Can someone out there who loves Bishop David Abioye, who until recently was the number two man to Bishop David Oyedepo in the hierarchy of the Living Faith Church worldwide, please advise the Man of God to take it easy and watch and see what God will do with, and for, him in his new missionary journey? I make this humble plea because I perceive that Abioye seems poised to participate in a ‘’Living Faith Church War of the Bishops’’. In fact, he has launched the war already via a thermonuclear missile obviously fired against Bishop Oyedepo and I am worried about that prospect.
Shiloh 2024, an annual gathering of the saints in the Living Faith Church, took place recently from December 9-15 and for the first time in over 25 years, Abioye’s youthful and appealing face was conspicuously missing in the event. Abioye and many other prominent and not so prominent pastors of the Commission were recently eased out of their offices in a move that many interpreted as one intended to pave the way for Pastor David Oyedepo Jr. to succeed his father any time in the future that Oyedepo the senior is recalled to heaven by God. Was Abioye approached to attend Shiloh 2024 and he rebuffed it or no one approached him and he did not think he needed to be there?
A few days later, a video tape of Abioye’s preaching surfaced on the Internet with a message about ‘’pastors and church leaders’’ who emphasize building gigantic buildings at the expense of teaching the flock about salvation and right living. Many people with two eyes and four eyes who are familiar with the cold spiritual and earthly wars going on in the Living Faith Church interpreted Abioye’s message as a sharp, pointed barb meant to puncture Oyedepo. Oyedepo is a well known pastor and church leader who is building gigantic edifices for the worship of his God.
Note that Canaan land at Ota, near Lagos, the present headquarters of the Living Faith Church worldwide, is the largest church building in the world. It sits over 50, 000 worshippers at a time. As if this edifice is not edifying enough, Oyedepo said he received the approval of God to build another edifice more edifying that Canaan Land that will sit 100,000 worshippers. He told us recently during Shiloh 2024 that the new edifice under construction will be completed and put to use during the next Shiloh 2025, to the enthusiastic applause of the congregation for the people know that when Oyedepo makes any promise that promise will be kept. The new building is called the Arc.
When, therefore, Abioye preached about pastors and church leaders who seem to dwell more on physical buildings and neglect the building of characters, many said, surely, this is an innuendo wrapped in biting sarcasm and targeted specifically at his former boss. For many who are familiar with the relationship that once existed between the two Davids of the Living Faith Church, Abioye was never tired of declaring that ‘’how can an old man succeed/inherit an old man’’?, a pointed response to the whispers going on in the Church about him being a natural successor to Oyedepo should the latter join his ancestors.
Abioye’s declaration was, therefore, put to the test when some weeks back he and over hundreds of founding members who later on became pastors of the Church were retired. Those who say they can read the content of a man’s heart on the countenance of his face say they could read that Abioye was not happy with that action that was said to have emanated from the recently revised ‘’Mandate’’ of the Church. The Mandate or constitution says that when you reach the age of 60, you must retire from your pastoring work in the church. The Mandate says only the founder of the church Bishop Oyedepo is exempted from this rule, an interpretation which, as I have said earlier, seems designed to make the Living Faith Church a private family business and clear the way for Oyedepo Jr. to ascend the throne when his father is called to the great beyond. Abioye’s ego and or his expectation was/were obviously wounded by the provisions of the newly revised Mandate.
For some of us faithful worshippers of God at the Living Faith Church and faithful followers of Jesus Christ, we do not understand what is going on but we are forging on nevertheless. But what is intriguing us is that we are no more certain about the belief status of both Bishops Oyedepo and Abioye. If Oyedepo really has faith in the God he serves, he will not think of humanely paving the way for his son to inherit him because the ways of God are very mysterious and past finding out. Who says to Oyedepo that it is his son, David, who will succeed him and not Abioye, Aremu or anybody else for that matter, even from another ministry? After all, Enoch Adeboye, the leader of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, was not a family member of the founder of the Redeemed Church yet he became leader solely by the grace and election of God.
Besides, who says that Oyedepo will pass on before his son? Who even says that Abioye, Aremu and Oyedepo Jr. will outlive Oyedepo the senior? Who knows any of these things for certain?
And for Abioye, why is he grieving when Oyedepo’s action may in fact be God’s approved way to ease him out and pave the way for him to begin a ministry that may surpass Oyedepo’s own in impact, influence and dominion? Why does he want to remain an ‘’indigene’’ of the Living Faith Church forever? Following Christ means that your ‘’nationality’’ can change any time any day.
By the way, who knows the ways of God? Is Abioye saying that his often made statement that God called him to be the Aaron and not the Moses of the Living Faith Church a mere diplomatic declaration, a subterfuge, to hide his real intention? Does Abioye not know that Aaron, Moses’ brother and number two to Moses, did not succeed him but it was Joshua a ranked outsider who did?
And now to the issue of temples or edifices. If Abioye is now saying that the building of edifices for God is wrong or not too important where is the evidence that he advised Oyedepo against this while he was number two and his principal rejected the advice?
As you the reader can perceive from the tone of my conversation here, I have faith and love for Oyedepo Senior, his son, David, Abioye and the Living Faith Church. What I do not want or desire is that none of them should do or say anything that will tear the Church apart or bring about a scandal that will be a reproach to God. All four principal personnel in the history of the Living Faith have contributed to the growth and development of that movement that has impacted our modern world.
As for the two mighty Davids of the Living Faith, I know that David Oyedepo has an operational code similar to the one of the famous Mossad, the Israeli secret service. Like the Mossad, Oyedepo does not confirm or deny any charge or any fiery dart thrown at him. He sees and hears, passes over them and carries on with his life unperturbed.
David Aboye, on his part, is an intelligent and loyal follower. With a wise counsel well delivered, he can be persuaded to ignore his hurt and give glory to God that even as he operated for over 40 years as a faithful disciple and Aaron to his Moses, God rewarded him handsomely with a lot of material and spiritual benefits such that he has now no need to engage in any fight that will only bring shame and reproach to his God.
