Dr
David O. Oyedepo is a
Nigerian Christian author, preacher, the founder and presiding Bishop
of Living Faith Church World Wide, also known as Winners'
Chapel, and its affiliated international churches known as
Winners Chapel International, with headquarters in Ota,
Ogun State,
Nigeria. Oyedepo is the senior pastor of Faith Tabernacle, a 50,000
seat church auditorium, reported to be the largest church auditorium
in the world by the Guinness Book of Records.
The Winners'
Chapel network of churches is located in over 300 cities, in all
states of Nigeria, as well as, in several cities in 45 African
nations, Dubai, the United Kingdom and the United States. Oyedepo has
been seen as one of the pioneers of the Christian charismatic
movement in Africa and has been referred to as one of the most
powerful preachers in Nigeria. He is the Chancellor of Covenant
University and Landmark
University. He was named in 2011 by Forbes
magazine as being the richest pastor in Nigeria.
Bishop
David Oyedepo
In 2014 Bishop
Oyedepo was banned from entering the UK over church corruption that
includes money laundering, violation of human right. A few years ago,
Bishop Oyedepo provoked international outrage when videotapes of one
of his church events showed him slapping a teenage girl he accused of
being a witch. In the face of mounting criticism, including calls for
his arrest for assaulting a minor.
According to the
source, the ban arose from preliminary investigations by Britain’s
Charity Commission that determined that monies donated to Bishop
Oyedepo’s church for charitable purposes were funneled to Nigeria
to fund the preacher’s flamboyant lifestyle.
Bishop Oyedepo
owns a plush private jet and has a fleet of expensive cars, among
many other astonishing personal assets.
Bishop Oyedepo
was barred from entering the United Kingdom in July 2014. At the time
it was noted that Bishop Oyedepo and one of his sons had been aware
of the probe of church finances for at least four years now. It was
gathered that the probe was triggered after the British Charity
Commission found out that the wealthy pastor had taken out more than
£16 million from the UK since 2009. He added that the commission
closely monitors any repatriation of church resources, disclosing
that any repatriation of funds of that size was most likely illegal.
According to the
source, Bishop Oyedepo claimed that he was running a not-for-profit
religious organization, “but the commission determined that he was
diverting funds to engage in a series of profitable ventures.”
Bishop
Oyedepo, who recently turned 61, is now cleared of all the
allegations of wrong doing and he can enter UK at any time now.
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