Controversy surrounds the recent appointment of Bishop David Oyedepo’s second biological son, Isaac, as the national youth pastor of Youth Alive Fellowship (YAF), the youth arm of Living Faith Church, popularly known as Winners’ Chapel. This decision has ignited criticism from various quarters.
The announcement was made by YAF through its official Facebook page, where it expressed its excitement about the new youth pastor’s ability to lead the youthful congregation to greater heights. However, this news did not sit well with some Nigerians, who took to the comments section of the page to question the rationale behind appointing the bishop’s son to such a position.
One Facebook user, Chike Ogugwu, shrugged off the controversy, saying, “It’s his father’s business, so let him manage it well.” Another commenter echoed this sentiment, suggesting that this appointment is a part of the family’s plans for succession, saying, “Family business, preparing him to take over. Papa, mama, pikin church, may God help us.”
Paul Waiyo described the appointment as a strategic business decision, emphasizing that it was the best course of action. Joseph Ogidiolu also characterized it as a family business enterprise based on family heritage.
Commenters like Christian Chukwudi believed that Isaac’s appointment was part of a gradual plan to position him to eventually take over from his father as the leader of the church. Meanwhile, Chibedu Edoga humorously referred to it as a “family business” and congratulated Isaac on his “new promotion,” while invoking a touch of humor by saying, “every member of the family must be called by fire and by thunder.”
This controversy surrounding the appointment of Isaac Oyedepo as the national youth pastor comes shortly after a similar public outcry following the naming of Jimmy Odukoya, the son of the late founder of the Fountain of Life Bible Church, Taiwo Odukoya, as his successor.
