Since the last Sunday in January when the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria paid a ‘worship’ visit to the world headquarters of the Living Faith Church, aka Winners’ Chapel, the blogosphere has been awash with a lot of misrepresentations as regards what Bishop Oyedepo said (and didn’t say) while praying for the President.
Many people, especially members of the commission, who were not at that service, had wanted the church authorities to come out with the facts and put paid to the mudslingings that followed.
A few days ago, the Press and Publicity Unit came out with position entitled: “Just For The Record…” Well, finally, the church has spoken, and “sleeping dogs can now lie.” Below is a statement from the church authorities of Winners’ Chapel, signed by the Resident Pastor, Ntia Ubong, and made available to many media houses as well as the Press and Publicity Unit of the church:
ON PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN’S VISIT TO THE WORLD HEADQUARTERS OF THE LIVING FAITH CHURCH (A.K.A WINNERS’ CHAPEL INTERNATIONAL), CANAANLAND, OTA
THE ISSUE AT STAKE
For over a week now, the news and social media have been abuzz with certain rumours, insinuations and misinformation, concerning the January 25, 2015 visit of His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to the Faith Tabernacle in Canaan Land, Ota, Ogun State, (world headquarters of the Living Faith Church World-wide, a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel International). The information, which portrayed an open declaration for the candidacy of the President by a prayer-call directed at the political opposition of the President, is not only FAR FROM THE THRUTH, but is also intended to cause misrepresentation, mischief, rancour and malice in the Body of Christ, with the view to denting the image of the revered and highly respected God’s Servant, Bishop David Oyedepo; as well as to create confusion in the polity.
Let it be clearly stated that, Bishop is first and foremost a Man of God and he remains one; and like the Bible implores in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, he can only accommodate all persons of different political backgrounds and inclinations, particularly leaders for whom the Bible has instructed that spiritual intercessions be made. run an open-door policy towards political leaders with the view to interceding on their behalf.
The event of Sunday, January 25, 2015, in which President Jonathan visited the Church, was obviously not out of place.
But for the records, the following represents the sequence of what happened:
PRESIDENT JONATHAN’S VISIT OF 25/01/15
The President and his entourage arrived Canaanland (Faith Tabernacle) for the Third Service about 9. 30a.m. He and his team were ushered in and asked to occupy the front seats alongside the Resident Pastor and other senior pastors. Thereafter, in honour of the President, Bishop Oyedepo invited President Jonathan to “bring a word of greeting” to the congregation.
President Jonathan spent approximately six minutes in his address, clearly stating that he would be careful not to sound political so that his visit and intentions would not be construed as a ‘campaign.’ In his brief speech, he adulated the Ministry and person of Bishop for the mighty works of faith, prayer for Nigeria and educational milestones the Living Faith Church has engendered for national development. He then expressed his belief that the elections of 2015 would go peacefully, while also asking for the people of God to pray more.
The President neither covertly asked for votes, nor overtly impressed the congregation with any unsolicited advertorial to win their “electoral” minds. In sum, we understood the visit as one in his capacity as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and not as a presidential candidate of any political party.
For verification, the President’s address and the entire Third Service are on YouTube, unedited; you can please access it here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fxvfZgUrPms
Also, the unedited video can be accessed on the church website, via :www.davidoyedepoministries.org
BISHOP OYEDEPO’S RESPONSE (WHAT HE SAID)
The Bishop mounted the altar, disclosing to the entire congregation that he received on a very short notice, information of the President’s visit. These were his words:
I only had an idea of the President’s visit just yesterday morning. The information was not there last Friday when we had the One Night with the King. So, we are going to be praying for our President. Let prayers and supplications and intercessions be made for all men; first of all, for kings, and for them that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
He thereafter performed two quick tasks: praying for the nation as well as the President of the nation, in line with Biblical instruction of 1 Timothy 2:1-2 viz:
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Bishop Oyedepo did not call the President to the altar for any special cleansing or deliverance. President Jonathan along with his entourage, like the rest of the congregation, was upstanding, and prayers were made for him and all those in authority, and the nation.
Reading from Numbers 6: 23-26, which says, “On this wise shall ye bless the children of Israel, saying: The Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift His countenance upon thee and give thee peace”, Bishop said it was mandatory for priests to proclaim blessings over the President “and the blessings will answer, in the Name of Jesus”. (Watch the rest of the exhortation on YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fxvfZgUrPms)
Bishop Oyedepo proceeded thus:
I like us to be on our feet and lift the President up to God. Whatever you desire to see God bring about in his life; bring about in our nation; begin to pray that prayer right now. Father, release your grace upon the President to match the demands of his office. Release unusual grace in increasing dimensions, to match the demands of his office. Cause your face to shine upon him. Lord, grant the desires of his heart. Grant Nigeria peace! Under him, grant Nigeria greater advancement. Thank you, Father; in Jesus’ Name we pray”!!
Bishop Oyedepo then closed the prayer thus:
This entire Church proclaims the President blessed today; blessed with divine wisdom to match the demands of his office; blessed with peace to see the miraculous in his life; blessed with grace that will advance His (God’s) cause on our nation”. Every time we pray here, God hears. The Bible says wherever two or three are gathered, I’m there in their midst, and if we agree concerning anything, it is done for us. Therefore, in the Name of Jesus, our President is declared blessed. His going out is blessed; his coming in is blessed. The will of God is blessed in his life. Thank you father; blessed be your Name; in Jesus’ precious Name!!
And the congregation responded loudly, “AMEN!”
WHAT THE BISHOP DID NOT SAY
Therefore, there was NO WHERE, nor was there any time the following prayer or words were uttered by the Church or Bishop: “I will open the gates of hell to anyone who opposes you”, or “I will open the gates of hell to anyone who opposes the peace of this nation.”
THIS IS FAR FROM THE TRUTH!
It is pertinent to note the following:
1. The word, “hell” was no where mentioned
2. The phrase “gates of hell”, is clearly absent
3. “Opposition” or “oppose” or “oppose you” cannot be found
4. “I will open” or “I will” is far-fetched
Our Position as a Church of God
It is our duty as a House of the Most High God to follow His instructions and to do what He has sent us to do. According to scriptures, one of the vital tasks of the church is to seek the peace of our nation of abode through prayers and intercessions for a godly, stable, peaceful and prosperous nation.
As believers, we are called to pray for the leaders, the people and the nation. This is what we have done.
It is benumbing as it is incomprehensible, therefore, that the imputation of “I will open the gates of hell to anyone who opposes you”, in a message that was attended by over 40, 000 people and which was in the full glare of the world on the Ministry’s website and YouTube, can be accepted wholesale and proliferated on social and mainstream media without recourse to ascertaining the veracity or authenticity. Those imported words were probably for political profiteering and attention patronage by bloggers. Whatever the intention was, may Almighty God forgive the perpetrators.
We consider the mischievous imputation and its uncritical acceptance as the handiwork of those who had been seeking a veritable point to strike and injure the integrity of our Church, and they found the President’s visit during this season of elections as the right point to make an attempt to drag our hard-earned image in the mud. Those words were the machination of negatively fecund and wild imagination and can therefore NOT STAND AS THE TRUTH!
Our Church of over 33 years has been a sanctuary for all peoples with no prejudice to colour, race, ethnicity, and social or political persuasion; and has opened its doors as a place of refuge and repentance for all people. We stand for righteousness and cherish our integrity.
We pray for a righteous leadership and a peaceful nation. May the coming elections bring a peaceable solution to our challenges as a nation and may the Hand of God continue to be upon our nation for good! May He heal our beloved nation. Amen!!
Jesus is Lord!!!
Pastor Ubong Ntia
Resident Pastor
Living Faith Church World-Wide
Aka Winners’ Chapel International Canaanland, Ota.