Bishop David Oyedepo, president and founder of Living Faith Church also known as Winners Chapel, has reacted to some state governors’ decision to close schools due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking at a fully-packed service at Canaanland Ota, despite a ban on religious gatherings of more than 50 people in Ogun State due to outbreak of Coronavirus, Oyedepo stated that the only disease that has no cure is hunger.
He said;
“May God help our policy makers to make the right decision in finding solution to this scourge called Coronavirus.
“Now children are out of school, to go back to that crowd. Would they not be more secured in school where they are only 20 in class? They will now go to help their mama, to sell pepper in the market where you contact about 500,000 people a day in big cities. Everybody is trying to find solutions, may we find the right solution.
“May God help our leaders to make the right decision in search of solution to this pandemic.”
Oyedepo also disclosed that his church is working on programmes to enable localised congregation instead of mass gatherings on service days.
“What we are doing is to ensure that the plague doesn’t spread. This has never happened in my lifetime that nations are shutting their doors against each other.
“The world is at war with an invisible enemy and we must pray. Schools are being shut down, people are entering buses where everyone is breathing on everyone, every market in Africa is an open market. Can we test everybody taking a bus? Only God can rescue the world at this time.
“We are a law abiding congregation and must follow measures being put in place to contain the spread.”
He told his members that the cure for the deadly virus will be out soon and nations shall rejoice again.
Oyedepo added;
“Only the help of God can save Nigeria and Africa in a while from this Pandemic.
“Plagues cannot stop us. Coronavirus cannot stop God’s children, but I assure you that the solution will be found this week.
“Strategies are being developed on how to manage this in respect to our worship programs. We will come up with specific programs during the week that will be communicated to everyone.
“Our Zonal positions may have to be enlarged to accommodate a lot of people.”
Following the criticism that trailed the fully-packed church service, David Oyedepo’s Ministries International shared a memo in which CAN instructed churches not to send back members who attend services today.
See the memo below;
In other news, the Edo State Government has disclosed that there is no plan to shut down schools and places of worship in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.
This disclosure was made known by the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki when he received religious leaders from the state in his office on Friday March 20th.