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David Oyedepo received a mandate from God in an 18 hour long 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 (LFCWW), first called Liberation Faith Hour Ministries, in 1981.
In 1982 he married Florence Abiola Akano (now known as Faith). They have four children together (David Jr., Isaac, Love and Joys). David Jr. and Isaac Oyedepo were ordained as Pastors in May 2007 by Kenneth Copeland.
On September 27, 1954, Bishop David Olaniyi Oyedepo, a native of Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria, was born in Osogbo into a religiously mixed family. His father, Ibrahim, was a Muslim healer, while 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 inculcated in him the virtues of Christian life through the early morning prayers which he attended with her. She also taught him the importance of tithing and other basic Christian virtues.
David Oyedepo was “born again” in 1969 through the influence of his former teacher, Ms. Betty Lasher, who took special interest in him during his high school days. He studied Architecture at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin and worked briefly with the Federal Ministry of Housing in Ilorin before resigning to concentrate on missionary work. David Oyedepo also earned a Ph.D. in Human Development from Honolulu University, Hawaii, United States of America.
David Oyedepo received a mandate from God in an 18 hour long 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 (LFCWW), first called Liberation Faith Hour Ministries, in 1981. Two years after, on September 17, 1983, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, ordained David Oyedepo and his wife, Florence Abiola Akano (now known as Faith Abiola Oyedepo) as pastors and also officially commissioned the newly started church. Five years after, David Oyedepo was ordained a Bishop.
Living Faith Church (AKA Winners Chapel) started in Kaduna, but David Oyedepo moved to Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria in September 1989, to start a new branch after receiving an instruction from God to reach out to the population in Lagos. This Church in Lagos grew to become the International headquarters of Living Faith Church, with a constantly increasing flow of crowds spilling over to adjacent roads, and on decks of uncompleted buildings nearby, compelling people to stand for hours to listen to his teachings. This led to the building of the renowned Faith Tabernacle, as instructed by God.
David Oyedepo is an acclaimed author and publisher who has written over 70 titles apart from periodicals. He is also Chairman/Publisher of Dominion Publishing House (DPH), a publishing arm of his ministry. DPH has over 4 million prints in circulation to date. Through God’s grace upon him, Covenant University, Landmark University, Faith Academy and Kingdom Heritage Model Schools have been established to equip the youth for impact.
And the Lord said to me " 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"
Our Mandate speaks of liberation in all facets of human existence, we focus mainly on destinies that have been afflicted, battered, beaten, tattered, deformed and subsequently in groaning and agonies, as a result of pains, pangs and crying. This is the mandate. The hour has come to liberate the world from all oppression 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.
When Bishop David Oyedepo founded Living Faith Church Worldwide in 1981, he initially saw his mandate as more of an outreach ministry rather than establishing new churches. At the time, church planting was not a priority. The focus was on seeking revival in existing churches. Also, the mandate he received did not specifically mention starting a new church. Bishop Oyedepo thought the calling was for outreach, reasoning that there were enough churches already.
However, one morning the Lord spoke to Bishop Oyedepo through Luke chapter one, verses 1-3, impressing upon him that while many churches existed, God was giving him a portion of the church ministry to fulfill. “I also…” became a marching order to launch church plants as his part in the wider body of Christ.
What began as outreach became a church ministry that has grown into a global phenomenon under Bishop Oyedepo’s leadership. Living Faith Church Worldwide serves as the fulfillment of the God-given mandate to plant Life-changing churches that minister to needs across the world. To God alone be the glory!
On 1998, David Oyedepo set forth to build a new building to accommodate the increasing number of worshippers. This resulted in the Ministry’s acquisition of the initial 530-acre (2.1 km2) facility, known as Canaanland, which serves as the headquarters of the Ministry. It is the home of the 50,000-seat capacity auditorium, the ‘Faith Tabernacle’, which is reputed to be the largest Church auditorium in the world; a feat also recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.
Winners Chapel International, Maryland (WCIMD) is a branch of Living Faith Church Worldwide under the leadership of presiding Bishop Oyedepo. WCIMD was established in January 2008 as the very first Winners Chapel location in the state. Since its inauguration, church has experienced tremendous growth by God’s grace, fulfilling the liberation mandate entrusted to Bishop Oyedepo. WCIMD continues to carry out this life-changing mission as Maryland expansion of an internationally-impacting ministry.
For close to three decades, Joseph has faithfully served within the Winners Chapel International Church network (Living Faith Church Worldwide) in Minnesota, Houston, New York, Nigeria, Argentina, Suriname, Samoa, and Vanuatu. He is deeply committed to enhancing lives and fostering success in both personal and professional spheres. Throughout his career, he has devoted himself to empowering individuals and families through nurturing their growth and well-being, and this commitment is evident in his writing. Joseph has a Bachelor of Engineering Degree, a Master of Business Administration, and a distinguished Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership and quietly exemplifies exceptional leadership. Under the tutelage of his spiritual father, Bishop David Oyedepo, he has journeyed across the world, championing his cause.
His vision spans numerous focus areas, including self-improvement, relationships, marriage dynamics, family dynamics, ministry growth, management principles, business intelligence, and leadership development. He is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. (AACC). Joseph is happily married and blessed with a family of wonderful children who teach him as much about life as he does them.
We exist to bring God’s freedom to everyone. We love to care for people who have been hurt. This is our mandate.
First Service: 8:00 am
Second Service: 10:30 am
Wednesdays at 6:00 pm
4825 Glenn Dale Rd, Bowie, MD 20720
