Bishop David Oyedepo, wey be de founder of Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), don defend de decision of de church to retire two of its senior leaders. De controversy start after people hear say Bishops Thomas Aremu and David Abioye, wey don serve de ministry for long, go retire. Aremu don serve for three decades, while Abioye don dedicate four decades to de church.
Oyedepo talk dis during Bishop Aremu’s valedictory service at Winners Chapel, Orita Bashorun, on Tuesday. He explain say de decision align with de church’s operational guidelines, known as ‘The Mandate’, which function as its constitution. He say de church’s administrative policy, wey dem establish in 1998, was revised in 2001, and The Mandate was again updated in 2024.
One of de key changes in de revised guidelines be de adjustment of de retirement age from 60 to 55. While Oyedepo retain de right to serve for life as de church’s founder, future leaders will be limited to serving one or two terms of seven years, subject to approval by de Board of Trustees.
Oyedepo advise critics to focus on their own lives instead of meddling in de church’s internal affairs. He say, “My advice to commentators is to study to be quiet and mind your business. It is wisdom to learn what is working and find out what makes it work. Everything works here.”
He encourage Bishop Aremu to keep God at de center of his life, warning that taking a spiritual break is risky. Drawing from Genesis 49:26, Oyedepo remind de congregation that no one inherits from a teacher or pastor and urge Aremu to continue pursuing growth in his spiritual journey.
Aremu, in response, affirm his commitment to de church, stating that he has no intention of establishing his own ministry after retirement. “I don’t have a church, and I cannot have a church because God has not infused me with de capacity to do so. This is my church,” Aremu declare.
As de last surviving bishop among those consecrated in 1999 at de Garden of Faith in Kaduna, Aremu’s transition mark a significant moment for de church. Bishop Abioye’s farewell service is scheduled for Friday, October 18, 2024, at Winners Chapel in Durumi, Abuja.
