Popular cleric, Olumide Emmanuel, has reacted strongly to criticisms surrounding churches using offerings to establish schools that many of their members allegedly cannot afford.
The pastor, in a recent statement, defended religious institutions, arguing that several churches have achieved infrastructural developments that governments have failed to provide for decades.
Addressing critics, he said:
“Someone said they used church money to start a school, and the church members cannot afford it. Let me help your foolishness. Many of these pastors and churches that you are speaking against, what they are doing, your presidents and your governors have never done it in almost 60 years.”
He pointed to notable church-owned communities such as Redemption Camp and Canaanland, noting that they enjoy stable electricity and better infrastructure compared to many parts of the country.
Pastor Emmanuel further explained that once church funds are invested in establishing a school, the institution becomes a business entity that must sustain itself financially.
“When we carry church money to start a school, once we release that money into the school, the school becomes an entity. That is what we call capital for starting a business. That school must become self-sufficient, or else it will die a natural death.”
According to him, such institutions cannot continuously rely on church offerings, as they are expected to generate revenue to pay staff salaries and maintain operations.
“That school must pay salary to all the professors. So you mean every Sunday we should now collect school offering for salary? No, the money we have put there must be used in such a way that it can continue to run the school,” he conluded.
His remarks come amid ongoing debates sparked by human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, who recently criticised the accessibility of church-owned universities, particularly Covenant University.
Watch the video below…
@626blaze.com Pastor Olumide Emmanuel has pushed back strongly against widespread criticism of pastors, arguing that many religious leaders have built functional systems and communities that outperform what the government has delivered over decades. He pointed to places like Redemption Camp and Canaan Land, highlighting their constant power supply and organized infrastructure as examples of what effective leadership can achieve. According to him, it’s contradictory for citizens to overlook decades of poor governance—especially in areas like electricity—while directing their frustration at pastors. His message, aimed not just at Omoyele Sowore but critics in general, questions why religious institutions are being attacked when political leaders have consistently failed to meet basic national needs. #viral #viralvideo #fyp #trending #olumideemmanuel ♬ original sound – 626blaze.com
