The Anambra-based cleric says he does not collect tithes, arguing that financial giving should be a personal decision rather than something imposed on worshippers.
By Wapcodehub9ja LIVE News Desk
Nigerian cleric Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere, popularly known as Prophet Odumeje, has said that demonstrating what he describes as spiritual power is the central mission of his ministry, explaining why he does not collect tithes from church members.
Odumeje made the remarks while discussing church fundraising practices and religious teachings about tithing. He criticised ministers who, in his view, place excessive emphasis on collecting money from worshippers without providing practical evidence of the miracles they claim to perform.
“Those people that collect tithes and teach tithes every day when you come to church, they will be interested in making sure that they clear your pockets. And there is no practical evidence and miracles that you will see. The only thing is stories. That is not the kind of church I run,” he said.
The cleric said his approach to ministry differs from that of churches where tithing and giving receive significant attention during services. Explaining his position, he stated that his mission was to demonstrate spiritual power rather than focus on teachings about financial contributions.
“My mission on earth is demonstration of power. All the teaching of tithe and teaching of giving, I am not in that area,” Odumeje said.
However, he clarified that his position should not be interpreted as a declaration that tithing is wrong. He maintained that people should be free to decide whether to pay tithes based on their personal beliefs, rather than being pressured or compelled by religious leaders.
“I don’t collect tithes. Nobody pays me tithes. I am not saying that tithe is bad. Tithe is real. But it is something that you must decide. Not something that somebody will be brainwashing you, forcing you,” he said.
Odumeje also questioned teachings that associate the payment of tithes with a person’s eligibility to enter heaven. According to him, religious giving should not be enforced through threats that failure to pay would prevent someone from attaining salvation.
His comments have brought renewed attention to discussions about the role of tithes in Christian worship, the financial expectations placed on church members and the responsibility of religious leaders when teaching about giving.
While Odumeje expressed his personal position on the issue, Christian interpretations of tithing and financial giving vary among churches and denominations. His remarks therefore contribute to an ongoing religious discussion about whether giving should be treated as a personal choice or an obligation taught by church leadership.
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