Oyedepo defends church’s pastor retirement policy amid criticism
Founder of the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), Bishop David Oyedepo, has addressed recent criticism regarding the church’s retirement policy for pastors, urging critics to respect the decisions made by the church leadership.
The criticism arose on social media following reports that two of the church’s vice presidents, Bishops Thomas Aremu and David Abioye, were set to retire after decades of service in the ministry. Aremu has served for three decades, while Abioye has served for four.
Speaking at the valedictory service for Bishop Aremu at Winners Chapel, Orita Bashorun, on Tuesday, Oyedepo explained that the retirements are in line with the church’s operational guidelines, known as The Mandate, which functions as the church’s constitution.
He highlighted that the church’s administrative policies were updated in 1998 and revised in 2001, with the most recent update in 2024 adjusting the retirement age from 60 to 55.
“The church operates by divine order,” Oyedepo said, emphasizing that the retirement decisions align with the revised policies. He added that while he retains the right to serve for life as the founder, future church leaders would be limited to one or two terms of seven years, subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.
Addressing critics, Oyedepo urged them to focus on their own affairs, stating, “My advice to commentators is to study to be quiet and mind your business. It is wisdom to learn what is working and find out what makes it work. Everything works here.”
During the sermon, Oyedepo also encouraged Bishop Aremu to stay spiritually connected even after retirement, warning against the dangers of spiritual complacency. “Taking a spiritual break is risky,” he said, advising Aremu to keep God at the center of his life and remain focused on growth in faith.
Bishop Aremu, who began his career as an accountant before transitioning into full-time ministry, expressed no intention of establishing his own church after retirement. “I don’t have a church, and I cannot have a church because God has not infused me with the capacity to do so. This is my church,” he said.
Aremu is the last surviving bishop of the seven consecrated in 1999 at the Garden of Faith in Kaduna. His retirement marks the end of an era in the church’s leadership.
Meanwhile, Bishop Abioye’s farewell ceremony is scheduled for Friday, October 18, 2024, at Winners Chapel, Durumi, Abuja.
Oyedepo concluded by cautioning those predicting the church’s downfall, warning that such expectations were futile. “Those wishing for the ministry’s downfall are wasting their lives,” he said.