It is over 23 years since I collided with reputation of my father Bishop David Oyedepo. When I first heard about him, it was under a circumstance of criticism.  The people who were speaking about him were bashing his brand of gospel with the central theme of “prosperity ‘. Hearing about it for the first time I took a keen interest and kept my ears opened.  I was a Muslim who had converted to Islam not too long ago.

They said he speaks about the ‘blood’ expressly, an oil that anoints,  washing people’s feet and using mantles that stirs miracles. My curiosity increased. The church was at the Prince of Wales School at this time. Then another controversy was staired when we woke up one morning to the news that Winners Chapel International was been challenged for a piece of land at Fort Street.  My curiosity was, was was this church been put on the spot every time.  I decided,  I was going to know more.

On a particular day, awhile after the church was successfully domiciled at it currently spot which was a dumpsite where we use to play after school as little boys, I decided to pay a visit.

This was after some years when the church was been constructed and after I had kept hearing about this man whose principal message is to eradicate poverty through the gospel.  By this time I was fully enmeshed in kingdom service at my uncle’s church.  I was one in everything ” an evangelist,  the youth president,  a choirister, a drum player etc. I was a burning  oven for the gospel.

I had moved from my uncle’s house at Kingtom to my grandmother’s house at Oniel Street, Sorie Town, few meters away from the church now popularly known as “Winners”.

That morning I heard the loud sound of prayer and praise and the in the evening decided to visit when I heard the same shouts of praise.  I said today, I must go and listen to the message from this church and I attended the service.

The church was quite full on that day, and a short plump preacher was so full of life as a he spoke about a mandate which God had given his servant the presiding Bishop.  The words ” But in the beginning it was not so” caught me with some exhilarating interest.  And he went on in a strong but passionate voice repeatedly ” And now, the hour has come to liberate the world from oppression of the devil and I am sending you to undertake this task”. These words came to me like punches of love.

The man of God, went on to explain the 72 hours vision of Bishop David Oyedepo where he saw battered, beaten and tattered people with chains groaning in agony to whom the voice of God indicated that there is a way to redemption.

A kind of fire was ignited in me and I said to myself: ” this must be the place”.  I went home after that service with an intense heat for transformation and determined to  see how the Sunday servicewas going to be alike.  I attended that service and the sermon was like a magnet that attached me to the church as I kept coming until I found myself in the choir.

I began to eat the word with a hunger that caused my previous church members who never saw my face again to controversially state that I had gone after money and prosperity. This criticism was like water on the back of a duck. Bishop David Oyedepo became my father and icon.

Today,  after going through many phases of word transformative encounters by light, I can boastfully say I am what I am through grace by the teaching and Ministry of Bishop David Oyedepo. My faith was built on the platform of unquestionable determination for kingdom service . I have seen it all and my testimony is a testament to the transformative power of “God’s Word”.

Today,  I therefore celebrate my father and mentor, a kingdom giant,  a trailblazer, pathfinder,  bridge builder,  bacon  of hope,  teacher,  Covenant practitioner, icon, model of best practices, an educationist, a transformative stimulator and a builder.  Today,  I want to say happy birthday ‘Papa’. May your anointing never run dry.

Happy glorious birthday sir.

By Pastor, Evangelist Abraham Batherindor Karl Samura