After decades of service to the Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners Chapel, Bishops David Abioye and Thomas Aremu are set to retire in line with the church’s newly revised retirement policy.
According to The PUNCH, the planned retirements were confirmed by multiple sources within the church, although official statements from the church’s media department have yet to be released.
Both bishops, who have served under the leadership of Bishop David Oyedepo, founder of the Living Faith Church, are expected to step down in October 2024.
Their retirement follows a recent revision of the church’s operational manual, The Mandate, which lowered the retirement age from 60 to 55 for senior leaders. However, this rule does not apply to Bishop Oyedepo, who will remain in his position for life.
A member of the church’s headquarters in Ota, Ogun State, shared insights about the upcoming retirements: “We’ve heard that Bishops Abioye and Aremu will step down during Bishop Oyedepo’s birthday celebrations. It’s part of the new policy that only allows the founder to serve beyond the age limit. This isn’t surprising for many of us in the church.”
Bishop David Abioye, currently 63, and Bishop Thomas Aremu, 67, have been integral figures in the growth of Winners Chapel for more than four and three decades respectively.
Bishop Abioye, who currently leads the Living Faith Church in Goshen City, Abuja, first met Bishop Oyedepo in 1979 and became one of the church’s pioneer pastors in 1987. He was consecrated as a bishop in 1993 at the age of 32.
Bishop Aremu, who transitioned from a successful accounting career to full-time ministry, was consecrated alongside six other bishops in 1999 at the Garden of Faith in Kaduna. He currently serves as the Senior Pastor at the Living Faith Church in Basorun, Ibadan.
According to sources, farewell services will be held for both bishops at their respective churches. Bishop Aremu’s service is scheduled for Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at LFC Basorun in Ibadan, while Bishop Abioye’s valedictory service will take place on Friday, October 18, 2024, in Durumi, Abuja.
“The church has laid down this new structure,” added a church insider, who preferred to remain anonymous. “Future leaders will now only be able to serve one or two seven-year terms, subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.”
Efforts to reach the church’s media team for an official statement were unsuccessful, as calls and messages were not returned.
With the planned retirements, the church’s leadership is set for significant changes, though the legacy of both bishops will undoubtedly remain influential within the Living Faith community.
