Odesola JF., PhD
There is nothing wrong with asking questions about how the Church spends its money.
In fact, I believe churches should welcome honest questions. When people give their hard-earned money as tithes and offerings, there should be accountability, integrity and transparency in how those resources are used.
But there is also something called fairness.
And sometimes, in our eagerness to criticise, we can lose sight of the bigger picture.
Recently, American missionary and humanitarian Alex Barbir criticised the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) over its reported donation of $265,854 towards the evacuation of 500 distressed Nigerians from South Africa.
His argument, in essence, is that Church money should be directed towards suffering Nigerians at home rather than supporting a government-led evacuation exercise.
It sounds like a serious argument.
But there is a fundamental problem with it.
RCCG was not funding the Nigerian Government. RCCG was helping distressed Nigerians.
That difference matters.
Very much.
According to reports, the money was used to purchase 500 one-way tickets for Nigerians who were in distress and wanted to return home from South Africa following xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks. The Federal Government publicly acknowledged the contribution and commended RCCG for the intervention.
So, what exactly did the Church do?
It saw Nigerians in distress and helped bring them home.
How does helping vulnerable Nigerians suddenly become “funding government operations”?
That is where I believe the criticism goes too far.
Let Us Put Faces Behind the Numbers
Sometimes numbers can make us forget that we are talking about human beings.
“500 tickets.”
It sounds like a statistic.
But imagine that one of those 500 people is a young Nigerian mother who has been frightened for weeks.
Imagine her standing somewhere in South Africa, wondering whether she and her children will be attacked.
Imagine a young man who travelled abroad hoping to make a better life, only to find himself suddenly threatened because of his nationality.
Imagine an elderly Nigerian who has nowhere to turn.
Then imagine someone saying:
“Sorry, the Church cannot help you because this evacuation is being coordinated by government.”
Would that really be the Christian response?
I don’t think so.
Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25–37.
The man who had been attacked by robbers was lying helpless by the roadside.
The Samaritan did not first ask who was responsible.
He did not organise a committee to determine whether the government should have prevented the attack.
He saw a wounded man.
And he helped him.
That is the heart of Christianity.
The Church Should Not Have to Choose Between Nigerians
One of the weaknesses in the criticism is the suggestion that helping Nigerians in South Africa somehow means RCCG has forgotten Nigerians suffering in Nigeria.
That is an unnecessary choice.
Why must the Church choose?
Can we not help Nigerians who are stranded abroad and displaced Nigerians at home?
Can we not help widows and orphans?
Can we not support victims of terrorism and rescue Nigerians facing xenophobic attacks?
Can we not provide medical care and evangelise?
Can we not feed the hungry and preach the gospel?
Of course we can.
The resources of the Church should be deployed according to needs, opportunities and the leading of God.
Compassion is not a competition.
The fact that one person is suffering does not make another person’s suffering irrelevant.
Yes, Government Has a Responsibility
Let us be clear about something.
The Nigerian Government has a responsibility to protect Nigerians.
Government has a responsibility to deal with insecurity.
Government has a responsibility to protect Nigerians abroad through effective diplomacy.
Government should be able to respond when Nigerians are stranded or endangered outside the country.
Nobody should use Church intervention as an excuse for government to abandon its responsibilities.
But there is another side to the matter.
The failure or limitation of government does not remove the Christian’s responsibility to show compassion.
If a government hospital is overwhelmed and a church builds a hospital, does that mean the church is “funding government”?
No.
If government cannot feed every displaced person and a church establishes a relief centre, does that mean the church has taken over government?
No.
If government cannot evacuate everyone and the Church purchases tickets to bring people home, why should that suddenly be described as financing government?
It is simply civil society helping citizens.
And that is a good thing.
Look at Joseph, Esther, Nehemiah and Daniel
The Bible does not teach us to withdraw completely from society simply because government exists.
Joseph served in Pharaoh’s administration.
And when famine came, his position became a means of preserving millions of lives.
Nehemiah served the Persian king while carrying a burden for Jerusalem.
Esther had access to the king, and she used that access to save her people.
Daniel served in Babylonian government without losing his identity or devotion to God.
These examples teach us something important:
A believer can interact with government without becoming government’s servant.
The Church can cooperate with government without becoming a department of government.
The Church can partner with government on humanitarian matters while still speaking truth to government.
In fact, sometimes government needs the Church.
And sometimes the Church needs government.
The important thing is to maintain the right boundaries.
Does RCCG Care About Nigerians Suffering at Home?
This is another area where the criticism needs to be more balanced.
RCCG has a long history of missions, evangelism, healthcare, community development and humanitarian intervention.
The Church’s African Missions describes community development and assistance to less privileged people as part of its work.
RCCG also has a Public Health Department involved in health-related interventions and responding to community needs.
The Church’s humanitarian and social interventions have taken different forms over the years.
So, to look at one donation and conclude that the Church has abandoned suffering Nigerians is simply unfair.
There is certainly more that can be done.
There is always more that can be done.
In a country like Nigeria, where millions face economic hardship, insecurity, displacement and unemployment, no church can honestly say, “We have done enough.”
But saying “more needs to be done” is very different from saying “what you have done is wrong.”
Those are two completely different arguments.
And What About the Tithes and Offerings?
This is perhaps where emotions become strongest.
Someone may say:
“Those are the offerings of poor people. Why use their money to assist a government programme?”
It is a legitimate question.
But we should also remember why Christians give.
Giving in the Church is not simply about keeping money inside the four walls of a church building.
Giving supports the work of the gospel.
It supports missions.
It supports pastors and ministers.
It supports evangelism.
It supports the poor.
It supports humanitarian work.
It supports the sick.
It supports community development.
And when people are in serious distress, Christian generosity can legitimately reach beyond the walls of the Church.
The early Church demonstrated this beautifully.
Acts 2:44–45 tells us that believers shared their possessions and resources according to people’s needs.
Acts 4:34–35 says that there was a deliberate effort to ensure that people who had genuine needs were not abandoned.
The principle is simple:
God blesses the Church so that the Church can become a blessing.
Pastor Adeboye Does Not Need a Self-Appointed Director
This brings me to another matter.
It is perfectly acceptable for people to disagree with Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
It is perfectly acceptable to question a decision.
It is perfectly acceptable to ask for clarification.
But there is a point at which criticism begins to sound like someone has appointed himself the Director-General of RCCG, determining from outside the Church what Pastor Adeboye should do with every decision.
RCCG is not a small local congregation without leadership structures.
It is a global Christian organisation with pastors, elders, governing structures, departments, mission structures and accountability mechanisms.
Pastor Adeboye has been entrusted with the spiritual leadership of RCCG.
He should listen to legitimate counsel.
He should welcome constructive criticism.
He should maintain transparency.
But he should also be free to lead according to the Scriptures, the established structures of the Church and what he believes God is directing him to do.
No external commentator should assume the position of General Overseer by social media decree.
What Should Pastor Adeboye Do?
In my view, Pastor Adeboye should not become defensive.
Neither should he become distracted.
He should continue doing what a servant of God ought to do.
First, continue to show compassion.
When people are hurting, help them.
Second, continue supporting Nigerians suffering at home.
The displaced, the persecuted, widows, orphans and vulnerable families should remain a priority.
Third, maintain transparency.
Where significant resources are committed to humanitarian causes, clear communication is always helpful.
Fourth, cooperate with government where cooperation saves lives.
But cooperation should never mean surrendering the Church’s prophetic voice.
Fifth, continue preaching Christ.
The RCCG must never lose sight of its ultimate assignment.
The Church is not merely a humanitarian organisation.
It is the body of Christ.
Its mission is to preach the gospel, make disciples, promote holy living and prepare people for eternity.
We Can Criticise Without Being Unfair
I believe there is a lesson here for all of us.
We should learn to criticise institutions without demonising them.
We should ask questions without assuming the worst motives.
We should demand accountability without denying the good that people are doing.
And we should remember that people on the other side of our arguments are also human beings.
Alex Barbir may genuinely be concerned about suffering Nigerians. That concern should not be mocked.
But concern must be accompanied by fairness.
If RCCG had spent the money on a luxury building for its leaders, there would be a legitimate reason to ask difficult questions.
If the money had been diverted for private benefit, we should condemn it.
If the funds had been used to finance a political campaign, we should raise our voices.
But helping 500 distressed Nigerians return home is a different matter.
These were human beings in need.
And the Church responded.
The Good Samaritan Did Not Ask for a Government File Number
Perhaps this is the simplest way to look at it.
The Good Samaritan saw somebody hurting.
He stopped.
He helped.
He paid.
He moved on.
Sometimes we make Christianity unnecessarily complicated.
We ask:
“Is this the responsibility of the government?”
“Is this the responsibility of the Church?”
“Is this the responsibility of another organisation?”
Meanwhile, somebody is suffering.
Jesus’ question was not:
“Who is responsible for this person’s suffering?”
His question was:
“Who was neighbour unto him?”
That is the question the Church must continue answering.
The Church Must Remain the Light
Jesus said in Matthew 5:14:
“Ye are the light of the world.”
Light does not shine only where it is convenient.
The Church must shine in Nigeria.
The Church must shine in South Africa.
The Church must shine in hospitals.
The Church must shine among displaced families.
The Church must shine among widows and orphans.
The Church must shine among the poor.
The Church must shine among the persecuted.
The Church must shine wherever people are hurting.
And sometimes shining means preaching.
Sometimes it means praying.
Sometimes it means feeding.
Sometimes it means rebuilding.
Sometimes it means providing healthcare.
And sometimes, quite simply, it means buying an airline ticket for somebody who needs to come home.
That is not government worship.
That is not necessarily misuse of Church money.
That is compassion in action.
The Church should certainly hold government accountable.
It should challenge injustice.
It should defend the vulnerable.
It should speak for the voiceless.
But while doing all these things, the Church must never become so busy criticising government that it forgets to help the people who are suffering.
So let us ask better questions.
Not merely, “Why did RCCG give money to government?”
But:
“Did the money help people?”
Not merely, “Should government have done this?”
But:
“Since people were in distress, what could we do to help?”
And not merely, “Why did Pastor Adeboye make this decision?”
But:
“Are we willing to recognise that Christian leadership sometimes requires making difficult decisions in difficult circumstances?”
There is room for accountability.
There is room for questions.
There is room for constructive criticism.
But there should also be room for gratitude.
And in this particular case, perhaps the simplest conclusion is this:
RCCG did not rescue a government. RCCG helped rescue Nigerians.
And whenever the Church has the opportunity to lift the burden of a suffering human being, it should never be ashamed of doing so.
Because at the end of the day, the Church is not called merely to talk about compassion.
The Church is called to demonstrate it.
