Port Harcourt, Nigeria — Bishop David Oyedepo dedicated Nigeria back to God during the dedication of Salvation Ministries’ Hand of God Cathedral.
The founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide made the declaration on Friday, November 6, 2026, at Salvation Ministries’ new global headquarters in Igwuruta, Rivers State.
He called for an end to the killings of innocent Nigerians and pronounced divine judgment against enemies of the church and the country’s progress.
“I declare Nigeria dedicated to Jesus,” Oyedepo said.
The declaration came towards the end of his sermon, before he led the cathedral’s formal dedication. He first announced that he was dedicating the nation back to God, then repeated the declaration alongside the ministers present.
“Again, as a servant of God along with my co-labourers and senior colleagues who are here, I declare Nigeria dedicated to Jesus,” he said.
Oyedepo followed the declaration with prayers against the killing of innocent citizens and those he described as enemies of the church.
“I decree divine judgment in the camp of the enemies of the church,” he said.
“I declare divine judgment in the camp of the enemies of the progress of Nigeria.”
His remarks also included warnings against attacks on the church and any attempt to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state. He appealed for any such plan to be abandoned, saying he was speaking as a prophet of God.
“Any attempt against the church can be very devastating,” he said.
“The judgment will be brutal, and the church will prevail.”
He did not identify a specific policy or name those he believed were pursuing such a plan in that passage of his address.
Referring to kidnapping and attacks on people in church, Oyedepo urged his listeners to confront wrongdoing.
“The evil you don’t stop will stop you,” he said.
The cleric said his concern for Nigeria predated the cathedral project. He recalled organising three days of prayer and fasting for the country in 1979 and described himself as a lover of the nation.
“I love this nation,” he said.
He also sought to distinguish his remarks from party politics, saying members of his church belonged to different political parties.
“We have members in all parties. I’m not a party man. I’ll never be one in my life,” he said.
Oyedepo described the expansion of Christian ministries across Nigeria as evidence of God’s work in the country. He predicted that further major developments would take place across the land.
He then returned to the cathedral ceremony and asked the congregation to rise for its dedication.
“We declare this cathedral today dedicated in the name of God the father, the son and the holy ghost,” he said.
He prayed that the building would remain a place of worship for generations and that those who entered would receive healing, direction, and deliverance.
Ibiyeomie, the founder of Salvation Ministries and host of the ceremony, had earlier described the cathedral’s completion as the fulfilment of a vision.
He said the cathedral seats 120,000 worshippers and described it as the world’s largest steel-frame church auditorium. He also said the project was debt-free.
“Today the hand of God is no longer just a vision. It is a physical reality,” Ibiyeomie said.
The Body of Christ Was Powerfully Represented
The dedication brought together prominent Nigerian Pentecostal leaders, senior government officials, political figures, and worshippers from across the country.
Oyedepo was accompanied by his wife, Pastor Faith Oyedepo, co-founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide.
Among the church leaders present were Bishop Mike Okonkwo, founder of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM); Bishop Francis Wale Oke, Presiding Bishop of Christ Life Church International and National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN); and Dr Paul Enenche, founder and Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, and his wife, co-founder of the ministry, Dr Mrs. Becky Enenche.
Also in attendance were Pastor Femi Emmanuel, founder and Presiding Pastor of Livingspring Chapel International, Ibadan; Pastor Jerry Eze, founder of Streams of Joy International and convener of the New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declarations (NSPPD); and Pastor Korede Komaiya, popularly known as Pastor KK, founder and Presiding Pastor of The Master’s Place International Church, Warri.
Pastor David Oyedepo Jnr, Resident Pastor of Faith Tabernacle at Canaanland, Ota, and son of Bishop Oyedepo, was also among the visiting ministers.
The political dignitaries included Professor Ngozi Nma Odu, Deputy Governor of Rivers State, and Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Their attendance brought together religious leaders from several major Pentecostal denominations and political figures from different backgrounds.
Cathedral Designed for 120,000 Worshippers
The Hand of God Cathedral is one of the largest church construction projects undertaken in Nigeria.
At the dedication service, Ibiyeomie said the cathedral seats 120,000 worshippers and described it as the world’s largest steel-frame church auditorium.
The building features five wings arranged around a central structure. Viewed from above, the design resembles an outstretched hand, reflecting the cathedral’s name.
According to published project details, the complex has eight floors and covers about 56,130 square metres.
It also includes facilities designed to accommodate large congregations, including hundreds of toilets and designated parking areas.
The church has described the building as the world’s largest church auditorium.
However, its reported seating capacity would place it above several other large Pentecostal worship centres in Nigeria, including Dunamis’ Glory Dome and Living Faith Church’s planned Ark auditorium.
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Construction Began in 2010
Work on the Hand of God Cathedral began in 2010.
The initial design provided for approximately 40,000 worshippers before the project was expanded to its present reported capacity of 120,000.
Construction continued for more than a decade as the ministry developed the auditorium and supporting facilities.
The cathedral is intended to serve as the church’s principal worship centre and global headquarters.
Ibiyeomie had announced the dedication date ahead of the ceremony and invited Christians from Nigeria and abroad to attend.
The ministry also announced plans to hold its first regular Sunday services following the dedication on November 8.
New Headquarters for Salvation Ministries
Salvation Ministries was established in Port Harcourt in 1997.
The church has since expanded its activities beyond Rivers State, establishing congregations in other parts of Nigeria and abroad.
Ibiyeomie has become a prominent figure in Nigeria’s Pentecostal movement through his preaching, conferences, television broadcasts, and the ministry’s international activities.
The completion of the Hand of God Cathedral provides the ministry with a permanent facility designed for major worship gatherings.
The dedication concludes a construction programme spanning approximately 16 years.
It also adds another large worship auditorium to Nigeria’s growing network of Pentecostal church facilities.
For Salvation Ministries, the ceremony marks the formal opening of a building that has been central to the ministry’s expansion plans for more than a decade.
