Everyone is being invited to Winners Chapel International at Kamsack on Sunday when the group’s first service will be held in a new building.
A branch of a network of churches that was started in Nigeria in 1981, Winners Chapel International Kamsack first opened its doors in a room in Crowstand Centre in Kamsack in May 2013 as an initiative of Dr. Emmanuel Ogali, who had come to Kamsack in January of that year.
Ogali, who is the pastor of the church, said it was decided to move from Crowstand Centre to 512 First Street because some members of the congregation had difficulty with the stairs at Crowstand. At the First Street location, in the Boychuk Building behind the Prairie Grain Bakery and Deli and across the hall from the Kamsack Times office, the chapel is on the ground floor, allowing for easy access for all.
Winners Chapel International can also be known as Living Faith Church Worldwide, Ogali said last week as he discussed the Kamsack chapel’s move to its new location.
In Nigeria on May 1, 1981 “God spoke to Bishop David Oyedepo,” Ogali said, quoting the following from the Operational Manual of Living Faith Church Worldwide:
“In that great vision, I saw a line-up of the afflicted and oppressed, broken, beaten, battered, the blind, the lame and the wretched. I saw all kinds of deformities, that I was greatly bewildered. I heard their wailing as they filed past me. Their groaning was so intense that I could almost feel their pains.
“I could not help it and so I began to cry and sob along with them. ‘Lord, what is this?’ I asked. I heard God say to me: ‘And from the beginning it was not so.’ I broke down the more in tears. In the midst of all that I kept asking, ‘But why Lord?’ And I heard God say distinctly to me, ‘And from the beginning it was not so and now, the hour has come to liberate the world from all oppressions of the devil, through the preaching of the word of faith and I am sending you to undertake this task.’”
“This church has blessed us so much,” Ogali said, explaining that although he did not set out to minister he decided to help out as he could because of the impact the church has had on his life.
He said that when he is unable to lead the services, his wife Nene substitutes.
“We are happy to share,” Ogali said, encouraging people to consider attending the regular services which are held Sunday mornings and includes prayer, singing of hymns, worship and the sharing of the Word of God. On Wednesday evenings the Chapel will be the scene of informal gatherings for Bible studies and that is when congregants are invited to share their experiences and testimonies.
Ogali said that he hopes Pastor Sunny Adeniyi, who is the regional pastor in Calgary, will be able to attend the service on Sunday.
Describing the Chapel as Pentecostal, Ogali said that the congregation currently numbers between 25 and 35 people.
Asked why a person would want to attend the Winners Chapel rather than another evangelical organization, Ogali said that although the gospel of Jesus is the same, God calls people for different work and the Chapel is most concerned to help liberate people who are dealing with suffering associated with death, destruction and such things as suicide among the youth.
Jesus says life is given in abundance and that does not include the suffering of split families, he said, adding that his church is a collection of born-again Christians who understand what’s right in Christ and are determined to live life as promised.
“Our target is those who have not yet accepted the Lord Jesus and do not yet see the immense benefit,” he said. “We want to have them enjoy life in fullness.”
This church, like all similar churches has evangelism as a core principle, he said. “We are always ministering, saying that Jesus loves you. He has come for all.
“Come as you are,” he said. “Faith comes from hearing (the word). Something happens and the Word of God begins to transform you and you begin to do what you could not do. It makes a difference.”
Ogali said that representatives of the Living Faith Church Worldwide meet at a huge convention held in New York City each year.
