Celebrating Papa @ 60 (3)

SOME IMPORTANT DATES IN THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF BISHOP OYEDEPO (1)

If you call Bishop David Oyedepo a man of accurate records, you won’t be far from the truth. He has an uncanny way of remembering exactly important days and dates in his life and ministry. With what could be referred to as “spiritual precision”, he is capable of reeling out dates and even the exact time of certain occurrences in his life. For instance, in what is now known as The Mandate, he could tell everyone that the open vision (his call into ministry) lasted for 18 hours. 

Hear him: “I was on a trip to Ilesha, now in Osun State of Nigeria on May 1^st 1981, on the look-out for the welfare of a Christian friend I had not heard from, for some time…

This was how I came into my encounter. I got to this brother’s place but he wasn’t there. There was a note on his door announcing that he had travelled. Something gracious came out of me – “All things work together to the advantage of them that love the Lord.”…then the Holy Spirit said to me, “Look out for a quiet place, I want to talk to you.” …The quiet place I found was one ‘international hotel, Ilesha…Behold, as I knelt down to give thanks in that wonderful room, the encounter began! This lasted for 18 hours.”

Though not exhaustive, below are some important dates in the life and ministry of Bishop David Oyedepo.

February 19, 1989:

"I had a missionary teacher while still in secondary school called Betty Lasher. She communicated the love of God with such passion and led me to Christ on February 19, 1969, when I was only 15 years old."

May 2, 1981: The Liberation Commission was delivered to him. His words: “And I heard God say distinctly to me, And from the beginning it was not so and now, the hour has come to liberate the world from all oppressions of the devil, through the preaching of the Word of faith; and I am sending you to undertake this task.”

    May 8, 1981: He convened the first ever meeting of some of his friends where he shared for the first time, the vision. After this meeting, the Liberation Commission officially took off on May 10, 1982. His words: 

   “This meeting held in one of the lecture rooms at the United Missionary Theological Chapel in Ilorin, Kwara State…WE were about 18 in number.”

   May 24, 1981: He held the inaugural fellowship which was then known as Faith Liberation Hour. His words: 

    “We also held a monthly weekend seminar…Within a year, the Faith Liberation Hour had become a household name particularly among youths and young adults in Ilorin where we began.”

   April 10, 1982: He got the go-ahead to begin the church ministry which officially took off in December 11, the following year and was officially commissioned in September 1983. His words: 

   “On one beautiful evening in the month of July 1983, I was in a deep fellowship with the Holy Spirit walking around our dining room when God suddenly spoke saying: ‘I will not have you go like others have gone. I will have hands laid on you so you can be filled with the spirit of wisdom.” 

   Then I asked, ‘Lord, who will lay hands on me?’ And He said: "Send for my servant Adeboye, and I will have him lay hands on you and you shall be filled with spirit of wisdom.”…Therefore, at God’s command, on the 11^th of December 1983, the Living Faith Church, Kaduna was born at ES, Ramat Close, Ungwan Rimi. It was our first planted church.