Bishop Oyedepo: Winners’ Chapel Allegedly Sacks 40 Pastors Over ‘Poor Growth Index’ In Their Branches
Pastor Peter Godwin, a former cleric with Living Faith Church International, popularly known as Winners Chapel, says the church sacked him and about 40 other pastors in Ekiti State for failing to grow the membership of their respective parishes.
In a viral video, the cleric said he was dismissed barely 11 months after he was employed by the church founded by Bishop David Oyedepo in August 2020.
In a letter that has been trending on social media, which is dated June 25, 2021 and signed by 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 reads in part;
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 pastors a branch of the church in Ikere-Ekiti claimed he and about forty other pastors were invited by the state pastor on July 1, 2021, and were all sacked over low revenue in their branches.Xx
In a trending video seen by MDB on Twitter, Godwin said as a pastor, he tried his best to win souls for Christ, but was surprised to receive a sack letter on July 1, 2021.
He said;
Actually, by the special grace of God, our father in this great assembly, Living Faith Church received a mandate from the Lord to plant 10,000 churches in Nigeria and by the special grace of God, I was privileged to be one of the pastors that were employed on the 28th of August, 2020, that was last year.
So after that, I started working, engaging myself in the work of the Lord. I tried my possible best to make sure I win souls for Christ but unfortunately, on the 1st of July, I received a call that the state pastor wants to see me, so I thought I was the only one. I was surprised, so I went to his office.
Pastor Godwin stressed;
When I got there, I saw other pastors too, over 40 of them, so I joined them. A few minutes later, we were issued a letter. I opened the content of the letter to see what was there and I saw that it was a sack letter.
In a second part of the video that was shared on Twitter, the pastor said he was told that the revenue from his church should be enough to cater for his welfare and accommodation.
He noted;
So I called the management the next day to know what happened since I wasn’t involved in any dubious activity or evil act. I was told by the management was that the church doesn’t operate at a loss, they also told me 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.
A source within the church, however, told The PUNCH that the sacking of the pastors had nothing to do with money; rather, the source said, it involved membership growth.
The source stated;
As indicated in the letter, pastors were sacked for failing to grow membership, which is a key aspect of the ministry. It had nothing to do with money and nowhere in any of the letters of disengagement was it stated that it was about money.
Watch viral video of Pastor Godwin speaking below;
Bishop Oyedepo Of Winners Chapel Allegedly Sacks 40 Pastors ‘For Low Income From Their Branches.
VIDEO 1 pic.twitter.com/dkyuVnCeO6— Olúyẹmí Fásípè (@YemieFASH) July 18, 2021
Bishop Oyedepo Of Winners Chapel Allegedly Sacks 40 Pastors ‘For Low Income From Their Branches.
VIDEO 2 pic.twitter.com/vdPWgijU8q— Olúyẹmí Fásípè (@YemieFASH) July 18, 2021
