Mixed reactions trail top Nigerian pastor over paid church workers’ remark

Comments credited to the founder and presiding pastor of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyomie, have sparked widespread debate, with many Nigerians expressing divergent views over his reported assertion that those who are paid for rendering services in church would never come out of poverty.

Ibiyomie, whose church headquarters is located in the GRA area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was quoted as making the remark during a sermon.

The statement quickly gained traction on social media, attracting both criticism and support.

The cleric, who previously made headlines after stating that he gives offerings to God in foreign currencies, faced fresh backlash from some social media users over the latest comment.

A Facebook user, Udeme Amos, had asked, “Please, what about the contractor that built the church, or
The one that sold the instrument to the church?”

An instrumentalist in a Methodist Church, Basi Lebe Henry said, “Perspectively, while every minister of the Gospel is entitled to express personal convictions, biblical doctrine must always be interpreted within the full counsel of Scripture rather than through isolated assertions.

“The Scriptures consistently affirm that serving God is an act of worship, but they also uphold the principle that those who labour in ministry are worthy of material support.

“As the Apostle Paul declared, ‘The labourer deserves his wages’ (Luke 10:7), and again, ‘The Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel’ (1 Corinthians 9:14). Likewise, 1 Timothy 5:18 reinforces this truth by stating, ‘The worker deserves his wages.”

“The determining factor is not whether one receives financial compensation, but the disposition of the heart.

“Scripture repeatedly warns against serving God for the love of money, yet it never teaches that receiving honourable remuneration for genuine service automatically obstructs divine blessing or guarantees poverty.

Throughout the Bible, God blessed individuals who faithfully served Him while also receiving material provision.
“Therefore, the true biblical emphasis is faithfulness, integrity, humility and a heart devoted to God’s glory rather than financial gain.

“May every believer who serves in the house of God do so with sincerity, excellence and reverence, remembering that both willing service and just compensation can coexist harmoniously under biblical principles.”

Nnudu Atochukuwu, who probably disagreed with the pastor, asked whether those who work on the altar do not eat from the altar, only GO is entitled?

However, one Moyor Otaru Chinaka, defending the man of God, said probably those commenting seemed not to understand what the pastor was saying.