The President of the Omega Fire Ministries worldwide (OFM), Apostle Johnson Suleman, has addressed the recent tithe controversy that has been generating series of arguments on the social media.
He reacted and replied Daddy Freeze’s understanding on tithes during a
church service as revealed that anyone who isn’t a Pastor has no right
to attack a Pastor on church issues.
He said:
“Let it be clear that if anyone is not a pastor, he has no right
to attack a pastor on church issue. He should leave everything to God. I
only laugh. Somebody who is not a doctor cannot teach a certified
doctor how to go about doing his job; he will just be laughed at.
Someone who is not a journalist can’t teach a true journalist how he
should do his work; they will just be laughing at him.
I wouldn’t have spoken on the issue but you don’t argue with a
man whose mind is already made up on any issue. It is futile. And I’m
not going to confuse anybody to pay tithe, no. if you attend my church
and you decide not to pay tithe, it’s left to you. In my church they
don’t pay me allowance. I live on my personal businesses and I write
books. So far, I have written 52 books that are inspirational and I’m
still writing. If you write books that are inspirational, believers and
non-believers will buy. It is not as if it is only church members that
buy pastors’ books. That alone is enough to sustain any pastor. So, you
don’t just jump to criticize any pastor for buying private jets of
expensive cars because you think it is tithe that they use to buy them.
If you asked me, there is nothing wrong with tithing. But tithes
should be used by pastors to maintain Christianity, assist the poor in
the church, the vulnerable and the stranded. Not that everything should
go into the pastor’s pocket, that’s wrong. Every pastor should be on
allowance.
That young man does not deserve a response; in fact, I’m not
talking because of him but because my Papa, Pastor Adeboye had spoken,
I’m speaking on the issue. Now, if it requires that we go into a debate,
let’s have it. Yes, your tithe is not a license to make heaven but it
is an acknowledgment of God’s mercy in your life. But because Papa
Adeboye corrected the wrong notion and the young man dared to respond to
him, I felt it was insulting. This is not about sentiment or emotion,
it is about commonsense. You don’t respond to an elder in certain
manner, especially a man of Pastor Adeboye’s standing.
There are things people shouldn’t just dabble into especially
when it is not their field. Even if you mobilize the whole world against
tithing, you will only end up being counterproductive because this is
not your field. Men of God do not need to react to such issues because
like I said earlier, once somebody has made up his mind on a position,
nobody should argue with such a man. My reaction to such a man is, if
that is your position, keep it, continue with what you believe but don’t
confuse people to believe what you believe.”