Interview with Bishop David Abioye, Senior Pastor Of Living Faith Church, Goshen City
Who is Bishop David Abioye, what was
growing up like, which particular experiences in your past would you
say shaped your future?
Thank you for the privilege of this
interview. My name is David Abioye. I was privileged by God to come into
this beautiful world fifty two years’ ago. I have had the awesome
opportunity to serve in the family of Living Faith Church since
inception. Even though a graduate of Engineering, I’ve found the
greatest joy in my current calling and assignment. Before answering the
call into full-time ministry, I had worked briefly at the then Open Cast
Polytechnic, Auchi between 1985 and 1986 as a lecturer. I am happily
married and blessed with three wonderful children.
Ministry is a call, not what you desire. I
needed to say that because I did not desire ministry. I was simply a
lover of God; I love God and was running after God. I never thought of
ministry. I was dreaming of having a modern high tech workshop which was
my greatest aspiration. I was doing everything I could to get that done
while at the same time, loving the Lord as a believer. One thing led to
the other, and in the process I was privileged to meet God’s servant,
Bishop David Oyedepo.
When I met him, I saw in him the kind of
passion in greater dimension of knowing Jesus and following after him.
That fired me up. In the process of time, God gave him a vision for
ministry and I found myself serving him with great love for Jesus. Even
then, when the ministry commenced, I was still pursuing my passion for
an automobile engineering workshop. Until finally, the Lord spoke to me,
to abandon what I was doing to serve under his servant. That is how I
came into the ministry.
God has different ways of dealing with
people. My spiritual relationship with God has always come in most
simple and modest way. I have had God speak to me, mostly through inner
voice and deep conviction, which I believe is one of the strongest ways
of God speaking to people, just like in Elijah’s experience on the
mountain; the still small voice. When that voice comes it is usually
with strong conviction. Every time I hear God in such a manner it is
with assurance and rest. The Lord spoke to me that He has an assignment
for me under Bishop David Oyedepo, which is what I refer to as my
calling to the ministry. I have said this several times that my ministry
is to see to the fulfillment of his ministry. It’s more of supportive
ministry; while he deals with major issues, I look into smaller issues
to prevent distraction. In all, little or big, I am doing what I’m
assigned to under his calling.
How did you come in contact with the
Founder of the Living Faith Church, Dr. David Oyedepo, and what roles
has he played in your life, family and ministry?
My contact with God’s servant which dates
back to early 1980 is a mystery. It was in a Christian Students’
Fellowship. 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. Ever since that day, my spirit
connected to his spirit. It’s beyond physical likeness of any kind. I
believe this can be better illustrated with Proverbs 27:19, “As in water
face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.” Ever since then
the relationship has kept growing deeper by the day. It’s exciting, and I
give glory to God for the privilege.
He is several things to me. Firstly, he
played a great brotherly role in my life. Since I became a staff under
him, we have also had a formal relationship. I regard myself as a
servant under him. From that formal relationship, it has grown to a
father-son relationship. He has given me the privilege of coming close,
having the treatment of a son. I work very hard not to abuse but to
appreciate that privilege.
Since its commissioning in Ilorin,
Kwara state Nigeria in1983, the Living Faith Church has grown to become
one of the largest Christian denominations in the world. Kindly take us
through the journey of the church’s growth till today? And What is the
driving force behind all the successes we see?
Like I mentioned earlier, when God’s
presence is with you, you are at rest. He said “My presence will go with
you and I will give you rest” He leads you beside still water, He
refreshes your soul, He keeps you away from anxiety because in the first
place He does not lead you into what you want but what He has
programmed for your life.
The phenomenon of church expansion of this
ministry is an act of God. Going through church planting history, I’ve
not read of how this number of churches was planted within the period of
years that God gave to us. For example, up till the end of the year
2009, our church network in Nigeria was under 800, but within the
following two years, God by His mighty hand has enabled us to increase
the number of churches to over five thousand. We didn’t make it happen,
God made it happen. He only gave us the privilege to quickly respond to
His command. We are celebrating this because what God has spoken, His
hand has equally performed; to Him alone be all the glory.
There are quite some salient factors that
have contributed significantly to the success of this ministry. First of
all, is the clarity and pursuit of vision! Living Faith Church was
borne out of vision not of ambition. It is the pursuit of vision that
has brought the church to where it is today. The vision, as delivered to
God’s servant is very clear and is being pursued with all vigor.
Number two is divine guidance. While
vision is identifying God’s purpose for your life, divine guidance shows
the pathway to fulfilling that purpose. As God’s servant always says
“we do nothing except as commanded by the Lord.” Today, people see this
ministry as being in the forefront, the reason is because no project is
ever embarked upon except as commanded by the Lord.
Another important factor is divine
presence. This ministry believes so much that without God’s presence,
embarking on any pursuit is a waste of effort. Divine presence has been
our backbone it uproots mountains and gives birth to all-round
breakthrough.
Finally, there is the prompt obedience to
divine signal as exhibited by Gods servant. He is a man of prompt
action. Once he hears God giving directive on any subject, he does not
waste time to thoroughly follow it through, and when prompt action meets
with divine guidance, great accomplishment is bound to erupt.
With the proliferation of churches
today in Nigeria, and with the possibility that there might have been
suggestions from people to you that with such awesome work you do and
the anointing you carry, why don’t you start something? How have you
handled these kinds of situation?
You see when you have truly heard from God,
the voices of others become insignificant to you. You can’t hear from
God and be confused. You can’t hear from God and doubt. You can’t hear
from God and be wondering whether you heard from Him or not. It’s as
clear as that. It’s only someone who wants to walk in disobedience that
will pretend to hear something else as it comes to play.
However, in your bid to obey God you cannot
rule out the fact that people will come to say different things to you,
some out of sincere heart, others out of personal observations, while
many others are sent by the devil to get you off course. But, whatever
way it comes to you, what is most important is to have this inner
witness. I have derived so much strength from my innermost being.
You don’t have to start ministry to have a
ministry. I quite understand that there are callings and as a matter of
fact, callings will multiply because according to scriptures, there will
be multiplication of visions. I like to discourage people from having a
self made call.. If you are called, let it be a call and if you are not
called, you can fulfill a calling within an existing ministry. I have
come to realize that it does not reduce you, it’s all a matter of
impact. Like I tell people, I am not number one in our ministry but by
the grace of God, I carry out my assignment with undeniable impact.
Ministry is about function, not about number. Ministry is not about
‘foundership’ but about touching lives. You don’t have to be at the top
to lead; you can lead from the middle and you can even lead from under.
All of a sudden, a sprawling city, with
state of the art infrastructure, has emerged on the Abuja-Keffi
expressway called Goshen City. Can you share with us the birthing of
this city, and what should visitors to Goshen City expect to see?
Well, it is important for me to emphasize
here that Goshen City is not a human accomplishment but a divine
programme being achieved by the hand of God because except the Lord
builds a house they labour in vain that builds it. We didn’t build
Goshen City, it is God that built it and this is evident by the fact
that there was no stress or struggle in building of the place to where
it is today. By the grace of God, we came in here barely three years ago
inclusive of the construction period, and all provision is being
provided for by the hand of God.. Therefore, it is the Lord’s City and
He’s the One who accomplished all of this within this period.
How would you assess the impact of the Living Faith Church in the Nigeria’s educational landscape?
The participation of the commission in
Nigeria’s educational landscape is also not an ambition. It is not an
effort to fill a gap or vacuum but as divinely ordered by God, and it
shows with the excellent touch and results that are undeniable in all
facets and levels of our educational endeavours the primary, secondary
and the university education. The Covenant University Ota for example
has become a reference point not only to several other universities both
within and outside the country, but it’s used as yardstick for all
prospective universities by the regulatory body of the university
administration in this country. This signifies the finger of God, which
has enabled us to become light to our world according to Matt. 5:13,14.
The uniqueness of Landmark University in
Kwara state and the platform on which it was established is
agric-revolution based. I believe that any nation that neglects farming
will end in famine. If you check it very well even in the beginning of
creation, the first duty that God gave to man was agriculture; that
indicates the importance that God placed on agriculture. We believe that
the agrarian revolution programme of the Landmark University is going
to help our nation significantly. Our plan is not just to enlighten
people or bring a revival to agriculture, but also to participate in the
forefront by producing food in all ramifications up to processing and
exporting of the produce.
In all these, we give glory to God for the privilege He has shown to us.
What has been or is your greatest asset as a believer and a minister?
The Holy Spirit, my Guide, my Custodian,
the One whom Jesus Christ handed us over to is my greatest asset. If you
like, call it Divine Presence. I have always told people that if they
care to pray for me, it’s the prayer of Divine Presence. If God be for
you, no man can be against you. If God is for you, you have rest and
your supplies are guaranteed. Everything that is needed is in Divine
Presence. I have said humorously that ‘I will rather lose ten thousand
members of the church than to miss His presence.’ Saul traded Divine
Presence for the elders of the city, and eventually the elders left him.
David rather preferred to miss the drums of the people than to miss
God. That’s why in Psalm 51 verse 11, he cried to God, “cast me not away
from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” You can take
every other thing away but don’t take Your Spirit away from me.
We need to value the presence of the Holy
Spirit. That is the promise of the Father that Jesus gave to us. That is
my most valued asset.
My next asset has to do with my
relationship with people which I describe as integrity; maintaining
sound Christian character. When we were growing up in the faith, my
family church background was in the Evangelical setting that is the
Baptist to be precise. The basic scriptural principles we learnt were
honesty, transparency, truthfulness.. I have said that I will rather be a
pastor of thirty people in my village and maintain good character than
being pastor of thirty thousand in a city, without character. I value
character.. “’A good name’, the Bible says, ‘is better than riches.” If
you lose money, you may get it back but if you lose your name it’s gone
forever. The greatest inheritance you can leave for your children is a
name. You may not leave any material thing for your children but leave a
name for them. Without a good name you are doomed; when you are dead,
you are truly dead. With a good name, when you die you still live on.
Good character and integrity will be considered as my next asset aside
of divine presence. I don’t care about what I have materially but I want
to maintain a good name. A good name not in the sense of fame, but a
name to be remembered for good. My candid advice is, live an exemplary
life. People may applaud you for good speech, they may scream at your
oratory skill but they will only follow you for your good character.
They may admire you for your appearance but they will copy you only for
your character.
What would you consider to be the social
dimensions of the establishment of Goshen city to the host community?
In what ways have the people living around the area been impacted?
Well, the church of Jesus is the light
bearer to the world because, according to the scriptures, Jesus Christ
is the true Light which lightens the whole world. Translating that to
our existence in Goshen, in this short time, our impact in this
community cannot be quantified both in value and human development.
The coming of the Church has brought
tremendous transformation and financial empowerment to the lives and
destinies of the people of this area. Right from the early days of the
construction till date, because of the mega nature of this work, several
hundreds of people have been provided with job opportunities especially
in the construction sites. This is apart from the large number of
people employed within other arms of our organization such as in the
Secondary and Primary Schools and you know once people are employed,
their homes will fare better and crime rate in the society will reduce
as well.
Also, the coming of the Church to this
community has tremendously impacted on the social status of this area.
This once ‘hidden’ local settlement has suddenly acquired a global name
and identity. As a result, there has been mass movement of settlers to
this community along with a springing forth of modern houses, shops,
market stalls, estates etc on daily basis. The orientation and
perspective of the people have been greatly enhanced. This is a profound
effect of the gospel of Jesus Christ on the people, to God be the
glory.
Finally, on infrastructure, God has helped
the church to provide clean drinking water to the people through digging
of borehole; we have provided a transformer aiding electricity
distribution, roads and drainages construction, among others. To enhance
safety, the Church has also provided a modern Police Post for the
community. In all, God has helped Goshen to impact positively
and tremendously on this community and the people living around. We give
Him praise!
May we know Bishop Abioye, the family
man, and how he copes with family obligations in spite of an obviously
tight schedule? And how would you describe your wife?
As a person, I am passionate when it comes
to the issue of family. Although, I have a very busy work schedule, I
still find time to relate well with my family both immediate and
relations, knowing very well that happy family is the bedrock of any
thriving pursuit. I make sure I extend a hand of love to everyone, and
assist in whatever way I can either on regular term or otherwise.
My wife is a blessing to me. Without
mincing words, we have grown to have a kindred spirit. What I have
admired about her is her love for God. What I recommend for young
intending couple is to find a platform for their relationship. In my
view, it should not even begin with love for each other but love for
God. That is number one security for marriage. If you want to marry,
look for someone who loves God. Look for someone who loves God the way
you love God. You will always have a common meeting point even when you
have challenges and struggles.
I realize that one of the problems people
have in ministry has to do with their family relationships. If you have
other pressures other than spiritual pressures from your spouse, it’s
easy to manage. My wife has been a great lover of God and I respect her
for that. Because she is a lover of God, she is a lover of me and my
assignment. She is a submissive person. We have enjoyed the years
together. As you grow in a good marriage relationship, you find out that
your wife is more than your wife. I have found sisterhood in her; I
have found motherhood in her. When I don’t see her as my wife I see her
as my sister or mother. We have had good companionship.
What are your hobbies, how do you relax, and what does your typical day look like?
My primary hobby is loving and serving
people. I get excited when I have opportunity to serve people. It
brightens my soul and quickens my body. I feel relaxed whenever I have
the privilege to love and serve people. More importantly, I enjoy
relaxing with my family because that’s the hub of peace and success in
life.
I believe God made man to work, so my day
usually is filled with work even till night with a brief break at every
evening Often time, I only have just few hours of sleep at night. I do
not compromise my study time which is usually at night time, as well as
qualitative time with my wife and children when they are at home.
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