and in online stores around the world. A number of these titles have been translated into other major languages of the world, including French, Chinese, Spanish and others.

    Bishop David Oyedepo pointing as he teaches before a congregation

  3. The church

    He is the Founder and President of Living Faith Church Worldwide, aka Winners’ Chapel International, and presently oversees over 21,000 churches across Nigeria and several thousand across six major continents of the world. He is the founding and Senior Pastor of the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria, the international headquarters of the Church, which is reputed to be the largest single congregation in the world.

    Bishop David Oyedepo in a white agbada on the stage at Faith Tabernacle

  4. A leader of renown

    As a leader of renown, he has redefined leadership as an evolution of values. Today, he is spearheading a revolution in education across the nation, through his network of primary and secondary schools and the establishment of two thriving universities, namely Covenant University, Ota, Lagos and Landmark University, Omuaran, Kwara State, both in Nigeria.

    Close-up of Bishop David Oyedepo in profile as he ministers

A ministry in numbers

  1. 21,000+
    Churches across Nigeria and several thousand more across six major continents
  2. 100,000
    Seats in the sanctuary now being built Foundation laid March 25, 2021
  3. 177
    Nations receiving Shiloh in real time the annual convocation of Winners worldwide
  4. 41+
    Nations of Africa reached through Mission to Africa
  5. 38,000
    Home cells at Faith Tabernacle with four services every Sunday
  6. 530
    Acres at Canaanland, Ota the international headquarters of the Church
  7. 100+
    Books authored translated into French, Chinese, Spanish and more
  8. 2
    Thriving universities Covenant University and Landmark University

Recognition

  1. Fellowship

    Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Education

    FNAE

  2. Award · 2011

    Award in recognition of Leadership in Enhancing Academic and Research Excellence in Higher Education

    Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA

  3. Award · 2012

    Distinguished Award for Excellence in Education, Administration and Leadership

    Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

  4. Fellowship

    Fellow of the Nigerian Society for Financial Research

    FNSFR

  5. Fellowship

    Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Strategic Management

    FNISM

  6. Honorary doctorate

    Honorary Doctor of Divinity

    Bethel Graduate School of Theology, Riverside, California

  7. National honour · 2008

    A road named after him by the Federal Government of Nigeria

    in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

  8. Recognition

    Listed among the 100 most reputable people on earth

    2 times running

Positions currently held

  • Founder and President, Living Faith Church Worldwide aka Winners’ Chapel International

  • President, Word of Faith Bible Institute

  • President, Dominion Publishing House

  • Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Regents, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria

  • Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Regents, Landmark University, Omuaran, Nigeria

Mission statement

18hour vision

Our Mandate for ministry was received from the LORD Himself in an 18-hour vision. During this vision, a commission was received from the LORD to liberate mankind in all facets of human existence, to restore broken destinies, and to bring healing to the sick and brokenhearted.

This was the Divine mandate received from the LORD:

“The hour has come to liberate the world from all oppressions of the devil through the preaching of the word of faith, and I am sending you to undertake this task.”

Today, testimonies of liberation through our messages, books, tapes, magazines and other periodicals are most humbling. The word of faith is working like fire for the liberation of mankind across the nations.

Bishop David Oyedepo with arms open beside the pulpit, in black and white
“It is not a secret, it is a system.”
Bishop David Oyedepo standing with hands together, in black and white
“You don't need to be powerful, you only need to be connected.”
Bishop David Oyedepo gesturing as he teaches, in black and white
“Faith is not a risk, it is a risk not to have faith.”

Global Impact

Education

Pioneering excellence through Covenant & Landmark Universities.

  • Covenant University, Ota · 2002
  • Landmark University, Omuaran · 2011

Ministry

Over 21,000 churches across Nigeria, and several thousand more across six continents.

  • Churches in 80 additional nations · 2022

Philanthropy

David Oyedepo Foundation empowering the next generation.

Books

Visit the Dominion online store