Feminist Group Slams Bishop Oyedepo Over Comments On Marriage

By Akinwale Kasali

Founder, and General Overseer of Living Faith Church Worldwide popularly known as Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, has come under strong criticism over comments he made on marriage.

Nigeria Feminist Forum, NFF, has slammed the clergyman over comments that members of the Group shouldn’t dabble into marriage.

Oyedepo had warned that women who identify themselves as feminists should not get married during a sermon to his congregation, specifically warned women against joining the feminist movement as he stated that feminism would lead to frustration and devastation.

His statement did not sit  well with the Feminist movement who  called the renowned Clergyman out, questioning him to explain if feminists in Nigeria were responsible for his disengaged “unproductive pastors.”

In a statement issued by the Group through its Communications Officer, Angela Nkwo, it said its members were not happy with Oyedepo’s view that the “Feminism movement leads to frustration and devastation.”

The NFF advised Oyedepo to focus on suggesting solutions on how the challenges confronting Nigeria could be subdued.

The statement reads, “The Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF) has condemned the comments credited to the celebrated cleric and founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo on feminism, saying he should proffer solutions to insecurity, inflation, amongst others confronting the nation.

“Casting huge aspersions on being a woman, its definition and expectations therein when he advised women against joining the feminist movement because it leads to frustration and devastation; contrary to the claims spread by people, feminism is about demanding gender equity, justice and access to equal resources for everyone, which will benefit families, communities and the wider society as a whole.

“The cleric’s comments justified the notion that women do not lead branches of the Church popularly called Winners chapel, saying it is condemnable as women form a followership of the congregation.”

The Feminist forum queried Oyedepo if they were the cause of his disengaged Pastors who failed to meet their assigned targets by the Church even as they maintained they were males, who did not advance feminist principles.

“We need to ask the eminent cleric, did feminists and the coalitions cause the unproductively of his Pastors, or the insecurity and high inflation that have enveloped the nation?” they queried.

It would be recalled that some Pastors were sacked and relieved of their duties in the vineyard following speculations and statements from one of the sacked Pastors that the reason behind the sack was because of their failure to generate enough income for the Church.

Oyedepo, however, made come clarifications as regards the sacking of the Pastors, saying they were “unfruitful”, quashing the notion that were sacked due to low revenue.

Reportedly, Oyedepo’s wife, Faith, kneels down to greet him.