Today Kubwa Express, drove to Living Faith Church, aka Winners Chapel, Kubwa. It is located off Dutse-F01 road Kubwa.
The Resident Pastor, is Pastor Abel Dingamaji. The church is the biggest, elite chapter of Winners Chapel in Kubwa.
The Church announces that it holds 4 services every Sunday(6:30, 8:00, 9:30, and 11 am.)We attended the 2nd service, which started by 8am and ended by 10:04 am. We were told that it lasted this long because today was a Special Thanksgiving Service for students of Faith Academy, who are preparing to write SSCE and Junior WAEC
The Church provides bus services with pickup stations scattered around Kubwa. If you come late, you will sit under the canopy outside the main auditorium and watch proceedings via a projector.
Apart from wearing face mask, this church observes COVID-19 protocol but members and visitors are not forced to wash their hands or use the hand-sanitizers conspicuously located in the security post of the church. Temperature of worshippers, were not checked.
If you are open minded to listen to motivational teachings sprinkled with bible verses, this church, is for you.
The choir, well funded with modern equipment, sang like any live band in any of the numerous nightclubs in Kubwa. So if the club like worship songs uplifts you to hear from your God, you will be at home here.
The ushers are well dressed, arrogantly carrying themselves, as if they are assistant Jesus.
The pastors tried hard (unsuccessfully) to ape their father in the Lord and founder of the Church-Bishop Oyedepo’s mannerisms. Close your eyes and you will think you’re are under the ministration of the Bishop only with poor audio.
The sermon was soul tingling and re-engineering. It was all about Faith laced with motivational nuggets.
According to the Pastor, while making heavy attempt to tune his diction to be like that of Bishop Oyedepo, Faith is not believing God but behaving God. Faith is not only believing God but believing that he will do that for which you believed him.
Faith empowers believers to live in a different world while living here. Faith is the bedrock, the backbone that makes Living Faith what it is. Faith is a dominant force, this is wherever Living Faith is located, it dominates.
He urged the members not to move casually but should adequately prepare for productive engagement.
Like a pained salesman, he cried that for you to succeed, you must recognize, celebrate, listen and take care of your God appointed prophet. Your business does not stand by the conditions of the economy but by faith. Bible faith empowers you to achieve anything. Faith is what is required for prophesy to be fulfilled.
He made some prophetic declarations bordering on prosperity, good health and the congregation shouted thunderous AMEN!
Another interesting thing about this holy ground, is their blocking of all access roads to the church. It is bad inconveniencing residents of Kubwa, because you want to worship your God.
Living Faith Kubwa, used an Army patrol van with soldiers, to block one of the streets, at another end, the road was blocked by Road Safety van and the other was blocked by police. There is a police post in the premises of Living Faith Kubwa.
We learnt that the blocking of roads by churches was authorized by the Government, during the hay days of Boko Haram’s attacks on churches.
But with the acclaimed defeat, watering down of Boko Haram’s capability, one wonders why churches are still blocking roads.
There is also a thriving mini-market around the church. Members make brisk business, selling items ranging from religious articles, branded amulets, car and door stickers for protection, olive oil, to food stuff, fashion and accessories.
A member we spoke to, said the mini-market within the church is regimented and most of the proceeds goes to the church’s treasury but the ones outside, is free for all.
Altar call was made for sinners who want to accept Jesus. Those worshipping at Winners for the first time, were also acknowledged.
After service, we were impressed with their crowd control and handling of traffic.
