₦airaland Forum

My name is Alphonso Olajide, co-founder of EyesOfLagos.com. I’m a blogger and web developer, and today, I want to share my heartbreaking story.

On July 27, 2024, I lost my beloved brother to kidney failure. He was a dedicated pastor at a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) parish in Ahmadiya. For nearly five years, he served the church with his time, energy, and personal resources. But when tragedy struck, the same church he gave so much to turned its back on him.

When my family approached RCCG for a burial space at their cemetery, we expected compassion. Instead, they asked us to pay nearly one million Naira to lay him to rest. Their excuse? “It’s the system.”

Where was the love? Where was the support for a man who had given his all to this church? Back in March, when my brother was fighting for his life, he was taken to Pastor Adeboye. All they gave him was anointing oil.

This experience broke me. It opened my eyes. I can no longer support a system that values money over people. This is why I have stopped going to church—I choose to pray directly to God.

To anyone still blindly giving their hard-earned money to these churches, think twice. My brother’s story is proof that when you need them the most, they might not be there for you.

May God judge those who humiliated him after all his years of service.

https://eyesoflagos.com/2025/03/02/why-i-stopped-going-to-church-my-painful-experience-with-rccg/

Sad. But Fellowship is still very important to your faith.

You stopped going to Church because you do not understand that God wants us to always come together to worship him.

Hebrew 10:25 says,
"Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Church leaders being materialistic cannot make me withdraw from the congregation unless they point a gun at me when I refuse to give them my money. Also, if I consider the leadership of a Church unbearable and withdraw myself from the congregation, I will join another Church.

The point is that it is biblically wrong for a Christian to withdraw from the congregation and go solo in worshipping God.

Your brother killed himself in his foolishness! He willingly sacrificed his life and money to the scammers who ended up not helping him in life and eventually in death. I go say avoid religion in its entirety but something tells me all you will do is switch from one format to another as many Nigerians are notorious for.

Church no be insurance company.

alphonsojaybaz:
My name is Alphonso Olajide, co-founder of EyesOfLagos.com. I’m a blogger and web developer, and today, I want to share my heartbreaking story.

On July 27, 2024, I lost my beloved brother to kidney failure. He was a dedicated pastor at a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) parish in Ahmadiya. For nearly five years, he served the church with his time, energy, and personal resources. But when tragedy struck, the same church he gave so much to turned its back on him.

When my family approached RCCG for a burial space at their cemetery, we expected compassion. Instead, they asked us to pay nearly one million Naira to lay him to rest. Their excuse? “It’s the system.”

Where was the love? Where was the support for a man who had given his all to this church? Back in March, when my brother was fighting for his life, he was taken to Pastor Adeboye. All they gave him was anointing oil.

This experience broke me. It opened my eyes. I can no longer support a system that values money over people. This is why I have stopped going to church—I choose to pray directly to God.

To anyone still blindly giving their hard-earned money to these churches, think twice. My brother’s story is proof that when you need them the most, they might not be there for you.

May God judge those who humiliated him after all his years of service.

https://eyesoflagos.com/2025/03/02/why-i-stopped-going-to-church-my-painful-experience-with-rccg/

it's because you now have a personal experience, if you had heard or read other people's experience would you have believed it?

Well there system may prevent poor people from being buried on their grounds not like RCCG is a cemetery but as a pastor that response is cold sha, guess 5years is not enough for a graveyard on their grounds.

There are other better reasons to stay or leave RCCG, the most important question now is if your brother is resting in the arms of God

GanagiBitrus:
Sad. But Fellowship is still very important to your faith.

the right fellowship not the wrong one, better to fellowship with the Holy Spirit than with a den of thieves and wolves

immortalcrown:
You stopped going to Church because you do not understand that God wants us to always come together to worship him.

Hebrew 10:25 says,
"Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Church leaders being materialistic cannot make me withdraw from the congregation unless they point a gun at me when I refuse to give them my money. Also, if I consider the leadership of a Church unbearable and withdraw myself from the congregation, I will join another Church.

The point is that it is biblically wrong for a Christian to withdraw from the congregation and go solo in worshipping God.

the kind of people Hebrews was referring to is sadly not the same with those the OP departed from.

You can't be fellowshiping with wolves and not get devoured or becomes like one in time and when you say it is biblically wrong, you are actually biblically wrong. Jesus said those who worship God in spirit and in truth.

Your fellowship isn't about numbers or people but about the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit

I heard everyone in Rome is one prayer marathon for the ailing Pope. Pope sef dey fear to die. Chaii

I remember when I met one girl on Facebook and we chatted and we were to start dating but we needed to know certain things about ourselves.

She's an extremely religious girl who doesn't take church for granted. From her photos you'd know that she does everything in the church. But she was really beautiful.

I told her I stopped going to church and she asked why... I stated events where I was broke and needed help pay for recruitment form during that era before GEJ stopped it. A church member I met told me he doesn't have money and the next Sunday, he came with a new JEEP. I stated another instance where I met a medical doctor who said he has given about 2mill to the assistant chaplain to give me when I bring to him a good business plan. I did everything and one other church member too was doing everything. But he kept cancelling all the plans. We gave up.

Another instance was when I was almost homeless and I went to a catholic church to seek for a dwelling place and the priest turned me down and I cried. Another instance was when I begged a church member to come and be a guarantor for me to get a job and he refused... He asked me to come to his church to meet his pastors and I did and the pastor collected my number but refused to pick my call....

After I narrated all these things to her.... She said I was very entitled. That church money isn't my money ... I blocked her. I was an usher for 3yrs and I devoted all my time and energy for church events.... I travel to usher in burials and marriages as church members would beg the church to use the church ushers rather than paying for ushers. And I miss my Saturday lectures and reading timetable.... I was t doing that to get things in return but church is supposed to come through for it's members because that's the essence of the gathering....

I don wash hand comot for religion.
If God existz, that's his business and his followers business

alphonsojaybaz:
My name is Alphonso Olajide, co-founder of EyesOfLagos.com. I’m a blogger and web developer, and today, I want to share my heartbreaking story.

On July 27, 2024, I lost my beloved brother to kidney failure. He was a dedicated pastor at a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) parish in Ahmadiya. For nearly five years, he served the church with his time, energy, and personal resources. But when tragedy struck, the same church he gave so much to turned its back on him.

When my family approached RCCG for a burial space at their cemetery, we expected compassion. Instead, they asked us to pay nearly one million Naira to lay him to rest. Their excuse? “It’s the system.”

Where was the love? Where was the support for a man who had given his all to this church? Back in March, when my brother was fighting for his life, he was taken to Pastor Adeboye. All they gave him was anointing oil.

This experience broke me. It opened my eyes. I can no longer support a system that values money over people. This is why I have stopped going to church—I choose to pray directly to God.

To anyone still blindly giving their hard-earned money to these churches, think twice. My brother’s story is proof that when you need them the most, they might not be there for you.

May God judge those who humiliated him after all his years of service.

https://eyesoflagos.com/2025/03/02/why-i-stopped-going-to-church-my-painful-experience-with-rccg/

We go to church to encounter God not man.

Not everyone you see in church will go to heaven. Salvation is a personal thing.

gohf:
the kind of people Hebrews was referring to is sadly not the same with those the OP departed from.

You can't be fellowshiping with wolves and not get devoured or becomes like one in time and when you say it is biblically wrong, you are actually biblically wrong. Jesus said those who worship God in spirit and in truth.

Your fellowship isn't about numbers or people but about the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit

Your response is baseless because it neither interprets the quoted scripture differently nor counters my opinion that the poster should join another Church instead of going solo.

Serve God for God, not to get favour from man.