Faith Abiola Oyedepo (born Florence Abiola Akano on February 5, 1958) is a Nigerian pastor, author, and educator known across Africa as the co-founder and senior pastor of Living Faith Church Worldwide, popularly called Winners’ Chapel.
She is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, and together they built one of the largest Pentecostal movements to come out of Nigeria.
Millions know her simply as “Mama Faith,” a teacher whose ministry centers on marriage, family life, and women’s empowerment.
Faith Oyedepo: At a Glance
| Real name | Florence Abiola Akano |
| Born | February 5, 1958, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria |
| Age | 68 (as of 2026) |
| State of origin | Kwara State, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation | Pastor, author, educator |
| Spouse | Bishop David Oyedepo (m. August 21, 1982) |
| Children | David Jr., Isaac, Love, Joyce |
| Parents | Mr. and Mrs. Akano (sixth of eight children) |
| Education | University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) |
| Church | Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel) |
| Title | Senior Pastor, Faith Tabernacle; Chancellor, Covenant University |
| Since | Ordained 1983, alongside her husband |
| Notable books | Rescued from Destruction, The Healing Scriptures, Covenant Marriage |
Early Life and Background
Faith Oyedepo entered the world as Florence Abiola Akano on February 5, 1958, in Ilorin, Kwara State.
She was the sixth of eight children born to the Akano family, a household that, like much of Kwara State at the time, raised her within Yoruba tradition before her own faith took shape.
Not much has been documented about her parents or siblings publicly. She has kept her childhood largely private, choosing instead to let her adult ministry tell her story.
What is known is that she gave her life to Christ as a teenager, a decision that set the direction for everything that followed.
By her own account, the turning point of her life arrived not in a church service but at a motor park in 1976.
She was an undergraduate at the time, and a young man named David Oyedepo, then studying at Kwara State Polytechnic, crossed her path.
Neither of them knew it yet, but that chance meeting would eventually shape one of the most recognized ministry partnerships in Africa.
Education
Faith completed her primary and secondary education in Kwara State before proceeding to the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Specific details about her course of study have not been widely publicized, but her years on campus mattered for more than academics. It’s where her six-year courtship with David Oyedepo began and deepened.
Her formal education laid groundwork for a teaching ministry that would later reach millions. Anyone who has read her books on marriage and family life can tell she writes with the structure and clarity of someone trained to organize ideas, not just preach them.
Ministry and Career Journey
The Mandate That Started It All
In May 1981, David Oyedepo said he received an 18-hour vision instructing him to “liberate the world from all oppression of the devil through the preaching of the word of faith.”
Faith was still his fiancée at the time, deep into their six-year courtship. When he shared the vision with her, she didn’t walk away.
She signed a document affirming her commitment to the calling, years before they were even married.
That decision turned out to be the foundation of everything that came next. On September 17, 1983, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, ordained David and Florence Akano (now Faith Abiola Oyedepo) as pastors and officially commissioned what would become Living Faith Church Worldwide.
Building Winners’ Chapel Together
The church started small in Kaduna under the name Liberation Faith Hour Ministries. Faith stood alongside her husband through every relocation, including the 1989 move to Lagos that expanded the ministry’s reach across Nigeria.
As the church grew into one of the largest congregations in the country, Faith carved out her own lane within it.
Rather than simply support her husband’s preaching from the sidelines, she developed a distinct ministry focused on families, marriage, and women.
She became known for teaching practical, scripture-based guidance on subjects many churches treated as too private to address directly. Her sessions on conflict in marriage, raising children, and single life drew large audiences of their own.
Leadership Roles
Faith now holds the title of Senior Pastor at Faith Tabernacle, the church’s Canaanland headquarters in Ota, Ogun State.
She also serves as Chancellor of Covenant University, one of two universities the ministry founded to expand its work in education. Her role places her at the center of decisions shaping thousands of students, not just church members.
She chairs the Education Commission of Living Faith Church Worldwide, overseeing the network of schools that includes Faith Academy and the Kingdom Heritage Model Schools. Education has become as much a part of her legacy as preaching.
Books and Publications
Faith Oyedepo has authored multiple books, most of them grounded in lived experience rather than abstract theology. Her writing style mirrors her preaching: direct, practical, and aimed at people trying to apply faith to ordinary problems.
- Rescued from Destruction — her most personal book, chronicling a life-threatening health crisis and her recovery
- The Healing Scriptures — a scripture-based resource for believers facing illness
- Covenant Marriage — guidance for couples on building lasting marriages
- Success in Marriage — practical teaching for newly married and engaged couples
- Raising Godly Children — a parenting guide rooted in biblical principles
- Understanding Motherhood — written for mothers navigating the demands of family life
Her books circulate through Dominion Publishing House, the same publishing arm her husband uses to distribute his own work, and they remain staples in Winners’ Chapel bookstores worldwide.
Personal Life and Marriage
Faith married David Oyedepo on August 21, 1982, after a six-year courtship that began at that motor park encounter in 1976. He renamed her Faith following their wedding, a choice tied directly to the ministry vision they were preparing to launch together.
Their marriage has now passed four decades without the public scandal or controversy that has surrounded other prominent ministry couples. Friends and church members regularly describe it as a working model for the teaching both Faith and her husband deliver on marriage.
The couple has four children, all of whom remain active in ministry or church leadership:
| Child | Born | Role |
|---|---|---|
| David Oyedepo Jr. | June 1, 1983 | Resident Pastor, Faith Tabernacle, Ota |
| Isaac Oyedepo | February 25, 1985 | Resident Pastor, Winners’ Chapel International, Maryland |
| Love Oyedepo | May 31, 1987 | Founder, The Bloom Woman; married to Pastor Stephen Ogah |
| Joyce Oyedepo | September 27, 1992 | Writer and speaker; heads “Women of the Godkind” |
David Jr. and Isaac were both ordained as pastors in May 2007 by Kenneth Copeland, a figure David Oyedepo has named among his own ministry mentors.
Watching her sons take on pastoral roles became, for Faith, a direct extension of the family ministry she had spent decades building.
Faith Oyedepo’s Health Journey
Faith has spoken publicly about surviving a life-threatening health challenge, an experience she documented in her book Rescued from Destruction.
She has not gone into extensive public detail about the specific diagnosis, choosing instead to frame the experience around the spiritual lessons and recovery process.
What she has shared consistently is that the ordeal reshaped how she approaches healing ministry. Her later book The Healing Scriptures grew directly out of that season, written for believers walking through their own health battles.
Ministry Philosophy and Beliefs
Faith Oyedepo operates within the Word of Faith movement, the same theological tradition her husband has championed for decades.
Central to this teaching is the belief that faith-filled words and prayer carry the power to shape outcomes, paired with an emphasis on prosperity as evidence of God’s blessing.
Where Faith distinguishes herself is in application. Her teaching rarely stays abstract. She translates Word of Faith principles into specific guidance for marriages under strain, parents struggling with discipline, and singles navigating dating with biblical values.
Her audiences describe her style as warm but direct, more like a mentor than a lecturer.
Influence and Legacy
Faith’s influence stretches well past the pulpit at Canaanland. As Chancellor of Covenant University, she has shaped the educational direction of an institution that has graduated thousands of students across Nigeria and beyond.
Her teaching materials on marriage and family circulate in churches that have no formal connection to Winners’ Chapel at all.
The Faith Abiola Oyedepo Foundation, which she founded in 2007, extends her reach into humanitarian work. The foundation has provided educational materials, medical assistance, and scholarships to underprivileged communities, mirroring the charitable structure her husband built through his own foundation.
Perhaps her most lasting legacy is the model her marriage represents within Nigerian Pentecostalism.
In a movement where ministry couples are constantly scrutinized, four decades without public scandal has made the Oyedepos a frequently cited example of stability.
Net Worth and Financial Information
Faith Oyedepo’s finances are not separated publicly from her husband’s. Bishop David Oyedepo has been estimated by Forbes at a net worth exceeding $150 million, a figure built from the ministry’s institutions, real estate, and publishing operations rather than disclosed personal accounts.
Neither Faith nor the church has released audited financial statements, so any specific figure attributed to her individually should be treated as an estimate rather than verified fact.
What’s documented is the scale of the institutions she helps lead: Covenant University, Faith Academy, the Kingdom Heritage Model Schools, and a publishing arm with millions of books in circulation.
Interesting Facts About Faith Oyedepo
- She signed a written commitment to her husband’s ministry vision years before they married, while still his fiancée.
- She was originally named Florence Abiola Akano; her husband gave her the name “Faith” after their 1982 wedding.
- She is the sixth of eight children, though little is known publicly about her siblings.
- Her book Rescued from Destruction documents a personal health crisis she rarely discusses in detail elsewhere.
- She serves as Chancellor of Covenant University, putting her at the head of an academic institution as well as a church.
- All four of her children remain active in ministry or church-related leadership roles today.
Timeline of Key Events
- February 5, 1958 — Born Florence Abiola Akano in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
- 1976 — Meets David Oyedepo at a motor park while both are students.
- May 1981 — David Oyedepo receives his ministry vision; Faith commits to the mandate.
- August 21, 1982 — Marries David Oyedepo and is renamed Faith.
- September 17, 1983 — Ordained as pastor by Enoch Adeboye, alongside her husband.
- 1983 — Living Faith Church Worldwide is officially commissioned in Kaduna.
- 1987–1992 — Births of children Love and Joyce, completing the family of four.
- 1999 — Faith Tabernacle, the 50,000-seat Canaanland auditorium, is dedicated.
- May 2007 — Sons David Jr. and Isaac are ordained as pastors by Kenneth Copeland.
- 2007 — Founds the Faith Abiola Oyedepo Foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the real name of Faith Oyedepo?
Her birth name is Florence Abiola Akano. She was renamed Faith by her husband, David Oyedepo, following their marriage in 1982.
How many wives did Pastor Oyedepo have?
Bishop David Oyedepo has had one wife throughout his ministry: Faith Abiola Oyedepo, whom he married in 1982. There are no documented additional marriages.
Who is David Oyedepo’s spiritual father?
David Oyedepo has named Archbishop Benson Idahosa, who ordained him as Bishop, as his life mentor. He has also cited Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, and Enoch Adeboye as major spiritual influences.
How old is Bishop Oyedepo of Living Faith?
Bishop David Oyedepo was born on September 27, 1954, making him 71 as of 2026. His wife, Faith, was born February 5, 1958, making her 68.
What is Faith Oyedepo’s state of origin?
Faith Oyedepo hails from Kwara State, Nigeria, the same state her husband is originally from, though she was born in Ilorin.
What is Faith Oyedepo’s educational background?
She completed primary and secondary school in Kwara State before attending the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
A Ministry Built on Partnership
Faith Oyedepo’s story rarely gets told without her husband’s name attached to it, and that’s understandable given how closely their ministries grew together. But her own contribution stands on its own: a teaching voice for marriage and family that millions of Christians, far beyond Winners’ Chapel, have leaned on for decades.
If her work on faith and family has resonated with you, explore more Christian biographies on Flicxa, or share this story with someone navigating their own marriage or ministry journey today.
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