Living Faith Church Worldwide

== History ==
The beginning of the church manifested on May 2, 1981, when [[David Oyedepo]] (aged 26) had a spiritual encounter while lodging in one of the rooms within the International Hotel located in the Omi-Asoro Quarters of Ilesa city, in the present day [[Osun State]] of [[Nigeria]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN9rWU-DvnI|title = This is the Building Where God Called Bishop David Oyedepo|website = [[YouTube]]}}</ref> He claimed to have an eighteen-hour supernatural encounter which was a vision from God. God spoke to him saying, "Now the hour has come to liberate the world from all oppressions of the devil, through the preaching of the [[Word of Faith|Word of faith]]; and I am sending you to undertake this task".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://domi.org.ng/about |access-date=June 6, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602142147/http://domi.org.ng/about |archive-date=June 2, 2012 |title=About Us &#124; David Oyedepo Ministries International }}</ref> In 1983, the church began operating with four members on December 11.<ref name="Martin Lindhardt 2014, page 115">Martin Lindhardt, ''Pentecostalism in Africa: Presence and Impact of Pneumatic Christianity in Postcolonial Societies'', BRILL, Leiden, 2014, page  115</ref>

=== Faith Tabernacle===

[[Canaanland]] was procured in 1998 and was initially {{convert|560|acre|km2}}. It is in [[Ota, Ogun]], [[Nigeria]]. The church's international headquarters, [[Faith Tabernacle]], was built in Cannanland between 1998 and 1999, taking twelve months to complete.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.africanpastors.net/Pastors%20Webpages/David%20Oyedepo.html |access-date=June 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428040226/http://www.africanpastors.net/Pastors%20Webpages/David%20Oyedepo.html |archive-date=April 28, 2012 |title=Bishop David Oyedepo Profile }}</ref> The foundation laying took place on August 29, 1998.

In 1999, the [[Faith Tabernacle]] was inaugurated with 50,400 seats.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/542154.stm|title=Church of the 50,000 faithful |publisher=News.bbc.co.uk|access-date=5 November 2014}}</ref>

On Dec 11 2013, Oyedepo's first son, David Oyedepo Jnr, ministered for the first time at the church's annual Shiloh gathering.

In December 2015, Oyedepo Jnr became the resident pastor of the Faith Tabernacle. 

=== The Ark ===
In 2019, Bishop Oyedepo announced the commencement of the construction of a 100,000 capacity sanctuary called "The Ark" (It was formerly called Faith Theatre).<ref>Emmanuel Leke, [https://theeagleonline.com.ng/living-faith-begins-construction-of-100000-seat-capacity-auditorium/ Living Faith begins construction of 100,000-seat capacity auditorium] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331040319/https://theeagleonline.com.ng/living-faith-begins-construction-of-100000-seat-capacity-auditorium/ |date=2019-03-31 }}, theeagleonline.com.ng, Nigeria, December 12, 2015</ref> The Ark will specifically include a 20 Floor Mission Tower (International Headquarters Facility). In 2021, it began construction of a temple called The Ark with 109,345 seats, next to [[Faith Tabernacle]].<ref> PM, [https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2022/03/13/adeboye-visits-oyedepos-200m-ark-legacy-project/ Adeboye visits Oyedepo's $200m Ark Legacy Project], pmnewsnigeria.com, Nigeria, 13th March, 2022</ref>