No mention of a "Living Faith Outreach Winners Chapters-Kaduna and Scripture Society" could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, sources report the existence of a "Living Faith World Outreach (a.k.a. Winners Chapel)" (Post Express 16 Oct. 2000; ibid. 15 Mar. 1998), as well as "Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners' Chapel)" (The Guardian 5 Apr. 2001; ibid. 24 Apr. 2001; The Winners' World Oct. 2000). Bishop David O. Oyedepo is the leader, or "Presiding Bishop," of this ministry (ibid.; Post Express 21 Sept. 1999; The Guardian 5 Apr. 2001).

An October/November 1999 issue of Dateline Nigeria, an "Internet-based news magazine," contained a report on David Oyedepo that was based on a Tempo article by Bamidele Johnson and provides background on Bishop Oyedepo. He was ordained as a Pastor in 1983 and his congregation began in 1984:

Years back, the Kwara-born Bishop was largely unknown outside his own flock in Ilorin, Kwara State. Ilorin, with its largely Moslem population offered the least conducive soil for the germination of Oyedepo's Pentecostal seed. Yet, he kicked off. Armed with a vision in which he said God told him to liberate the world, Brother David, as he was then known, began his church with a handful congregation of 27. ...

David was said to have got a divine message to move his family, then in Ilorin, to Kaduna, so he could fully take charge of his slowly blossoming ministry. ... [His fellowship grew and]

The crowd did not recede. This gave rise to the construction of a 7,000-capacity Dominion Cathedral located on Bishop's Court, Barnawa Road, Kaduna. Thus, the first church of the Living Faith Outreach effectively started in Kaduna. Oyedepo's urge for huge things obviously started from this point in time. Within a few years of starting out, the church grew to become the largest Pentecostal church in Northern Nigeria, with more than 50 outposts called mission stations.

By 1989, Kaduna had shrank simply because attendances kept getting bloated. The latest electrifying preacher reportedly got a call to "Get down to Lagos and raise Me (God) a people." ...

Oyedepo's preaching, like most Pentecostal preachings, places emphasis on prosperity. This could be gleaned from the monthly 'Breakthrough in Business Seminar' at which the members are expected to seek God's blessings in their various business endeavours (ibid.).

Upon moving to Lagos, his following grew even larger, leading to plans to build the world's largest church in Ota, Ogun State, capable of holding more than 50,000 people (ibid.). "The church is the first phase of the seven-stage development plan of a project called Canaan Land, which will include a university, a hospital, housing, a theological institute, and a secondary school (ibid.). This source also reported that "in the huge pond of the nation's Pentecostal evangelists, Oyedepo is A-class, rivalled only the by the hallowed Rev. Enoch A. Adeboye of The Redeemed Christian Church of God" (ibid.).

Other sources reported on the building of this church, known as "Shiloh" (Tempo 1 Sept. 1999; Dawn Fridayfax 1999; Maranatha Christian Journal 16 Sept. 1999). The church is also known as Faith Tabernacle (Post Express 12 Nov. 2000; The News 3 Jan. 2001; The Guardian 5 Apr. 2001). Post Express reported on 21 September 1999 that the dedication of the church was attended by Nigeria's Internal Affairs Minister, who represented President Obasanjo, as well as the Ogun State Governor. Also attending was Dr. Richard Roberts, president of Oral Roberts University, Oklahoma (ibid.). The secondary school was reported as being commissioned at the same time (ibid.) and housing was reported as already in existence (Tempo 1 Sept. 1999).

In other information about Oyedepo, Dawn Fridayfax reported in 1999 that he was 45 years old and that his "fellowship" began in Nigeria's Islamic north and that the church he founded in Kaduna "is the largest church in the north of the country, with an attendance around 10,000. The church has over 39 other African nations, including Ethiopia (attendance around 1,000), Kenya (7,000) and Ghana (7,000)."

The Winners' World is on online publication of the ministry, on a Website identified as "DOMI David Oyedepo Ministries International." An article in the publication states that Bishop David Abioye is "the Chairman of the National Church Council ... [and] presides over the affairs of the hundreds of branch churches under the LFCW [Living Faith Church Worldwide] scattered all over Nigeria" (Oct. 2000).

In other information about Winners Chapel, Post Express reported on 15 March 1998 that Bishop Oyedepo "had travelled out to Kaduna for a special programme."

On 12 February 1999 Post Express reported that Bishop Odeyepo would be a guest speaker at the Thanksgiving Service in Lagos of the Oceanic Bank International (Nigeria) Limited.

In a 12 November 1999 article about "a week-long religious programme" called "Shiloh 2000," Post Express reported comments from Bishop Oyedepo that

"the other six prophetic revelations have been accomplished," however he listed them to include the running of an industrial press, acquisition of aircraft and a world mission project which started with the Africa Gospel Invasion Programme (AGIP).

Others include preaching to the world through the internet and commissioning of the Faith Tabernacle, the permanent site of the church. He further revealed that the week-long programme will, among other things, teach participants the reality of the supernatural.

A 3 January 2001 report from The News concerned "end-of-year prayer camps of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Redemption Camp located on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and the Faith Tabernacle a.k.a Winners Chapel, Canaan Land, on Idi-Iroko Road, Ota, Ogun State." According to the report the camps were heavily advertised: "bill boards announcing the annual programmes were everywhere in Lagos. Advertisements in the mass media and, handbills were not left out of these campaigns."

A 24 April 2001 article from The Guardian reported on Bishop Oyedepo addressing " a five-day International Business Convention 2001, organised by the Winners Business Fellowship, held at the ministry's sprawling Canaan Land in Ota." The Bishop advised participants that "positive and constructive ideas are the strongest capital for a resourceful business" (ibid.).

No information on how members of Winners Chapel are treated by the police and/or the Muslim community could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Dateline Nigeria. October/November 1999. Bamidele Johnson. "Oyedepo's Voyage to Canaan Land." http://wealthbuildersweb.freeyellow.com/DATELINE/church.html [Accessed 7 May 2001]

Dawn Fridayfax. 1999. No. 30. "Nigeria: 'Don't Collect Money, Collect People!'." http://www.jesus.org.uk/dawn/1999/dawn9930.html [Accessed 7 May 2001]

The Guardian [Lagos]. 24 April 2001. "Oyedepo Offers Recipe for Business Success." http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/ [Accessed 7 May 2001]

_____. 5 April 2001. "Oyedepo Links Success to Careful Planning." http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/ [Accessed 7 May 2001]

Maranatha Christian Journal [Moreno Valley, CA]. 16 September 1999. "Lagos Sanctuary in World Dedicated in Africa." http://www.mcjonline.com/news/news3417.htm [Accessed 7 May 2001]

The News [Lagos]. 3 January 2001. Abimbola Ogunnaike and Richard Elesho. "Nigeria; Heavens Open On Earth." (Africa News/NEXIS)

Post Express [Lagos]. 12 November 2000. Nwaobia Chigbu. "Shiloh 2000 Begins Today." http://postexpresswired.com [Accessed 7 May 2001]

_____. 16 October 2000. Sam Ulelu. "Clerics Advised Against Imposition." http://postexpresswired.com [Accessed 9 May 2001]

_____. 2 December 1999. "Oceanic Bank's Thanksgiving Service." http://postexpresswired.com [Accessed 7 May 2001]

_____. 21 September 1999. "Nwaobia Chigbu. "Winners Chapel Dedicate Sanctuary." http://postexpresswired.com [Accessed 7 May 2001]

_____. 15 March 1998. Adeleke Adeseri. "Church Leader React." http://postexpresswired.com [Accessed 7 May 2001]

Tempo [Lagos]. 1 September 1999. Bamidele Johnson. "The World's Biggest Church." http://allafrica.com/stories/199909010125.html [Accessed 7 May 2001]

The Winners' World. October 2000. Vol. 2, No. 10. "An Armour Bearer Indeed!" http://www.winners-chapel.com/WinnersWorld/features/default.htm [Accessed 7 May 2001]

IRB databases

LEXIS-NEXIS

REFWORLD

World News Connection (WNC)

Unsuccessful attempts to contact three non-documentary sources

Internet sites including:

Abraham's Evangelistic Minirty - Lagos

BBC News

Gamji.com

The Guardian [Lagos].

Living Faith Outreach - Texas

Newswatch [Lagos].

Post Express [Lagos].

Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) - Nigeria

Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) - Texas

Vanguard [Apapa].

Winners Chapel

Search engines including:

HotBot