Sunday 11 November 2012

Should Our Pastors Be Living This LARGE?


Bombardier Challenger-601-1a Interior
A lot of comments have trailed the news of the new jet acquired by President, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and founder of Word of Life Bible Church, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. Judging from the comments I’ve read, a lot of people think it is such a bad idea for the man of God to acquire a jet.
The USA manufactured 10-seater Bombadier/ Challenger 601 aircraft was marked N431CB. The Challenger 601 is a heavy jet that sits up to 10 passengers and has a range of 3,900 nautical miles. It has a full enclosed lavatory and a flight attendant for additional comfort. The luxurious and spacious cabin of the Challenger 601 is perfect to conduct meetings or simply relax.
“l am not interested in pastor having or not having a private jet but how much is the church paying as tax to the government for them to have this kind of luxury? Simple.”
“Pastor,your mother challenged God for a male child in a better church than what you founded.It would have been better if you have been serving God in the baptist church.By now,you would have understood that you do not need this private jet that you have just acquired.Vanity upon vanity.”
“One would think maybe even jesus had some real pimped out donkey with gold and diamonds all over it. Utter foolishness and clear 419. When do pastors have so much money while there are people in the same bloody church who find it hard to afford 3 square meals a day.”
“There’s indeed money, stupendous MONEY IN THE WORD. Little wonder there’s no shortage of potential dealers (some call them Pastors) and aspiring dealerships or churches if you may. LORD HAVE MERCY!”
“Can one buy shares in these churches ?”
“I would’ve been very happy to read that Pastor Ayo is inviting men of God from UK, USA, and those in Nigeria and other African Countries for an interdenominational crusade in the city of Maidugri.
I strongly believe too that people all over would’ve been happy to hear that the leader of CAN in Nigeria in conjunction with Nigerian prays had stage a day national prayers in Jos to mark his 40th yrs on pulpit.
If the CAN president would’ve channeled the huge amount in acquiring private jet into evangelising, holding crusade in the entire northern region, holding talks with his counterpart in the north i sincerely believe there would’ve been a turned around in the life of terrorist and their sponsors as in the life of Pual,”
“God knows about d serious problem of mammon worship. Your advice, prayers and help is needed not your condemnation.”
These are the kind of comments readers of published stories about the new jet made, most as you can see condemns the new acquisition.
Forbes recently made a list of the wealthiest men of God in Nigeria, followed shortly by a report from a UK-based newspaper about alleged accusations by members of Bishop David Oyedepo’s UK church that they were being extorted.
Most of the arguments I’ve heard about the riches of the men of God are geared towards seeing them live modestly and give back to the society. As good as this is, people seem to go too far in challenging and condemning every step men of God take.
They are men of God, they are supposed to watch over God’s people, but they are also humans; men like you and me with families and children who would live after them. Tell me why they should live only for others. What will be the lot of their families?
They are men of God, but being a man of God is their profession as we all have ours. As we get promoted in our works and our wages gets increased, they also deserve better. They shop where we shop, live where we live, they are humans just like us and they deserve good lives.
Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has been a pastor for 40 years. If you are in a profession for 40 years and still can’t live as well as you’d love to, it means you have failed. More so, reports say the jet was a gift from his church.
We should stop condemning every step they take. They are not superhuman because they are men of God; they are just like you and me, and they can make mistakes, even worse mistakes than you make. There are even mere men that are as close to God as the people tagged ‘men of God’.
Yes, they should help the poor, give as much as possible to their societies, but it doesn’t mean they should not live well.
I’m not disputing that there are some pastors that are in the ministry for business, but who are we to judge? They don’t answer to us, they answer to God. Even the churches with the weirdest of doctrines have members; part of us.
Now, let’s move on to better things and stop condemning, or for some people, feeling bad about the success of men of God.

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