Controversial Nigerian cleric, identified as Gideon Odoma, has revealed that most Pastors in the country are very poor.
The cleric, on Tuesday, added that 70 percent of the so called men of God, received less than N60,000 as monthly salary.
Gideon, while expressing his displeasure, yesterday, via his X page, over people’s wrong perception on Pentecostal Pastor, stated that pastoring is not a lucrative profession in Nigeria, emphasizing that most pastors struggle financially.
He said: “At least, 70% of pastors in Nigeria are poor. And, that’s me being conservative.
“Many people think that the popular Pentecostal MoGs and denominations are representative of reality. No. They are not. Do you know how much pastors of QIC, EYN, ECWA, NKST, UEC, COCIN, etc, are paid monthly? You won’t believe it if I told you.
“There are thousands, you heard right, thousands of pastors who are paid less than 60,000 Naira monthly. Sometimes, when a pastor is posted to a new station, the station renegotiate his salary downwards, like: “Sir, we know you’re on 60k, based on the church’s payment schedule, but our assembly is struggling financially, so what we can afford is 35k monthly.”
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“I know a case where a pastor refused the reduced offer, and he was replaced by a more ‘understanding’ pastor, while he was told to go home, till there was a church open and willing to pay him his due rate. He ended up waiting a full year before he was posted again. Man had to return to his village for a year.
“I happen to know something about how church denominations, the majority of them, operate. Most protestant churches in Nigeria are not Pentecostal, and even Pentecostalism (which has now become popular) does not pay huge salaries. Or tell, on average, what is the monthly salary of a senior Pastor in a Pentecostal church in Nigeria?
“I am tired of hearing that “pastoring is a lucrative business in Nigeria.” Even as a generalization, it is not true, because the overwhelming majority of our pastors are poor.
“I could say more, but for now, I won’t… my phone battery is low, because a town hall different.”
At least, 70% of pastors in Nigeria are poor. And, that's me being conservative.
Many people think that the popular Pentecostal MoGs and denominations are representative of reality. No. They are not. Do you know how much pastors of QIC, EYN, ECWA, NKST, UEC, COCIN, etc, are paid…— Gideon Odoma (@gideonodoma) June 4, 2024
