10 QUICK FACTS ABOUT BISHOP DAVID O ABIOYE By Leke Beecroft

10 QUICK FACTS ABOUT BISHOP DAVID O ABIOYE

By Leke Beecroft

1. David Olatunji Abioye was born into a Baptist family, got saved at a tender age and grew up as a devoted Baptist boy.

2. At the time he met David Oyedepo in 1980 during a meeting, he was 19 and the President of the Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS), University of Ilorin, Kwara State. He was asked to lead a prayer point that day by David Oyedepo who was the Joint Campus Fellowship (JCF) President but stoutly refused.

3. He started his journey at the Living Faith Church as a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), member/staff in 1983.

4. The Church spread out to 5 towns including Maiduguri in April 1987 by divine instruction. David Abioye started the Maiduguri Church which soon became the largest Church in Maiduguri.

5. By June 1993, he was consecrated Bishop and along with the late Bishop Harford Ilupotaife of Victory Christian Church, both became the youngest pentecostal Bishops ever consecrated in the history of the Church in Nigeria. They were both ordained at the age of 32.

6. He is the longest serving Deputy of any major church in Nigeria.

7. He is the only serving Deputy among pastors known to have flown a dedicated private jet.

8. He Pastors the second largest Church and single congregation in Northern Nigeria, 15,000 capacity Living Faith Church, Goshen and runs 3 filled up services every Sunday, yet still goes out in the villages  every week to win souls.

9. He administers the 740 acre Goshen City, the largest Church Estate in Northern Nigeria which has a secondary school (Faith Academy), nursery and Primary school (Kingdom Heritage Model School), a new university in the process of construction, the Mission Headquarters of the Living Faith Church, 50 unit housing estate and many more facilities. All these built in 15 months.

10. He has always been present to quell crisis whenever it has arisen in the Church such as the rebellion in Accra as well as the Abuja crisis, yet he has refused to heed calls by some to 'start his own ministry'.

Bishop David Abioye is married to Pastor (Mrs) Mary Abioye with three children, David Jnr, Ruth and Daniel. 

Compiled by Leke Beecroft