Nigerian Pastors and Bishops

Full Name: David Olaniyi Oyedepo
Date of Birth: 27th September, 1954.
Place of Birth: Osobo, Osun State of Nigeria.
Ethnicity: Yoruba.
Nationality: Nigerian
Education: Architecture, Former Kwara State Polytechnic; Ph.D. in Human Development from Honolulu University, Hawaii, United States
Occupation: Pastor
Marital Status: Married
Spouse(s): Faith Abiola Oyedepo.
Twitter: @DavidOyedepoMin
Website: David Oyedepo Ministries Online



David Olaniyi Oyedepo, a native of Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria, was born in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. He was raised in a mixed religious family His father, Ibrahim, was a Muslim healer. His mother, Dorcas, was a member of the Eternal Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement (C&S), a branch of the Aladura movement in Nigeria. He was raised by his grandmother in Osogbo, who introduced him to the virtues of Christian life via early morning prayers which she attended with him. She also taught him the importance of tithing.

Oyedepo was born again in 1969, through the influence of his teacher, Betty Lasher, who took special interest in him during his high school days. He studied Architecture at the former Kwara State Polytechnic, now Kwara State University and worked briefly with the Federal Ministry of Housing in Ilorin before resigning to concentrate on missionary work. Oyedepo received a Ph.D. in Human Development from Honolulu University, Hawaii, United States.

David Oyedepo and his wife were both ordained by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God on September 17, 1983. Five years afterwards, David Oyedepo founded the Living Faith Church World Wide, (a.k.a. Winners Chapel International).

Living Faith Church (AKA Winners Chapel) started in Kaduna but moved to Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria in July 1989, to start a new branch of the church after Oyedepo claimed to have received instructions from God to reach out to the people of Lagos.

Oyedepo is the wealthiest preacher in Nigeria with a net worth of over USD $150 million. The church owns four private jets and several buildings around the world, including London and the United States. Oyedepo is an author and publisher who has written over 70 titles apart from periodicals. He is the Chairman/Publisher of Dominion Publishing House (DPH), a publishing arm of the ministry. DPH has over 4 million prints in circulation to date. Through Oyedepo Covenant University, Faith Academy and Kingdom Heritage Schools have been established to equip the youth for global impact. The construction of a third university named Crown University is already underway, located in Calabar, Cross Rivers, Nigeria.

David Oyedepo is married to Faith Abiola Oyedepo and they have four children: David Oyedepo Jnr, Isaac Oyedepo, Love Oyedepo Ogah and Joyce Oyedepo.