LordReed:


My question is how do people who claim that Jesus is coming soon go about opening offshore businesses? How does that play into the theology? Is Jesus coming to take possession of offshore businesses? Isn't it indicative of a lack of belief in this Jesus is coming soon theology?

Are you sure you know the theology of the living faith church?

Now let me go and eat

I'm back from Church, and I find myself laughing as people on nairaland are claiming that I am a PR person for Bishop Oyedepo and expect I would soon be back with a rebuttal. I wasn't intending any rebuttal before, as I am not a PR person for the living faith church. But I would do this in defense of the gospel because a non credible attack against one of Nigeria's most credible churches is unacceptable.

I think many of us generally get carried away with headlines and forget the substance of an article before rushing to comment.

I have gone through the entire article and I haven't seen anything indicting of the Oyedepo family. But I would address four observations from the article itself and from the surrounding comments.

Why Should Oyedepo Or Living Faith Avoid Taxes By Setting Up Offshore Accounts Giving The Bible Verse "Give Unto Ceasar What Is Unto Ceasar"?

1) For all the businesses the living faith church operates in Nigeria pays taxes to the Nigerian government. This includes the publishing business, and the other taxable constituent businesses around the universities which includes the microfinance banks, water and beverage factories, farms etc.

2) There are over 200 nations on earth eligible to receive taxes. So British Islands is also 'ceasar'. Every nation has the responsibility to make themselves tax attractive to welcome foreign investment and Oyedepo and his family are just as eligible as anyone else to search for better priced tax opportunities for their personal or ministry benefit.

Is Living Faith Investment Carriage A Secret?


Inside the Mantle book and under the finance section of the living faith church details to great extent the administrative procedure for the church, it is well cited that the living faith church can maintain asset management to protect the church's income. Or did you expect the church to warehouse millions of dollars with banks who would live large on the proceeds and expose the hard earned income of worshippers to inflation even before the church uses it?

Are Oyedepo's Universities The Most Expensive In Nigeria As Claimed By The Article?

We all know this to be untrue. The Living Faith university system runs one of the most pocket friendly private universities in Nigeria when comapred to secular varsities of equal standing. There's nothing unusual about the price of Living faith schools.

I suspect that the addition of this claim was just to make Oyedepo look further bad and horrible.

Does Living Faith Maintain Four Jets?


This is another claim that has been debunked several times by Leke Beecroft of Church gist and many others who cared to explain.
The living faith church has used four to five planes in the past to convey its church leadership. It regularly sells her older planes to buy new ones. Currently, the church uses more of its helicopter to shuffle the church leadership and that of the RCCG around the country. While deemphasizing on the use of the private jet.

However, the article presented it as though the living faith church maintains an active fleet of four jets on standby in a futile attempt to further make the church appear greedy and evil.

Survivingnaija:
Lol. Jesus said “give to Ceaser what is Ceaser’s and give to God what is God’s”.

Christ is the bedrock of Christianity, He recognises that people should pay tax and not avoid them. Not criticising our daddy GOs though, they know best.

The offshore account is also under a govt that can be referred to as ceasar.

Nigerian academia needs sanitization.

Lalasticlala

SimplePlan34:


U are a learner TSMC TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COOPERATION is what China wants they manufacture all the important CPUs from Apple to Snapdragon to and. Even Intel has booked order for their 3nm process. American manufacturing is failing Boeing is down now Intel if china gets Taiwan it means USA can no longer place sanctions on china semiconductor. They would copy western design blue black. Anyway America voted out Trump. he was the only one ready to take china head on. Well I guess it's goodness for we in d developing world gadgets would be cheaper.

I know about the Taiwanese semi conductor Industry. My point is, if war breaks out it would be so protracted that there may not even be a semi Conductor industry when it's over. Taiwan is going to be fighting to the death.

If China invades Taiwan the war that would happen would erode Taiwan economy and make it useless to China.

It is also gonna cause the most severe boycott China has ever faced that it may return to poverty. War would be a lose - lose scenario.

Those pictures are too horrific to be put out there. Kindly censor or blur them. Are you people OK at all?

That said, this is horrific and terrible. The punishment for yahoo should be the death penalty.

They enjoy numerical strength because we haven't started thinking down south.

The south must unite as a single political bloc and entice the vastly north central.

All we need down south to win any election is to secure 90% votes down south and 55% in North Central.

Nigeria's power lies in the north central. The agenda of any southern president or party must be to rapidly denorthernise the north central. This is possible because it is isn't necessarily a fulani or hausa enclave.

1) Form a resilient southern bloc
2) Aggressively court the North Central and integrate them into a southern agenda.
3) Play the religious divide with wisdom. Don't let the north west use Islam to shatter a southern bloc.

And you have your power. Ensure anytime south or NC has power ensure the north west is dealt with in the same proportion the south was excluded during a northern presidency.

Lalasticlala

Tgf

Terrible.

This Biden sef. Why move it when there's a law that backs the sitaion of the embassy at Jerusalem.

Lalasticlala

I don't think this is a good strategy for higher education. Nigeria needs more universities to service the next generations, however they need to be private efforts at zero cost to govt revenue. If the idea is to always build more universities to gulp admission seekers who grow by 200,000 seekers almost every year then we simply can't build fast enough.

The private universities are picking up rapidly. Focus on enabling the highly capitalized one which can increase GDP spending on research. But more importantly can attain sustainability which most public varsities can't at the moment.
Lalasticlala

The way people misbehave around power and money can be so horrific.

Muric desperately seeking attention

Yes

1) 10 Billion Naira Annual Wage Bill Is A Huge Financial Responsibility.

The Living Faith church established 16,000 churches in rural communities across the country in addition to the already established 10,000 churches it has across the globe. A quick calculation shows that N53,000 gross multiplied by 16,000 new Pastors amounts to an addition of N848, 000, 000 per month. In a year that amounts to N10, 178, 000, 000.

This is huge money for a non profit to shell out of her pocket. Especially considering the fact that Living Faith still has to subsidize all her non profit universities and secondary schools to the tune of billions every new year.

2) Pastorate Work Is Different.

Anyone taking up a pastorate job needs to realize it is different from taking a bank job.
For one, your mandatory attention is only on Sunday and some late night or early morning services, plus your scheduled outreaches.
You have other time you can still use to do farming or any other freelance job. Therefore, you shouldn't be surprised that the perks available for a 9 - 5, five days a week aren't available.

kingxsamz:


All men?
That's laughable because I can walk 10 minutes in Lagos and count 30 churches.
So who are the people your pastor is buiding 10 thousand churches for? The Christian doctrine says "everyone must spread the gospel", no matter the circumstances. So why aren't you guys going to Afghanistan, Pakistan Iraq, South Korea and Iran in numbers, trying to "win souls"? Abi those ones don't deserve to 'know God'?
Anyways, it still doesn't change the fact that church is a business.

To answer you, the living faith church is in 71 nations of the earth.
Many of them poor countries, e.g living faith has strong presence in Congo.
Also, not all nations are open to a ministry. The living faith once closed her branches in Japan. Once they realized the error of being in Japan without a divine mandate, they closed the church and advised members there to find another church to attend.

First, I would commend the living faith church for the great work in investing churches across rural communities and employing paid 16,000 Pastors to lead those churches.

That said, this controversy allowed me to understand that a vast majority of us Nigerians behave like locust (apologies to anyone offended).

Eat, eat, eat is all they know. Contribution and multiplication is not their concern. Let's just exploit what is available, divide it, eat it and wait for the next supply.

This is why as a people we actually produce so little but consume so very much.
We are a nation of exploiters...

I have learnt personal lessons from this writeup and I would be sure to make personal amends in my own life. Just about condemning those pastors that are running from duty, and the holy spirit reminded me of something that was placed in my hand which failed but I have not given account neither have I replaced it to the person. The person never asked probably cause of our close relationship, and he's rich but that doesn't absolves me of my responsibility to integrity.

1) Never accept to do anything you have no passion for simply because of economic benefits whether fringe or large.

2) Whatever has been committed to your hands by those who invested in you must be nurtured to grow with all your effort.

3) If what has been committed to your hand fails for any reason, have the honor to return it at least the way you met it. Be truthful to your investor. Don't wait till you are fired or cursed out.
As a people we must learn to RESIGN when we see glaringly that we are unqualified or unable to carry certain responsibilities.

WHEN A YOUNG PASTOR REFUSES TO BEAR FRUIT AND FAILS AT GOD’S BUSINESS

by Daniel Breakforth

And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
Luke 2:49

And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shall cut it down.
John 15:7

My brother is a Nigerian intellectual in the diaspora. Yesterday, he sent me a screenshot of the purported sack letter addressed to a Living Faith Church (LFC) pastor and asked me ‘if it was true’? I glanced through the details and asked him in return, ‘Is what true…where did the letter mention low income? The letter is true but the caption you sent does not tally’. He immediately responded ‘I agree’. I then went ahead to tell him an incident that occurred a few weeks back in the LFC where I presently worship. I will repeat the incident here but will protect the name of the Pastor in question since he was wise not to go on social media to copy an act which I consider one of folly.

I have been to 33 out of Nigeria’s 36 states in my line of duty and I make it a duty to always attend Living Faith Church in any place I visit. A few months ago, I visited Baga in Borno State and what welcomed me as what was left of the only churches in that town; burnt buildings of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Deeper Life Bible Church, one other Church and then the LFC. I avoided taking pictures so as not to rouse the soldiers I was travelling with. A few weeks ago, I resumed in a community of about 5,000 people in one of the South-South States of Nigeria. The same evening I visited the LFC and met nobody in Church with the doors locked. I came early the next day and to my shock, there was no Covenant Hour of Prayer (Early morning Prayer Hour). The same repeated itself on Tuesday and it was to my angst that I came to Church on Wednesday to meet an empty Church. I began to ask the neighbours and I heard ‘Pastor no dey always come’. I was told the Pastor leaves the Community to go on other endeavours for up to 21 days at a stretch sometimes. He did not come on Thursday, Friday and Saturday for the Covenant Hour of Prayer or even for the Week of Spiritual Emphasis and members too stayed at home.


Matthew 24:50

The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

On Sunday morning, I came to Church and met 9 people. Living Faith? Liberation Commission? The Pastor did not come as usual. Instead he asked a member of the Church Council, a female student in one of the universities who was on holidays to preach on his behalf. I definitely would not pay my tithe here I told myself. Thank God for internet transfers. I asked for the number of the Pastor after service and put a call across. The moment I told him I was visiting, he got scared and I assured him that ‘it is well’. I asked him for the reason for his absence and he gave all kinds of excuses from being ‘very strong’ to ‘doing a side job’ to ‘lacking transport fare’. I was miffed. I would only see him 14 days after my resumption.


Meanwhile I started organizing the Church in his absence using my phone to connect to Canaanland every morning for the Covenant Hour of Prayer and we were glad to record 37 adults and 24 children (total 61) the next Sunday service. This man had been here for 2 years, the Church sent him to win souls but he could not operate in any kind of discomfort yet he was comfortably collecting the Forty Thousand Naira (N40,000) only monthly allowance with house rent to match. The question playing on my mind was…why not resign and pursue your other business or whatever was keeping you away?

I was still not happy and mentioned my concerns to a top Pastor of the LFC. I was however surprised to come the next week to find out that he had been given a ‘Letter of Release’ very similar to the one flying on social media. He did not leave before going on the pulpit to blast ‘Yorubas’ for trying to take over everywhere. He said on the same altar that his only joy was that a fellow tribesman and not a Yoruba man was sent to replace him. Church Gist. He came by me at the end of the service and told me point blank ‘I am not happy’ and left with the church offerings even after he had handed over to his replacement.

As at yesterday, some 5 weeks after that event, we did not have enough space (exactly 47 days since I arrived) in the 45 seat capacity church with some members staying outside during service. We have over 60 children (meaning over 100 now) and we had to rent a space to keep them. We have embarked on a mission to acquire 3 plots of land in the next 4 weeks and we have just paid and received a set of music instruments worth about N500,000 while transferring the older set of instruments to the LFC in the neighbouring community.
The Church is alive again!

All my brother said was the following and I quote verbatim:
“I just sent you what I saw on social media.
Even in a secular environment, he would be sacked.
If I was his boss, I would sack him”.

It is to me the height of ignorance, foolishness and wickedness for many who ignored the commendation by Bishop Oyedepo few days ago of a young LFC Pastor in Akwa Ibom who ‘engaged’ so much that he led over 100 villagers to Christ in a few months, to now take on them the role of advocate for a so called pastor who fails to deliver on his mandate. Church Gist.Was he forced to take the role? Was he forced to sign the bond? I am worried about young people who want to have everything and do nothing.

Bishop Oyedepo will soon be 70 yet he is still on the ‘go’ for Christ (his Father’s business). I do not know how many Pastors. Bishops and Archbishops or founders can dare what he does save perhaps his Father in the Lord, Pastor E.A Adeboye and some of his notable sons such as Pastors Enenche, Ibiyeomie, Komaiya and others. Even though he owns his own helicopter and has a private jet at his disposal, he has not left Nigeria in 4 years and is always found on the streets of Ota, a suburb of Lagos, Nigeria on a weekly basis winning souls to Christ.

He always celebrates the numbers just like it was done in the Acts of Apostles from 70 in the upper room to 3000 to 5000 to ‘almost the whole city’. He celebrated the numbers again yesterday as usual. We know 16,786 churches were established in the last 2 years with over 16,000 new pastors employed, we know almost 15,000 home cells have been established in Lagos alone in 6 months, we know about 70,000 souls have been led to Christ in his weekly outreaches on the road while about 19,000 have been physically present in Church in 2021 alone. Church Gist.We know the Church has refused to announce that money be given towards the ongoing construction of what might become the world’s largest church auditorium ‘The Ark’.

These figures are what the Church refers to as Church Growth Index and not what any disgruntled ‘pastor’ may be implying. If the multitudes now choose to ignore all these facts and want to cry over some that were ‘released’ to pursue their personal call from God, it is quite unfortunate though not unexpected and shows that bitterness against the Church is at full bloom. As I always say, The Church of Christ can never satisfy the Gates of Hell.

I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it!
Matthew 16:18

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2484752211668635&id=444807728996437

[quote author=kayuseful post=103845355]I still don't know what to say. Let's wait for official response.
@HigherEd, what do you have to say [/quot

Lalasticlala

Buhari has really divided this nation.

jesusjnr2020:
Could you in all honesty compare them to the pioneering leaders of the church, the apostles?

That's the point.

The difference is glaring.

Acts 4:34-35 (KJV)

Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

God bless.

I think a movement of a few thousand people is different from that of a 2 billion people today...

petra1:


Im aware TB Joshua was at one time a member of The Christian Association of Nigeria. C.A.N. comprises of Churches acrross denimination. Catholic, Ehite garmment churches such as cheribim,Celestial ,aladura ,Methodists, Pentecostal. Many Pentecodtals Pastors believe that white garment alafura churches are cults and not Christians. but at least the are still in the association.

The Hatred for TB Joshua is somply Persecutions for the strange miracles performed through him. they are so strange that many belive it can only be the devil. because non of them experience such miracles. None

Hmm interesting.

Commentor:


Actually, it does and it did.

You are wrong. It never matters.

Reputation shouldn't be the basis of your association with anyone in life or death.

Reputable people die everyday, that doesn't mean all other reputable people must attend or identify with them in death. That would be joblessness and hypocrisy.

LikeAking:


Take down this post.

U don pass dis kin write up.

How much dem pay you?

Lazy youth. Offer a rebuttal and stop wishing people would stop debating or speaking their truth only so you can remain in your intellectual cocoon of idiocy.

Commentor:
Simple question:

Why would such individuals collectively be missing from the burial of a cleric of such repute?

Simply because reputation doesn't matter. What matters is friendship, sincerity, shared values, shared mission etc. If you have none of those in common with the deceased person, you have no business attending their burial.

If you attend the burial of a person you regard as illegitimate, the person's family would be justified in chasing you with cutlass. And by the way, how do you even know TB Joshua's family extended an invitation to those pastors

Imagine Israel sending delegate to the burial of Iranian General, Qasem soleimani.

Many of the churches I mentioned above may likely not offer a TB Joshua a pastoral seat if he ever visited their churches, they'd likely treat him like an everyday member because they believe he isn't one of them. So why pretend in death as though he mattered to them in life.

TB Joshua recently passed on, and I wish his entire family and all those who loved him the grace to bear that loss.

However, there's some high level silliness pervading the internet accusing CAN, PFN, and all top pastors of wickedness, envy, hatred and all sort of other vices for neither sending condolences nor attending the burial of TB Joshua. I would like to address many of these criticisms on a case by case basis.

Are Pastors like Oyedepo, Adeboye, Kumuyi, Olukoya truly envious of TB Joshua's accomplishment?


With no disrespect aimed at anyone, this is a silly accusation. For you to be envious of someone, you would need to believe or think they've achieved something you would never achieve in your own personal or professional life.
What superficial items could make the top five pastors in Nigeria be so envious of TB Joshua? Is it congregational size, wealth, influence, followership. Unless you can identify a particular area of accomplishment TB Joshua made where other listed pastors under achieve then this accusation makes no sense.

Do pastors like Oyedepo, Adeboye, Kumuyi, Olukoya and the entire CAN hate TB Joshua for competitive reasons.

Nigeria's pentecostal movement is highly filled with pastors outbuilding themselves. Last year, the Glory dome by Enenche was the largest auditorium in Nigeria surpassing Faith tabernacle by Oyedepo. Today, the Finger of God being built by Ibeyeomie might overtake that record. If Enenche should hate anybody for competitive reasons it should definitely be Ibeoymie not TB Joshua. But in reality Enenche and Ibeyeomie are as close as blood Brothers.

TB Joshua at no point in history built universities or attempted to build the largest auditorium, therefore there seems to be no justification why certain pastors could gang up against him for competitive reasons.

Are CAN, PFN or other top pastors in disagreement with TB Joshua's doctrine?


Christianity is one of the most divergent religions with millions of denominations. A church like living faith is very different from a church like deeper life. They disagree on a whole of doctrinal issues. However, they both validate themselves as members of the body of Christ. Therefore, if a Church like living faith can associate with a church like deeper life, then there's no conceivable proof that a TB Joshua was ostracized on mere doctrinal differences.

Was TB Joshua ostracized from CAN, PFN and other mainstream churches?

Absolutely yes. He was ostracized, but not for the silly reasons many people have spoken about which includes envy, jealousy, unforgiveness etc. The difference with TB Joshua was very fundamental with many believing he was neither a Christian, while others had farther theories that he draws power from an underworld source. It is not in my place to give credence or confirm/deny these allegations. However, it is very important to state categorically what the reasons were and not just fill the internet with all kinds of needless criticisms.

Should CAN have sent a delegation to TBJ burial?

It depends. I would particularly like to know CAN's policy of representation during the death of a non political but very important person who isn't a Christian. For example would a CAN send representation to the burial of a reputable Islamic cleric? If yes, then there maybe some justification for attending TBJ's burial given their rejection of his membership. However, if CAN wouldn't attend non Christian burials then they would be projected as hypocrites for attending that of TBJ despite delegitimising his ministry during his life time.

Should CAN have sent condolence letter?


Again, it depends on its own internal policy on how it responds to the death of people who aren't Christians.

Lalasticlala

By HigherEd.

That's whatmany of them up north don't understand.

Nigeria has six regions, two from the south are in top 3 most populated. If the entire south aligns in any election and manages to get 30 - 40% fromthe north central, they would cruise to dominate

This is the way to go. Let's hope it passes the Senate.

EugeneLeeJnr:
OP Faith Academy and Bishop David Oyedepor school are they the same

ode!!!

It was lala that changed the title. I never mentioned David oyedepo school. What I wrote is faith academy.

And no, don't be silly calling people ode for no good reason.