What Bishop Abioye really meant in his so-called ‘HIV’ testimony

Bishop David Abioye has clarified a statement he made during a recent sermon, explaining that his wife was diagnosed with COVID-19, not HIV, as widely circulated on social media.

The cleric, who leads the Living Word Conquerors Global Assembly, addressed the confusion while urging his congregation to go for regular medical check-ups without fear. He said he was using his wife’s health scare during the pandemic as an example of how faith can calm fear.

According to him, the earlier reports misrepresented his message. He explained that during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, a test result once caused concern in his family, but he responded with bold faith until the situation was resolved.

The earlier story that went viral claimed that his wife, Mary Abioye, had been diagnosed with HIV. In the sermon that triggered the speculation, Bishop Abioye had shared how a medical report once challenged his faith, quoting himself as saying:

“During COVID, they said my wife had HIV. I said, ‘No, not in this body.’ I told them, ‘Do the check-up.’ They checked and couldn’t find anything there.”

He told the church the point of the testimony was to teach believers not to panic when confronted with frightening medical information, adding that healing in scripture requires “boldness, not negotiation.”

“Healing is not for gentlemen. You don’t negotiate sickness to go; you crush it to go,” he said, urging members to stand firm in faith when faced with health challenges.

Bishop Abioye maintained that the episode was a test of faith, which he described as a moment the “prince of this world” tried to shake his confidence. He added that the outcome strengthened his belief in divine protection.