S.O.S ALIEME

When we were young, we were made to understand that the safest and the most humble place to be is a place of worship, especially, the Church. The Church in Nigeria is characterized by dynamic spiritual activity, a rapidly growing Christian population, and significant social engagement in areas like poverty and justice, but also faces challenges such as the monetization of faith, corruption within some ministries, a declining physical attendance for some denominations, and a public backlash due to perceived excesses and failures in ethical leadership.

Corruption in Nigerian Churches involves issues like the prosperity gospel leading to the commercialization of faith, financial fraud by some pastors, and a general lack of accountability and moral oversight within some religious institutions. Critics argue that this corruption stems from greed and a departure from true Christian values, with some research indicating that religious institutions, especially Churches, are seen by the public as significant centers of corruption.  Followers of Jesus Christ are meant to be ‘the salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the world’. Christians are expected to live commendable lives for the growth and development of society. However, in Nigeria, Churches are opened in every part of society but Christian religious worship is not being practiced in its true form or sense.

One would expect that the geometrical increase in Churches in Nigeria will reflect in the lives of the Nigerian populace but this seems not to be the case. Instead, corruption and other vices have remained unabated in a country where Churches are rising on a daily basis. Sustainable development remains a mirage for Nigeria. 

Recently, the World Council of Churches released a memo talking about the richest Churches and pastors in the world. The released papers show that out of the 10 richest pastors in the world 5 of them are Nigerian pastors, but out of the 10 richest Churches in the world there is no Nigerian Church there, is it not worrisome. It’s worrisome, it calls for concern.

The Roman Catholic Church is the richest Church in the world but the Pope has no private jet. Some of us are busy fasting and praying to get a private jet as a man of God. Nothing stops you anyway.  But remember that vanity upon vanity all is vanity. The richest Church in the world is the Catholic Church but the overall head has no private jet.  Whenever the Pope wants to travel, there is an itinerary which is prepared from January to December of each year specifying the travels that the Pope will make and it will be handed over to Alitalia Airline. Alitalia is the Italian National Career. This will specify the time and months that the Pope and his entourage will be visiting a country and the returning date will also be specified. The Alitalia will take charge of all the movements to be made by the Pontiff. The Alitalia has their itinerary and they run it as an airline. 

But when the Pentecostals come up with some of their stuffs attached to brainwashing, brandishing and financial recklessness that they have attached to the payment of tithes and offerings by the people and also their recklessness in the use of power both spiritual and otherwise, they make the suffering worshippers to pay more than they can bargain for. The Pastors go as far as telling the people to give their best offering or tithe to God who will in turn bless them abundantly.  Most of the Churches around us in Nigeria are no longer Jesus’ Church but a haven of money making all in the name of God and Jesus.  They are the Pastor’s Church and that is why with the demise of the founder of these Churches, is always a battle among the aspirants who want to take over the mantle of leadership.  Some even go to the extent of challenging each other in law courts. Some go to the extent of using black magic to harm each other. How will a Pastor not buy private jet and also maintained it successfully after brainwashing the congregation.

The Roman Catholic Church has never been divided over who becomes the next successor to the Pope.  When the Pope dies, a successor is chosen among the Cardinals and you will not experience things like race, colour, tribalism, sectionalism, and even campaign for votes. The late Pope Francis is from Argentina and the current Pope is from America. This shows that the Catholic Church is the only true Church that practices what Jesus instructed the Church leaders to follow.

The Church was not like this before, it used to be a sacred place, a place of worship, a place of talking to God, a place where you lay down all your problems on the altar of God and a place where prayers are answered. But the sacred house has being broken into by thieves, the house is collapsing and as Haggai said who among you saw this house collapsing and how does it look now. Haggai wept and wept because there are more of those damaging the Church than those building and sustaining it. Those damaging it have the social media in their custody and advantage.  They have money to their advantage, they have education to their advantage, and they have also seized the frontline pages of public news and media.  Those who are repairing the Church have no money to their advantage, so those repairing it are conservative and they look like primitives. But for those damaging it, they are doing it daily and night 24/7 and they are not stopping and there is the need for God to raise people to address the issue of selling the good news to the people. 

The kind of ministry that is expected to be gathered today should be the repairing ministry but it is difficult for them to repair because they face lots of challenges.  In Nigeria of today, you see a Pentecostal Pastor having private jets, they have universities, hospitals and other social things which the members of their Church cannot even afford to patronise.  So, what are we preaching about Christ. Those who damage the Church do not want to see repairers around. So the damage to the house of God especially by the so called Pastors is overwhelming and they are more in number. To those who are repairing it they are fewer than those who are damaging it. People in the repair work are endangered species because there are those who don’t repair but thrive in damaging the Church of Christ. Let us continue to pray to God for the unification of the Church in Nigeria.

God Bless Nigeria!!!