Oyedepo Reveals Why He Started Church At 19: “I Wasn’t Baptised In The Holy Ghost

Bishop David Oyedepo has recalled how his passion for God and concern for the spiritual welfare of people inspired him to establish a church in a village at the age of 19, despite not being baptised in the Holy Ghost at the time.

According to Ireporter Online, Oyedepo shared the experience while speaking about the importance of passion and commitment among new converts and Christians.

The founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide explained that during a 72-day stay in the village, he became deeply concerned about spending the entire period without establishing a church there.

Oyedepo said his desire to create a place where people could gather for worship was driven by his passion rather than years of ministry experience or extensive theological knowledge.

He recalled that he had not yet been baptised in the Holy Ghost and had not even been taught about the relevance of the Holy Spirit at the time. However, his passion for God and souls motivated him to take action.

According to the cleric, he approached the village head, secured a piece of land and began constructing a church using palm fronds and other materials that were readily available in the community.

He said the project was completed within 40 days, after which the villagers presented him with a lantern as a farewell gift when his time in the community came to an end.

Oyedepo recalled that the villagers expressed their appreciation by telling him that the light he had brought to their community should continue to shine around the world.

The bishop admitted that he could no longer remember exactly what he preached during his time in the village but said he believed God honoured the passion and commitment behind the effort.

Oyedepo used the experience to encourage believers, particularly new converts, to develop genuine passion for God, Christian fellowship and reaching others with their faith.

He stressed that fellowship provides believers with renewed spiritual strength and urged new converts to actively identify with the Christian community rather than allowing technology and other distractions to replace physical fellowship.

The cleric maintained that sincere commitment to God can inspire meaningful action even when a believer is still at an early stage of their spiritual journey.