• ‘For 27 Years, When I Was A Bishop, I Didn’t Have An Official Car…’
• ‘If You Are Riding Okada, Do You Know That God Can Use You More Than The Person Driving An SUV?’
• ‘There Should Be No Ground For Discriminating Against Fellow Ministers Of The Gospel’

In these days of mega churches, when mammoth congregation and state-of-the-art vehicles and even ownership of an aircraft define the spiritual success of a man of God, it is not surprising that clerics have started ranking themselves based on these criteria. Often, when they gather at conferences, the kind of cars, the size of the church and even how posh a man of God looks dictate the treatment accorded him at such gatherings. Should the outward appearances or material wealth determine the spiritual standing of a man of God? CHRIS IREKAMBA reports.

‘It Amazes Me How Different The Nigerian Church Is’
(Rev. Francis Ejiroghene Waive, General Overseer, Fresh Anointing Missionary Ministries Inc./Senior Pastor, Church of the Anointing, Warri, Delta State)

The word of God clearly and strongly forbids discrimination of any kind. God Almighty Himself declares that He does not discriminate.  Several passages of scripture admonish the church to treat all members equally. Apostle James was particularly more explicit about this, describing all forms of discrimination as ungodly. It is against this backdrop that the present class discrimination among Christian religious ministers in Nigeria is not only disgusting, but also condemnable. This act has promoted a lot of evil practices among ministers of the gospel. Some have dipped their hands into church funds to help themselves so that they will ‘belong’ or be treated as having “arrived” or as a ‘great man of God’. And to maintain the status, one has to keep doing the wrong thing. Those that refuse to toe this line are despised, treated with ignominy, labelled and sometimes blackmailed.

Two major things are responsible for this: The first is that our society is a class-conscious one. As I travel the world preaching and teaching in churches and conferences, it amazes me how different the Nigerian church is. Mention the big names around the world and you will find them sitting with you and eating lunch together during a conference whether or not they are the main speakers. And it is at such places some of us can rub shoulders with our Nigerian ‘great men of God’.

The second is the kind of gospel that the church in Nigeria preaches. Rather than salvation, living a life of holiness with heaven in view, most of our gospel ministers preach the infamous ‘prosperity gospel’, ‘name it and claim it’ materialistic Christianity. This worldly theology has no respect for the word of God; hence despite the proliferation of churches, corruption and crime continue to thrive in the country.

The foregoing does not preclude the place of hierarchy in the church, but the high Priest in the Old Testament was only first among equals. There is no record of discrimination and shallow treatment of any Priest by the High Priest. Also, there is a need for the true church not to fellowship with any man who is not born again, but runs a church with a large crowd and an expensive car. Sadly, Nigerians seem to prefer such a man, even if he is a bully to a genuine humble man of God.

‘You Don’t Discriminate Against Any Man Of God Who Comes To A Meeting With
Either Volkswagen Or Okada’
(Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, Archbishop, Ecclesiastical Province of Enugu, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion)

Why should you discriminate against anyone? You don’t discriminate against any man of God just because he comes to a Christian meeting either on a Volkswagen, okada or even ‘footwagen.’ After all, we are not equally gifted. But the problem is that the Church of Christ has been bastardised. However, it should be noted that it is not the name you bear or your outward appearances, but how faithful you are in that ministry that matters.

God doesn’t care about the type of vehicle you drive. If you are riding okada, do you know that God may use you more than the person riding a Mercedes Benz?

One day, I was on my way to a crusade somewhere in Lagos, when I encountered a heavy traffic jam. I came down from the car that was taking me to the crusade ground and rode on okada and God used me more than when I went with a car. So, it is a matter of humility, but unfortunately, there is now too much pomposity in the leadership of the church, which is not what the Lord decrees. If He blesses you, very well, but don’t because somebody is driving a Mercedes Benz and you want the same thing, you now go against His will.

Let me share this with you. For 27 years, when I was a Bishop, I didn’t have an official car, but the good Lord has now provided me with my needs. So, people should trust in God.

‘Discrimination Should Not Occur Because God
Determines The Values He Places On Individuals’
(Charismatic Cardinal Olanrewaju Obembe, Archbishop of El-Shaddai Bible Church, Ikoyi, Lagos)

I have been privileged to lead the Christian community in Lagos. I did a demographic analysis of the various levels of growth of churches and we arrived at four categories of them. There are those at the low level. Here, the leaders are just starting. Then there are those that are upcoming, who are in the middle class. You have those who have made tremendous impact and so are at the top level. And then, we have what we call the founding-father churches. They are about seven or eight and they started the Pentecostal movement earlier than the younger generation. For instance, the Assemblies of God, Foursquare Gospel Church, the Redeemed Christian Church of God and some others that have been in existence for about 60 years in Nigeria.

So, our demographic appraisal revealed that most churches belong to those four categories and of course, God recognises grace. He said that those who labour amongst us should be honoured.

Something like discrimination should not even occur because God is the One Who determines the values He places on each individual. In the Bible, people were given different talents. And so long you produce within the context of your assignment; you are successful, as far as God is concerned. What God says we should do in the scripture is to test every spirit and not to discriminate against your brother. We should not discriminate even when people are sitting in church. The book of James is against that.

I always like to quote Rev. (Dr.) Uma Ukpai, that great man of God. He would say, “Before God, we are all equal, but we are not equal in assignment, and we are not equal in anointing” and that is the truth. I must not feel threatened by the achievement of those who have got more. Also, I should not oppress those that have not done as much as I have, because God is the One that will reward everyone. So, there shouldn’t be discrimination on the basis of material acquisition.

‘Stop All Forms Of Unscriptural
Discrimination Against Others’
(Pastor Ezekiel Joel, Full Salvation Believers’ Assembly Int’l, Nnewi, Anambra State)

It is unthinkable to see or hear of discrimination amongst the people of God for whatever reason. There is, and there should be no ground for discriminating against fellow believers, and or other ministers of the Gospel, whatsoever. This is because, like the human body, the body of Christ consists of different members, of different sizes, shapes, and functions. And, it is God Himself that has placed every minister where He has, as his or her place of assignment. God, in His sovereign wisdom, decides or determines who does what, and where. This is the position of the Scripture (1 Corinth.7: 7; 12:4-25). It should be noted by all ministers of the Gospel that, both in the Old and New Testaments, there are diversities in scope and sizes of ministry accomplishment, as well as coverage.

For example, we have such Prophet as Obadiah, who wrote just one Book and was canonised. But there was Prophet Jeremiah, who wrote two Books. The first had 52 chapters, while the other had just five chapters. It’s the same with Jude, who wrote one Book, having only 25 verses. And, yet, none was less inspired or authorised and validated by God.

I think what should matter to the body of Christ today, is whether a minister is truly called by God, with verifiable proofs that authenticate his/her calling, going by how he/she is lifting up Christ, for sinners to be saved; his Christ-centered messages; the fruit of his life and character, as well as the positive impact of his life and messages on his immediate audience. It should not matter whether he arrives in church, or attends ministers’ conferences in an SUV or helicopter. The size of his congregation should not also be the issue— whether mega, micro, or mini. After all, on the last day, Christ, the Chief Shepherd and the Bishop of our souls, will not say, “Welcome wealthy and an SUV chauffeur-driven Man of God…” From Christ’s own holy lips, as recorded in the Bible, the verdict, for faithfully serving Him, at the end will be: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, l will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord”.

Interestingly, it is the same response from Christ to all the faithful servants, without prejudice to the number of talents they had received from the Master (Matt. 25:14-23). Methinks what God is looking for is not humanly determined parametres of success, but faithfulness. Of what use is it, by the way, if one has the largest congregation, whose members he does not fully know, and of whom he cannot effectively give detailed and acceptable account to God, at the end?

By, the way, what percentage of these mega-size congregations is rapture-ready? Of what use is it to be stinking rich, parading an array of modern wonder-on-the-wheel SUVs, and yet lose your soul, at the end (Matt.16: 26)? Let us stop all forms of ungodly competition, and unscriptural discrimination against others on the basis of size of congregation, or the type and grade of vehicle men of God drive. What should concern every Heaven-bound minister is the approval of the God of our lives— in private, public and our ministerial service.

‘I Doubt If Anyone That Judges Others On The Basis Of Material Wealth Is Called By God’
(Anthony Olubunmi Cardinal Okogie, Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos)

It is very wrong for anyone who calls himself a man of God to discriminate against another man of God. We condemn such things, when unbelievers practise them. Why should it happen among the so-called men of God? This is vanity upon vanity; so says the word of God. It is not by what you have or by your handsomeness. Living by example is the best way of life. This is the kind of things that kill religion. Same confusion is what you find everywhere you go. Look at my area here. Just on one street, you’ll find about three churches.

But let’s come back to the issue of discrimination. I want to ask: does that sound okay? Because you are not well dressed or because your car is better than mine or that your congregation is bigger than my own, and so, I must be treated shabbily. Any one who says that to you should reconsider his calling, and I doubt if he is called by God.

‘Any Person Discriminating Against Another Considers Himself To Be Superior’
(Most Rev. Adebayo Akinde, Bishop, Lagos Mainland Diocese, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion/Archbishop, Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos)

Any form of discrimination is wrong, no matter whatever you may choose to call it. Discrimination implies that the person discriminating against another considers himself superior. What about the teachings of Roman 12, which says, “do not think more highly of yourself. In honour preferring one another…” If in honour you prefer another person you are discriminating against him, that is one. Secondly, you must know that the hood does not make the monk. So, it is not the car we drive or our appearance, but our relationship with God Almighty, which should be our guiding principle. Any other thing ends here.

‘At The Gathering Of Church
Leaders, A Lot Of
Discriminations Do Happen’
(The Rt. Isaac Ayo Olawuyi, Bishop, Diocese of Lagos Mainland, Methodist Church Nigeria)

It has been observed that at the gathering of church leaders, a lot of discriminations do happen. The way you are greeted, the kind of welcome accorded, the manner of treatment you receive, as well as the seat allotted you are determined either by your title, the type of car that brought you, or the size of your congregation.

The question we should ask here: Is it the type of car or size of congregation that should determine the status and worth of a minister of God and can this attitude be justified scripturally? How healthy is it in the body of Christ? Should any servant of God be looked down upon on the basis of being poor or not being able to afford the latest SUV? What should determine the worth of the minister of God? Can we rightly assess a true servant of God by the level of his material possession?

It is quite scripturally wrong to determine the worth and status of a servant of God either by the type or seize of car he rides or the sizegation or title. The worth of every minister of God is his or her calling. Is he or she called by God? If the answer is yes, then he or she deserves every honour. Such a servant of God should not be looked down upon on any ground, except he or she is found to be living contrary to his or her calling.

Today, it is disheartening to see the value the Nigerian pastors place on money and materialism. The ministry is being controlled and assessed by the amount of your material possessions in terms of cars, houses, cathedrals and titles. Many of them go to the extent of doing the unthinkable, just to meet up with the so-called ‘generals’ that they may be accorded the honour or be worshipped in the society.

What is needed in our society now is not the measure of material possessions, but spirituality, righteousness, probity, transparency, accountability and truth. The worth of every minister of God should be his or her faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ, simplicity, humility, purity, sincerity and Christ-like characters. But let me say that it is scriptural also to give honour to whom honour is due. Among us as ministers of God, we know those who are ahead of us in the ministry. We understand that some have higher responsibilities than the others; so honour should be given to them.