Opinion: Why you and I are badly losing the argument on pastors and jets

by Chude Jideonwo

Rants are of course easier than research. But it is an insult to members of this church to reduce their shepherd to a false caricature, and the more we do that, the more they respond with matching disdain, and no one changes for the better.

I attend Daystar Christian Centre, have been blessed by Rev. Sam Adeyemi, I go to church on in the morning because I admire the character of his ministry and attend House Fellowship in the evening because I am inspired by his message. There is a distinct focus on the Word of God that is attractive and practical and reasonable.

Imagine my alarm therefore when, early this week the media reported a statement from my pastor.

“I do not have a private jet – yet,” he said. Yet? Having been drawn, as I said above, to Pastor Sam’s acute sense of responsibility, I was alarmed. Had my pastor joined the motley crowd of pastors who had abandoned the Gospel for wanton materialism?

But I soon recovered.

The cause for my ‘soonest recover’ was simple: pastors run by a simple moral code, and that code is the scripture. Criticizing a man who has violated my own personal moral code, while he has remained true to the code by which he was called is akin to screaming at a deaf man.

To hear the din on social media, pastors should be accountable to members of the public, but in fact the only people they are accountable to are their stakeholders – the congregation they oversee, and the commissioner of their enterprise i.e. the God they claim to serve. Some wail that pastors have jerry curls. But the bible does not say pastors should not have jerry curls. Some declaim pastors own businesses. But there is nothing wrong in a man of the gospel running lucrative enterprises. We quarrel that they cozy up to government, but, after all said and done, there is even no sin in cozying up to government.

And that is why many churchgoers will ignore the scathing criticism and continue to contribute so that pastors can buy flashy cars, houses and, now, private jets. Because, when we try to make our point, we insist on insulting their intelligence.

For instance, many accuse Bishop David Oyedepo of running hugely expensive schools but have not taken the time to discover that a huge number of the students are on scholarship, those who blame the Pastor Enoch Adeboye for mercantile expansionism have not taken the time to find out how many people are sustained on the church’s charity; those who insist that Pastor Paul Adefarasin preaches only prosperity have not made the effort to discover that the man emphasizes holiness and Hell Fire each Sunday, and those who accuse Ayo Oritsejafor of ignoring flood victims have not taken care to discover just how much he has contributed to flood victims in his state.

Rants are of course easier than research. But it is an insult to members of this church to reduce their shepherd to a false caricature, and the more we do that, the more they respond with matching disdain, and no one changes for the better.

This exaggeration, this loud condemnation, this reflex disgust is exactly the reason we have lost the ability to influence governance by the strength of that numbers. Arguments are won by logic – and that which says pastors should not spend money because we have poverty in our midst is tendentious as best.

To put it in shorthand: if you earn less than N500,000 per month and own a car that costs more, it is hypocrisy to criticize a pastor whose income or church revenue is in the millions for buying a luxury automobile. Calculated as a percentage of income, you lack the moral authority to make such a claim.

If you therefore request the pastor to make that luxury contribution to charity instead, then one must of necessity demand to know if you have done the same. This is what Jesus meant exactly when he said you should look at the huge log in your eyes before staring with disdain at the speck in your neighbours.

Many insist Jesus would be disgusted by the obesity of these pastor’s lifestyles. I daresay that Jesus would be just as disgusted at those who judge a man as harshly as the disciples judged Mary Madgalene when she poured expensive oil at his royal feet.

There has to be another way.

Christians who demand Biblical moderation of these pastors must be ready to demonstrate Biblical temperance.

We can yet have a reasoned argument with these flamboyant pastors and their flock about the inappropriateness of private jets, boats and other excesses.

We can remind them that the Bible says all things are lawful, but not all are expedient; we can remind them of the moderation the Bible demands in the book of Philippians, we can remind them that they represent God on earth, and we can convince them of their role in shaping society. Yes, we can.

But first, we have to be reasonable.

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

Comments (51)

  1. PASTORS ARE THIEVES AND ROBBERS.
    http://www.femiaribisala.com/13-articles-of-faith/pastors/77-pastors-are-thieves-and-robbers
    What kind of righteousness can one expect to learn from a thief?

    The bus was going from Lagos to Benin and it was waylaid by highway robbers. They got on the bus brandishing automatic weapons. “This is a stick up,” declared the leader of the gang in a menacing tone designed for maximum effect. “Is there anybody here who has been paying his tithes? If you have been paying your tithes raise your hand.”.

    A few passengers raised their hands sheepishly. He told those who did to move to one side. Then he declared: “Those of you who have not been paying your tithes are thieves and robbers. You have been robbing God. Therefore, we are going to rob you.” The robbers then carted away the money and other valuables of those passengers who had not been paying their tithes.

    Forgers of lies.

    You might not have heard this story before. But, in all probability, you might have heard a similar version of it. Different versions are common in the churches. Those who tell it insist it really happened. But every time you hear such stories know for a fact they are fiction. They are no more than the figments of the imagination of money-grubbing pastors.

    You need to know that we pastors specialise in telling lies in order to “encourage” people to come to our church, stay in our church, and give us more and more money. That is why, as in the “parable” above, we even go as far as to use a thief to preach our own gospel. But only a thief would employ a thief to teach the way of righteousness.

    Jesus warns believers to be wary of thieves and robbers. He says: “I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” (John 10:7-8). Who precisely are the thieves and robbers of whom Jesus speaks? Is he talking about men who mug us in the streets? Is he talking about highway robbers who snatch our cars? Is he talking about those fraudulent “yahoo thieves” who rob us blind with a keystroke of the computer on the internet? Or is he talking about those who break into our houses in the dead of night?

    Listen and understand. The thieves and robbers that are of primary concern to Jesus are the pastors of our churches. Jesus’ message is that pastors and other so-called “men of God” are thieves and robbers. According to him, we pastors have turned our churches into dens of thieves. Jesus says: “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (Mark 11:17).

    Dismissed

    In the Old Testament, when God speaks of pastors, it is in condemnation. He declares: “Woe to the pastors who feed themselves instead of their flocks. Shouldn't pastors feed the sheep? You eat the best food and wear the finest clothes, but you let your flocks starve.” (Ezekiel 34:2-3).

    How does God intend to remedy this situation? Solomon says we should be wary of a situation where God is said to lead his people through more than ONE PASTOR: “The words of the wise are like prodding goads, and firmly fixed in the mind like nails are the collected sayings which are given as proceeding from ONE PASTOR. But about going further than the words given by ONE PASTOR, my son, be warned.” (Ecclesiastes 12:11-12).

    Accordingly, God proclaims the summary dismissal of all pastors to be replaced by one solitary true and faithful Pastor. He says: “I will establish ONE PASTOR over them, and he shall feed them- My servant David. He shall feed them and be their pastor. And I, the LORD, will be their God.” (Ezekiel 34:23-24). He repeats this again: “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have ONE PASTOR.” (Ezekiel 37:24).

    That one true pastor is none other than Jesus. Jesus says: “I am the good pastor.” (John 10:14). That means all other pastors are bad. Jesus says furthermore: “There will be one flock and ONE PASTOR.” (John 10:16). That means all those of us still parading ourselves as pastors today are, without exception, impostors and frauds. There is only ONE PASTOR in the church of God and it is Jesus. Jesus says: “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” (John 6:45). But those who learn from pastors don’t go to Jesus.

    David says men gave gifts to the Lord: “When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you RECEIVED gifts from men. (Psalm 68:18). But Paul changes this to say men received gifts from the Lord: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and GAVE gifts to men.’” (Ephesians 4:8). He then uses this deliberate distortion as the basis for creating the unauthorised post of pastors in churches. (Ephesians 4:11). Jesus says: “He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” (John 10:1).

    Evangelical rogues.

    A thief broke into a man’s house and held him at gunpoint. After collecting as much of his valuables as he could, he asked the house-owner a question on his departure: “Have you given your life to Christ?” The miserable house-owner replied in the negative. “I don’t believe in God,” he said. The armed robber became concerned about the man’s salvation. So he sat back down and decided to have an extensive chat with him. For the next one hour, he preached to him as persuasively as he could, “the gospel of salvation.” Then he left with the man’s belongings.

    Do you think the house-owner became a Christian? If he did, what kind of Christian do you suppose he became? Think this through with me. What kind of righteousness can one expect to learn from a thief? Thus, Hosea says: “The priests are like a gang of robbers who wait in ambush for a man. Even on the road to the holy place at Shechem they commit murder. And they do all this evil deliberately!” (Hosea 6:9). Today, there are even gangs of Catholic priests raping young boys.

    Boomerang

    The pastor was fed up. He had watched with dismay the brazen manner in which the senior area-pastor converted church funds to his personal use. Finally, he confronted him and told him, in no uncertain terms, he would no longer countersign any cheques with him. The area-pastor responded in a most unusual manner. He scheduled a meeting of all pastors and church-workers under him. Then he pointedly challenged the pastor to repeat publicly what he had dared to say to him in private.

    However, the junior pastor refused to be intimidated. In the presence of everyone, he detailed chapter-and-verse the area-pastor’s expropriation of church funds. He revealed, in particular, his diversion of 30,000 dollars to his daughter’s wedding in the United States. As a result, he insisted again, he would no longer countersign any cheques with him.

    The other church-members present were aghast. “What’s going on?” they demanded. “What kind of church is this?” The area pastor was completely taken off-guard. This was not what he intended. He quickly decided on a change of strategy. He begged the people at the meeting to pray for him. “I am only a man,” he pleaded.

    Isaiah says: “They are as greedy as dogs, never satisfied; they are stupid pastors who only look after their own interest, each trying to get as much as he can for himself from every possible source.” (Isaiah 56:11).

  2. Pastors, private jets and expensive lifestyles.
    January 5, 2013 by Francis Akin-John 1 Comment.
    A few months ago, the appropriateness (or inappropriateness) of private jets and expensive lifestyles for gospel ministers was the subject of a nationwide debate. I have read many newspaper write-ups and listened to many arguments revolving around this issue in the church, on radio and television, as well as the social media.
    As a church consultant, I have concluded that since Jesus Christ lived a simple life on earth, his ministers ought to follow His example. The ministers of God are servants and we are called to serve the people and identify with them just as our Lord did. We are to feed the sheep, not to fleece them. We are to set good examples of conservative and contented living, not to live far away from them and above them.
    Most of those that defend their worldly living point to Jesus using a new colt and riding in ships. But they forgot that He borrowed them and used them sparsely. Jesus was never accused of ostentatious living; he was lowly and identified with the conditions of the people.
    The Apostles used the money belonging to the ministry only for the propagation of the gospel and on the less privileged. They used their resources to bless, edify, meet needs and distribute to the necessity of the saints. When God blesses a ministry financially, it is not for the selfish use of the leader, but for the body of Christ and the less privileged.
    Pastors should not enrich themselves nor hoard the blessings of God but to be a blessing to as many people as possible. Sadly, most of these Pastors buying jets don’t pay their workers well. They have no welfare for them. They pay them stipends and yet expect them to be faithful. That is why lot of stealing and corruption is going in the churches today.
    Since most tithes and offerings raised in churches cannot cater for the expensive lifestyles being lived by Bishops and ministers of today, it is obvious that many of them have resorted to business deals. Some are into oil, gold, forex and university business, yet they lump them under the church. Such businessmen would surely need aircraft for their business contacts with governments in various countries.
    The ownership of private jets in the Christian ministry is only justifiable if God has given you an aviation ministry that reaches out to rural and unreach people groups. I don’t think Jesus Christ would have purchased a tool for His ministry for N860m and use N250m to maintain it every month in the midst of crippling poverty and mounting kingdom needs.
    Private jets are a tool for businessmen, not true ministers of Christ. Any tool that costs N860m to purchase and N250m monthly to maintain will almost always run any ministry into debt and make the leaders to turn the gospel to a money making venture. It is not an asset but a big liability. An aircraft is different from a brand new car. It is in a world of its own. You pay for everything: landing and parking space, crew, fuel, over flying, taking off and communications. A minimum of 10 staff is assigned to an aircraft. It is capital intensive. Having one means you have a surplus and a deep wallet.
    Most preachers who use God’s money to buy and fund a tool that gulps N250m monthly on maintenance put the burden on churches and those who invite them to minister. Many of these aircraft owners charge their host churches for fuel, parking, landing and other fees and the host pastors put it on the people.
    A poor attitude to money and inflated ego makes preachers want to reward themselves here at the expense of the people. When they become proud, abusive and love money at all cost, they will do anything to have it and flaunt it. Today, preachers manifest greed, avarice, covetousness and stinginess to a high degree.
    The people’s perception of the church as a commercial centre gains more ground with such a lifestyle and makes soul winning much more difficult. When preachers drive in a convoy of five or six cars, build mansions here and abroad and buys an aircraft, the society’s perception of the church as a commercial venture deepens.
    Soul winning is becoming more difficult because of the ungodly examples being set by this class of leaders. The Pope, who is head of the Roman Catholic Church worldwide, flies Alitalia. Similarly the ArchBishop of Canterbury, who is also the head of Anglican worldwide, flies British Airways. Are our bishops and pastors higher than these people?
    One of the secret weapons of Satan is wealth. If he sees that he cannot get you through poverty, he will give you riches. The spirit behind money is the Mammonic spirit. Sadly, many so-called ministers of the Gospel worship the spirit of money today. They will twist the scriptures, water down the hard truths of the Bible and only preach esoteric gospel so as to gain much money. They move in government and political circles and pray for politicians for a fee and allocation of oil blocks! Unfortunately such ministers and ministry only appear for a time and disappear.
    •Dr. Akin-John wrote in via [email protected].

  3. Folly is in the mouth thought of fools. This brings about their destructions. Please can you find out how many years ago my grandfather and my father in the Lord received a dime from their respective ministries as salaries by these I mean Pst. E. A. Adeboye and Bishop David Oyedepo. I give this tip of the iceberg. A richman met Bishop Oyedepo in his office one day said "I read your books they made me rich." This man gave him a cheque of N 200million, same day a pastor from a different ministry gave him a cheque of N 20million. A word is enough for the wise period.

  4. The only people who should be bothered by this are members of the church you all are shouting about. If they are not complaining, it is none of your business. I am sure none of you made a single contribution towards the jet. Stop complaining. The man in question pastors a church of over 160,000 people and they have branches all over the world. I was a member of the church when they bought the first plane. Prior to that time, they were spending a huge amount sending missionaries all over Africa and some had to leave within hours of being informed as the doors to preach the gospel is being opened. Some to places none of you typing here will even want to go to. You can then imagine the joy when the Bishop announced that the church had purchased its first plane. That is what the members of winner's chapel see. You lot on the outside are only seeing things differently because you are not part of the vision. No law has been violated and the gospel is being preached as God has commended the man. what is your own? Has God called any of you to be the judge? Does the purchase of the plane make you feel less than you are? The plane belongs to a global ministry and the scope of work they have demands it.

  5. Biased article in my Opinion. I appreciate when people can be rational irrespective of religious or ethnic background. I still don't know why someone that is supposed to epitomize modesty is flaunting affluence in the midst of abject poverty. I personally believe Churches should be fully regulated and categorized as NGO. As we have seen over the past Decade, Pastors are human after-all. If someone sits on Top of Billions of dollars , he/she will falter

  6. EXACTLY!

    To me I think all these talk about Pastors n Luxury is out of hatred n beef for the church. I mean , where in d bible doesn it say that Pastors have to be poor? Where does it say that a pastor shldnt b comfortable. In Jesus time, walking was d norm. Where did it say in d bible dat we shldnt use technolgy n newly developed stufs to spread d Gospel. Pastors are buying jets and luxury carsm so???? Did dey tell u church is their only source of income? If pastors shldnt be rich what exactly are we preaching? Christainity is for the poor? The wealth of d world is for the ungodly? So exactly wat do u stand to gain as a christain?

    I just think people shld shut d hell up, go do their businesses, make their own money n do wateva dey like to do wt it. Cos if u av nt noticed, their churches are expanding everyday, cos pple av tried dem n are getting results. And stoop judging os tis by dos yardstick u wld b judged to.

  7. Truth is the church is seen as the last hope to call our society and largely the klepto politicians to order. How effective can these Men of God carry out these functions when they junket, wine and dine with the devils, tell them all is well, when all is clearly not well?

  8. I'm sorry to say but a private jet IS A luxury tool! You can't rationilize it that way!

    I don't hv a problem with a pastor owing one I'm just sayn it is now a new fad (trend) & that's wrong!

  9. Let me tell you what I learnt: there's no need to help the poor. Why? Cos no matter how much you try, the poor would still be in our midst.

  10. Great Write-up, but yet again, people have missed the point. I actually sent a similar Article to Ynaija on this issue. People have so many ideas on how Pastors should live and standards they must meet up to, forgetting that Pastors are humans! And they also forget how to live up to those same standards. If you demand something from someone, please be worthy or at least let there be some measure of temperance. Jesus wouldn't buy the Private Jets and flashy cars? Maybe not but he wouldn't react this way either. To take a part of Jesus's life and not the other is wrong.

  11. Thanks Dopeboi, this writer(Seun) has been soo brainwashed that he can't think straight.

    This is the result of our declining education standard, when our graduates aren't capable of independent reasoning.

    The writer said pastors can cosy up to politians, and he'd be the person to complain of bad roads, fuel price and police brutality. The said pastors shd be correcting the leaders, but can you correct someone that pays the highest offering every week?

    Thumbs up to all the people that still have their heads on their shoulders on this forum.

  12. This whole argument is obviously one-sided, we shld be proud Nigerians can even afford a PJ, if anybody is wise, u shld look at this as an encouragement and realise one simple FACT!!!! "THERE IS MONEY IN NIGERIA" so key into it and believe God that you would rise to prominence. I leave every reader with this simple question;

    If you have attained a position in life where ur schedules are so tight that most times the commercial flight schedules conflict with urs, what wld you do? "If u can afford a private Jet? I would Simply Get 1, its a means of transportation, its as gud as a car.

  13. Its amazing how poverty has affected the minds of many. Jesus and his disciples moved about on Private Ships. They didn't have to use commercial ships. Y? Becos of their busy schedule. There's absolutely nothing wrong with Private jet as long as the money wasn't stolen.

  14. The aim in which the church is formed is defeated then if you feel there's nothing wrong with pastors buying private jets,riding luxurious and expensive cars,living in luxurious mansions,owing universities that is run in their name and having body guards. The bible teaches that as christians,they should be fishers of men and not fishers of wealth. The same bible teaches that our treasure is in heaven and not on earth. Why then do this pastors build up treasures on earth for themselves while we have beggers,illetrates,poor people on the streets of our cities? If you want to answer Christs calling to shepherd His people then be ready to be Christ-like. Jesus was not after worldly things ,rather He was after heavenly things!

  15. I understand the word Christianity means 'Christ-like'. God bless Nigeria. Wish more weedsmokers could contribute. #OnlyGodcanjudgeme

    1. When these men were trekking and drinking garri, nobody was criticizing them. I think Nigerians just don't have what to talk about. Thses same men who have private jets have been a major osurce of blessing to millions of people. Do people know the spiritual battles these men of God fight to protect the lives of their members and the wellbeing of thses Nation?. If a man has blessed ur life so much and u think u shld buy him a car worth 10million I see nothing wrong with that. Finally, we must learn to thread cautiously in spiritual matters and let the Almighty God Who Has called them to serve him be the judge.

  16. Honestly you made me waste my time reading this shit. You are such a pain in the ass for advising that the pastors should be talked to while we know the truth is they are going far away from preaching God's words and making their selves milti-billioniars. Believe what ever you want to believe because you want your cup to be filled too, we know the truth. They are becoming more currupt just like the failed politicians. next time when you write an article like this, take it to them so that you will be rwarded, who knows may be you are even there pawn?

  17. This write up is d definition of ballz …its just d addition of crap… If Jesus christ were to be alive now, do u picture him as a Man dat would own 4 private jets?? ..my bible told me dat Jesus Christ borrowed the Donkey dat he rode on to jerusalem.. He could av gone in wif chariots buh he HUMBLED himsef… The word Humility is wat we can't find in d lives of these Men of God.

  18. Good article, and at least, shows some level of reason as against the mindless emotional reactions some others have resorted to. However, what you gained in clarity, you lost in reason. I have nothing against Pastors having jets, or expensive automobiles. However, what you didnt take into consideration is what religion stresses. It reiterates moderation. Our pastors tell us not to drink, smoke or marry more than one wife. Cigarettes are about N20 per stick. An average bottle of beer costs less than N300. These things are affordable. But Christians don't because we are told not to. There's restraint. Underline the word. You say churches do CSR, Bishop sponsors students through school. You seem to have done appropriate research. So what's the percentage of students on scholarship in CU? A lot of my friends attended the school, and none was ever on scholarship.

    The Bible ties our blessings to the welfare of our clergy. 'Bring all your tithes into the house…' But at what point does the house of God fill up and surplus is diverted? The rationale of a hangar full of aircrafts by one pastor implies that the Church is so blessed. But is it? As long as there's one needy person in that church, an extra buck shouldnt be spent aimlessly.

    We all want better things. Your father could have opted to use the monies he used to train you (I assume he did) to buy better cars or hangout with his friends. He didnt. He saw a need that transcended his comfort. How would you feel if your dad didnt give you money for handouts but stocked up his fridge with Jack Daniels?

    I should reiterate again; I have no issue with Pastor's and jets. but as long as one other person slaves to honour God by bringing his mite for you to eat, please dont insult him.

  19. If we say that living a flamboyant lifestyle is ok for the preachers, then we shouldn't be mad at our politicians. Jesus gave back to his fellowers and did all things possible to make everyone equal.

  20. Who doesn't know that when Jesus was on earth, he rode the best chariots…lived in posh houses…n just cos he needed to get all around Isreal he rode the most expensive n fastest horses….wore the best clothes…he was God's son so he had to dress the part…he wore the most expensive n purple fabrics…are you getting the point or should I keep going???…..it would v been so easy for him to get these things but he didn't….I wonder why??….don't u think ur pastors should too

  21. Very myopic article from another brainwashed individual.

  22. Ezcellent write up bro. You got me on my toes d whole time. Am happy to see some1 that we share the same thought

    1. Individuals,business tycoons,superstars can own a jet but not pastors.?.because they are suppose to live in squalor and in lack.?Pastors should be living examples of what they preach.Therefore if a pastor tells you-'You will suceed' and he is not suceeding at anything?How do u measure the veracity of his prophecy.Whether all the pastors in Nigeria pull their resources together to give to the needy or not,the poor will continue to be amongst us.A. Private jet is not a luxury item,its a tool.

  23. Nigeria is JUST WAY too class driven! One of our major problems, its time to embrace a more MIDDLE CLASS thinking!

    WHAT DOES A PASTOR NEED A LEARJET FOR? What schedule? Guys lets be the RATIONAL generation, thats something my mum will say, Daddy GO is very busy u know! Only in NIgeria!

    Religion is also a root cause of some of this country's problems! Young Nigerians, stand up for a more SOLUTION-DRIVEN Nigeria. If there's a bad road killing folks everyday [Lagos-Ibadan], what are the solutions to this problem? Let's build a ten lane expressway, perhaps, sell all the Private Jets from our kind pastors!

    Brand New Learjet 45 costs around US$11.5 million [₦2,894,980,475].

    Problem solved [I'm serious]

  24. This is by far one of the most biased statements I have seen from a so-called Christian.

    You see, the poison lies within our inability to objectively reason. #MentalSlavery I say. That is the poison.

    So we CANNOT objectively judge the men who are seen as "ORDAINED" because the same tale has been passed on from one generation to the other that these "ORDAINED" men are the "ANOINTED" ones. My question is, "Who ordained them?"

    Yes, they sweetly say things the congregation wants to hear in front of fancy pulpits. Yes, they make the congregation feel refreshed after service EVERY Sunday. Yes they even double that feeling by organizing mid-week services. Yes, you are moved by these sweet words of motivation to pay them almost ALL of your hard-earned money, which I blame the brainwashed congregation for.

    How is a culmination of these activities NOT a BUSINESS? They work as SHRINKS in an institution, PERIOD! The churches should pay taxes and be actively involved in CSR.

    The orthodox churches have prerequisites for setting up a parish, some of which include building a clinic, school or some facility that would improve the lives of the people. What are our pentecostal churches doing to make the pastors deserve multiple private jets?

    In the words of a very WISE man, "EMANCIPATE YOURSELF FROM MENTAL SLAVERY!"

  25. Skewed view. Writer is obviously biased. What happens to souls that haven't been won over to Christianity & people that know nothing about the bible? You must be a believing and practicing Christian before you can carry out biblical moderation on these men of God. Christianity is about winning souls and spreading the gospel so that souls might be saved. How can a pastor's flamboyant lifestyle convince a poor sinner, corrupt politican, corrupt judge, exam malpracticing student etc to give their lives to Christ and follow him in truth?

    I'm sure there are still men of God out there that touch lives without acquiring very expensive properties & lifestyles. The real missionaries.

    For someone that earns less than N500k a month and owns a car that costs more… My friend are you serious?! What if such person has been saving? What if he was offered a car loan facility at his place of work? That's a very cheap, weak and ridiculous line.

    Pastors should live and lead by example, simples! Jesus and his disciples weren't about flamboyance, at least that much is obvious in the bible. Mary Magdalene didn't wash his feet with expensive perfume everyday. He wasn't riding expensive asses and donkeys everyday. I doubt if he owned one. Rather, he pot rayed himself as a meek and humble servant of humanity. How many of these pastors comes across to you as someone that can be seen as a meek and humble servant?

    How many of these pastors own schools where they offer 100% free education? How many of them own foundations that supports growth of entrepreneurship, science and technology in Nigeria where courses are free?

    One question I always love to ask is this "if Jesus was alive, living on earth today, would he acquire a private jet and live expensively like these men of God?"

    Na private jet dey hungry dem… Askor!

    A

  26. I feel sorry for you because you are just another brainwashed person. So it is ok for your pastor to buy a private jet while some of your members languish in poverty and their children can't get proper education? The money he used for the jet could have been used to fund a well equppied school/hospital. He could have used to build roads in small communities or used to start up small businesses for members. What bloody schedule does he have that demands the use of a private jet. Open your eyes and see how they use your hard earned money to live big. Open your eyes and read the scripture well. Don't be blinded by their own interpretations of the word of God. I pity you if at your age you can't differentiate btw right and wrong. I feel for how you will train your children and what beliefs you will teach them. I pity you. Shame

  27. Jesus allowed a woman break a jar of perfume worth more than a yrs salary at His feet. He went on to condemn an apostle 4 trying 2 suggest that it could have been put 2 a better use.

    Jesus insisted on using someones donkey (a donkey dat had neveer been ridden) 4 the triumphant entry. He also demanded someones upper room (guest room).

    Jesus told his apostles not 2 take any provisions n He went on to tell dem dat they shouldn't bless any family dat fails 2 provide for them. He even said dat such a family will have a harder time than sodom n gomorrah on d day of Judgement.

    Paul said those that preach d gospel must live from d gospel.

    My dear ur article is wonderful. Jets are beautiful n I think more men of God should have them just for luxury sake.

  28. Really didn't expect to see such stupidity from the writer…his construction of sentences underlines the fact that he is enlightened,but the content of this writing is riddled with fallacies and reeks of religious proselytization.All I would add is that,these men are in a high position that demands they act responsibly and with conscience,this is their responsibility first,before anything standard of character is demanded from their congregations and people overall.

  29. The truth is that any action can be rationalised. I am a pastor Adeyemi fan as well and was very disappointed with that statement. No one is saying that pastors should be poor….but should the pulpit be the path to immense wealth? I don't think so. In Matt 10:8, Jesus sends out his disciples by saying freely you have received, give freely. He further says they should not stay in luxury inns when they travel. This wasn't a mistake, he was preaching modesty!

    So please don't attempt to rationalise with that 'they're answerable to the bible' argument….it doesn't hold water. There is a reason kids that want to be rich in Nigeria today want to be either pastors or politicians….this is not doing Christianity any favours.

    1. The Church isn't a business platform and doesn't create wealth, rather it is more of a foundation, a charity that delivers spiritual benefits. It is an abuse of power to amass riches from charitable ventures.

  30. I agree & also disagree with the above post.I agree that its wrong to criticize them pastors and all.

    I also agree with the fact that there's nothing wrong in a pastor owing luxury material items.

    My bone of contention is how they rub it in our faces! if these men of God take a united stand they can without a doubt

    influence this nation by more than they doing now.I personally believe there is a lot more that they can do. But how do you expect the layman

    out there to accept all these? More can / should be done. Flamboyancy doesn't speak well (in my opinion) and to clear a point,pastors ARE meant to be above us all,they are meant not just to preach but to live by example.

    Private jets or private islands aren't the problems…the question is "are they really doing enough" God blesses people so they can bless others & glorify HIS name…that's the gospel truth!

  31. This writer is deluded. Wrong comparisons. A businessman who employs 10,000 people for instance pays them to do their job, he makes profit and he buys himself a jet. A pastor has 10,000 church members, he pays none of them. Why? Because the members don't see the church as a business entity. The members contribute for church growth, pastor uses it to buy himself a jet. How can u compare that? The church shouldn't be a private business. The Word isn't for sale. If a pastor wants a private jet for himself, he should buy one out of his salary.

  32. Exactly Seun! Bullshit article… The bible, particularly the New Testament which focuses more on the times of Christ (the pillar of modern Christianity), makes it very clear that it is “easier for a camel to go through the eye of a “needle” than for a rich man to see the kingdom of God”. I remember Christ asking Nicodemus to go sell of all his properties and donate to the needy…

    Accumulating worldly possessions sends the wrong message. I also very much disagree with your dead point about judging “men of God” for not matching up our “personal” moral standards… The Bible is a universal standard for Christians worldwide. Anything short of or contrary to its express provisions is ultra vires Christianity..

    1. It is easier to criticise than doing a thorough research just as d writer had said. I am close to d ministry of one of d pastors who has more than one private jet but d issue is dt dis man is an aggressive investor himself and doesn't even receive salary from d church. Thousands are under scholarship in his secondary schools and universities. Thousands are in his pay roll, even me. They buy these jets for their conveniencies and not for you to judge. Even if they all sell these jets and put them bak to d church, the poor wld still be amongst us. Pray to buy yours and leave God to judge

  33. Exactly Seun! Bullshit article… The bible, particularly the New Testament which focuses more on the times of Christ (the pillar of modern Christianity), makes it very clear that it is "easier for a camel to go through the eye of a "needle" than for a rich man to see the kingdom of God". I remember Christ asking Nicodemus to go sell of all his properties and donate to the needy…

    Accumulating worldly possessions sends the wrong message. I also very much disagree with your dead point about judging "men of God" for not matching up our "personal" moral standards… The Bible is a universal standard for Christians worldwide. Anything short of or contrary to its express provisions is ultra vires Christianity..

  34. Rubbish! I can't bliv I spent tym reading dix trash…According to d scripture,Jesus traveled far nd near preaching d gospel,he didn't own a Donkey nor a horse..Stop talking bou poverty mentality..Let's face d reality,majority of pastors in 9ja are after wealth..I even stopped goin to church due to dt..Come to ondo state den u ll know wat I'm talkin bou. They dnt care if their church memebers r armed robbers..All they want is a big seed..Let's come to think of it,y is it dt 9ja is still filled wif corrupt minded pple wen there thousands of churches out? Infact, idol worshippers still showcase their religion discipline dan d so called christians..All I know is all these worldly materials are vanity upon vanity…6feet is d end.

  35. Bullshit article.. Biased christian as usual

  36. I think u av a balanced presentation here. Weldone.

  37. Well ıts when Pastors buy a Yatch that ı'll belıeve that the ıntentıon ıs for luxury. Really consıderıng the schedule of these Pastors ıts almost ımpossıble to match ıt to commercıal flıght. Two weeks ago ı was at Wınners for the 3rd servıce, ın whıch Bıshop Oyedepo has to declıne preachıng because he had just returned from the UK at 12 mıd nıght. He preached at the fırst two servıces and declıned the thırd because he was tıred, but ıf not that he had a prıvate jet, how would he have made the servıce.

    1. Errrmm….warren buffet (one of the richest men in the world) own the largest share in the world largest producers of private jets,yet he doesn't own one.

      He has one of the tightest schedules in the world,yet he flies commercial planes,so I'm sorry but I disagree that he won't have made dat service without a private jet.if we are sayn he owns d jet for comfort and all then no problem…but not cos he can't do without it!

  38. A very sound write up. Thanx for sheddin more light on the issue

  39. I find a flaw with this statement,
    ".. if you earn less than N500,000 per month and own a car that costs more, it is hypocrisy to criticize a pastor whose income or church revenue is in the millions for buying a luxury automobile".

    It is not hypocrisy, as we aren't even comparing the same thing in the first place. Someone who works hard and makes N500,000, in an honest way, is free to buy a pair of shoes worth N499,000 in my opinion. However, someone who STEALS N500,000, doesn't deserve to spend even N1 of that money. Pastors, preachers, "men of God" typically derive their funding from very vulnerable individuals. These are individuals who will believe you when you say, "sow a spiritual seed of $1,000 and you will reap your harvest by the power of God". That's the equivalent of theft to me. Yes, these individuals knowingly hand their money to their pastors, but the fact that these individuals don't know they are being robbed, doesn't mean they aren't being robbed. If I ask someone for money and the person genuinely gives me the money, that is good. But if I put a drug in the person's drink that will strongly influence the person's decision to give me the money, then I have robbed the person, and that's bad. Pastors use "hell fire" and other threats to coerce people into doing the strangest things, including giving all their money to church. So the "church revenue"you speak of, isn't really revenue – it's just a pile of money taken from people who don't know any better. If church was simply labelled a "counselling business" designed to make one feel better about life, then you can label the offerings/tithes legally as revenue for the pastors' counselling services, and they can pay taxes on the revenue e.t.c. But when it is labelled as simply "church", and someone believes some spiritual break-through will occur as a result of a church donation, the person has just been robbed.

    1. I think a lot of people forget that pastoring is a job too. A pastor deserves to get paid just like everyone else does. Lastly, there's good and evil in everything.

      1. sorry to disappoint you, pastoring is not a job, pastoring is a calling to service. and yes, your congregation and faithfuls have a responsibility to take care of the pastor, and not for the pastor to enrich himself. the saddest part for me is that people almost worship pastors now, in addition, the morality of living holy is driven by a desire to earn earthly prosperity and wealth and not the scriptural code which warns of the consequences of sin being death and hell.

  40. If we are to remind them as you said, then I think they aren't doing their job… They should remind us of doing the right things. Money they say is the root of all evil. But their over involvement in politics send wrong signals to the populace. The new thing is we all no more in the dark ages all eyes are wide open now….

    1. Sir, Let me correct something you just said. The love of money, not money itself, is the root of all evil. You also said their involvement in politics sends wrong signals to the populace. Need I remind you that in Biblical history, religious and political leaders worked hand-in-hand? An example is Samuel and Saul, then Samuel and David, and you can research the Bible further to see my point. The truth is this: it is not the fault of our religious leaders that most of our political leaders are corrupt! Even in the days of old it has always been like that. I'll advise everyone who is wise to do research before talking, else you might talk wrong and that might be disastrous for you. Remember, you'll give account for every careless word uttered. Don't criticize me that I've been brainwashed – my Bible, not my pastor, told me so.

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