Founder of The Living Faith Church International aka Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, has broken his silence on the recent sack of over 40 pastors by the church.
He was reacting to allegation by one of the affected pastors, Peter Godwin, that they were sacked for not generating enough income.
Godwin, who was in one of the church’s branches in Ekiti State, had claimed: “I was told by the management that the church doesn’t operate at a loss.
“They also told me that the total income that is being generated from my station should be able to cater for my welfare and accommodation, so as a result of low income, I’m hereby dismissed.”
Nigerians reacted massively to the issue on social media with some stating it was within the rights of the church to hire and fire while others said the church was wrong to use income generation to evaluate pastors.
Speaking to the church on the matter, Oyedepo said the sacked pastors were “unfruitful and blatant failure.”
He said: “People are confused about our Ministry. I learnt some fellows said, “you know, they are not bringing income, that is why they asked them to go”.
“We asked you to go because you are unfruitful. Unfruitful! Blatant failure. Doing what there? We have no patience with failure here.
“When we employed 7,000 people at a time, social media was dead.
“We have more employees in this organisation than most of the states. No one is owed a dime salary and we don’t borrow, we don’t beg. Ask our bank whether we take overdraft.
“We are covenant bound, working in the light of God’s Word, enjoying an open Heaven.”
He said the sack was not about money. According to him: “Money? Nonsense. We have never lacked it and yet we have never prayed for it.
“We are just simply obeying God and He is backing up what He is asking us to do. Awesome God.”
In a story titled “Winners’ Chapel sacked me, 40 others for not generating enough income, Pastor alleges”. which was widely published in print and online on July 19. Godwin had alleged that he and 40 other pastors in Ekiti State were sacked by the church for not generating enough income.
In a trending letter on social media dated June 25, 2021 by the Executive Secretary of the church, Adebisi Aboluwade, the pastors were asked to vacate their official accommodation and hand over their identity cards to their respective area pastors.
One of the letters read: “Consequent upon the recent performance reviews which revealed that your church growth index falls below expectations.
“Please be informed that your services as a pastor in charge are no longer required from this commission with immediate effect.
“You are to vacate the official accommodation (where applicable) and hand over all properties of the ministry in your custody, including your staff identity card to the area pastor before departure.
“May you find grace for a new beginning. Peace.”
Godwin, who said he is one of the pastors affected in Ekiti State, in a trending video, said he was employed on August 28, 2020.
The pastor said, on July 1, he received a call that the state pastor wanted to see him and that he was surprised to see about 40 other pastors when he arrived.
According to him: “When I got there, I saw other pastors too, over 40 of them. So, I joined them.
“A few minutes later, we were [each] issued a letter. I opened the content of the letter to see what was there and I saw that it was a sack letter.
“So, I called the management the next day to find out what happened since I wasn’t involved in any dubious activity or evil act. I was told by the management that the church doesn’t operate at a loss.
“They also told me that the total income that is being generated from my station should be able to cater for my welfare and accommodation, so as a result of low income, I’m hereby dismissed.”
The Nation
