Peace Udeka Ibiyeomie (born July 11, 1964) is a Nigerian pastor, author, and educator based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
She’s best known as the wife of Pastor David Ibiyeomie, founder of Salvation Ministries, and as the provost of the church’s Word of Life Bible Institute.
Beyond the pulpit, she runs a welfare outreach for widows and orphans, has written nine books on marriage and womanhood, and holds a PhD in her own right.
You’ll find her name searched alongside her husband’s almost every time, and that’s fair. Their story is genuinely one story.
But Peace built a real ministry track record of her own, and this piece pulls both apart so you get the full picture, not just the “pastor’s wife” summary.
Peace Ibiyeomie at a Glance
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Peace Udeka Ibiyeomie |
| Born | July 11, 1964 |
| Age | 62 (as of September 2026) |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Spouse | Pastor David Ibiyeomie (m. March 20, 1996) |
| Children | David Ibiyeomie Jnr (b. November 20, 2004) |
| Religion | Christianity (Charismatic/Pentecostal) |
| Ministry | |
| Title | Pastor (Mrs.) |
| Church | Salvation Ministries, Port Harcourt, Nigeria |
| Role | Provost, Word of Life Bible Institute |
| Outreach arm | Founder, HELP Ministry |
| Serving since | 1997 |
| Career & Education | |
| PhD | Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt (2022) |
| Books | 9+, including The Winning Woman and Secrets of Godly Marriage |
Early Life and Background
Peace Udeka Ibiyeomie was born on July 11, 1964. Her early years were shaped by a Jehovah’s Witness upbringing, a detail she’s spoken about openly.
When she chose to leave that faith for Christianity, her decision cost her something real: her own parents disowned her over it.
That’s not a small detail to gloss over. Walking away from your family’s religion, in a culture where family loyalty runs deep, takes conviction most people never have to test. She made that choice young, and it set the direction for everything that followed.
Specific details about her tribe and state of origin haven’t been part of her public ministry profile. What’s well documented is her life’s work: nearly three decades based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where she and her husband built Salvation Ministries from a small house fellowship into one of Nigeria’s largest churches.
Marriage to David Ibiyeomie
Peace and David Ibiyeomie married on March 20, 1996. At the time, David had nothing but a calling and a conviction that God had told him to start a church. Peace saw the potential in that calling before it looked like anything at all.
David has told the story publicly more than once: in the early days, money was so tight that when they went shopping for a cheap coat in Lagos, Peace stood outside the shop as a lookout, worried someone from their old life might recognize them mid-struggle. That’s the kind of detail that tells you more about a marriage than any anniversary post ever could.
A year after they married, David founded Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt on April 13, 1997, with roughly 20 people in the room.
By August 2024, the couple marked 28 years together, and their story is now told across the ministry as proof that shared vision outlasts shared hardship.
“A faithful and faith-filled woman, she actively supported her husband and participated in the growth of the ministry from the very beginning.”
Ministry Career and the Word of Life Bible Institute
Peace didn’t just stand behind her husband’s pulpit. She built her own institution inside the ministry. Since 1997, she has served as provost of the Word of Life Bible Institute, the training arm of Salvation Ministries that has graduated thousands of students.
She designs the course plans, sets the standards students are held to, and oversees the day-to-day running of the school.
It’s a role that puts her name on the diploma of nearly every leader Salvation Ministries has trained since the church’s early years.
HELP Ministry: Her Work with Widows and Orphans
Peace founded the HELP Ministry, an outreach focused on widows, orphans, and motherless children. The work is practical, not symbolic: healthcare support for sick widows, scholarships for orphaned children, and financial backing for widows starting small businesses.
In April 2010, that outreach reached the Rasat and Zot-Foron communities in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, communities that had been devastated by an insurgent attack the month before.
Peace financed the rebuilding of a primary school there and sponsored a micro-entrepreneurship workshop so widows who’d lost their husbands could rebuild an income.
Books and Publications
Peace Ibiyeomie has authored more than nine books, most of them written for women navigating marriage, purpose, and identity in the church. Her titles include:
- The Winning Woman
- Secrets of Godly Marriage
- Building a Stable Family
- Your Passport to Success
- The Real Mother
- The Woman God Uses
- The Prudent Woman
- 7 Secrets of an Uncommon Woman
- How to Enjoy Ceaseless Harvest
Every one of these titles circles back to the same core message: marriage, family, and personal purpose aren’t separate from faith. They’re where faith gets tested.
Personal Life
Peace and David have one son, David Ibiyeomie Jnr, born November 20, 2004. He’s grown up largely out of the spotlight compared to children of other prominent Nigerian ministers, and there’s no publicly announced wedding or engagement for him as of now.
In April 2022, David publicly gifted Peace a house, a gesture he explained was extended to several pastors who’d stood by him through the ministry’s harder years.
A month later, in May 2022, Peace earned her PhD from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Port Harcourt, adding an academic credential to a resume already built on decades of hands-on ministry work.
[IMAGE: Pastor David Ibiyeomie and Pastor Mrs. Peace Ibiyeomie with their son, David Ibiyeomie Jnr]
Who Is David Ibiyeomie? A Quick Look at Her Husband
Because so much of Peace’s public story is tied to her husband’s, here’s what’s confirmed about him.
| Full name | David Ibiyeomie |
|---|---|
| Born | October 21, 1962, Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria |
| Native of | Bolo Town, Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area, Rivers State |
| Ethnicity | Ijaw |
| Father | Chief Apollos Iganibo |
| Education | Rivers State University of Science and Technology (Microbiology, 1980); Word of Faith Bible Institute (1995) |
| Church | Founder and Senior Pastor, Salvation Ministries |
| Founded church | April 13, 1997, Port Harcourt |
| Estimated net worth | ~$41 million |
David Ibiyeomie was born on October 21, 1962, in Bonny Island, Rivers State. His father worked with the oil company now known as Shell, which gave the family a stable, comfortable upbringing rather than the extreme poverty some accounts suggest. He studied Microbiology at what’s now Rivers State University before giving his life to Christ in 1995.
After training at Bishop David Oyedepo’s Word of Faith Bible Institute, David started a small house fellowship in Victoria Island, Lagos, before relocating to Port Harcourt to plant Salvation Ministries.
What began with about 20 people now draws over 50,000 worshippers to its Port Harcourt headquarters on a typical Sunday, with more than 30 branches worldwide.
Does David Ibiyeomie Have a Biological Child?
Yes. David Ibiyeomie has one biological son, David Ibiyeomie Jnr, born November 20, 2004. Public records and the family’s own statements confirm one child, not multiple.
Does David Ibiyeomie Have a Private Jet?
Yes. According to multiple Nigerian outlets covering the country’s wealthiest pastors, David Ibiyeomie purchased a private jet around the time of his 55th birthday in 2017, alongside a car collection that reportedly includes a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Range Rover.
Salvation Ministries: The Church They Built Together
Salvation Ministries is a non-denominational, Charismatic church headquartered in the GRA area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. David founded it in 1997; Peace has run its training institute since the same year.
The church’s headquarters campus includes the Hand of God Cathedral, an auditorium built to seat over 100,000 people, ranking it among the largest church auditoriums in Nigeria.
The ministry’s television arm, Hour of Salvation, broadcasts across more than 40 stations locally and internationally, and the church runs an active internet radio platform alongside it.
Influence and Legacy
Salvation Ministries has planted more than 1,000 satellite churches and tens of thousands of home cell groups since 1997.
That growth curve, from 20 people in a room to a global broadcast ministry in under three decades, is part of why the Ibiyeomies are studied as a case example in Nigerian church growth.
Peace’s contribution to that legacy is less visible on television but just as structural. Every graduate of the Word of Life Bible Institute has come through a program she designed and runs. That’s the kind of influence that doesn’t trend, but it compounds.
Theology and Ministry Philosophy
Salvation Ministries teaches within the Word of Faith tradition Bishop David Oyedepo trained David in, with an emphasis on prosperity, healing, and practical Christian living.
Peace’s books lean into a related but distinct thread: that a woman’s spiritual growth and her marriage aren’t competing priorities. Her writing consistently frames the home as a training ground for ministry, not a distraction from it.
Controversies
David Ibiyeomie has faced two well-documented controversies. In January 2017, he was accused of describing the Ogoni people in derogatory terms during a crusade sermon.
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) publicly demanded an apology, calling the remarks a display of hatred toward the community.
In March 2017, journalist Kemi Olunloyo alleged an affair between David Ibiyeomie and Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo.
The claim was never substantiated in court, and both parties have not confirmed the allegation. It’s included here for factual completeness, not as a settled matter.
Net Worth and Financial Information
David Ibiyeomie’s net worth is estimated at around $41 million, based on Nigerian financial media rankings of the country’s wealthiest pastors.
That figure includes church-linked assets like the Word of Faith Bible Institute campus, properties in Lagos and Port Harcourt, and the private jet purchased in 2017.
Peace Ibiyeomie does not have a separately reported net worth; her financial profile is tied to the family’s shared assets.
Awards and Recognition
- David Ibiyeomie received an Honorary Doctorate in Divinity from Bradley University of America on May 15, 2004.
- Peace Ibiyeomie earned a PhD from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, in May 2022.
Interesting Facts
- Peace was disowned by her own parents after leaving the Jehovah’s Witness faith for Christianity.
- She stood watch outside a thrift shop in Lagos so no one would spot her husband buying a cheap coat during their early, financially tight years of marriage.
- Salvation Ministries started 14 satellite churches in a single day in February 2011.
- The Hand of God Cathedral at the church’s Port Harcourt headquarters is one of the largest church auditoriums in the world.
- Peace earned her PhD the same year her husband publicly gifted her a house, making 2022 a milestone year for the couple.
Timeline
- 1962David Ibiyeomie is born in Bonny Island, Rivers State.
- 1964Peace Udeka is born, July 11.
- 1995David gives his life to Christ and enrolls at the Word of Faith Bible Institute.
- 1996David and Peace marry, March 20.
- 1997Salvation Ministries is founded in Port Harcourt, April 13; Peace becomes provost of the Word of Life Bible Institute.
- 2004David receives an honorary doctorate, May 15; David Ibiyeomie Jnr is born, November 20.
- 2010Peace leads relief and rebuilding efforts in Plateau State, April.
- 2011Salvation Ministries launches 14 satellite churches in one day, February.
- 2017David buys a private jet around his 55th birthday; the Ogoni-comments controversy and affair allegation both surface.
- 2022David gifts Peace a house, April; Peace earns her PhD, May.
- 2024The couple marks 28 years of marriage, August.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Peace Ibiyeomie?
Peace Ibiyeomie is a Nigerian pastor, author, and educator. She’s the wife of Pastor David Ibiyeomie and provost of the Word of Life Bible Institute at Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt.
When was Peace Ibiyeomie born?
She was born on July 11, 1964.
How old is Peace Ibiyeomie?
She is 62 years old as of September 2026.
What tribe is Peace Ibiyeomie?
Her specific tribe hasn’t been documented in her public ministry profile. She’s widely known as a Rivers State-based minister, having lived and served in Port Harcourt with her husband since 1997.
Where is Peace Ibiyeomie from?
Her state of origin isn’t part of her public biography. Her ministry life has been based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, since 1997.
Who is David Ibiyeomie?
David Ibiyeomie is a Nigerian pastor, televangelist, and author. He founded Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt in 1997 and remains its senior pastor.
Does David Ibiyeomie have a biological child?
Yes. He has one biological son, David Ibiyeomie Jnr, born November 20, 2004.
How did David Ibiyeomie meet his wife?
Public accounts from the ministry describe them meeting before David’s full-time call to ministry, with Peace recognizing his potential early and standing by him through the financially difficult first years of Salvation Ministries.
Does David Ibiyeomie have a private jet?
Yes. He purchased a private jet around his 55th birthday in 2017, according to Nigerian financial and entertainment media.
Has David Ibiyeomie Jnr had a wedding?
No wedding has been publicly announced. Born in 2004, he has largely stayed out of the public eye compared to his parents.
Does Peace Ibiyeomie have a Wikipedia page?
She doesn’t have a dedicated Wikipedia page. She’s referenced within David Ibiyeomie’s Wikipedia entry as his wife.
Want more stories on the pastors and ministries shaping Nigerian Christianity? Explore related biographies on Flicxa below.
