Dr David Oyedepo’s Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel International) has denied having anything to do with a 14-paragraphed transcript presently trending online which is ascribed to the founder of the Presiding Bishop of the church.
In a special statement made available to PMParrot by Professor Sheriff Folarin, the Chairman, Editorial and Media Board of the church on Monday evening, the religious outfit averred that the said document was neither authored by the Bishop, nor the Editorial/Media Board; nor issued for circulation by the Church directly or indirectly.
Read the full text of the statement:
Circulated Transcript Of Bishop Oyedepo’s State Of The Nation Address Is Fake!
The attention of the Editorial and Media Board of the Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel International) has been drawn to certain transcript circulated on social media, including Whatsapp, Facebook and some online-based platforms, purportedly containing a State of the Nation Address by the Presiding Bishop, Dr. David Oyedepo. The transcript, a 14-paragrapgh document, which allegedly contains some thoughts, worries and declarations of the Presiding Bishop about Islamization and the spate of killings by “Fulani herdsmen” across the country, is said to have emanated from the Church.
We want to state categorically that the said document was neither authored by the Bishop, nor the Editorial/Media Board; nor issued for circulation by the Church directly or indirectly. The transcript in question does not have the language of the Bishop or the Ministry. The thoughts put together do not flow in such a sequence as characteristic of the Winners’ Family.
Indeed, on Sunday, January 14, 2018, during church service, indeed the Bishop did express concerns, called for crucial prayers on the altar and made some powerful prophetic declarations bordering on stopping the chaotic state of things engendered by the alleged Fulani herdsmen killings, there was no time the Editorial/Media Board of the Church issued a statement or passed the transcript around for publication. The Sunday services, streamed online yesterday, are in the website of the Church. The statements of the Bishop on the pulpit, directly obtained in church or from the website by journalists have already been widely reported in the media.
While the information in the circulated transcript are similar to some of the sentiments previously expressed at different times by the Bishop on different worrisome developments in the nation, there has been no official document of 14 paragraphs put together and circulated to the press. It is our conclusion therefore, that some persons, who probably had good intentions or were concerned must have pieced the bits of information together to circulate at this critical time to flow with the tide and attract attention. It is thus a case of the right thing done in a wrong way. We therefore advise that the public disregard the fake transcript in circulation.
In order to avoid running the risk of stumbling on fake news or documents next time, we would like to use this medium therefore, to inform and enjoin the general public and the press in particular to always visit our website, http://faithtabernacle.org.ng/ for any information relating to the Bishop, his messages, declarations or statements concerning national or international issues. We will not circulate any video, audio tape or document without its being deposited on our website.
Thank you and God bless.
Professor Sheriff F. Folarin, PhD., Chairman, Editorial and Media Board Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel International World Headquarters, Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.
