Church Gist, the religious media account that broke the news, paid tribute to the late matriarch in its post. No cause of death was disclosed. As of the time of filing, Christ Embassy had not published any formal statement on its official website to acknowledge the passing.
She was not simply a background figure. Deaconess Oyakhilome, who served the LoveWorld ministry for decades, received a special commendation at the ministry’s Presidential Awards in 2022 for what the ministry described as her “immense contributions” to the expansion of LoveWorld Nation, according to a report by LoveWorld News at the time. The award was presented during a ceremony that recognized longstanding pillars of the ministry’s growth across Africa and beyond.
Among those she leaves behind are Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, founder and president of LoveWorld Incorporated, also known as Christ Embassy, his brother Rev. Ken Oyakhilome, and his sister Kathy Woghiren. All three have active roles within the Christ Embassy ministry, which operates across multiple countries.
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome built one of Africa’s largest and most internationally networked Christian ministries from Lagos. LoveWorld Incorporated runs a global television network and has branches spread across several continents, according to publicly available records about the ministry. The network’s flagship channel, LoveWorld TV, reaches millions of viewers across Africa, Europe, and North America on a regular basis.
Rev. Ken Oyakhilome serves as pastor of the Christ Embassy Houston branch in Texas and holds a seat on the church’s Central Executive Council, according to the church’s published information. Kathy Woghiren is the director of the LoveWorld Creative Arts Academy and the LoveWorld Music and Arts Ministry, ministry records show.
Deaconess Oyakhilome was widely known within LoveWorld circles. Her role in the early formation of the ministry, and her recognition at the 2022 Presidential Awards, had made her a celebrated figure long before Saturday’s announcement, according to PM News, which reported the death on September 26.
88 is the age at which reports say she died, though no official confirmation of that figure had been issued by Christ Embassy directly at the time this report was filed. Church Gist’s announcement did not include details about where or when exactly she died.
Funeral arrangements had not been announced as of Saturday. No timeline was given for when the church planned to publish its official response. Christ Embassy has not commented to any media outlet on the circumstances or logistics surrounding her burial, PM News reported.
The LoveWorld network, which Pastor Chris Oyakhilome leads, distributes the daily devotional Rhapsody of Realities across more than 140 countries and in hundreds of languages, making the ministry one of the most globally distributed Christian publishing operations in Africa. Deaconess Oyakhilome’s son built that network from a student fellowship in the late 1980s.
Her death comes at a time when LoveWorld remains one of Nigeria’s most-watched religious organizations, with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome himself a regular subject of public commentary on matters of faith, politics, and global affairs. The passing of the woman widely credited as a foundational influence in his life draws significant attention across the ministry’s global base.
Church Gist, the platform that announced her passing, had previously celebrated Deaconess Oyakhilome’s 87th birthday in March 2025 with a tribute post, describing her as having “birthed an army of generals for God’s Kingdom,” according to its archived posts on X.
No statement had come from Pastor Chris Oyakhilome personally as of the time this report was published. His ministry’s official channels remained silent on the matter. That silence, in the hours after the announcement broke, was itself part of the story.
Deaconess Angel Oyakhilome is survived by her children and grandchildren. Further details, including the date and location of her funeral, were yet to be announced at the time of this report.
