Bishops David Abioye and Thomas Aremu are set to retire from their long-standing positions in the Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel. This marks the first time that senior pastors of the church will be formally celebrated as they prepare to retire, following the rules outlined in the church’s guiding constitution, the Mandate.
According to Church Times, the retirement of these two bishops is in line with the revised rules of the Mandate, which recently adjusted the retirement age for pastors from 60 to 58.
This new policy applies to all church leaders, with the exception of the Founder, Bishop David Oyedepo, who is permitted to serve for life. Future leaders of the ministry will serve a single seven-year term, or a maximum of two terms, pending approval from the church’s Board of Trustees.
The upcoming retirement of Bishops Abioye and Aremu represents a new chapter in the relatively young church’s history, which has been operating for less than five decades. Their departure will also mark a new phase in leadership as the church adjusts to these updated operational guidelines.
Bishop David Abioye has been a close associate of Bishop Oyedepo since 1979. His deep involvement with the church began when he was appointed to lead one of the five pioneer branches in 1987.
In 1993, at just 32 years old, Abioye became the youngest person to be consecrated as a bishop in a fully established church, during a ceremony at the Garden of Faith in Barnawa, Kaduna.
Bishop Thomas Aremu followed a different path, transitioning from a career as an accountant in secular organizations to full-time ministry. He was one of seven bishops consecrated in November 1999 at the Garden of Faith. Notably, Aremu is the only one among those seven bishops who has remained in active service until now.
