Human beings are brought together by a lot of things, it could be politics, education, tourism, and even religion. In Nigeria, it is normal to see individuals have a belief in the existence of a supreme being and as a result there are a lot of religions like Christianity, Islam, and Traditional worship.
Focusing on Christianity, below are some of the largest churches in Nigeria.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)
The Redeemed Christian Church of God or RCCG is one of the most well-known churches in Nigeria and a lot of people consider it to be the most populous church within the country. RCCG was established in the year 1952 by Josiah Akindayomi and from that time right up to now, the church has grown to be one of the churches where people gather to worship.
Currently, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is Pst. Enoch Adeboye, appointed by Akindayomi in the year 1981. By classification, RCCG is Protestant, by orientation it is Pentecostal, and it is theologically Evangelical. It is located at 46KM, Lagos-Ibadan Expy, Mowe in Ogun State, however, the church extends beyond that point.
Over the years, the Redeemed Christian Church of God has been growing not just in Nigeria but also in other countries of the world and now it has gained recognition and is existent in 196 countries around the globe and it is still increasing.
Living Faith Church Worldwide
One other church whose number of worshippers has been on the increase over the years is Living Faith Church, otherwise known as Winners Chapel. Living Faith Church was established in the year 1983 by Bishop David O. Oyedepo. Ever since that time and up till now, the church has recorded growth in an exponential manner and as at 2014, the church had gained recognition presence in about 65 countries. The church is by classification, Evangelical and as regards theology, it is Neo-charismatic.
The main headquarter of the church is located in a town called Ota and the headquarter is known as Canaanland. The church is also referred to as Faith Tabernacle which is able to hold a total capacity of more than 50,000 people and the outside overflow is said to have a holding capacity of about 250,000. During a time, Faith Tabernacle was reputed to be the largest church in the globe.
Christ Embassy
Christ Embassy which is also commonly known as the Believer’s Loveworld Incorporated is another very large church in Nigeria. It is also located in Lagos State. Christ Embassy was established in the year 1987 by Pst. Chris Oyakhilome and to this day the church has been increasing in terms of members. All over the world, there are people who now worship with the Believer’s Loveworld Incorporated and the number of worshippers have gotten to around 13 million members or even more than that.
Believer’s Loveworld Incorporated has TV stations that are dedicated to its programs and services in many countries of the world such as Nigeria, the United States of America, India, and the United Kingdom. The church also has its own publishing house which goes by the name, Loveworld Publications.
Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministry (MFM)
Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry is one of the youngest churches in Nigeria, and definitely the youngest in the list of the 5 largest churches in the country. The church was established in the year 1989 by Daniel Kolawole Olukoya who before the church was founded, held prayer meetings in his own sitting room in Yaba, Lagos until 5 years later, the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry was birthed and its first service was held in a place which used to be a deserted slum area that is not that far from the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
Years passed by and the number of worshippers in the church grew at a substantial rate and that is how the church came to be among the largest churches in the country. MFM has a lot of ministry branches in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and many other countries. It offers regular church services, educational materials and web TV.
Deeper Life Bible Church
Deeper Life Bible Church also known as Deeper Christian Life Ministry is another one of the biggest churches in Nigeria. It was established by Williams Folorunsho Kumuyi in the year 1973. The church has its headquarters in Lagos. Deeper Life Bible Church began as a little Bible study group that had no more than 15 people attending, but as the years passed, the size of the congregation at a substantial rate thus making it one of the largest churches in the country. Like other churches on this list, the Deeper Life Bible Church has ministry branches both in Nigeria and abroad in such countries as Russia, India, North America, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Deeper Life Bible Church headquarters is specifically situated in Gbagada in Lagos State.
