Afolabi Ogunde: Where UK’s Daily Mail Goofed on Bishop David Oyedepo and Winners Ministries

Bishop David Oyedepo

When the British begun to colonize Africa just few centuries ago, they saw nothing wrong with using the Gospel of Christ to bamboozle our ancestors into surrendering their lands and resources over to Her Majesty’s government; now fast-forward to modern times where African pastors are some of the most influential persons on Earth, it seems the detractors have arrived in busloads.

The Daily Mail, one of the United Kingdom’s most widely read publications is the detractor of the day. Perhaps somebody needs to hand them a copy of the King James version of the Bible, or maybe a contemporary version of the material would suffice.

Prosperity ministries like Living Faith, popularly known as Winners, will continue to generate a lot of confusion-based controversy in places like the United Kingdom where the people increasingly are distanced from the doctrine of the gospel (the Word of God).

Many ex-Christians and Christianity bashers always cite the fact that Jesus Christ was humble and didn’t fly in private jets or ride in luxury cars; they always remember how Jesus rode on an ass. Well the gospel also informs us that he made himself poor so that we could become rich. 2^nd Corinthians 8:9 says “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich”.

Church attendance in British churches are at an all time low, and many of the British church buildings are now tourist centers and not places where men go to fellowship with God. The Africans who were first taught Christianity by British missionaries in the 19^th century have now mastered the gospel in a way that certifies the Great Commission given to men by Christ. I can imagine how the Archbishop of Canterbury would be ticked off about this, or the Bishops of Reading, Newcastle, Coventry and Birmingham, just to name a few.
Truth is African Pentecostalism is the most successful and fastest growing branch of the Church of Christ world-wide, and the scandal prone churches of the West are uneasy considering the trend.

Statistics show, “regular church attendance in the United Kingdom stands at 6% of the population with the average age of the attendee being 51. This shows a decline in church attendance since 1980 when regular attendance stood at 11% with an average age of 37. It is predicted that by 2020, attendance will be around 4% with an average age of 56.This decline in church attendance has forced many churches to close down across the United Kingdom with the Church of England alone being forced to close 1,500 churches between 1969 and 2002. Their fates include dereliction, demolition and residential conversion.”

The statistics paint a picture whereby funds are being generated by African churches where attendance is on the increase, and diminishing in British churches where attendance is on the decline.  It’s easy to see how the Charities Commission can get sidetracked and misinformed. However it would be a violation of several international and divine laws for Her Majesty’s regulatory bodies to revoke the status of a faith based institution.

The Roman Catholic Church is arguably one of the richest institutions on the face of the planet. Africa’s prosperity ministries/churches are rapidly amassing the wealth that took centuries for some religious organizations to acquire. There is bound to be a conflict of interest as there are many open and hidden interests that would not want to see this scale of empowerment for the African man.

Living Faith ministries owns at last count, three universities in Nigeria. In less than a decade some of the graduates are already working for globally recognized institutions like the World Bank, Goldman Sachs, KPMG, Deloitte, Mobil, Total, Chevron and a long list of other Fortune 500 companies. It is understandable why some anti-progress machineries are in motion, what is befuddling is how one of Britain’s most widely read newspapers goes about misinforming its readers about a progressive faith-based spiritual organization that is ordained by God.

The Daily Mail has been sued severally for libel in the past and has had to cough up millions of pound sterling in damages to the victims of its occasionally leaky mouth. One would think that the publication would have done legitimately not to publish the junk it did on Sunday. Including in the article was this, “Followers (of Living Faith) are urged to target vulnerable people such as the lonely, the sick, the homeless and the suicidal as potential candidates for conversion.”
To the undiscerning eye, Winners will be made to look more like Exploiters, whereas the truth remains that the writers are obviously not of the Christian faith and are just looking for a story controversial enough to sell their newspapers. Christ did tell his servants to minister unto the down-trodden and the bed-ridden and the poor. A quick fact check of the New Testament would have saved the Mail this ignorance that is sure to cost them.

The obvious remains yet to be stated and it’s as simple as this, before the journalists at the Mail rush to the press again, they should patiently pick up a copy of their bibles, dust it thoroughly open, and read some of the pages. After all, every man is entitled to have freedom in his religion, and in the way he thinks about God and HIS prophets. There should not be an abuse of this right by anybody, not even the Fourth Estate.

The only intelligent portion of the article was after it, in the comments section. A commentator from  Grove Park South East London said, “Are any members of his congregation complaining about the money they pay this man and his family? Has any member of his congregation complained that they did not receive the ‘blessings’ they prayed for or that the devil was not knocked out off that woman when she received that blow to the face? Has any members of his congregation been convicted of any criminal activity? If the answer to those questions is “no” then really what harm is this so-called Man of God causing?”

16 Comments

1. 

   kaytoned

   October 21, 2012 at 2:54 pm

   Am sure this writer must be benefitting either directly or indirectly from the church in question.Your defence of a simple and logical arguement justifies pple ripping foreingners off by 419.Open your heart and brain then read the Daily Mail write up again to understand the points being made,which are the absolute truths.Church business in Nigeria is one of the fastest growing buz,simply because lies,cheating,theft and insensitivity are our national idealogies doesn’t change the facts that they are wrong.
2. 

   CJ

   October 21, 2012 at 3:55 pm

   Covenant University and Landmark University were built with church collections, how many of the congregants can send their wards to these Universities in view of the high tuition fees? I respect him as a man of God but I detest his immodesty; people are hungry and he is acquring jets. And you want to justify this with grammar and bible verses…
3. 

   chichi

   October 21, 2012 at 4:19 pm

   I am still trying to understand the point the writer is trying to make. So winners is now being compared to the likes of mobil, chevron and co. That means you are trying to tell uss that winners is a business set up for money making ventures. I hope the government is collecting tax from the organisation to give back to the people what is due to them. My question is this: can the government investigate this church further to ensure that i t is not engaged in shady deals. How can the writer justify the peanuts paid to the sacked pastors of the church or their sack from the work of God without substantial reasons. However, my pity goes out to the gullible human beings who believe that the kingdom of God or the blessings and favor of God can be bought. A man of God goes free after molesting a girl. What a society!
4. 

   Abah J. A.

   October 21, 2012 at 5:05 pm

   I don’t disagree with d writer. I grew up as a Christian under Bishop Oyedepo. Though in another ministry now, I ve very high respect for him. The day I took a tour of Covenant University I knelt down and prayed, that I should not die without leaving a mark. He has lived a thousand lives over with his achievements and we should be proud of him. Daily Mail really erred, we re asked to preach to d downtrodden. There is despondency and rise in suicide rate in d West ‘cos there is death of family fellowship and serious social disconnect in their society. I however believe that d universities our pentecostal churches re building should be within d reach of all congregants, if not free. But alas, the Catholics that brought us almost free education are joining the fray, their modern day schools/universities are for the rich.
5. 

   y

   October 21, 2012 at 8:02 pm

   I think the writer the Ogunde or whatever he calls himself is insane. Why not tackle the Daily mail journalist? Why hit on the Anglican and Catholic church? I really don’t think the Ogunde is a Christain at all,maybe he is an athiest.
   • 

     pious paul

     October 22, 2012 at 2:16 am

     Yes I think he must be a right wing neo-conservative social media commentator who is being paid a gazillion bucks by the ministry to perform reputation management activities on their behalf. This Ogunde guy must be one of them. I bet he uses a gulfstream when he’s off to the loo.
6. 

   Seun A

   October 21, 2012 at 9:08 pm

   To all those castigating Men of God because of their wealth, people like you will insult and curse them if they were poor and wretched.
7. 

   freddro

   October 22, 2012 at 1:02 pm

   This writer is trying to sentimentally justify the unjustifiable. In Nigeria, when churches collect monies from the congregation, they hardly do charity work, they don’t pay tax, the founders use church money for personal use because they see the church as their personal business in which the founder don’t feel accountable to any member, authority except God. This is not the case in the UK. All churches operating legitimately are expected to be registered with the Charity commission with very clear mission statement . The UK CC hold the trustees to account in which the so called founders are put to check as they cannot just deep hands into church purse, so if the authorities find anything out of place, they will raise eyebrow just as Daily mail did.
   • 

     paul

     October 22, 2012 at 1:26 pm

     on the contrary i think the writer did a brilliant job as far as addressing the issues. these ppl r calling faith a fraud
     • 

       freddro

       October 22, 2012 at 2:20 pm

       It is rather a pity many Nigerian Pastors made faith look like fraud and if people see it that way that is what they will call it.
       • 

         Omo Oyedepo

         November 8, 2012 at 11:47 am

         FELLOW COMRADES, ,THAT ARE AGAINST BISHOP OYEDEPO, AT LEAST U ALL KNOW HE IS A MAN OF GOD, A BUSINESS MAN, U KNOW HIS BUSINESSES AND MODELS, THE MANDATE WHICH SHOWS HOW THE CHURCH AND COMMISSION IS STRUCTURED IS AVAILABLE IN HIS CHURCH FOR PURCHASE FOR N1500. MY CONCLUSION IS THAT CHANNEL YOUR ENERGY INTO MORE PRODUCTIVE USES LIKE COPYING HIS MODEL AND SEEKING TO BE BETTER THAN HIM RATHER THAN CASTIGATING HIM.
         • 

           freddro

           November 8, 2012 at 12:03 pm

           I don’t think you really digested the two lines I wrote. Firstly I did not Mention Bishop Oyedepo not to talk of castigating him, Secondly If I may ask you, don’t you think I am entitled to my own opinion?
8. 

   Diipo.

   October 24, 2012 at 3:14 pm

   We are totally losing it as a country if those who brought Christianity are converting their churches to houses while we a re busy converting our factories to churches.
9. 

   Costugo

   October 25, 2012 at 5:44 am

   Why involvin anglicans and catholics?is d daily mail writer an anglican or a catholic?why not tackle d writer and leave d church.may God av mercy on all of u guys.
10. 

    Jaiye

    October 25, 2012 at 5:50 pm

    Honestly I see no reason why anyone be a Preacher,Pastor or Imam shouldn’t live a comfortable life. The call to serve God shouldn’t be a call to poverty,lack or a life of dejection. What do you think would happen if such men of God are unable to meet their immediate financial requirements? However,we as Nigerians and the entire black race need to be awake and aware that not everyone that stands at an altar and preaches was indeed ordained by God. Mr Ogunde quoted the bible very well but he may have forgotten this bible verse Luke 18:25 (and Mark 10:25) where Jesus said ” for it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God”. I’m not in anyway saying Bishop Oyedepo wasn’t ordained by God or that he does not preach the gospel,however if the verse is anything to go by,I guess we all know where our dear Bishop will end. Recently I saw a pastor driving an Armada jeep with his name as the customized plate number and then I ask myself,is this what it has come to? I’m all for giving to God’s work but it is when we give foolishly that we are indeed buying our way into hell and damnation. The bible is not so hard to read!we have just chosen to delegate that task to “men of God” who we pay heavily for their duties.
11. 

    Bim

    October 26, 2012 at 8:25 am

    Can Ogunde explain why life expectancy in Nigeria is 45 and in Britain it’s 80? If indeed it’s all about God loving Nigerians more for giving and praying? What a gullible moron.