A 50,000-seat auditorium outside Lagos: David Oyedepo, Winners Chapel and Canaanland
At Canaanland, in Ota, just outside Lagos, stands one of the largest church auditoriums in the world. Faith Tabernacle seats about 50,000 people, and on major occasions the grounds around it fill with many more.
The auditorium belongs to Living Faith Church Worldwide, better known as Winners Chapel, founded by David Oyedepo. Oyedepo, born in 1954 in Kwara State, has said he received a vision in 1981 calling him to liberate people from oppression through the preaching of faith. The church grew rapidly from its beginnings in Kaduna and later moved its headquarters to Ota.
Faith Tabernacle and the message
Faith Tabernacle was completed and dedicated in 1999. At the time, it was described as the largest church auditorium in the world by seating capacity. Services are held there several times a week, and the annual Shiloh convention draws huge crowds. Oyedepo’s preaching emphasises faith, prosperity, healing and success. He teaches that believers should expect divine blessing in their finances, health and careers. His message has attracted many followers, especially among young professionals and entrepreneurs.
The church founded Covenant University in Ota in 2002 and later Landmark University in Kwara State. Covenant University has become one of Nigeria’s best-known private universities, known for strict rules on dress and conduct.
Criticism and Canaanland
Oyedepo is one of the wealthiest pastors in Africa, and he has faced criticism over prosperity teaching, private jets and the cost of education at church-owned universities. A video of him slapping a young woman during a deliverance session in 2011 drew widespread condemnation. Supporters point to the church’s schools, social projects and the lives changed through its ministry.
Canaanland is more than a church. The large site at Ota includes the auditorium, the university, schools, housing and businesses, and it functions almost like a small town. Members and visitors travel from across Nigeria for services and conventions, and the roads around Ota are packed on major days.
The Nigerian megachurch
Winners Chapel has branches across Nigeria, Africa and beyond, including in the United Kingdom and the United States. Its publishing arm distributes Oyedepo’s books widely. Winners Chapel is one of several Nigerian megachurches, alongside the Redeemed Christian Church of God and others, whose scale and influence have made Nigeria a centre of global Pentecostalism. The auditorium at Canaanland was built for 50,000 worshippers. On big days, the crowds outside are larger than many towns.
