Two of the most senior leaders in the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), Bishops David Abioye and Thomas Aremu, are set to retire after serving for over four and three decades, respectively.
The planned retirements align with recent changes in the church’s operational manual, The Mandate, which now sets the retirement age at 55, down from 60.
Multiple sources within the church, including a pastor who requested anonymity, confirmed the development. Bishop Abioye, currently 63, and Bishop Aremu, aged 67, will step down during the birthday celebration of the church’s founder, Bishop David Oyedepo, later this year.
A member of the Ota headquarters congregation in Ogun State said, “We’ve heard that both Bishops will leave during Bishop Oyedepo’s birthday celebration. Only Bishop Oyedepo is exempt from the new age limit and can serve for life. One of the Bishops has been contemplating this move for some time.”
Efforts to reach the church’s media officials for comment were unsuccessful.
Farewell Services Scheduled for Abioye and Aremu
Valedictory services for the two bishops have been scheduled. Bishop Abioye’s farewell will take place on Friday, October 18, 2024, in Durumi, Abuja, while Bishop Aremu’s service will be held at Living Faith Church Basorun, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday, October 15, 2024.
Bishop Abioye, who first met Oyedepo in 1979, has been a pivotal figure in the church since its early days, leading one of its pioneer branches in 1987 and being consecrated as a bishop in 1993. Bishop Aremu transitioned into full-time ministry after a career in accounting and was consecrated in November 1999.