David Olaniyi Oyedepo is a Nigerian clergyman, author, teacher of the prosperity gospel, and founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, popularly known as Winners’ Chapel International, and he was born on 27 September 1954 in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria.
He was raised initially in Osogbo, even though he originates from Omu-Aran, and his early years were influenced by both religious traditions because his father, Ibrahim Oyedepo, was a Muslim healer, while his mother, Dorcas Morenike Oyedepo, was a Christian, and he later committed to Christianity.
Education and Early Career
He studied architecture at Kwara State Polytechnic before answering what he describes as a divine calling into full-time ministry, and he worked briefly with the Federal Ministry of Housing in Ilorin before resigning to concentrate on missionary work.
Spiritual Calling and Church Foundation
He says he was born again on 15 February 1969 when he was 15, and then on 8 May 1981, he convened a meeting with a group that later became his “Power House”, made up of about 70 young men and women.
He officially founded the Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel) in 1981 after a reported spiritual encounter, and on 17 September 1983, Pastor Enoch Adeboye ordained David and his wife, Florence Abiola Akano (known as Faith Abiola Oyedepo), to become pastors and officially commissioned the new church.
Mentors and Theological Influence
Five years later, he was ordained as Bishop by his life mentor, the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa, and he has referred to several prominent Christian teachers and mentors, including the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa and Enoch Adeboye.
Oyedepo’s theology emphasises faith, prosperity, purpose and leadership, and his teachings have put him in the category of what is commonly called the Word of Faith Movement, with strong influence from the likes of Kenneth Copeland, Gloria Copeland, the late Kenneth Hagin, E. W. Kenyon, T. L. Osborn, Smith Wigglesworth, as well as renowned Nigerian preachers Enoch Adeboye and the late Benson Idahosa, which has led him to be described as a preacher of the prosperity gospel.
Ministry Outreach
Winners’ Chapel operates a large global network of congregations and training programmes, including the Word of Faith Bible Institute, and the network of churches is located in over 300 cities throughout the world, while the ministry hosts the annual Shiloh gathering attended by thousands.
Canaanland and Faith Tabernacle
In 1998, Oyedepo claimed he was instructed by God to build a new base to accommodate the increasing number of worshippers, which resulted in the acquisition of the initial 530-acre facility known as Canaanland, serving as the headquarters and home of the 50,000-seat Faith Tabernacle, a feat recorded by the Guinness Book of Records, and construction was completed within 12 months and reportedly debt-free, with the building dedicated on 18 September 1999.
Canaanland Estate and Facilities
Canaanland in Ota, Ogun State, is a 5,000-acre estate and campus housing the auditorium, church secretariat, youth chapel, a primary school called Kingdom Heritage Model School, the full boarding Faith Academy with over 1,500 students, and Covenant University facilities accommodating over 7,000 students, along with for-profit establishments like a bakery, bottled water plant, petrol station, restaurants, shopping stores, residential houses for over 2,000 employees, guesthouses, and four banks, and the estate expanded to 17,000 acres by 2012.
The Ark Auditorium Project
The ministry is also building a 100,000-seater auditorium called the “Ark”, which is reputed to have the largest span in the world.
Bishop David Oyedepo Net Worth
Oyedepo is widely recognised as one of the most influential Christian leaders in Africa, with a ministry network spanning many countries, and he has been regarded as one of the pioneers of the Christian charismatic movement in Africa.
He is the chancellor of Covenant University and Landmark University, and he was named in 2011 by Forbes magazine as the richest pastor in Nigeria, with estimates varying but with strong consensus on his position as one of Africa’s wealthiest pastors, and many credible reports note a net worth in the range of US$150 million.
Some estimates for 2025 place his net worth between US$100 million and US$200 million, while another estimate specifically puts him at around US$180 million in 2025, and his wealth stems from his global church network and tithes/offering inflows, educational institutions he founded such as Covenant University and Landmark University, book publishing and media companies, and real estate investments and related ventures, with notable assets attributed to him in media reports including a fleet of luxury cars and multiple private jets.
Publications and Dominion Publishing House
Oyedepo is also a prolific author, publishing dozens of titles on Christian living, prosperity, leadership and faith, and his church operates its own publishing house called Dominion Publishing House (DPH), commissioned on 5 December 1992, which has published over 70 Christian, inspirational and motivational books, mini-books, magazines and other resources, with over 4 million prints in circulation to date.
Some widely referenced works include Understanding Financial Prosperity, The Mandate, Understanding Divine Direction, Understanding Spiritual Authority, Understanding Your Day of Visitation, The Power of Faith, The Spirit of Excellence, The Art of War: The Christian Edition, The Wealth of the Wise, The Power of Positive Confession, Understanding the Purpose and Power of Men, The Laws of Success, The Power of Prayer, You Are Blessed, and From Here to Destiny, and many teachings have been digitised or discussed online, though free PDF copies should be accessed responsibly through legitimate channels or authorised ministry resources.
Social Impact and Criticism
The David Oyedepo Foundation runs scholarship schemes and supports educational and humanitarian programmes across Africa, offering support to students and vulnerable communities, which underscores the ministry’s social impact beyond church activities.
Oyedepo has also criticised corruption in Africa and poor leadership in government, while he was a critic of Nigeria’s former president Muhammadu Buhari.
Awards and Honours
He has received awards and recognition including an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Bethel Graduate School of Theology in Riverside, California, a fellowship of the Nigerian Society for Financial Research, a national honour with a road named after him by the Federal Government of Nigeria in the Gwarinpa area of Abuja during the 2008 Independence Day celebrations, and listings among the 100 Most Reputable People on Earth in 2017 and 2019, and among the 100 Most Reputable Africans on earth in 2023.
Family and Personal Life
He is married to Faith Abiola Oyedepo (née Akano) since 1982, and they have four children — David Jr., Isaac, Love, and Joyce.
David Oyedepo Jr, whose full name is David Oluwamakinde Oyedepo Jr, was born on 1 June 1983 and is a pastor within Winners’ Chapel ministry, having held leadership roles and served internationally, and he was ordained as a pastor in May 2007 by Kenneth Copeland, later pastoring the London branch with his wife Kemi Olubu Oyedepo, and he is now the resident pastor of Faith Tabernacle in Ota, while his wife Kemi and he have two children.
Isaac Oyedepo was also ordained as a pastor in May 2007 by Kenneth Copeland and has served as a pastor in the United States with his wife, Ayomitide, while Love Oyedepo-Ogah is married to Stephen Ogah, who also pastors in Winners’ Chapel, and Joyce Abodunrin is married to Abimbola Abodunrin in 2020.
Current Church Status
Born on 27 September 1954, Oyedepo is 70 years old in 2025, and he is known for preaching the Word of Faith as president and founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners’ Chapel International, and the Winners’ Chapel International network of churches is located in over 300 cities throughout the world, with his website listed as davidoyedepo.org.