Oyedepo defends leadership retirements, urges critics to mind themselves

The founder of the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), Bishop David Oyedepo, has advised detractors to hold off on challenging the church's choices over the pastors' retirement.

Following rumours that surfaced last week that his two vice presidents, Bishops Thomas Aremu and David Abioye, would be retiring after serving three and four decades in the church, the priest was criticised on social media.

It was learnt that their retirement complies with the church's operating standards, commonly referred to as The Mandate, which functions as the organization's charter.

In response, Oyedepo emphasised the value of attending to one's personal matters during his sermon at Bishop Aremu's farewell service on Tuesday at Winners Chapel in Orita Bashorun.

He disclosed that the church's 1998 Administrative Policy was reassessed in 2001, and its 2012 Mandate was updated in 2024, emphasising that the ministry is guided by divine appointment.

The retirement age was moved from sixty to fifty-five under the amended mandate.

Future church leaders will only be allowed to serve one or two terms of seven years, subject to approval by the Board of Trustees, however the Founder, Oyedepo, will continue to hold the position for life.

But the Bishop cautioned that people hoping for the ministry's demise were wasting their "lives."

"My advice to commentators is to study, be quiet, and mind your own business," he declared. Finding out what makes something function and studying what is effective are wise moves. Here, everything functions as it should.

He cautioned Bishop Aremu against taking a spiritual vacation, urging him to maintain God at the core of his life.

Bishop Oyedepo asserted that no one has an inheritance in a pastor or teacher, citing Genesis 49:26 in the Bible.

Saying, "There's no such thing as the best today or tomorrow; what matters is your pursuit of God," he urged him to keep an optimistic outlook on life.

In order to maintain the flow of grace, Oyedepo advised Aremu to stay in touch and cautioned him not to let unjustified criticism divert him.

Aremu had earlier in his speech that he had no plans to resign from Winners Chapel and start his own church.

"God hasn't given me the ability to start a church, so I don't have one and I never will. It's my church, he declared.

Aremu, a former accountant, left his excellent job in his sector to enter full-time preaching.

Among the seven bishops consecrated at the Garden of Faith in Kaduna in November 1999, he is notable for being the only one still alive.

The goodbye ceremony for Bishop Abioye is scheduled for Friday, October 18, 2024, in Durumi, Abuja.

"God hasn't given me the ability to start a church, so I don't have one and I never will. It's my church, he declared.

Aremu, a former accountant, left his excellent job in his sector to enter full-time preaching.

Among the seven bishops consecrated at the Garden of Faith in Kaduna in November 1999, he is notable for being the only one still alive.
The goodbye ceremony for Bishop Abioye is scheduled for Friday, October 18, 2024, in Durumi, Abuja.