In continuation of the series on prominent pastors who have displayed unparalleled loyalty, faithfulness and stewardship in five of the biggest Pentecostal ministries in Nigeria, this edition will be focusing on Winners Chapel International Ministry.

This ministry has experienced the highest cases of key ministers leaving their pastorate than any other ministry in Nigeria. Apart from the regular restructurings within the ministry which has led to the resignations of a lot of pastors, a couple of others have left on divine directives to start their independent ministries. The celebrated cases of Bishop Adjeman’s church grabbing controversy in Ghana, the departure of five other bishops as well as the mass resignation of about 200 pastors in 2012 readily comes to mind. It is on this basis that the loyalty and faithfulness of prominent pastors who are still in the ministry will be better appreciated.

There are five Vice Presidents in Winners Chapel, namely Bishop David Abioye (First Vice President),Pastor (Mrs) Faith Oyedepo(VP Education) , Bishop Thomas Aremu (VP Mission Inspectorate Directorate) , Pastor J, Ajibade(Vice President Foreign Mission) and Pastor David Oyedepo (Jr) . Two of these five leaders are immediate family members of the founder, Bishop David Oyedepo. It is naturally expected that they remain loyal and committed. Therefore, this article will be focusing on three Vice Presidents and a former Vice President who is a key pillar of the ministry.

1. Bishop David Abioye

Bishop Abioye’s meeting with his mentor dates back to early 80s. It was in a Christian Students’ Fellowship and since then his loyalty, commitment, dedication and support to the ministry has never been in doubt.

Bishop Abioye was one of the seven foundation members of the church and in April 1987 when the first five branches of the ministry were to be established, he was transferred to start the Maiduguri Church. After the departure of Bishop David Oyedepo to Lagos, he became the Senior Pastor of Living Faith Church, Kaduna, which was the national headquarters at that time. He was eventually consecrated a bishop in 1993.

In 2004, when he was posted to Abuja, it took the special grace of God upon him for the Durumi church to gather back multitudes after the church was depleted by the resignation of Pastor Olutayo, the erstwhile bishop of the region. Since then, mega branches of Winners Chapel have been established in Karu, Nyanya,Gwarimpa , Mararaba, Lugbe, kubwa, Jahi , Lokongoma , Apo and numerous other locations within the Federal Capital Territory .

Today, Bishop Abioye is the First Vice President and the Senior Pastor of Living Faith Church, Goshen City with over 30,000 worshippers.

When he was asked about the motivation behind his loyalty,he said “ministry is about function, not about the number, ministry is not about being the founder but about touching lives” .

2.Bishop Thomas Aremu

When Bishop Aremu went for his NYSC in Jos, Plateau State he never had the premonition that certain corps members who were to serve under the ministry were posted there to kick-start the ministry. These corps members were Bishop David Abioye, Bishop Dickson Olorunda, among others. After service year, he got a job and was posted to Kaduna and met his old friends in camp and as fate will have it he became one of the first eight members.

He later became a deacon and in 1988 he was ordained a part-time pastor reporting to Bishop David Oyedepo directly. In 1994,he resigned his appointment to come into full time ministry in the commission under the leadership of Bishop David Oyedepo and was posted to pioneer the Ibadan Church. Under his pastorate, the main Ibadan Church grew to over 10,000 memberships within four years and later metamorphose to 143 winners branches in Oyo State.

Bishop Aremu whose prophetic ministrations are usually marked with mighty manifestations and testimonies is renowned for igniting massive growth in membership everywhere he served. Apart from the Ibadan Church, the branches he pastored include the Living Faith Church in Ilorin,Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Accra Ghana.

Bishop Thomas Aremu also held the position of Vice President Church Network, Vice President Africa Mission and Vice President Foreign Mission. He presently occupies the position of Vice President Mission Inspectorate Service.

In December 1999, he was consecrated as a bishop alongside six other bishops. And today, it is on record that he is the only one still serving in the ministry among the seven bishops that were consecrated at that period. According to him “each time people leave, I ask God, ‘Do I leave?’He consistently told me not to leave”

3. Pastor Abraham Ojeme

With the exception of Pastor David Oyedepo Jnr,Pastor Ojeme is one of the few pastors posted to head the United Kingdom Branch of the ministry who returned faithfully rather than leaving to start an independent ministry in the United Kingdom as was regularly the case. This typifies Pastor Abrahm Olufemi Ojeme dependability, reliability and commitment to the “Mandate”.

Pastor Ojeme who was a foundation member of the Winners Chapel Lagos was appointed the pioneer Chairman of the Board of Deacons for the Lagos Church at inception in 1989. He was later ordained a Pastor in 1992 and has been the State Pastor for Lagos, Pro-Chancellor of the Covenant University, Resident Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaan land, and former Vice-President (foreign mission) of Living Faith Church Worldwide. Pastor Ojeme was also a former Executive Secretary, Living Faith Church Worldwide, Senior Pastor, Winners Chapel International, London as well as the Ikorodu branch.