By Bernard Ariye
Controversy Erupts Over Pastor Ibiyeomie’s Claims on Poverty and Jesus
A recent sermon by Pastor David Ibiyeomie, founder of Salvation Ministries, has stirred a wave of backlash from prominent Christian leaders and religious organizations, who accuse him of misrepresenting the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The Controversial Sermon
In a viral video making the rounds on social media, Pastor Ibiyeomie declared that “Jesus never visited any poor person in his house,” using it as the basis for claiming that Christ hated poverty. According to him, Jesus’ interactions on earth demonstrated a preference for wealth and success.
“Jesus never visited any poor person in his house, that means He hates poverty,” he said during the sermon. “He visited Lazarus—they were not poor. He visited Zacchaeus, a rich sinner. Tell me one poor man Jesus entered his house.”
The pastor further argued that salvation in Christ should automatically lift believers out of poverty, suggesting that remaining poor reflected spiritual ignorance.
“Nothing is wrong with you coming to Christ as a poor man, but it is wrong for you to remain poor,” Ibiyeomie emphasized.
Damina Fires Back
Pastor Abel Damina, founder of Power City International Ministry, was one of the first prominent voices to condemn the sermon. Known for his own controversial theological takes, Damina accused Ibiyeomie of deliberately twisting scripture to promote a “prosperity gospel” agenda.
“How can Jesus hate poor people?” Damina asked in a rebuttal video. “He was born in a manger, to a poor carpenter and his wife. If He hated the poor, He should have been born into royalty or wealth.”
He went on to cite scripture to support his argument, including the well-known verse from 2 Corinthians 8:9: “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.”
Damina criticized Ibiyeomie for what he described as “insulting the sensibilities of scripture” and misleading believers by equating material wealth with divine approval.
CAN Condemns ‘Dangerous Distortion’
Adding his voice to the criticism, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, chairman of the Lagos chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), condemned the sermon as both misleading and theologically unsound.
Speaking in a telephone interview with Saturday PUNCH, Adegbite said:
“That sermon is nothing but loose talk. It is a dangerous distortion of Christ’s mission and an insult to biblical truth.”
He warned Christians not to fall prey to teachings that prioritize prosperity over the core message of salvation.
“Jesus is a lover of the poor and identified with them. That’s one of the reasons He came into the world. Any pastor preaching otherwise is not aligned with true Christian doctrine,” he added.
Calls for Doctrinal Caution
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions within Nigeria’s Christian community over the prosperity gospel—an increasingly popular doctrine that links faith with financial success.
While Ibiyeomie has not publicly responded to the backlash, the response from figures like Damina and Bishop Adegbite underscores a growing demand for theological accountability among prominent preachers.
As the debate rages on, many Christians are being urged to return to the scriptures and evaluate teachings through the lens of Christ’s full message—one that embraced the poor, challenged the powerful, and called for both spiritual and social transformation.
