Revelations that worshippers at
the headquarters of Christ
Embassy Church in Lagos had to
pay N1,000 each as gate fee to
attend a New Year’s Eve service
presided over by Pastor Chris
Oyakhilome have shocked many
Nigerians and infuriated others.
Worshippers who wanted to
attend the crossover service at
Christ Embassy’s headquarters on
Billings Way in Oregun Area of
Lagos on 31 December, 2014,
were made to obtain gate passes
that sold for N1,000 each.
Those who could not afford such
passes were turned back and told
that they could go elsewhere to
worship or watch the service
online for free.
While the practice is not new in
Christ Embassy Church, it led to
an uproar in January 2011 after it
was first introduced on 31
December, 2010.
Many people described it then as
extortion, abuse of
‘Jesus’
teachings and another
confirmation that some Nigerian
churches and pastors are more
interested in making money than
winning souls for God.
But the church explained, though
informally, that it was a way of
controlling the crowd and
discouraging thousands of people
who come to church once a year
on 31 December and prevent
“real worshippers” from
securing seats at the
headquarters on that important
night.
The argument did not win many
fans and under a barrage of
criticisms, the church prayed the
matter would be forgotten.
Nigerians also hoped gate fee
collection would stop.
But the practice has continued
and is now seen as routine with
those who cannot afford the
money being turned back on 31
December of every year.
With a sitting capacity of roughly
20,000 seats, Christ Embassy
might have made at least N20
million from the sale of gate
passes used for the crossover
service.
Worshippers in Christ Embassy
and former staff have complained
in the past that the emphasis was
often too much on money in the
church rather than on spiritual
things Jesus Christ taught his
disciples.
While virtually all prosperity
churches in Nigeria apply the
principles of
“giving to the
church to receive from God”,
many say the level of financial
demands and pressures in Christ
Embassy Church is unusually
high.
Since the revelations about the
gate fees collection at Christ
Embassy Church were made
public last week, Nigerians have
continued to express shock,
outrage and indignation with many
finding it hard to believe it.
Many Nigerians expressed their
indignation on the social media,
especially Facebook.
”Gate fee collection appears
good for crowd control in a
theatre or secular concert, but
not sound enough in the house
of God where Christ the head
of the church bids everyone to
come, even when they only
respond once in a year,”
eye
witness said
He said the church should rather
see their once in a year response
as an opportunity to reach out to
the loss (non regular attendees)
and make disciple of them as
Christ commanded.
“Even if the church prefers his
already saved members to
partake in a particular service,
gate pass should have been
given to them at no cost and
they will have the privilege of
going in first.
“The crowd control rationale
for gate fee collection in
church in my opinion is world
based,”
he said.
According to eye witness report,
salvation doesn’t come at a cost.
He said in the Bible, a man who
wanted to pay for salvation was
refused.
Nigerian worshippers are gullible.
“Did God come down through
him (the pastor) that day?,”
he
asked.
“I have watched the man
preach severally and I don’t
know the magic in his sermon
and anointing that keeps
making people fall for his
tricks and gimmicks.
“He quotes one Bible reference
and shouts as if he just
revealed what no man had ever
read or seen in that passage
before and then takes a run
front and back and they all
starts shouting. Just disgusting
most times,”
he said.
To Clement Ali, “does it mean if I
don’t have N1000, I won’t be
allowed into the service?
In that case, his intentions is
the money.”
“Let them continue to pile up
riches for themselves here on
earth where moths will eat up
and where thieves will break
through,”
eye witness said.
He added: “SALVATION IS
FREE and cannot be bought
with money. Jesus said, freely l
gave you, so also, freely ye
shall give.”
According to another eye witness
some people are born spiritually
blind, deaf and dumb.
“However you preach to them
they will never hear and
understand,”
she said.
I could not believe that gate fees
were collected at Christ Embassy
Church on 31 December.
“Somebody should please tell
me this is not true. If it is true it
means corruption is now
everywhere,”
eye witness said.
Another Eye witness asked
sarcastically; ”
Are you people
just realising now that most of
these so called Men of God are
con men? People have been
paying for prayers, so why
can’t they pay for venue?”
“Why are we going to blame a
business name for doing his
business, he is bussines man
not a Pastor for real”.
Many others who commented on
the social media were critical of
Oyakhilome and Christ Embassy
Church, urging the church to stop
the practice.
Others even asked for tax officials
to step in.
With over 70 per cent of Nigerians
living in abject poverty and on less
than two dollars a day, many
believe that demons are
responsible for their financial,
physical and emotional problems.
They run to pastors for healing,
miracles, blessing and protection.
But once in church, pastors often
tell worshippers that to prosper
and be blessed by God, they need
to give ten per cent of all their
income as tithe to God. Some also
say they need to give ten percent
of all their increases.
By giving to God, they mean, they
need to
“sow a seed in the
church”. When they give money
to the church, worshippers
are told, the “money goes into
their future” to transform their
lives.
To refuse
“to sow a seed” is “to
condemn oneself to a life of
hardship and misery”,
pastors
say.
But while few worshippers
eventually prosper, it is the
pastors who end up becoming
extremely rich.
Many Nigerians pastors now own
businesses, cars, houses, and
investments within and outside the
country. Some even own private
jets.
Many say with his business model
and financial strategies in the
church, Oyakhilome was named
by Forbes as one of the richest
pastors in Nigeria.
He travels around the world in a
jet and moves around Lagos with
bodyguards and heavily armed
policemen.

SOURCE - http:///4tn

gate fee to heaven,so d poor dat cnt aford it na hell fire straight

Y pepul dey blame d man nah Na hin workshop hin dey, abii no b wia u dey work u go chop from?. But d man na business tycoon..

Maybe he was just trying to cut down overcrowding, just maybe!

Chai diaris Godooooo!!! 20,000 capacity? Dats small wen compared to d number of people dat attended mbaka's adoration service on 31st..


Back to d matter,I tink dats pure xtortion,he shud b happy dat people are coming n shud use dat means to win dem permanently,....everytin is just a mess in ds country even dose who r suppose to leas d way r fumbling big tym... We'll na dem sabi,wia I attended mine I paid nufin

Basildvalour:
Maybe he was just trying to cut down overcrowding, just maybe!

Ill
1. why must everybody go to that particular venue? He has built the business around himself. He is the brand.
2. Why does he not just tell people to go back ones the place was full.
3. Why are you afraid to scrutinise his action, is it because the bible says do not judge?

confirm osusu ministry. right from 1998, I know his smooth talking is for osusu.

btw, would u blame d musician for singing nonsense or the morons that bought his shiity music? I for one, don't blame him, after all he dey his church jejely na d morons waka with osusu for pocket come meet him.

WORLDPEACE:

Ill
1. why must everybody go to that particular venue? He has built the business around himself. He is the brand.
2. Why does he not just tell people to go back ones the place was full.
3. Why are you afraid to scrutinise his action, is it because the bible says do not judge?

Who am I to judge?

Its their choice to go there and not mine

Humans are very difficult to control even when you want to employ force. How many who are determined to see him live will agree to peacefully go back just because the hall is full, if it were u and after u are done wasting your transport, time, effort and risk going there and u are told to go back, will u take it lightly?

K

Basildvalour:

Who am I to judge?

Its their choice to go there and not mine

Humans are very difficult to control even when you want to employ force. How many who are determined to see him live will agree to peacefully go back just because the hall is full, if it were u and after u are done wasting your transport, time, effort and risk going there and u are told to go back, will u take it lightly?

Illogical.
if collecting money is a means to control crowd it means there are people who still got there and turned back. So the transportation time and effort is still wasted. Humans are not that difficult to control if those who can't pay the money still went back. Can you not see clearly that the pastor is an entrepreneur?

WORLDPEACE:

Illogical.
if collecting money is a means to control crowd it means there are people who still got there and turned back. So the transportation time and effort is still wasted. Humans are not that difficult to control if those who can't pay the money still went back. Can you not see clearly that the pastor is an entrepreneur?

People who could not pay saw it as a means to get shut out because they had a reason why they couldn't be let in.

Tell a man that he cannot go in because the hall is full and you wil see him scale fences or even hang on them just to watch.

Brother, humans still remain d most difficult class of animals to control. Take it to anywhere!

I am not justifying the act of the pastor but only saying maybe, that (over-population) was what he meant to curb by that act. After all, he didn't start seeing money today.

Basildvalour:

People who could not pay saw it as a means to get shut out because they had a reason why they couldn't be let in.

Tell a man that he cannot go in because the hall is full and you wil see him scale fences or even hang on them just to watch.

Brother, humans still remain d most difficult class of animals to control. Take it to anywhere!

I am not justifying the act of the pastor but only saying maybe, that (over-population) was what he meant to curb by that act. After all, he didn't start seeing money today.

He did not start seeing money today and he did not introduce a gate fee this year; he started 2011.
Moreover, he cannot boast of 20million every Sunday. Because of the signifance people attach to the first day of the year they are more likely to part with their money. Imagine how some people look at others who did not go to church that night. He is an entrepreneur who knows when demand is high for his services and took advantage of it.

what about the amount for VIP and tables?

WORLDPEACE:

He did not start seeing money today and he did not introduce a gate fee this year; he started 2011.
Moreover, he cannot boast of 20million every Sunday. Because of the signifance people attach to the first day of the year they are more likely to part with their money. Imagine how some people look at others who did not go to church that night. He is an entrepreneur who knows when demand is high for his services and took advantage of it.

If he had introduced d gate fee since 2011, why then is that of this year prompting unnecessary drama?

If people are aware he has been collecting gate fee, why then did they troop en-masse to be there? Or are there no other congregation they could have just worshipped in?

SERVATION IS FREE

Basildvalour:

If he had introduced d gate fee since 2011, why then is that of this year prompting unnecessary drama?
Its there in the article:
If people are aware he has been collecting gate fee, why then did they troop en-masse to be there? Or are there no other congregation they could have just worshipped in?

While the practice is not new in
Christ Embassy Church, it led to
an uproar in January 2011 after it
was first introduced on 31
December, 2010.
Many people described it then as
extortion, abuse of
‘Jesus’
You see once people start seeing clearly the real meaning of the bible portion that says "do not judge" their eyes will be open. Because anytime they want to question the actions of their pastor it will come into their minds and they will abandon it out of fear. It is a thought blocking tactic pastors use to keep people uneducated.

WORLDPEACE:

While the practice is not new in
Christ Embassy Church, it led to
an uproar in January 2011 after it
was first introduced on 31
December, 2010.
Many people described it then as
extortion, abuse of
‘Jesus’[/b]
You see once people start seeing clearly the real meaning of the bible portion that says "do not judge" their eyes will be open. Because anytime they want to question the actions of their pastor it will come into their minds and they will abandon it out of fear. It is a thought blocking tactic pastors use to keep people uneducated.

You haven't answered my question...if they condemn d act so much, why do they still scramble to pay to gain entrance?

I still wouldn't judge because I do not go to church because of what the pastor is or is not.

I believe we have said enough about this issue, let those who want to pay keep paying and those who see it as a venture to the pastor steer clear. He isn't the only pastor in Nigeria anyway!