Olayiwola Matthew
Two Vice Presidents of Living Faith Church Worldwide, better known as Winners Chapel, Bishop David Olatunji Abioye and Bishop Thomas Aremu, are set to leave the church.
According to a report by Church Times, the two would be leaving the church, headed by the Founder, Bishop David Oyedepo, in October.
They would be departing within three days of one another.
While Bishop Aremu, who heads LFC, Basorun, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, will depart on October 15, 2024, Bishop Abioye, who has been with Bishop Oyedepo since 1979, will take his exit on October 18, 2024.
The valedictory service for Aremu will take place at the church in Ibadan, while that of Abioye will be held at the LFC, Durumi, Abuja.
The report said it is an epoch-making event as it marks the first time that pastors who have served meritoriously in the Living Faith Church will be openly celebrated on retirement.
According to Church Times, the duo will be leaving Winners Chapel based on the rules of the Mandate, which is the constitution or operational manual of the Liberation Commission.
The revised Mandate puts the new age of retirement, which was formerly 60, at 58.
Only the Founder will have the privilege of a lifetime of service, after which every future leader of the Commission will serve for one term or a maximum of two terms of seven years each, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.
According to Church times, this marks a new phase in the operations of the young church of less than five decades.
Bishop Abioye, who first met Bishop Oyedepo in 1979 and has been his right hand man since then, was sent out to pastor one of the five pioneer branches in 1987.
Furthermore, he was consecrated in 1993 in Garden of Faith, Barnawa, Kaduna at the age of 32 as the youngest Bishop of a full fledged church in recorded history.
On the other hand, Bishop Aremu, who joined the ministry full-time after serving as an Accountant in secular organisations, is the only one among the seven Bishops consecrated in November 1999 at Garden of Faith, Kaduna that have remained till date.