Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide also known as Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo has said it is foolish for any ministry founder to turn the Ministry to a personal property and family inheritance, warning that such step will ruin the Church.
Oyedepo was speaking during one of the Church’s programmes monitored online by Church Times .
In the sermon, the living faith founder said many charismatic churches have died because their founders made those churches family business.
He said the living faith church has a succession plan which is in the booklet called Mandate and available for everybody to read.
‘in this church the moment you’re 70 as the leader of the Church, you step aside and select three people to be presented to the church council.
‘The church council will pick from the three. But if they are not qualified the leader will be given another opportunity to present three people and afterwards step aside for the council to take over while they sort out the leadership issue.’ he said.
He said making Church a family business is a disservice to the kingdom of God while also warning that servants of God should refrain from calling their children to Ministry.
“When your church becomes a personal property it is dead on arrival. Don’t call your children to ministry. If you do you will frustrate their destiny. Let them be positioned where they belong.’ he warned.
Recalling his ministry exploits, he said, ‘I have been preaching since 1976 holding open air crusade. In 1977 I preached to at least to someone every day.
“How many men of my age and grace are on the streets today going from place to place preaching the gospel. And I am not interested in them coming to my church when I preach to them. I am interested in them coming to know the Lord and being rescued from darkness.’
Bishop Oyedepo have been severally criticized for making Winners’ Chapel a family business. His first son who also bears David is the resident pastor of the headquarter church in Ota Ogun State. His other son Isaac Oyedepo is the pastor of the Church in Maryland US.
It may be hard to convince many that Oyedepo is walking his talk. But from the way his son is going with ministry it seems clear that he has a personal call upon his life.
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