The *Largest Church In The World* Is Built In Lagos And By Nigerians
Adey Oyenuga
Tuesday, 30 November, 1999, 15:32 GMT
By Barnaby Phillips
If the charismatic leader of a Nigerian evangelical sect is to be
believed, the Guinness Book of Records will have to be re-written,
following the recent opening of what is being described as the
largest church in the world.
The enormous structure, known as the Faith Tabernacle, towers over
the sprawling suburbs of Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, and is
designed to seat some 50,000 people.
A vast hexagonal building with a bright red metal roof, it only took
one year to build - and many of the architects and engineers who
worked on it gave their services for free.
The man behind the Faith Tabernacle is Bishop David Oyedepo, the
founder and head of one of the fastest growing religious movements
in the world: the pentecostal Winners' Chapel. In the past 15 years
the movement it has spread right across Nigeria and beyond.
International following
Bishop Oyedepo says he has Nigerian missionaries working in 30
African countries.
But the extraordinary Faith Tabernacle is his biggest project yet.
He calls it a feat of "engineering amazement, and, what is more,
done purely by Nigerians".
In fact, work is far from finished. Windows are being put in, the
sound system is being improved, and the wooden pews have not yet
been installed. When they are, Bishop Oyedepo says that the Faith
Tabernacle will seat 50,400 worshippers.
It may not be the biggest church in the world in terms of size -
that honour goes to the Roman Catholic basilica of Yamoussoukro in
the nearby Ivory Coast - but it will be able to contain many more
people than any other church.
With its plain concrete walls and corrugated iron roof, the
Tabernacle is not a building of great beauty or subtlety, but its
sheer size does give it a certain majesty.
'Miracles'
Tens of thousands of people gathered for the opening ceremony.
Bishop Oyedepo says that God works miracles through him, and the
sick, the depressed and the bereaved lined up to receive his
healing touch.
Many worked themselves into a frenzy; in awe, not just of this
extraordinary building, but of the man they call "Papa".
"Papa is everything we have," said one young man. "He has been sent
by God to rescue our souls".
A middle-aged woman agreed. "He's definitely God-sent, he is truly
wonderful."
The construction of the Faith Tabernacle is only the latest, although
perhaps most dramatic, evidence of the extraordinary boom in
evangelical churches in Nigeria.
As living standards have collapsed in the past 15 years, and as
schools and hospitals fall down, so bigger and bigger churches
are still being built.
Critics of the new evangelical preachers say they are only taking
advantage of people's desperation as life gets harder and harder. But
Bishop Oyedepo argues that he is satisfying a spiritual longing which
so many Nigerians evidently feel - and he is confident he will have
no problem filling the great Faith Tabernacle.
-- THE BBC NEWS --
==========================================================================
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe akwa-cross-net" to majo...@lists.stanford.edu
Emopin Ayenuro-Lawrence
Why we no dey come invite people to come see our wonders? Why we come
dey dash people scarce tax monette to see the wonders of others in
Mekka, Jerusafelemu, Londonu, Romu, Pekin, Paris etc. and come dey make
ourselves slave of their languages?
Na wa o!
Emopin