Travis Greene is an American gospel musician. He began his music career in 2007 with the release of The More via Greenelight Records.
Greene was born, Travis Montorius Greene, on January 17, 1984, in Delaware, to mother, Charleather Greene, as a still-born, yet he was resuscitated. His father died of an aneurism, when Greene was just a boy, circa 1989, As a child, Travis was pronounced dead after falling four floors out of a window in Germany. God miraculously revived him back to life after his mother prayed relentlessly. At just five years old, Travis was given a passion for music by God after the sudden death of his father. In addition to playing several instruments, he also writes and produces multiple genres of music. By living in culturally diverse regions and experiencing various church denominations, Travis embraces his unique gift for adaptability. He grew up in Warner Robins, Georgia,before relocating with his wife, Jackie, to Charlotte, North Carolina to further his ministry. Greene is now located in Columbia, South Carolina, where he is starting a church, Forward City, while the couple are raising their children.
Music career
His music recording career started in 2007, with the release, The More, that came out on December 4, 2007, from Greenelight Records. The subsequent release, Stretching Out, a studio album, was released on June 8, 2010, by Pendulum Records. This release was his breakthrough on the Billboard magazine Top Gospel Albums chart, where it placed at No. 27. The songs, “Still Here” and “Prove My Love”, both charted on the Billboard magazine Top Gospel Songs chart, at peaks of Nos. 17 and 29, respectively. He released, an extended play, Intentional, on August 21, 2015, with RCA Inspiration, where this placed at No. 3 on the Billboard magazine Top Gospel Albums chart. After signing with RCA Inspiration, Travis latest album, “The Hill” debuted at #1 on Gospel Billboard Charts. His single “Intentional” topped Gospel Charts for 16 weeks as #1.
Travis has been nominated for a Grammy Award, 3 Stellar Awards, 3 Dove Awards & 2 Billboard Music Awards. He has also won the BET Gospel Next Artist Award. Travis has performed in multiple continents, and on television programs such as BET’s Celebration of Gospel, the Stellar Awards, TBN’s Praise the Lord, TD Jake’s MegaFest, and much more. He has been featured in magazines including Essence, JET, ROOT, Madame Noire, and more.
John Hagee is the founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church, a charismatic megachurch in San Antonio, Texas, a non-denominational evangelical church with more than 20,000 active members.
Hagee is also the CEO of his non-profit corporation, Global Evangelism Television (GETV).
Hagee is the President and CEO of John Hagee Ministries, which telecasts his national radio and television ministry carried in the United States on ten television networks, including 62 high-power stations aired to more than 150 million households. He is shown on networks around the globe, including The Inspiration Network (INSP), Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), and Inspiration Now TV.John Hagee Ministries is in Canada on the Miracle Channel and CTS and can be seen in places including Africa, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Hagee is the founder and National Chairman of the Christian-Zionist organization, Christians United for Israel, incorporated on February 7, 2006.
Hagee has been both praised and criticized for his support for Israel. He has also attracted controversy over his comments on Islam, Catholicism, and homosexuality.
Personal Life
John Hagee was born on April 12, 1940 as John Charles Hagee, in Goose Creek, Texas, now part of Baytown, to the Reverend William Bythel Hagee and Vada Mildred Swick Hagee.He graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio with a Bachelor of Science in History and Education in 1964. He was on a football scholarship and appeared on the academic dean’s List.
Hagee received a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of North Texas in Denton in 1966 and completed his theological training at Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie. In 1989, he received an honorary doctorate from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2005, he received another honorary doctorate from Netanya Academic College in Israel. Hagee served on the Oral Roberts University Board of Regents from 1989 to January 2008.
In 1960, he married Martha Downing, they had two children John Christopher and Tish. In 1966 Hagee founded the charismatic Trinity Church in San Antonio, Texas. Hagee resigned as senior pastor of Trinity Church in May 1975. He also divorced his first wife Martha Downing in 1975. In 1976 Hagee married Diana Castro, they have three children Cristina, Matthew and Sandy.
Hagee founded The Church at Castle Hills, on Mother’s Day, May 11, 1975. The church started with 25 members, but within two years, had to build a new sanctuary seating 1,600 people. The church continued to grow. On October 4, 1987, Hagee dedicated a 5,000+-seat sanctuary and named it Cornerstone Church. Dr. W. A. Criswell, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, anointed Hagee and Diana Hagee, Pastor Hagee’s second wife, before the congregation.
Hagee has thirteen grandchildren. Matthew Hagee, John’s youngest son, is the executive pastor of Cornerstone Church.
Brian Houston is a pastor in the Australian Christian Churches. He was also the National President of Australian Christian Churches from 1997 to 2009. He is the founder and currently, the senior pastor of Hillsong Church which has locations in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne in Australia, London, Cape Town, Kiev, Germany, Paris,Moscow, Stockholm, New York City and Copenhagen.
Early Life
Houston was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on 17 February 1954. His parents, Frank and Hazel, were then Salvation Army officers. When Houston was three, his parents joined the Assemblies of God in New Zealand and began pastoring a church in Lower Hutt, near Wellington. Here Houston and his brother and three sisters spent their childhood. After completing school, he went to a Bible college for three years. Shortly after completing college he met his future wife, Bobbie, on Papamoa Beach in New Zealand during a Christian convention, and in 1977, they were married.
Family and Personal Life
Brian and Bobbie Houston’s home is in the suburb of Glenhaven, Sydney.
Brian and Bobbie Houston.
They have three grown children, Joel, Ben, and Laura. Ben and Laura currently live in Sydney.
Joel and his wife Esther have one son. Joel is a musician, a songwriter, and Hillsong Church’s creative director. As of 2010, he co-pastors Hillsong New York with Carl Lentz.
Ben is married to Lucille and they are the Lead Pastors of Hillsong Los Angeles. They have three daughters.
Laura married Peter Toganivalu in 2008, and they have one daughter and one son. Laura, along with her husband Peter are pastors of the senior high youth ministry Wildlife. Laura also oversees the youth music/worship ministry known as ‘Young and Free’. Previously she was involved with the church communications team, which included overseeing artwork and design.
Ministry
After moving to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in 1978, Houston served at the Sydney Christian Life Centre in Darlinghurst, where he became the assistant pastor to his father, Frank Houston. In 1980 he started a church on the Central Coast and worked at a church in Liverpool in 1981. In 1983, Houston saw a need in Sydney’s north-western suburbs and hired the Baulkham Hills Public School hall to start a new church, the Hills Christian Life Centre. The first service was held on Sunday, 14 August 1983.
In May 1997, Houston was elected the president of the Assemblies of God in Australia (now called Australian Christian Churches) after Andrew Evans’ retirement. He helped to create the Australian Christian Churches network of Pentecostal churches in February 2000. This alliance represents over 200,000 members in affiliate churches and was its inaugural president. He is also a member of the Australian Pentecostal Ministers Fellowship (APMF). At the 2009 National Conference of Australian Christian Churches, Wayne Alcorn was voted in to replace Houston after he chose not to run again for the position.
In 2000, Houston took control of the Sydney Christian Life Centre after his father, Frank Houston, confessed to the sexual abuse of young (under-age) male members of his New Zealand congregation 30 years earlier. From an initial congregation of 45 people, the combined churches grew to become Hillsong Church with a weekly attendance of over 30,000.
On 5 April 2009, it was announced that the board of Garden City Christian Church in Brisbane had nominated Houston and his wife Bobbie to become their new senior pastors. Garden City had been searching for a new senior pastor after the resignation of Bruce Hills in December 2008. On 26 April 2009, a majority of registered members of Garden City Christian Church voted to support the board’s nomination.
He is an executive producer for Hillsong Music Australia (HMA), which is the music ministry of Hillsong Church. Their albums are distributed in nearly 90 countries, and to date HMA have released 63 albums, with sales well into the millions. This music ministry has been very successful over they years with chart topping albums from Hillsong United (born out of the youth ministry), and Hillsong Live, which is the “worship expression” of Hillsong Church and incorporates their entire worship team. Each year Hillsong records their annual live album, and the songs from this live recording are then sung by church congregations all over the world. Some of the most popular songs sung today in churches are Hillsong songs, including “Mighty To Save” and “Shout to the Lord” (which was featured on a special episode of American Idol called “Idol Gives Back” in 2008.
Houston is the president of Hillsong International Leadership College. In 2010 Evening College was launched, with over 550 students, giving a total of 3,010 people being trained within Hillsong College. The college’s students are from all over the world, representing over 70 different nationalities training full-time. Students can study pastoral leadership, worship music, TV and media or dance and receive a certificate, diploma and advanced diploma in ministry.
Houston is the host of Brian Houston @ Hillsong TV a Christian weekly television program (originally called Life is For Living’) and is seen on TV screens in over 180 countries every week.
He leads the Hillsong Leadership Network which gives opportunities to connect with the Hillsong team and other pastors and leaders at events, open house events, informal gatherings and luncheons globally as well as annual leadership retreats in London and Sydney. Network members also receive resources and online training services designed to equip church leaders. As of 2011 there are over 500 members from nearly 50 different countries around the world.
George Izunwa is the Lead Pastor of Gateway International Church which was founded on the 7th of January, 1996. He is called, anointed and commissioned by God to “go teach My people strength”.
Pastor George is married to Barr (Mrs.) Manuela George-Izunwa and their home is blessed with three lovely children, Michelle, Mirabel, and Mikel.
Manuela George-Izunwa is the Co-Pastor at Gateway International Church and wife of the Lead Pastor George Izunwa. A great administrator, inspirational speaker and leader.
She is currently the director of the Teen’s and Children Ministry of Gateway International Church.
Carear
Manuela George-Izunwa studied Law in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology and became a barrister after finishing her Law School at Bwari, Abuja.
She became the Rivers State Commissioner of Women Affairs in the Amaechi led government via her appointment by the Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. She has campaigned for better treatment of widows, economic empowerment of women, prevention of abuse, improvements to health and girl child education.
Since she left office she has gone on to found two non-governmental organisations: Y.D.M.S.I (Youth Development, Mentoring and Support Initiative) in 2013 and G.O.L.D. (Girls’ Organisation for Leadership and Development) in 2014.
Family
Pastor Manuela makes her home in Port Harcourt, with her husband, Pastor George Izunwa, and three children (Michelle, Mirabel & Mickel).
Chris Tomlin is an American contemporary Christian music (CCM) artist, worship leader, and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States. Tomlin leads worship at many Passion events. Some of his most well-known songs are “How Great Is Our God”, “Jesus Messiah”, “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”, “Our God”, which he co-wrote with Matt Redman, Jesse Reeves, and Jonas Myrin, and “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)”. He is currently a worship leader at Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia, with Louie Giglio, Kristian Stanfill, Christy Nockels, and Brett Younker.
Born Christopher Dwayne Tomlin, on May 4, 1972, in Grand Saline, Texas, to Connie and Donna Tomlin, Chris Tomlin grew up listening to country music and learned to play guitar from his father. At the age of nine, Tomlin accepted Jesus Christ as his savior, and at 14 wrote his first song of praise.
He enrolled at Texas A&M in the early ’90s to study physical therapy, but as he heard the call to bring himself and others closer to God, he grew active in a campus Christian group called Breakaway. Tomlin was a worship leader with Breakaway when he began attending Bible study sessions with Louie Giglio, who led a Christian group at Baylor University in Waco called Choice. Tomlin and Giglio worked together at youth ministry camps, and Tomlin was soon performing praise songs regularly for Giglio’s events. In time, Giglio’s group evolved into Passion, a nationwide organization for young Christians on college campuses. Tomlin has been in that movement ever since.
Personal life
Tomlin married Lauren Bricken, on November 9, 2010. on September 22, 2011, Chris and Lauren had their first child, Ashlyn Alexandra Tomlin, and their second daughter, Madison Amore Tomlin, was born on October 7, 2014.
Awards
Grammy Awards
Year
Award
Result
2009
Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album (Hello Love)
Nominated
2011
Best Gospel Song (“Our God”)
Nominated
2012
Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance (“I Lift My Hands”)
Nominated
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song (“I Lift My Hands”)
Nominated
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album (And If Our God Is For Us…)
Won
2014
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song (Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies))
Nominated
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album (Burning Lights)
Nominated
2016
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album (Love Ran Red)
Nominated
GMA Dove Awards
Throughout his career, Chris Tomlin has been nominated to 32 Dove Awards (6 of them, collaborative efforts) and won 19 of them.
Year
Award
Result
2005
Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Arriving)
Won
2006
Artist of the Year
Won
Male Vocalist of the Year
Won
Song of the Year (“Holy Is the Lord”)
Nominated
Song of the Year (“How Great Is Our God”)
Won
Worship Song of the Year (“Holy Is the Lord”)
Nominated
Worship Song of the Year (“How Great Is Our God”)
Won
Worship Song of the Year (“Indescribable”)1
Nominated
Special Event Album of the Year (Music Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia)*
Won
Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: How Great Is Our God)*
Nominated
Special Event Album of the Year (WOW Christmas: Green)*
Nominated
2007
Artist of the Year
Won
Male Vocalist of the Year
Won
Song of the Year (“Made to Worship”)
Nominated
Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year (“Made to Worship”)
Nominated
Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (See The Morning)
Won
Worship Song of the Year (“Holy Is the Lord”)
Won
Worship Song of the Year (“Made to Worship”)
Nominated
Praise & Worship Album of the Year (See The Morning)
Won
Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: Everything Glorious)*
Won
2008
Artist of the Year
Nominated
Male Vocalist of the Year
Won
Song of the Year (“Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”)
Nominated
Worship Song of the Year (“Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”)
Nominated
Worship Song of the Year (“How Great Is Our God”)
Won
Special Event Album of the Year (Music Inspired By the Motion Picture Amazing Grace)*
Nominated
2009
Artist of the Year
Nominated
Male Vocalist of the Year
Nominated
Song of the Year (“Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”)
Nominated
Worship Song of the Year (“Jesus Messiah”)
Nominated
Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Hello Love)
Nominated
Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: God of This City)*
Won
Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year (“How Great Is Our God”)2
Won
2010
Song of the Year (“I Will Rise”)
Nominated
Worship Song of the Year (“I Will Rise”)
Nominated
Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Hello Love)
Nominated
Christmas Album of the Year (Glory in the Highest: Christmas Songs of Worship)
Nominated
2011
Artist of the Year
Nominated
Male Vocalist of the Year
Nominated
Song of the Year (“Our God”)
Nominated
Worship Song of the Year (“Our God”)
Won
Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: Awakening)*
Won
2012
Praise & Worship Album of the Year (And If Our God Is For Us…)
Won
2013
Song of the Year (“Whom Shall I Fear [God of Angel Armies]”)
Nominated
Praise & Worship Album of the Year (“Burning Lights”)
Won
Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year (“Burning Lights”)
Nominated
Artist of the Year
Nominated
Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: White Flag)*
Nominated
Special Event Album of the Year (Passion: Let The Future Begin)*
Won
Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Passion: White Flag)*
Nominated
Praise & Worship Album of the Year (Passion: Let The Future Begin)*
Nominated
2014
Songwriter of the Year
Won
2016
Songwriter of the Year
Nominated
*Denotes a collaborative effort or a song contribution to a “Various artists” album.
1 The song was performed by Tomlin, but written and produced by Laura Story.
2 The song was performed by LaRue Howard, but written by Tomlin.
Bemigho Reno Omokri, is a ‘high profile broadcaster’, the host of Transformations With Reno Omokri, a Christian teaching TV show broadcast (for one season) on San Francisco’s KTLN and Detroit’s Impact Network and author of the books, Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God, and Why Jesus Wept. He was one of three spokesmen to the former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and is credited with pioneering the use of social media for political purposes in Nigeria.
Personal Life And Career
Bemigho Reno Omokri, was born on January 22, 1974 to Helen Bemigho a civil servant and Justice Jean Omokri a justice of the Nigerian Court of Appeals.
He is the founder and senior pastor of the Mind of Christ Christian Center and the Helen and Bemigho Sanctuary for Orphans. He is the only one of those three spokesmen who continues to function officially in that role on behalf of former President Jonathan after his departure from office.
Omokri was Vice President, Africa, at Joe Trippi and Associates, a U.S Political Consulting firm.
As Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, he was noted for using social media to conduct surveys and project the developments undertaken by the Nigerian Government.
He is the founder of a multimedia project, Build Up Nigeria, and has produced a series of short films in the U.S. He has a LL.M from the University of Wolverhampton.
Omokri was a signatory of a letter by a group of eminent Nigerians (G 57) that called for the resignation of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua after he was evacuated from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia on November 23, 2009, for a medical emergency without handing over executive powers to his vice, Jonathan, and in 2011 he led some Diaspora Nigerians to endorse Jonathan for the 2011 elections.
In 2013, Omokri represented President Jonathan at a national conference on ‘Inter-Faith Dialogue and the Quest for National Security in Nigeria’, organized by the Interfaith Activities and Partnership for Peace, IFAPP. Speaking for the President, Omokri urged Christian and Muslim leaders to focus on Jesus as the common Denominator between their two faiths, and caused a stir when he stated on camera that The Quran mentions Jesus by name 25 times, which is five times more than The Quran mentions Mohammed. He also stated that almost every prophet in Judaism and Christianity is accepted in Islam.
He is the pastor of the Mind of Christ Christian Center in California and Abuja, where he teaches the word of God on a regular basis. He is also known in the media for using social media to project the Gospel.
Omokri writes articles for major newspapers (mainly political OpEd and Christian material).
He was a panelist at the United States Institute of Peace as well as the Atlantic Council,where he was a panelist on an event that featured other speakers such as Jendayi Frazer, former U.S. Asst. Secretary of State for Africa, both in Washington D.C. He has also represented the Nigerian government at Chatham House in London. On April 23, 2016, Omokri gave a keynote lecture at California State University Sacramento’s, Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution’s 25th annual Africa/Diaspora conference. On the same day, he represented former President Jonathan at the city of Antioch, where Dr. Jonathan was honored by the city’s mayor, Wade Harper. At the same event, the city of Lathrop also honored the former Nigerian leader.
Between 2015 and 2016, Omokri was the host of ‘Transformations With Reno Omokri’, a Christian teaching program broadcast on Comcast, DISH Network and Roku. The 30 minute weekly telecast was produced by the Mind of Christ Christian Center in California.
Brian Tracy is a Canadian-born American motivational public speaker and self-development author. Brian Tracy is one of America’s leading authorities on the enhancement of personal effectiveness, the development of human potential, and the art of salesmanship. A dynamic and entertaining speaker, he has motivated and inspired thousands of people toward peak performance and high achievement. His seminars on leadership, goals, motivation, time management, and success psychology draw capacity audiences.
Tracy was born on 5 January 1944, in Canada to a family that struggled financially and had very few luxuries in life. He was a high school drop out and started his career as a laborer, working in several physically demanding jobs during his teenage years.
When Brian Tracy turned twenty, he left Canada to travel the world like he had always dreamed of. After driving to North America he got a ship to England and then cycled to France, Spain, and Gibraltar. Tracy also drove through the harsh and sometimes life threatening Sahara Desert with a couple friends, and eventually settled in Johannesburg, South Africa for two years where he worked and lived. After briefly returning to London to work, Tracy traveled through areas of Europe, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Malaysia, and Singapore. He then spent a further 2 years working and living in Thailand, Asia.
The 8 years of travel and adventure molded the life of Tracy. He worked with the famous Dr. Albert Schweitzer, experienced life and death situations, and trained with martial arts experts to gain his black belt in Shotokan Karate. Tracy has since traveled to more than 80 countries throughout the world.
See Brian Tracy Quotes
Career
Brian Tracy is the Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company he founded in 1984. Brian Tracy International provides counseling on leadership, selling, self-esteem, goals, strategy, creativity and success psychology. The company is headquartered in Bankers Hill, San Diego, California.
Prior to founding his company, Brian had served as the Chief Operating Officer of a development company. He has had careers in sales and marketing, investments, real estate development and syndication, importation, distribution and management consulting. He has traveled and worked in more than 107 countries on six continents. Currently, he is serving as the President of three companies headquartered in Solana Beach, California. He teaches sales, time management, personal development and leadership.
Personal Life
Brian Tracy speaks four languages and has shared his winning insights with hundreds of thousands of eager men and women around the world. He is an avid reader of management, psychology, economics, metaphysics, and history.
He is the author of over 70 books that have been translated into dozens of languages. His popular books are Earn What You’re Really Worth, Eat That Frog!, and The Psychology of Achievement. As an author, he has been largely collected by libraries worldwide.
Brian Tracy and Wife Barbara
Brian Tracy and Wife Barbara
He is married to Barbara and lives in San Diego with their 4 children
Bishop David Abioye was born in the late 50’s, to the family of Pa and Mrs Abioye from Kwara state. A graduate of mechanical engineering, he gave his life to Christ at a tender age, and was said to be an exceptional kid.
Even though a graduate of Engineering, he said in an interview that he found his greatest joy in his current calling and assignment. Before answering the call into full-time ministry, Bishop Abioye worked briefly at the then Open Cast Polytechnic, Auchi between 1985 and 1986 as a lecture
David Abioye accepted the call of God upon his life to start up ministry as a preacher at a time where ministers of the gospel were largely seen as failures or tagged nuisance in fact, some of them were literally disowned by their parents and family members for taking to such vocation.
Describing the situation of that time, he said, “…. I and my wife, newly wedded then had to start up in a small cubicle for an apartment. Among my most priceless possession was my face cap and a 6 spring mattress”
David O. Abioye is a Pastor of long standing experience under the ministry of his life-time mentor, Bishop David Oyedepo who is the President of the Living Faith Church, worldwide (aka Winners Family), and also Pastor Faith Tabernacle the largest church auditorium in the world.
He described his contact with Bishop David Oyedepo which dates back to early 1980 as a mystery. It was in a Christian Students’ Fellowship, he said. Hearing him speak ignited fire into my spirit, I found in him a man who was pursuing God the way I desired to pursue after God. Thus, he immediately attracted me.
Bishop David Abioye was among the seven founding members of the world renowned Living Faith Church, a.k.a Winners Chapel at its commencement with its first gathering at the garden of faith church Barnawa Kaduna state, Nigeria. Ever since then, till date, his loyalty and support to the work of God, in the hands of his life time mentor and spiritual father, the very respected bishop David Oyedepo. (President of L.F.C worldwide) has been unquestionable. This has been so far over three decades now and continuing.
He is presently the Senior Pastor of Living Faith Church, Goshen City, Km 26 Abuja-Keffi Road – Nigeria, West Africa; a father-figure and mentor to hundreds of thousands of people all over the world.
Apart from focusing on the core messages of the church, which include Faith, Prosperity and Signs and Wonders, he is also gifted in motivating the saints of God towards spiritual stewardship, victorious Christian living and developing intimate relationship with God. Bishop David .O. Abioye is also a renowned key note speaker in both religious and secular conferences around the world. He has authored several Christian literature and leadership books
Bishop Abioye is married to Pst Mrs Mary Abioye, and together, they have three children; David Jnr., Ruth and Daniel.
David O. Oyedepo (born September 27, 1954) is a Nigerian Christian author, architect, preacher, the founder and presiding Bishop of the megachurch Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, and Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners' Chapel. Oyedepo is the senior pastor of Faith Tabernacle, a 50,000 seat church auditorium, reported to be the largest church auditorium in the world by the Guinness Book of Records.
The Winners' Chapel network of churches is located in over 300 cities, in all states of Nigeria, as well as, in several cities in 45 African nations, Dubai, the United Kingdom and the United States. Oyedepo has been seen as one of the pioneers of the Christian charismatic movement in Africa and has been referred to as one of the most powerful preachers in Nigeria. He is the Chancellor of Covenant University and Landmark University. He was named in 2011 by Forbes magazine as being the richest pastor in Nigeria.
On September 27, 1954 David Olaniyi Oyedepo was born in Osogbo, Nigeria, but is a native of Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria. He was raised in a mixed religious family His father, Ibrahim, was a Muslim healer. His mother, Dorcas, was a member of the Eternal Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement (C&S), a branch of the Aladura movement in Nigeria. He was raised by his grandmother in Osogbo, who introduced him to the virtues of Christian life via early morning prayers which she attended with him. She also taught him the importance of tithing.
Oyedepo was born again in 1969, through the influence of his teacher, Betty Lasher, who took special interest in him during his high school days. He studied Architecture at the former Kwara State Polytechnic, now Kwara State University and worked briefly with the Federal Ministry of Housing in Ilorin before resigning to concentrate on missionary work. Oyedepo received a Ph.D. in Human Development from Honolulu University, Hawaii, United States.
Oyedepo claimed to have received a mandate from God through an 18-hour vision in May 1981, to liberate the world from all oppression of the devil through the preaching of the word of faith. This is the inaugural vision that led to the founding of the Living Faith Church World Wide (LFCWW), first called Liberation Faith Hour Ministries, in 1981. Two years later, on September 17, 1983, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, ordained David and his wife, Florence Abiola Akano (known as Faith Abiola Oyedepo) to become pastors and officially commissioned the new church. Five years later, Oyedepo was ordained as Bishop.
Living Faith Church (AKA Winners Chapel) started in Kaduna but moved to Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria in July 1989, to start a new branch of the church after Oyedepo claimed to have received instructions from God to reach out to the people of Lagos.
