David Oyedepo

David Olaniyi Oyedepo
Bishop Oyedepo with his wife
Born	David Olaniyi Oyedepo (1954-09-27) September 27, 1954 (age 62) Omu Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria
Residence	Ota, Nigeria
Nationality	Nigerian
Occupation	Pastor, Author, Educationist, Minister, Architect
Net worth	US$150 million (Forbes, 2011)
Spouse(s)	Faith Abiola Oyedepo
Children	David Oyedepo Jnr, Isaac Oyedepo, Love Oyedepo Ogah, Joys Oyedepo
Website	David Oyedepo Ministries Online

David O. Oyedepo (born September 27, 1954) is a Nigerian Christian author, architect, preacher, the founder and presiding Bishop of the megachurch Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, and Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners' Chapel. 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.

On September 27, 1954, David Olaniyi Oyedepo was born in Osogbo, Nigeria, but is a native of Omu-Aran, Kwara 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 Kwara State Polytechnic 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.

Oyedepo claimed to have received a mandate from God through an 18-hour vision in May 1981, to liberate the world from all oppression of the devil through the preaching of the word of faith. This is the inaugural vision that led to the founding of the Living Faith Church World Wide (LFCWW), first called Liberation Faith Hour Ministries, in 1981. Two years later, on September 17, 1983, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, ordained David and his wife, Florence Abiola Akano (known as Faith Abiola Oyedepo) to become pastors and officially commissioned the new church. Five years later, Oyedepo was ordained as Bishop.