Pastor Gbenga Oso, the founder and senior pastor of the Laughter Foundation Cathedral in the Oregun area of Lagos, has died.

The charismatic preacher, who established the church 21 years ago, passed away on Tuesday morning, sending shockwaves through his family and congregation.

The church, widely known for its specialized ministry dedicated to helping couples struggling with infertility, provided succor to thousands over the years, “bringing an end to their grief,” according to the announcement.

Pastor Oso’s death came just two days after he presided over Sunday services, where he preached on the salvation of the human soul and distributed anointing oil to the congregation. He had promised that the “anointing oil for victory over challenges of life” would be shared in the subsequent Sundays.

Sources close to the church, who spoke on condition of anonymity, linked his death to exhaustion and pre-existing health conditions. They revealed that the pastor had a history of prolonged fasting, including one fast that lasted for one thousand days approximately three years ago, followed by another three hundred days.

“He never ate food for days and sometimes he would take only water. He was dehydrated and it was obvious that his energy had diminished in the past six months,” a church member stated, noting that this was when the pastor began to sit throughout entire church services.

Sources also indicated that he had initially declined medical services, despite having cautioned his own congregation against ignoring such care. He was later admitted to a private hospital’s Emergency Care Unit on oxygen before his passing on Tuesday, with sources pointing to heart and vascular issues as potential causes.

Pastor Oso started the Laughter Foundation with his wife in Ibadan in 1997. He often stated that his call to ministry was specific, telling journalists that God directed him to focus exclusively on childbearing matters. “Every Sunday… we can use more than one hour because it is our main focus,” he once said.

As the church and family mourn, there are speculations that his wife, an evangelist described as being “blessed with the grace of God,” may take over the leadership of the ministry. The family is expected to announce burial rites later this week.