David Ibiyeomie, the presiding pastor of Salvation Ministries in Rivers State, has stirred fresh conversation around tithing and church giving after declaring in a viral sermon that he gives a minimum of $12,000 every Sunday — and that his personal wealth is entirely independent of his congregation’s offerings.
Ibiyeomie, one of Nigeria’s most prominent Pentecostal clergy, made the remarks while preaching on what he described as the foundational role of tithing in Christian covenant living, insisting that any believer who neglects the practice will face financial stagnation.
“You cannot say that you are walking in a covenant if your foundation is not in place. Your foundation covenant is your tithe,” he told his congregation.
“Trying to walk in covenant wealth without tithing is like trying to build a house without a foundation.”
To underscore his commitment to the principle he was preaching, the pastor disclosed the scale of his own giving.
“The minimum I give on a Sunday is $12,000. That is the minimum. Every Sunday. And the minimum I give on weekdays is $2,000.
“Even when I am not in church, even when I travel, my offering will be there,” he said.
Perhaps more striking was his assertion that his prosperity bears no relationship to what his members contribute to the church.
Addressing his congregation directly, he said their offerings — or the withholding of them — had no bearing on his financial standing.
“If you don’t give your offering, I will be rich, stinkingly rich. I am not depending on your money. If my birthday is coming, get angry and don’t give me any money.
“This guy will be rich because it is not coming from you. It is coming from my covenant work with God,” he declared.
The sermon has since circulated widely on social media, reigniting debate around the theology of tithing, pastoral wealth, and the financial expectations placed on church members in Nigeria’s booming Pentecostal landscape.
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