David Oyedepo

==Ministry==
Oyedepo became "[[born again]]" in 1969, through the influence of his teacher Betty Lasher (18 June 1930 – 26 August 2022), who took an interest in him during his high school days. According to him, he received a mandate from God through an 18-hour vision in May 1981, to liberate the world from all oppressions of the devil through the preaching of the word of faith.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mandate|url=http://faithtabernacle.org.ng/aboutus/|access-date=2019-04-18|archive-date=20 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420141806/http://faithtabernacle.org.ng/aboutus/|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 later, on 17 September 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<ref>{{Cite web|date=30 September 2021|title=Pastor Faith Oyedepo Biography, Family, Net Worth & Lessons From Her...|url=https://christiandiet.com.ng/pastor-faith-oyedepo-biography-family-net-worth-lessons-from-her-life/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Christian Gospel songs – Christian ebooks {{!}} Christian diet|language=en-US}}</ref>) to become pastors and officially commissioned the new church. Five years later, Oyedepo was ordained as Bishop by his life mentor, the late Archbishop [[Benson Idahosa]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=30 September 2017|title=40 REMARKABLE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BENSON IDAHOSA AND BISHOP DAVID OYEDEPO|url=https://www.gospelnaija.com/relationships-2/5295-40-remarkable-similarities-between-benson-idahosa-and-bishop-david-oyedepo|access-date=2022-02-15|website=www.gospelnaija.com|language=en-gb}}</ref>

Living Faith Church (AKA Winners Chapel International) 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.

According to ''[[Forbes]]'', Oyedepo is the wealthiest preacher in the world with a net worth of over US$150&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2 January 2021|title=10 Richest Pastors In The World & Net Worth 2022 [Forbes Ranking]|url=https://richupdates.com/richest-pastors-in-the-world/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=RichUpdates|language=en-US}}</ref> The church owns four private jets and several buildings, including in London and the US. Oyedepo is an author and publisher who has written over 70 titles apart from periodicals. He is the chairman or 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 Secondary School|Faith Academy]], and Kingdom Heritage Model Schools have been established to equip the youth for global impact. The construction of a third university named Crown University is already underway, located in [[Calabar]], [[Cross River State|Cross River]], Nigeria.<ref name=Forbes>{{cite news |url=https://blogs.forbes.com/mfonobongnsehe/2011/06/07/the-five-richest-pastors-in-nigeria/ |title=The Five Richest Pastors In Nigeria |first=Mfonobong |last=Nsehe |work=[[Forbes]] |access-date=12 June 2011 |date=7 June 2011}}</ref>

In 1998, Oyedepo claimed he was instructed by God to build a new base for the commission to accommodate the increasing number of worshippers. This resulted in Oyedepo's church's acquisition of the initial {{convert|530|acre|km2|adj=on}} facility, known as [[Canaanland]], which serves as the headquarters. It is the home of the 50,000-seat capacity auditorium, the 'Faith Tabernacle'.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/542154.stm|access-date=2008-06-08 |work=BBC News |title=Church of the 50,000 faithful |date=30 November 1999}}</ref> This was a feat also recorded by the Guinness Book of Records.<ref>{{cite web |author=Category: Headlines |url=http://www.inprofiledaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=880:bishop-oyedepo-arrives-today-as-empowerment-summit-2009-kicks-off&catid=1:headlines&Itemid=56|title=In Profile Daily |publisher=In Profile Daily |access-date=2014-08-25}}</ref>

Construction was completed within 12 months. Reports also claimed that this building was built debt-free.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200604210188.html |title=Nigeria: Living Faith Church @ 25: Oyedepo Recounts Achievements |access-date=2015-02-05 |date=21 April 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ofmonline.ning.com/forum/topics/2040680:Topic:6313?commentId=2040680:Comment:35105 |title=Reply Deleted |publisher=Ofmonline.ning.com |access-date=2014-08-25 |archive-date=27 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427013248/http://ofmonline.ning.com/forum/topics/2040680:Topic:6313?commentId=2040680:Comment:35105 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
This 50,000-seat edifice was dedicated on 18 September 1999, under the administration of former President [[Olusegun Obasanjo]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Adelegan |first=Femi |date=2013 |title=Nigeria's Leading Lights of the Gospel |publisher=WestBow Press |page=145 |url={{Google books |3hodxvQCAv0C |plainurl=yes}} |isbn=978-1-4497-6953-6 |access-date=2015-02-04}}</ref>

[[Canaanland]] is in Ota, Ogun state, and is the {{convert|5000|acre|km2|adj=on}} estate and campus, that houses The 50,000-seat auditorium, the church secretariat, the church's youth chapel, a primary school called Kingdom heritage model school, a full boarding mission secondary school called Faith Academy, with over 1,500 students and the Covenant University facilities -<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng |title=Covenant University |access-date=2014-08-02}}</ref> which accommodates over 7,000 students, fully resident in ultra-modern hostel facilities – with fully equipped faculty buildings and numerous staff housing facilities. Canaanland campus also has for-profit establishments operated by the church such as a bakery, a bottled water processing plant, a petrol station, various restaurants and shopping stores, and several residential houses that provide for the over 2,000 church employees and guesthouses. Four banks are also present on this Estate, three of which are branches of external commercial banks and one which is a community and [[micro-finance]] Bank operated by the Church. The whole of Canaanland which includes a proposed 15,000 housing estate known as Canaan City had increased to 17,000 acres as of 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cenbank.org/Supervision/fi.asp?name=Covenant%20University%20Microfinance%20Bank%20Limited&institutetype=MicroFinance%20Bank |title=Central Bank of Nigeria &#124; All Financial Institutions &#124; Covenant University Microfinance Bank Limited |publisher=Cenbank.org |date=17 August 2009 |access-date=2014-08-25}}</ref>

The Ministry's biggest annual meeting Shiloh, is held every December in the same Faith Tabernacle and often welcomes thousands of congregants across the world. The ministry is currently building a 100,000-seater auditorium called the "Ark", which is reputed to be the building with the largest span in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|last=JOE|first=IBEH C.|date=5 July 2021|title=Winners' Chapel Ark Is The Building With The Largest Span On Earth – Bishop Oyedepo|url=https://thepreachersportal.org/winners-chapel-ark-is-the-building-with-the-largest-span-on-earth-bishop-oyedepo/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=The Preachers' Portal}}</ref>