A few days ago, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and one of Nigeria’s most respected Christian leaders, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, noted in an interview with a global news network, Al-Jazeera, that he bought a private jet to aid him in his work as the head of the church.
“When you have to oversee churches in 160 countries, you can’t do that on a bicycle,” Adeboye was quoted as saying in the interview.
With that statement, the pastor confirmed that he is among prominent Christian leaders, including the vocal President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, and the head of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, who claimed to have acquired private jets for similar purposes.
But Adeboye’s defence ignited reactions from many Nigerians across the country. A few minutes after the interview was broadcast live on television, it went viral on social media. In no time, the acquisition of private aircrafts by the nation’s top clergy became the subject of yet another heated debate nationwide.
While some people rose in support of Adeboye, others challenged his admission on the grounds that there was no moral justification for acquiring a private jet in a country riddled with poverty, with many church members among the poor.
Yet there are people who do not only reason with Adeboye on the size of his congregation they also believe that circumstances in the Nigerian system makes owning a private jet by a man of his status a necessity. They cannot imagine a figure like him going to queue at the airport for a plane that may not come two hours after schedule. Besides, they believe that rich members of the churches that usually provide money for the aircrafts. This is apart from the fact that some other pastors around the world, including American preachers, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn, own jets Yet dissenting voices are also loud and clear.
The debate continued on Monday online. A reader named Toni Daramola wrote, “There must be a business plan worthy of emulation from the Catholic Pope. If you argue that the air traffic in Nigeria is unpredictable, which is true, then our pastors should use their enormous influence to set things right. I hate to criticise Pastor Adeboye because I admire him a lot, but it is not justifiable to own and maintain jets when majority of the followers are very poor. I don‘t know how anybody can justify that. Pastor Kumuyi has a similar ministry with churches worldwide and he queues at the airports and flies commercial airlines. It is just not morally right. We have become a laughing stock among enlightened folks. God help us in Nigeria.”
But he was countered by one Bassey Kelvin, who was clearly opposed to the criticism of the Christian leaders. Wondering just when it became the duties of the pastors to assume the responsibilities of Presidents or other political leaders, Kelvin said, “You say what you absolutely know nothing about. Do you follow these pastors about to know if or not they talk to these leaders about their ways?”
Still, Pastor Adeboye had a few supporters even in this forum. One of them, registered as Billyonaire, rose to his defence, in response to a preceding comment that Jesus Christ did not own a single private in His own time.
Billyonaire said, “Jesus did not have overseas membership, Goddamit. Our pastors have millions of members in over 160 countries. How many members did Jesus have? Jesus needed a boat and a donkey and he used them. There was no jet then. I am sure he would have got one, if he could afford it.”
A few months ago, the Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah made a similar observation.
Speaking against the backdrop of the presentation of a private jet to Oritsejafor by members of his church, Kukah, had noted that the acquisition of private jets by Christian leaders diminished the moral voice of the church in the fight against corruption.
He had said, “The stories of corrupt men and women being given recognition by their churches or mosques as gallant sons and daughters and the embarrassing stories of pastors displaying conspicuous wealth as we hear from the purchases of private jets and so on clearly diminish our moral voice.
“Unless we distance ourselves, we cannot speak the truth to power. We cannot hear the wails of the poor and the weak. We should not be seen as playing the praying wing of the party in power.”
Also in his reaction to the subject, Lagos-based lawyer, Fred Agbaje, said that though the Federal Government could do nothing to stop Christian leaders from acquiring privates jets, it could help check the trend by ensuring that then planes were not used for commercial purposes.
“The government can also impose heavy taxation on such aircraft to discourage others in the future,” he said.
(Punch)
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Talking about d poor, men like Adeboye, Oyedepo have tirelessly taught their members on how 2 be rich..
ReplyDeleteIf those who have obeyed their teachings started seeing result, what do u think should come after?
Paying of homage..
Jesus while on earth was very ,i mean absolutely wealthy. Don't be deceived at all.Jesus had a house;His personal house,also had a treasurer .does poor people have treasurer? how can one effectively teach what he does and can't practice.Jesus was royalty personified,stop propagating the lies of the devil pls
ReplyDeletethese things are needful 4 d work 2 continue, i tell u d truth d poor wil always be around us whether by personal decision or by d very activities of our political rulers who call demselves leaders,i tell u anoda truth, these pastors we're talking about has been able 2 transform d lives of millions of Nigerians through their giving nd teachings .2 me more than gov.as pastor Adeboye said- it's a necessity nd nt a luxury. Moreover it is nt their own but 4 d church
ReplyDeletePastor of this our generation are thief, a jet for work? That's corruption of the hightest order. Let us to frank and they keep getting out money from people to aid there lifestyle, do you know what it takes to maintain a jet and pay pilot and other cabin crew? To me no justification on that.
ReplyDeleteI Pray some day God will give u d privillege to oversea a zone or Province then U ill know wat Daddy G.O. Has to contend wit.. God must surely deliver each n evry one of u from ur speaches...
ReplyDeleteWhen a society is on downward track u better question the integrity of u religious leaders as per their righteousness an piety as well as the political leaders. don't be a blind follower. Jesus was God sent with a Scripture and could ask for wealth if it were not overtly good but covertly free off evil. it wrong to compare Jesus to G O Adeboye
ReplyDeleteBrethren,
ReplyDeleteFor us to see God, we need to forsake our valuable treasures that will end here. Many of which can never give us LIFE.
If the poor has salvation on earth, it is good, the poor should be anxious of nothing. Our treasure is in HEAVEN; BEAUTIFUL MANSON! We are the HEIR of THE RICHEST FATHER in HEAVEN!
Am smiling; thank you JESUS.
Do you remember what JESUS said to the rich man?
Do you remember the CAMEL and the NEEDLE?
(Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25)
BUT, if geting a private jet will increase salvation of SOULS, it is OK.
Tunde.
Brethren,
ReplyDeleteFor us to see God, we need to forsake our valuable treasures that will end here. Many of which can never give us LIFE.
If the poor has salvation on earth, it is good, the poor should be anxious of nothing. Our treasure is in HEAVEN; BEAUTIFUL MANSON! We are the HEIR of THE RICHEST FATHER in HEAVEN!
Am smiling; thank you JESUS.
Do you remember what JESUS said to the rich man?
Do you remember the CAMEL and the NEEDLE?
(Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25)
BUT, if getting a private jet will increase salvation of SOULS, it is OK.
Tunde.
Actually for any Man of God, it takes also someone of the Spirit to ask the right and crucial questions.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone notice that NONE HAS EVER DECLARED THAT THEY WERE PERMITTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO PROCEED WITH THE ACQUISITIONS WHETHER BY FREE-WILL DONATIONS OR THROUGH CHURCH FUNDS!!!!!
Alas, the effect of the jet travels is already telling on them personally. Most of them cannot really minister effectively as before even though they hide behind the excuse of old age. If only they had actually taken time to seek counsel from the Holy Spirit before embarking on the open declarations on their need for the jet which of course those eager to sow without also asking their God will quickly pump their resources into buffeting the flesh of the Man of God.
Also no one asked them how the Lord Jesus Christ actually tackled this challenge of being able to reach many at the same time. All the Lord Jesus Christ simply did was appoint faithful 70s and commissioned them and they went about doing what the Lord Jesus Christ wanted achieved.
Great lesson here is that for you to avoid undue controversies, distractions and contradictions, you need the testimony about the approval of the one who called you to work for Him regarding every challenge you face in the course of doing the work.
What the Holy Spirit wants them to do is follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ by praying for Faithful Men who they will then commission and transfer anointing/gifts into to assist them in going about and doing the work. This to me would have been much more effective and fulfilling than their current approach.
Alas, there is a way the seems right to a man, the end of it is so much hassles and controversies.
May the Holy Spirit continue to help us learn to work better and more effectively under His leadership. Amen.