Faith Tabernacle
{{About|the auditorium|further information on Winners Chapel|Living Faith Church Worldwide|the church community|Canaanland}}
{{Infobox church
| color =
| name = Faith Tabernacle
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| img capt = Faith Tabernacle worship in 2005
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| location = Lagos
| denomination = Neo-charismatic movement
| attendance = over 100,000
| founded date = December 11, 1983
| founder = David Oyedepo
| capacity = 50,400
| seniorpastor = David Oyedepo
| country = Nigeria
| website = {{URL|http://faithtabernacle.org.ng/}}
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Faith Tabernacle is an evangelical megachurch and the headquarters church of Living Faith Church Worldwide. It is at Canaanland, Ota, Lagos, Nigeria, current neo-charismatic movement. The senior pastor of this community is David Oyedepo{{Cite web|title=Living Faith Church Worldwide - Official Website|url=https://faithtabernacle.org.ng/about|access-date=2021-01-03|website=faithtabernacle.org.ng}}{{Cite web|title=The Chancellor / About Us / Home - Covenant University|url=http://m.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/About-Us/The-Chancellor#.|access-date=2021-01-03|website=m.covenantuniversity.edu.ng|archive-date=2020-12-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202083523/http://m.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/About-Us/The-Chancellor#.|url-status=dead}} since its founding in 1983. In 2023, the attendance is 100,000+ people.
Background
David Oyedepo at age 26, had a vision for his ministry.Pieter Coertzen, M Christiaan Green, Len Hansen, Law and Religion in Africa: The quest for the common good in pluralistic societies, African Sun Media, South Africa, 2015, page 310 The Church was founded on December 11, 1983.Martin Lindhardt, Pentecostalism in Africa: Presence and Impact of Pneumatic Christianity in Postcolonial Societies, BRILL, Netherlands, 2014, page 115 In 2014, Living Faith Church Worldwide is in 65 countries. In 2020, Faith Tabernacle has an attendance of 50,000 people.{{cite web|first1=Warren|last1=Bird|url=http://leadnet.org/world/|title=World megachurches|work=Leadership Network, USA|access-date=2020-02-16|archive-date=2014-11-02|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141102044447/http://leadnet.org/world/|url-status=dead}}
Building
Canaanland was procured in 1998 and was initially {{convert|560|acre|km2}}, it is in Ota, Ogun, Nigeria. The church's international headquarters, Faith Tabernacle, was built in Cannanland between 1998 and 1999, taking twelve months to complete.{{cite web|url=http://www.africanpastors.net/Pastors%20Webpages/David%20Oyedepo.html |access-date=June 7, 2012 |title=Pastor David Oyedepo Profile|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428040226/http://www.africanpastors.net/Pastors%20Webpages/David%20Oyedepo.html |archive-date=April 28, 2012 }} The foundation laying took place on August 29, 1998.{{Cite web|url=http://www.churchgrowthmovement.org/large-church-auditoriums/|title=LARGE CHURCH AUDITORIUMS|website=Best Resources on Church Growth|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-06}}
In 1999, the Faith Tabernacle was inaugurated with 50,400 seats.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/542154.stm |title=Church of the 50,000 faithful |last=Barnaby |first= Phillips |date=November 30, 1999 |website=BBC |access-date=2018-12-15}} Faith Tabernacle was reputed to be the world's largest church in terms of capacity.Candy Gunther Brown, Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Healing, Oxford University Press, UK, 2011, page 253Israel O. Olofinjana, 20 Pentecostal Pioneers in Nigeria: Their Lives, Their Legacies, Xlibris Corporation, USA, 2011, page 127 It covers about 70 hectares and is built inside the complex called Canaanland, with a size of more than 10,500 hectares (42km2) in Ota, a suburb of Lagos. The church building was constructed under 12 months and dedicated in September 1999.Vinson Synan, J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, Amos Yong, Global Renewal Christianity: Spirit-Empowered Movements: Past, Present and Future, Charisma Media, USA, 2016, page 28
See also
{{Portal|Evangelical Christianity|}}
References
{{Reflist}}
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External links
- [http://faithtabernacle.org.ng/ faithtabernacle.org.ng] Official Site
Category:Evangelical megachurches in Nigeria
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