Presiding bishop of the Living Faith Church, Nigeria (aka Winners’ Chapel), David Oyedepo, has confirmed the sack of over 40 pastors of the church, saying they were shown the way for non-performance.
He denied reports that the pastors were sacked for not generating enough income.
The social media was abuzz in the recent days over the sack of the pastors.
While some fiercely criticised the action of the church, others hailed it.
But on Wednesday night at a programme of the church, Oyedepo explained that the pastors were booted out because they were “unfruitful.”
“When we employed 7, 000 pastors at once, social media was dead. We have more employees than most states in Nigeria and we have neither owed them or taken bank overdraft once,” he said in a video that has gone viral.
“The pastors were asked to go because they were unfruitful. Many of the churches built can never pay for the church building in 30 years. We have no patience for failure here.
“We have built more than 1,000 churches in rural areas where in the next 30 years, they can never generate such fund, with each costing more than N14 million. We are hunting after souls, not income.
“People are confused about our Ministry. I learnt some fellows said, ‘you know, they are not bringing income, that is why they asked them to go.’
“We asked you (the sacked pastors) to go because you are unfruitful. Unfruitful! Blatant failure. Doing what there? We have no patience with failure here.
“When we employed 7,000 people at a time, social media was dead. We have more employees in this organisation than most of the states.
“No one is owed a dime salary and we don’t borrow, we don’t beg. Ask our bank whether we take overdraft. We are covenant bound, working in the light of God’s Word, enjoying an open Heaven.
“Money: Nonsense! We have never lacked it and yet we have never prayed for it, we are just simply obeying God and He is backing up what He is asking us to do. Awesome God.
“Now the next set is about to be flagged off, just certifying the landed property issues, nothing else. We have no lack of anything. The world is confused. Walking in the light of God’s Word. Please, obey God to the full and watch out for His manifestations in your life.
“Well, you don’t need so much mathematics to know a thousand buildings; that is not N1,000 each, that is not N10 million each, that is not 12 Million (naira) each, that is not 14 million (naira) each. Some are 35 million (naira). At a go!
“We have never seen it ourselves. We just watch God doing it. The only criteria: How many souls have they gotten there? Then, build for them. How many souls? Not once: how much money do they have?
“Apart from individuals now investing in promoting the kingdom of God, building five churches, some building two, some three churches. Just obey God. Obedience will turn you to a living wonder.
“Have you ever seen us raise prayer point of ‘O God, send us money? You have been here for some time; we pray every day. Now we pray three times a day –Covenant hour of prayer, Covenant Revival Prayer, morning and evening, going out every day on the streets.
“You want to see what we see, go and do what we do. But if you are not saved, there is nothing you do that matters.”
LFC is one of Nigeria’s mega church with close to 300,000 members.
It was founded in 1981 and celebrated its 40th anniversary in May this year.
It has branches in close to 70 countries.