After her husband’s death, Nkechi Francis Anayo-Iloputaife became the head of one of the largest churches in Africa.
When her husband was murdered in 1995, Nigerian pastor Nkechi Francis Anayo-Iloputaife doubted she could survive the grief, much less handle the reigns of their growing Victory Christian Church in Lagos. But today the ministry is taking the city by storm with dozens of community services, including a 24-hour prayer chain, daily Bible studies and monthly Agape Sundays when the church offers food, clothing and medical services.
Just six years ago, Iloputaife was a pastor’s wife, content with ministering beside her husband, Bishop Harford Anayo Iloputaife. The couple started the ministry with 12 Bible students in their garage in 1984 and watched it grow to 10,000 members–making it one of many large churches in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. By 1995, Victory had planted 10 satellite churches, carrying the ministry’s vision to see the lame walk, the dumb speak and the blind see as far away as London and Trinidad.