In a bus at the popular Mile 2 bus-stop in Lagos, a preacher from one of the well-known Pentecostal churches is busy distributing handbills inviting her co-travellers to a spirit-filled three-day programme of the church themed ‘3 Nights of Miracle Explosion’.
In a corner of the bus, a visibly angry man shouts down the preacher, accusing the church of extorting the congregation to establish mega-businesses for the pastor who lives a lavish lifestyle.
“I was once a member of that church. You see that university owned by the church, we built it. I put in my money and my sweat. Now that the university has been completed, I cannot afford to put my children there because of the high fees charged,” he says to everyone’s hearing.
“We thought we were building our own school, but we have only established a mega-business for the pastor and his family, plus so many other businesses owned by the church and built with our tithes and offerings.”
Time was when churches squarely faced their primary calling of propagating the gospel and winning souls for Christ, by whatever means. Today, an increasingly number of Nigeria’s churches is going beyond the pulpit and is diversifying into mega businesses.
There is hardly any church in Nigeria today that does not have one business concern or the other. If they are not earning money from sales of books written by their pastors, they are selling CDs and DVDs of the pastors’ sermons or water, oil and other items blessed by the pastors, often with claims that these items have spiritual potency.
Beyond these, many of the churches also have interests in schools. While virtually all of them have nursery/primary and secondary schools, a few have gone ahead to establish universities, whose tuition and other fees are mainly considered unaffordable by Nigerian standards. A lot of the megachurches also have interests in real estate given their known acquisition of massive expanse of land in many parts of the country.
Some Christians see these “so-called” business ventures as a way of evangelism, arguing that the money generated from these commercial ventures is used to support the churches’ ministry as well as for charity. Many Nigerians, however, insist that the churches have become so engrossed in commercial activities that it is now difficult to ascertain whether they are indeed serving God or Mammon.
They point to the life of opulence and flamboyance being led by many of the pastors, some of who own private jets and even private hangers and drive exotic cars, as if in keen competition with wealthy businessmen and politicians.
These churches are “big-time businesses being managed by entrepreneurs”, Leo Igwe of the Nigeria Humanist Movement told a foreign news media, arguing that in the face of poverty and myriad social and economic problems, “Nigerians have become desperate, and gullible, and these churches service this market”.
Whatever the argument, however, there is no doubt that the businesses run by these churches are contributing immensely to the growth of the economy, especially through job creation.
“Some of the churches can hold more than 200,000 worshippers and, with their attendant business empires, they constitute a significant section of the economy, employing tens of thousands of people and raking in tourist dollars, as well as exporting Christianity globally,” wrote Tim Cocks in a 2014 piece, “Nigeria’s ‘megachurches’: a hidden pillar of Africa’s top economy”.
“But exactly how much of Nigeria’s $510 billion GDP they make up is difficult to assess, since the churches are, like the oil sector in Africa’s top energy producer, largely opaque entities,” Cocks said in the piece published by Reuters.
Cocks quotes the corporate affairs department of Winners Chapel as saying the church employed more than 18,000 people in Nigeria alone.
Churches and their businesses
The major business interests of modern-day Nigerian churches span from publishing houses through the media, schools, real estate, restaurants, bakery, water packaging, etc.
Living Faith World Outreach Ministry (aka Winners Chapel), established by David Oyedepo in 1981, which is reported to have branches in Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Gambia, the UK and the US, runs Dominion Publishing House, a thriving publishing company that publishes all his books which are often centred on prosperity. The Church also owns Covenant University, one of Nigeria’s leading private tertiary institutions, and Faith Academy, an elite secondary school.
Cocks describes the enterprises on Canaanland, Winners Chapel’s headquarters in Ota, Ogun State, to include “shops selling cold sodas and bread, to a woman boiling instant noodles and eggs for breakfast in a lodge, to pop-up book stalls hawking Oyedepo’s prolific literary output”.
Similarly, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), which has thousands of outposts around the world, including at least 2,000 in Nigeria and close to 400 in the UK, runs Redeemers University in Ede, Osun State, Redeemers Secondary School with campuses in virtually all the church’s provinces, Christ the Redeemer Secondary School, and Redeemers International Leadership Academy located on Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s Christ Embassy, which has branches in Nigeria, South Africa, London, Canada and the United States, has diversified business interests in newspapers, magazines, etc. The church runs a publishing company, Loveworld Publications, which publishes ‘Rhapsody of Realities’, a monthly devotional Oyakhilome co-authors with his wife. It is also said to own a local television station, a record label, satellite TV, a fast-food chain, hotels and extensive real estate. Loveworld TV Network is reportedly the first Christian network to broadcast from Africa to the rest of the world on a 24-hour basis.
Though a report says ‘Rhapsody of Realities’ sells over 2 million copies every month at $1 apiece, many members of the congregation argue that the publication is distributed at no cost to the Nigerian public.
On its part, Word of Life Bible Church in Warri, Delta State, owned by Ayo Oritsejafor, runs Eagle Microfinance Limited, Eagle Heights University, Eagle Heights International Schools, the International School of Ministry, African Broadcasting Network, and Eagle Hand International Foundation.
Matthew Ashimolowo’s Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC), reportedly the largest Pentecostal church in the United Kingdom, runs a media company, Matthew Ashimolowo Media, which produces tonnes of Christian literature and documentaries. The church also has other varied business interests, including the recently established Kings University in Ode-Omu, Osun State. In 2009, the church reportedly posted profits of close to $10 million and assets worth $40 million.
Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN), founded in 1987 by Temitope B. Joshua, currently has branches in Ghana, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Greece, etc. However, the church’s only known business interests seem to be only Emmanuel TV, a Christian television network, and the hotels that accommodate the thousands of miracle-seekers that throng the church’s headquarters in Lagos.
Pastor Williams F. Kumuyi’s Deeper Christian Life Ministry runs Deeper Life High School while its proposed Anchor University is billed to begin operation soon. The church also runs ancillary services, such as water packaging and bakery, though close sources say products of these concerns are sold only to members during the church’s retreats.
Furthermore, Church of God Mission, established by the late Benson Idahosa, runs Benson Idahosa University (BIU), World of Faith Group of Schools and All Nations for Church Bible Institute; Felix Omobude’s New Covenant Church runs Covenant Christian Academy and Light House Polytechnic; while Evidence of the Gospel Church, owned by Oyonude Kure, operates Evidence College and is proposing to establish Evidence University.
Similarly, Lazarus Muoka’s The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry operates the multi-campus The Lord’s Chosen International Schools, while Johnson Suleiman’s Omega Fire Ministry runs Avunegbe Microfinance Bank in Auchi, Edo State.
Among the orthodox churches, even from the time of the early missionaries, the interests have hovered around education and healthcare provision.
While the Catholic Church runs mostly schools and hospitals to support its ministry, individual clergymen have been known to establish ministries through which they preach the gospel. But in the course of preaching the gospel, some of them have also gone commercial, writing and publishing Christian literatures as well as recording and selling gospel tunes and sermons.
For instance, CDs and DVDs of songs and sermons recorded by Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka, founder of Adoration Ministries in Enugu, are on sale in many parts of the country, while the ministry is also into water and yoghurt packaging. It owns Aqua Rapha bottled and sachet water as well as Yogo Rapha, a brand of yoghurt.
Reverend Father Emmanuel M. P. Edeh, founder of Pilgrimage Centre of Eucharistic Adoration in Elele, Rivers State, runs several academic institutions ranging from nursery/primary and secondary schools to universities that are situated in different parts of the country, including the now famous Madonna University.
Similarly, the Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Apostolic and other orthodox churches in the country run nursery/primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. While some of these were those inherited from the early Christian missionaries, others are recently established.
In many parts of the country today, evidence abounds of some of the schools established by the foreign missionaries. It is on record that the first secondary school in the country, CMS Grammar School in Lagos, was established by the Anglican Communion, which also runs Ajayi Crowther University in Oyo State and some other ventures within the country.
Who owns the wealth – the church or the pastor?
There is still a raging controversy as to whether these business ventures, or indeed the wealth, actually belong to the churches or their pastors. While this is not much of an issue for the orthodox churches which no one person can lay claim to their ownership, it is not so for many of the Pentecostal churches. For many Nigerians who spoke to BDSUNDAY, there is indeed a very thin line separating the pastor and the church.
In 2011, the five richest pastors in Nigeria were listed on Forbes. Topping the list was Bishop David Oyedepo, whose estimated net worth was put at $150 million. Oyedepo is said to own four private jets and homes in London and the United States.
Following behind him was Chris Oyakhilome, whose net worth was estimated at $30 million-$50 million.
Third on the list was T.B. Joshua, whose net worth was estimated at $10 million-$15 million, followed by Matthew Ashimolowo, with an estimated net worth of $6 million-$10 million, and finally, Pastor Chris Okotie, owner of Household of God Church, “one of Nigeria’s most flamboyant congregations”, whose net worth is estimated at $3 million-$10 million. Okotie, who cruises in a Mercedes S600, Hummer, Porsche, among several others, is said to have made his personal wealth from his previous career as a musician and from his other business ventures, but these business ventures are not mentioned.
On why RCCG did not make the list, the author of the report, Mfonobong Nsehe, said, “When I contacted the RCCG, I was told that Pastor Adeboye does not exactly own the church. He’s just the General Overseer, so he doesn’t own the assets of the church or any other vast estate. As a matter of fact, the Private Jet he uses belongs not to him, but to the church. But, definitely, he’s considerably rich.”
Assemblies of God Church, popularly known as AG, is among the churches doing well in business with the establishment of AG Mortgage Bank Plc incorporated in July, 2004. Since then, the primary mortgage institution has gone ahead to woo customers including church members to its products and services.
According to Nnanna Ikechukwu Henry, head, Construction Finance, AG Mortgage Bank Plc, the mortgage home with loan portfolio of over N2 billion is well-received in the market.
As well, AG Homes has executed some projects across the country while ongoing ones include: SallY Best Estate in Gwarimpa, Abuja, Evangel Court, Lekki , Lagos, Evangel Gardens, Pocket Layout Enugu, Evangel Estate, Ogbeke Enugu, and Marvel Heights Estate, Isheri North Lagos State.
The mortgage institution target low income earners as the church’s contribution to helping people own their houses, alleviate sufferings and help in closing the housing deficit in the country.
Besides its printing press that makes money from printing devotionals and other materials for the church and other clients, Assemblies of God also runs secondary schools under the group name Evangel College. From the college, it has gone ahead to open Evangel University in Akaeze, Ebonyi State.
Professor Ike Umechuruba, vice chancellor of the university, noted that Evangel University Akaeze, Ebonyi State is one of the five (5) Private Universities licensed by the Federal Government of Nigeria on 28th February 2012 to operate as degree awarding institutions. The Proprietor of Evangel University is the Assemblies of God, Nigeria, the proprietor of the university, aims: “to offer total education for the liberation of the total man for total service to God, humanity, the individual and the society at large, through scientific inquiry, academic integrity, tolerance to diverse views and opinions, coupled with faith in the Bible as God’s Word”.
In all these, Reverend Chidi Okoroafor, general superintendent, Assemblies of God, Nigeria, thinks the church can venture into business as long as it does it with human face and not forgetting its primary calling, which is saving souls for God’s kingdom.
Nigerians yearn for more impact
In truth, many of Nigeria’s churches are giving back to society in various ways, especially by reaching out to the poor and the less-privileged. Some of them also argue that even the so-called business ventures are also a way of reaching out.
“We use the income of the church to build schools; we use the income of the church to serve the needs of the poor. These are non-profit organisations,” Oyedepo told Reuters in an interview.
However, many Nigerians say considering the immense wealth controlled by these churches, they should be able to do more.
“Why should a church use money from the congregation’s tithes and offerings to set up a school and children of the poor people in the church cannot attend the schools because of exorbitant fees?” fumed Ayo David, a worshipper in one of the popular churches.
“Whatever happened to scholarships? These churches should be able to fund exceptional but indigent students in their schools, just as Pastor Ashimolowo is doing in his newly established Kings University in Osun State,” he added.
BDSUNDAY check on the Kings University website shows that the tertiary institution offered scholarship opportunities in two categories to exceptional students for the 2015/2016 academic session.
The Matthew Ashimolowo Scholarship Scheme (MASS), as advertised on the website, had a total of 40 full tuition and accommodation scholarships for academically outstanding applicants of Kings University in the areas of Management Sciences (10 students), Information Technology (10 students), and Sciences (20 students); while KICC Scholarship Scheme had a total of 80 full tuition and accommodation scholarships for academically outstanding applicants of Kings University in the following categories: Ode-Omu indigenes (5 students), Management Sciences (25 students), Information Technology (20 students), and Sciences (30 students).
CHUKS OLUIGBO, IDRIS UMAR MOMOH, Benin, & SALAU JOHN
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