Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The founder of Living Faith Church, aka Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, has adviced critics to refrain from questioning the church’s decisions regarding the retirement of its pastors.
The cleric faced criticism on social media after reports emerged last week that the church’s vice presidents, Bishops Thomas Aremu and David Abioye, would be retiring after serving for three and four decades in the church.
It was learnt that their retirement is in line with the operational guidelines of the church, also known as ‘The Mandate,’ which serves as the church’s constitution.
Delivering his sermon at the valedictory service for Aremu at Winners’ Chapel, Orita Basorun, on Tuesday, Oyedepo stressed the importance of focusing on one’s own affairs.
He revealed that the church’s administrative policy of 1998 was reviewed in 2001, while ‘The Mandate’ of 2012 was revised in 2024, stressing that the church operates by divine order.
The revised mandate changed the retirement age from 60 to 55. While the founder, Oyedepo, retains the right to serve for life, future church leaders would be restricted to one or two terms of seven years, pending approval by the Board of Trustees.
Oyedepo, however, warned those wishing for the church’s downfall that they were “wasting their lives.”
“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 said.
He enjoined Aremu to keep God at the centre of his life, adding that taking a spiritual break is risky.
Using Genesis 49:26 from the Bible, Oyedepo stated that no one has an inheritance in a teacher or pastor.
The founder encouraged him to maintain a mindset focused on growth, saying: “There’s no such thing as the best today or tomorrow; what matters is your pursuit of God.”
Oyedepo urged Aremu to remain connected for the continued flow of grace, advising him not to be distracted by baseless criticisms.
Earlier in his remarks, Aremu stated that he had no intention of leaving Winners’ Chapel to establish his own church after retirement.
“I don’t have a church, and I cannot have a church because God has not infused me with the capacity to do so. This is my church,” he said.
Aremu, a former accountant, transitioned into full time ministry following a successful career in his field.
Meanwhile, Abioye’s valedictory service will hold on Friday,October 18, 2024 at Durumi, Abuja.