Bishop David Oyedepo Rejects Moves To Allow Hijabs In Mission Schools

Bishop David Oyedepo, founder of Living Faith Church, has fiercely criticized attempts to approve the wearing of hijabs in Christian or mission schools, describing the move as both unacceptable and provocative.

Speaking during a church service, Oyedepo addressed reports from Kwara State, where some Muslim groups have demanded that female students in mission schools be allowed to wear hijabs. He condemned the demand as a blatant disregard for the rights of the church, likening it to “a tenant decreeing for the landlord.”

“Such a nasty development in Kwara State, where Muslims are asking for their students in our schools to wear hijab. And the church said, no. I’ve never seen a place in my life where a tenant will be decreeing for the landlord. I’ve never seen. You know the reason why? We have never shown the world the other side of God. God is not a toy. He said the Lord is a consuming fire. Let’s show them the consuming fire of God. Leave the schools for the owner. Go to your school. Is there any fight?” he said.

Oyedepo warned that the church must not be pushed to the wall, stressing that it is “a temple” and “a time bomb” that should not be tampered with. According to him, any system that incurs God’s anger will be “grounded and cursed.”

“My advice, and I know they will hear me because they always hear me: leave the schools for the owners. Find your schools. Men and women can wear hijab there. Stop putting your finger in the eyes of others when they are not blind,” he continued.

The bishop also offered fiery prayers against what he described as increasing harassment of the church in Nigeria, while extending his petitions to broader issues of insecurity and societal decay. He called for divine judgment on ritual killers, their sponsors, and kidnappers who trade in human lives.

“Father, bring an end to all harassments against your church in Nigeria. Now, wait a minute. Now we have this menace of ritual killers because they have market. Lord, the ritual killers and their faith sons or faith sonnages — let judgment come down. The kidnappers are those who buy human beings — let your judgment come down on them. The fool and the heartless men invading people’s food and destroying the labor of their hands — let your judgment come on their heads,” he prayed.

Oyedepo urged worshippers to join in the prayers, questioning their commitment to the cause: “Now we need to pray this prayer. Are you sure you are in line? Yes. If you are not, go out, please. Are you sure you are in line with all this? Now, pray like somebody in line.”

The clergyman’s remarks underscore his long-standing stance against any government or external interference in the running of Christian schools and his warning to leave such institutions to their owners.