The two Vice Presidents of Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, are set to retire after decades of service.
Bishops David Abioye and Thomas Aremu will step down, following the church’s newly revised retirement guidelines.
Multiple sources, including a church pastor who requested anonymity, confirmed to that the bishops’ retirement is in line with the church’s operational manual. The Mandate, which recently lowered the retirement age from 60 to 55.
A member of the headquarters church in Ota, Ogun State, mentioned, “We’ve heard that Bishops Abioye and Aremu will retire during Bishop Oyedepo’s upcoming birthday celebration.
This change reflects the church’s new rule that only Bishop Oyedepo can serve for life, while others must retire at the set age limit. One of the bishops had been considering stepping down for a while, so this isn’t a surprise to many of us.”
Attempts by the media to confirm the development from church officials were unsuccessful, as no responses were received to calls or messages.
Bishop Abioye, who is currently 63, and Bishop Aremu, 67, are both expected to step down, with valedictory services planned at their respective churches. Bishop Abioye’s farewell service will be held on October 18, 2024, in Durumi, Abuja, while Bishop Aremu’s will take place on October 15, 2024, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Bishop Abioye, Senior Pastor of Living Faith Church, Goshen City, Abuja, has been with the church since 1979. He led one of the church’s pioneer branches in 1987 and was consecrated as bishop in 1993 at the age of 32.
Bishop Aremu, a former accountant who joined full-time ministry, was among the seven bishops consecrated in November 1999 at the Garden of Faith, Kaduna.
Under the new guidelines, only Bishop Oyedepo will be allowed to serve for life, while future leaders will be limited to one or two seven-year terms, subject to the approval of the church’s Board of Trustees.