May God Grant You The Grace To Think Big

- Pastor E.A. Adeboye

#PastorEAAdeboye
#RCCG
#WondersOfHisAbilities
#OnlineSundayService
#25thMay2025
#ChurchGist

In 1983, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the first President of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), was inspired to build the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. This megastructure modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City began about 40 years ago and aimed to achieve the following ideals:

-Religious devotion
-Personal legacy,
-A show political symbolism and a mark of national identity.

Today, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace is a remarkable architectural feat and a symbol of national pride. It was commissioned by President Boigny and consecrated in 1990 by Pope John Paul II,

With a footprint of 30,000sqm, it became the largest church structure in the world but still holds the distinction of being the largest basilica tofay, surpassing even St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City in size (22,000sqm)

The basilica's design, inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica, is situated in Yamoussoukro, the former president's hometown. It was part of a broader vision to elevate the city as the nation's capital and cultural center. It serves as a testament to the country's aspirations and the late president's legacy .

Intended as a place of worship and pilgrimage, the Basilica offers a serene environment for spiritual reflection. However, regular attendance is modest, with ordinary liturgies typically drawing only a few hundred worshippers .

The basilica's cost was estimated between $175 million and $600 million while other estimates peg it at $300 million. It was said to have been built 'out of pocket' by Boigny and on 75 hectares (acres?) of his cocoa plantation

At the time it was built, the national debt was also about $300 million.

This sparked controversy with critics arguing that such funds could have addressed pressing social needs .

Despite its capacity to accommodate 18,000 worshippers, the basilica often remains underutilized

Some view the basilica also referred to as the Second Vatican as a personal monument to President Houphouët-Boigny, noting features like stained glass windows depicting his likeness. This has led to debates just like it did with Hagia Sophia about the intertwining of political ambition and religious expression .

While the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace achieves remarkable architectural and symbolic milestones, its practical impact as a center of worship and community engagement is limited.

Today, the Ark legacy project is over 2 times the size of Our Lady of Peace Basilica and over 3 times the size of St Peters Basilica.

So why the Ark?

Will it go the way of Hagia Sophia?
Will there be consequences like St Peters Basilica?
Will it be under utilized and become just another tourist centre like Our Lady of Peace Basilica?

What lessons have been learnt from the largest churches in the world in the medieval and modern eras?

Join Church Gist Tomorrow Morning by 7am in a 4 part series as we draw out lessons learnt by Bishop David Oyedepo in his drive towards the completion of the Ark legacy project.

#ChurchGist

Some Localities Localize Your Destiny

- Dr. Pastor Paul Enenche

#DrPaulEnenche
#DrMrsBeckyEnenche
#DIGC
#Dominion2025
#GloryDome
#DRC2025
#Day1EveningSession
#27thMay2025
#ChurchGist

Nature Abhors Vacuum. If You Don't Love The Lord, You Will Love The Devil.

- Bishop David Oyedepo

#BishopDavidOyedepo
#MidweekCommunionService
#28thMay2025
#LFCWorldwide
#2025NewEraYear
#ChurchGist

The Ark Rises –
Africa’s Monument to Faith and Vision.

6 Months to Go!

A symbol of divine legacy
A spiritual ark of safety
A beacon of African Christian excellence

#LargestChurchInTheWorld
#LargestChurchInAfrica
#AfricanChristianMegastructure
#TheArkLegacyProjectNigeria
#ChurchGist

THE ARK LEGACY PROJECT:
HAGIA SOPHIA
ST PETERS BASILICA
OUR LADY OF PEACE BASILICA

APPARENT LESSONS LEARNT BY BISHOP OYEDEPO
THE ARK.

Part 1-by Daniel Breakforth

I'll be covering a range of issues namely similarities of the Roman Catholic Church and the Living Faith Church as well as similarities between St Peters Basilica at the Vatican and the Ark at Canaan land. I will also take a look at Our Lady of Peace Basilica vis a vis the Ark.
Thereafter, I will briefly consider the perceived lessons learnt by Bishop Oyedepo in the role of the State, doctrine, size of structure/project, duration, funding, purpose and criticism (both reasonable and unreasonable) as it pertains to Church building projects.

If there is any Pentecostal Church organization especially in Africa since the Reformation which has learnt or imbibed from the wisdom, longevity, continuity and succession of the Catholic Church, it is the Living Faith Church which has 'Wisdom' as one of her 12 Cardinal Pillars or Pillars of the Commission.

Scriptural Authority
The Catholic Church and indeed many churches derives authority from Matthew 16:18...

And I I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

On the other hand, in his own words, a few months after receiving the Mandate of 1st and 2nd May 1981, -In the beginning it was not so....'and now…The hour has come to liberate the world from all oppression of the devil through the preaching of the Word of Faith and I am sending you to undertake this task ....', David Oyedepo narrates the instruction he later received to administer a proper Church organization in Luke 1:3....It seemed good to me also.....

Other similarities:
Like the Catholic Church, Living Faith is a very wealthy Church;

Like the Catholic Church, the Living Faith Church sets aside considerable resources for the poor and indigent.

Like the Catholic Church, the Living Faith invests heavily in building academic institutions (the Roman Catholic Church has a total of over 200,000 schools at all levels)

Like the Catholic Church, Living Faith Church builds 'Cathedrals' everywhere,

Like the Catholic Church's Vatican City, Living Faith built' Canaan land,

Like the Catholic Church, Living Faith does keep to time in her worship services

Like the Catholic Church’s 'morning Mass', Living Faith holds daily services ' known as 'Covenant Hour of Prayer' (CHOP) derived from Acts 3:1.

Like the catechism of the Catholic Church, the Living Faith Church has her 12 pillars.

Most importantly, like the Catholic Church's Canon Law, the Living Faith Church has a clearly set out Succession Plan. It is detailed in a Red Book known as "The Mandate".

Furthermore, here are some of the interesting similarities between the building of the Ark in Canaanland, headquarters of the Living Faith Church and building of St Peters Basilica in the Vatican City, headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church.

Cost:
At an equivalent of about 33 billion USD in the 16th century and a conservative estimate of 1.5 billion USD if the Basilica was to be constructed today, the St Peters Basilica is the largest single project ever undertaken by the Catholic Church in about 2000 years. In the same vein, the Ark Legacy Project is the largest single project ever undertaken by Living Faith Church in her 44 years.

Project Duration:
In terms of duration however, there is a marked difference. While the Basilica construction lasted 120 years and a further 50 years of decoration post construction, the Ark has lasted 4 years and 2 months and expected to be completed in a little over 6 months thus a total of 4 years 8 months and 8 days.

Project Size:

There were up to 1,500 workers daily at the site when St Peters Basilica was being built. There are about 2000 workers daily building the Ark and with modern technology.

St Peters Basilica has a Piazza which takes up to 60,000 people. However the Ark which will take 109,000 in the main bowl and up to 200,000 within the facility will have a tube attacked to Faith Tabernacle. If all the spaces outside the Ark including the renowned Faith Tabernacle are considered like the Piazza, the Ark will have space for additional 300,000 apart from parking space for 15,000 cars. The Ark, WOFBI, Camp house, old Bishop's Court, Old Secretariat, Ramoth, DPH, KHMS, Youth Chapel, Faith Tabernacle including Covenant University already cover about 560 acres which is more than 5 times the whole of the Vatican City (104 acres). The old Faith Academy sat on 63 acres while Faith Tabernacle sits on 70 acres. These 2 add up to 133 acres.

Just as the Basilica aligns with the 26m tall Egyptian Obelisk (the Witness) where it's believed that Apostle PETER was crucified upside down, the Ark is aligned to the Centre of the prophetic 50,000 capacity Faith Tabernacle, prophesied in April 1982 (named Shiloh-the place of my appearance)'. Like a rose on a, stem. I would gladly call the area of the Ark/Faith Tabernacle-the Rose of Sharon.

St Peters Basilica is the tallest building in the Vatican with no other Vatican building allowed to be taller. The Ark will share this privilege especially with her twin 12 mission towers which will be the highest point in Canaanland though it might be too early to make this assertion knowing Bishop Oyedepo.

The Ark with a footprint of 66,753 sqm will be more than 3 times the size of St Peters Basilica on completion. It has a dome span of 318m.

The ongoing project which started on 21st March 2021is expected to be dedicated on 29th November 2025. The Ark with a 109,000 main bowl capacity has 4 Levels, 63
Elevators, 63 Escalators, 24 Lifts, 20 staircases, 86 Dormitories, 1200 toilets, a beautiful Presidential Drive-1, total of 24 floors altogether from the twin towers and a beautiful Diagrid Area of 141,266 sqm.

Up until St Peters Basiluca, nothing like it in size had ever being built. Same can be said of the Ark.
The Ark is not a mushroom church, it is a behemoth being built to the glory of God.

End of Part 1.
Part 2 will be up by 10am.

#LargestChurchInTheWorld
#LargestChurchInAfrica
#AfricanChristianMegastructure
#TheArkLegacyProjectNigeria
#ChurchGist

THE ARK'S ROAD/FLYOVER PROJECT AND THE 80MW POWER PLANT PROJECT

#LargestChurchInTheWorld
#LargestChurchInAfrica
#AfricanChristianMegastructure
#TheArkLegacyProjectNigeria
#ChurchGist

Part 2

THE ARK:

A MILLENNIUM AND A HALF AFTER HAGIA SOPHIA
4 CENTURIES AFTER ST PETERS
4 DECADES AFTER OUR LADY

LESSONS LEARNT BY BISHOP OYEDEPO

Some Lessons

It Is Enough!

The Tabernacle of Moses was the first recorded religious mega structure ordained by God. With details passed to Moses, the pioneer leader of the 12 tribes of Israel called for building offerings. Consequently, offerings of gold, silver, linen, oil and fine wood were brought. The generosity became so overwhelming that in Exodus 36:6, Moses commanded-It is enough!!!

It was the first recorded capital project where leadership had to halt fundraising and this remains the eternal template for God-first giving for all times; no murmurs or manipulation. A benchmark for spirit led giving.

One of the unique experiences with the Ark Project is that for the first time in my life, I hear 'it is enough'. Bishop Oyedepo himself as well as Dr Pastor Paul Enenche have told the story of how someone had come with offering for the Ark Project and was told that everything required was already provided. This was reiterated during the groundbreaking when Bishop Oyedepo explained how the fund was managed and untouched during the 5 years in which he awaited divine direction on the project commencement. Since I understand that for a project this size, avenues to spend resources abound, I tend to see this statement as more of a sense of faith and confidence in God than any other interpretation one may possibly give. Stadia around the world cost more than what has been spent on the Ark But...God is more than enough.

The Role of the State:

By 537 AD, Emperor Justinian inaugurated Hagia Sophia in Constantinople as a state funded project. It was a feat of both logistics and architectural genius. Funded by the imperial treasury and taxes from the Eastern Roman Empire, Hagia Sophia was so politically tied to the State and eventually spiritually 'cold' that on conquering Constantinople and changing it to Istanbul, the use of the Church was also changed without much resistance in 1453.
Bishop Oyedepo has consequently reiterated at every point in time that there was no government funding or foreign aid in the building of not just the Ark but Canaanland as a whole. Consequently, the Ark is not a tool now or in future to display the glory of man, government or nation even though inference will naturally be drawn by some, but a place of worship of the Most High God alone without attachment to any political party, government or power. He has stated often times in faith and for posterity that this building must remain a Church and nothing else.

Again in his exact words:
"When Jesus returns, He will meet this Church a Vibrant Altar of Fire. Even if it is 2000 years from now, it doesn't matter.
Those after us will be hotter than us.
Those taking over from those after us will be hotter than they are"

Bishop David Oyedepo

Funding and Doctrine:
Some 50+ years after Hagia Sophia's purpose was charged, the rebuilding of St Peters Basilica by Pope Julius VI commenced. However there was a challenge of funding for a project of such magnitude.

Consequently, the sale in cash of indulgence which had recently been introduced was ramped up by the 'Mother' Church.

The practice of codifying indulgences as part of Catholic doctrine emerged in the 11th Century. By the 16th century and just about the time St Peters Basilica project began, Priests began openly accepting cash donations for indulgences. Dominican friars like Johann Tetzel popularized the saying,
"As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs".
This sparked significant criticism, including Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses in 1517.

In particular, theses 50 and 51 stated as follows:
Christians should be taught, if the Pope knew the ways and doings of the preachers of indulgences, he would prefer that St.

Peter's Minster should be burnt to ashes, rather than that it should be built up of the skin, flesh and bones of his lambs...This implied that if the Pope truly understood the abuses of indulgence preachers, he would rather see St. Peter's Basilica burned down than built on the exploitation of the faithful.

51 stated that-Christians should be taught, the Pope, as it is his bounden duty to do, is indeed also willing to give of his own money - and should St. Peter's be sold thereto - to those from whom the preachers of indulgences do most extort money.
This also meant that
it would (or should) be the pope's wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even if it meant the selling St. Peter's Basilica (which was under construction) to achieve that.

In reaction, the Catholic Church doubled down. Pope Leo X issued the bull Cum postquam (“When After”), which defined the doctrine of indulgences and addressed the issue of the authority of the church to absolve the faithful from temporal punishment. Luther’s views were declared to be in conflict with the teaching of the Catholic Church.
This act led to fatal consequences for the Roman Catholic Church.

Luther's Theses, which questioned the Catholic Church's authority directly led to the Protestant Reformation.
It resulted in the formation of numerous Protestant denominations, including Lutheranism, Calvinism and others, diverging from the Roman Catholic Church. Luther's critique of the Pope's authority and his emphasis on individual interpretation of the Bible led to a weakening of papal influence. The Protestant Reformation continues to have a significant impact on Western Christianity, shaping various denominations and their theological beliefs.
Before the Protestant Reformation, the vast majority of Christians in Europe and all over the world were Catholic. Estimates suggest that around 95-98% of Christians were Catholics in Western Europe at the time.
As at today, only 39.5% of Europe's Christians and 50% of the world's Christians are said to be Catholic. This shows that as a result of the Reformation, the Catholic Church is today much less than half of Christians globally. Notably, there was nothing like 'Roman Catholic' at the time. As at 1053, it was still referred to as the Western Catholic Church. The term Roman Catholic began in England as a slur against the Catholic Church and this was coined by Henry VIII in 1525, some 8 years after the release of the 95 theses.

End of Part 2

Part 3 will be up by 12pm.

#TheArk
#LargestChurchInTheWorld
#LargestChurchInAfrica
#AfricanChristianMegastructure
#TheArkLegacyProjectNigeria
#ChurchGist