The Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, is preparing to bid farewell to two of its most prominent leaders, Bishop David Olatunji Abioye and Bishop Thomas Aremu.
Bishop Thomas Aremu’s valedictory service is set to take place at Living Faith Church Basorun in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday, October 15, 2024.
Just days later, on Friday, October 18, Bishop David Abioye will be celebrated in Lokogoma, Abuja.
Bishop Abioye has been a stalwart in the Living Faith Church since 1979, when he first met the church’s founder, Bishop David Oyedepo. He has served as a close confidant and right-hand man to Oyedepo throughout the years.
In 1987, he was dispatched to lead one of the church’s five original branches, and he was consecrated as a bishop in 1993, becoming the youngest bishop of a fully-fledged church in recorded history at just 32 years old.
Bishop Aremu, on the other hand, transitioned into full-time ministry after a successful career as an accountant. He is notable for being the only remaining bishop among the seven consecrated in November 1999 at Garden of Faith in Kaduna.
The retirement of the influential leaders aligns with the recent revisions to the church’s operational manual, known as the Mandate.
The updated guidelines now stipulate a retirement age of 58 for church leaders, a departure from the previous age of 60.
Only the founder, Bishop Oyedepo, is granted a lifetime service privilege, while future leaders will serve for a maximum of two terms of seven years each, subject to Board of Trustees approval.