Living Faith Church Worldwide: The Story Behind Winners’ Chapel and Its Global Reach

Living Faith Church Worldwide — better known as Winners’ Chapel or Winners’ Chapel International — is one of the most recognizable Christian organizations to come out of Africa.

With its headquarters sitting on a sprawling campus in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, and branches spread across more than 140 countries, it has grown from a vision received by a 26-year-old man in a hotel room into one of the largest church networks on earth.

The story behind it is worth knowing, whether you’re familiar with the name or you’re hearing it for the first time.

Who Is Living Faith Church Worldwide?

Living Faith Church Worldwide is an international evangelical charismatic Christian denomination founded in Nigeria.

It operates under the popular name Winners’ Chapel and, in some regions, Winners’ Chapel International. The church’s international headquarters — a landmark complex known as Canaanland — is located at Km. 10, Idiroko Road, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.

The church places strong emphasis on the Word of Faith, teaching believers about divine healing, prosperity, and the liberating power of the gospel.

Over the decades, it has built a far-reaching infrastructure that goes well beyond Sunday services, touching education, publishing, and social development across multiple continents.

History and Founding

The origin of Living Faith Church Worldwide traces back to May 2, 1981, when Bishop David Oyedepo — then just 26 years old — claimed to have received an eighteen-hour divine vision while lodging at the International Hotel in Ilesha, in what is now Osun State, Nigeria.

According to Oyedepo, God spoke to him during this encounter: “In the beginning, it was not so, now the hour has come to liberate the world from all oppressions of the devil, through the preaching of the Word of Faith; and I am sending you to undertake this task.”

That vision would define the direction of his life and ministry.

The church itself began operating formally on December 11, 1983, with just four members. It was a quiet beginning for what would become a global movement.

The congregation started in Kaduna, in northern Nigeria, before relocating to Lagos in July 1989 — a move Oyedepo attributed to divine instruction.

The defining moment in the church’s physical growth came in 1999, when the Faith Tabernacle — a 50,000-seat auditorium — was dedicated at what is now called Canaanland in Ota.

Built within ten months, the Faith Tabernacle is widely cited as one of the largest church auditoriums in the world.

The Canaanland complex itself has since expanded to nearly 5,000 acres and functions as a self-contained community housing churches, schools, a university, and various businesses. You can read more about Nigeria’s largest church auditoriums in our overview of mega churches in Nigeria.

Founder and Leadership

Bishop David Olaniyi Oyedepo was born on September 27, 1954, in Nigeria. He studied architecture at Kwara State Polytechnic in Ilorin and briefly worked with the Federal Ministry of Housing before transitioning fully into ministry.

His background in architecture — a discipline that demands both creative vision and structural discipline — arguably shaped how he would later approach building one of the most organized church structures in the world.

He has authored over 100 books on Christian living, faith, and leadership, many of which have been translated into French, Chinese, Spanish, and other languages.

He is the Founder and President of Living Faith Church Worldwide and the Senior Pastor of the Faith Tabernacle in Canaanland.

In 1982, he married Faith Abiola Oyedepo (née Akano), who has since become a prominent figure in the ministry in her own right, known especially for her teaching on family and marriage. She is also a pastor within the church.

Their four children — David Oyedepo Jr., Isaac Oyedepo, Love Oyedepo-Ogah, and Joyce Abodunrin — are all involved in the ministry.

Both sons were ordained as pastors by Kenneth Copeland in 2007. David Jr. currently serves as the Resident Pastor of the Faith Tabernacle in Canaanland.

Beliefs and Teachings

Living Faith Church Worldwide operates within the evangelical charismatic tradition. Its theology centers on the Word of Faith, which emphasizes:

• Faith as a practical, living force that brings tangible results in a believer’s life
• Divine healing — the church teaches that healing is part of the redemptive work of Christ
• Prosperity and empowerment — that God’s will for believers includes freedom from poverty and oppression
• The authority of Scripture as the foundation for all teaching and practice

The church is not affiliated with any external denominational body but operates as its own global network. Bishop Oyedepo’s teaching has been shaped in part by Word of Faith teachers like Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland, though the ministry has developed its own distinct voice and approach over the decades.

Ministries and Programs

What makes Living Faith Church Worldwide particularly distinctive is the breadth of what it has built beyond the pulpit.

David Oyedepo Ministries International (DOMI) is the overarching ministry umbrella under which several organizations operate, including the church itself, the World Mission Agency (WMA), and the Dominion Publishing House — the ministry’s own publishing arm, which produces and distributes Oyedepo’s books and other Christian literature.

Education has been a significant focus. Under the ministry’s umbrella, more than 100 educational institutions operate across Nigeria on Christian principles. These include:

• Covenant University (Ota, founded 2002) — affiliated with Living Faith Church and ranked among some of the better-performing private universities in Nigeria. It accommodates over 7,000 resident students on the Canaanland campus.
• Landmark University (Omu-Aran, Kwara State, founded 2011) — another institution founded by Oyedepo, blazing a trail in agricultural education.
• Faith Academy — a full boarding secondary school with over 1,500 students on the Canaanland campus.
• Kingdom Heritage Model School — a nursery and primary school, also located in Canaanland, announced to the congregation in November 2002 and opened in January 2003.
• Word of Faith Bible Institute (WOFBI) — a ministry training institution.

The Social Development Missions projects round out the church’s humanitarian work, covering hospitals, maternity homes, and other community-development initiatives across Nigeria.

Church Services and the Shiloh Annual Convention

The Faith Tabernacle in Canaanland runs four Sunday services, with the first beginning at 6:00 a.m. and the last at 11:45 a.m. (Nigerian time).

The church operates a fleet of around 350 shuttle buses that transport worshippers from surrounding markets and bus stops to the campus each Sunday — a practical necessity given the scale of attendance.

The most significant annual event associated with Living Faith Church Worldwide is Shiloh, a prophetic gathering first held in 1999.

Every December, the Canaanland campus draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from within Nigeria and from dozens of nations around the world.

Shiloh has become one of the largest Christian gatherings in Africa, broadcast live to viewing centers across Nigeria and transmitted to an audience spanning, by the church’s account, around 177 nations. Heads of state from African countries have attended in various years.

Global Reach and Impact

From those four founding members in Kaduna in 1983, Living Faith Church Worldwide has grown into a network of over 21,000 churches across Nigeria alone, with thousands more spread across six continents and a presence in more than 147 countries.

The church reports over 6 million members globally, making it one of the largest Christian organizations in the world by membership.

This growth places it alongside other major Nigerian church movements — such as the Redeemed Christian Church of God and Salvation Ministries — as part of Nigeria’s remarkable contribution to global Christianity in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Bishop Oyedepo’s teaching reaches people in between 140 and 150 nations every week, through live broadcasts, the church’s television channel, and an extensive online presence.

Controversies

No profile of Living Faith Church Worldwide would be complete without acknowledging the controversies that have surrounded it over the years.

In 2011, a video circulated widely showing Bishop Oyedepo slapping a young girl during what was described as a deliverance service at the Faith Tabernacle.

The girl had identified herself as a “witch for Jesus,” and the footage drew international criticism from Christian leaders and human rights observers.

Oyedepo’s response to the criticism was limited, and the incident remains one of the most discussed controversies in his ministry’s history.

More recently, questions emerged following the departure of senior leaders from the church’s hierarchy. Bishop David Abioye, long regarded as Oyedepo’s most senior deputy, was among several prominent pastors eased out of their positions in a move that many observers interpreted as part of a transition paving the way for David Oyedepo Jr. to eventually succeed his father.

Abioye’s subsequent public preaching, which critics of Oyedepo read as indirect commentary on the ministry’s direction, added another layer of tension to the discussion.

What Makes Living Faith Church Worldwide Notable?

Few Christian organizations anywhere in the world have grown at the pace Living Faith Church Worldwide has since those four founding members gathered in 1983.

The combination of aggressive evangelism through the World Mission Agency, significant investment in education, a self-sustaining ministry headquarters at Canaanland, and the annual Shiloh gathering has produced a church ecosystem unlike most others.

It is also one of the clearest examples of Africa-based Christianity expanding outward rather than simply receiving influence from the West — a church founded in Nigeria, growing from Nigeria, and now planting roots in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who founded Living Faith Church Worldwide?
The church was founded by Bishop David Olaniyi Oyedepo, who claimed to have received a divine calling during an eighteen-hour vision on May 2, 1981, in Ilesha, Nigeria.

Where is Living Faith Church Worldwide headquartered?
Its international headquarters is at Canaanland, Km. 10, Idiroko Road, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria — a sprawling campus of nearly 5,000 acres that houses the Faith Tabernacle, universities, schools, and several business ventures.

What is Winners’ Chapel?
Winners’ Chapel (also known as Winners’ Chapel International) is the popular name for Living Faith Church Worldwide. The names are used interchangeably across most of the world.

What is Shiloh?
Shiloh is the church’s annual prophetic gathering held in December at Canaanland in Ota, Nigeria. It was first held in 1999 and draws hundreds of thousands of attendees from dozens of countries each year.

How many churches does Living Faith Church Worldwide have?
The church oversees over 21,000 congregations in Nigeria and thousands more across six continents, with a presence in more than 147 countries.

What universities are connected to Living Faith Church Worldwide?
Covenant University in Ota (founded 2002) and Landmark University in Omu-Aran (founded 2011) are both associated with the ministry and were founded by Bishop Oyedepo.

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