What pentecostal pastors share in common with politicians, By MICHAEL OWHOKO

In Nigeria, materialism has blurred the lines between religious leaders and politicians, despite the expectation that their roles would entail differing values and lifestyles. A moral decline, fueled by the pursuit of wealth, fame, influence, and power, has led some Pentecostal pastors and general overseers to abandon asceticism and embrace material indulgence.

Ordained ministers of God should humbly and sacrificially communicate Christ’s redemptive values, not emulate affluent capitalists or politicians. Elected politicians should prioritise public welfare and security, rather than treating politics as a career for personal enrichment.

Driven by similar desires for wealth and power, many pastors and politicians exhibit similar behaviours: acquiring private jets, luxury accommodations, foreign education for their children, foreign properties and citizenship, upscale residences, numerous domestic staff, and hometown projects funded by church or public resources.

They also cruise around in expensive exotic cars and SUVs, often surrounded by a convoy of security escorts. While it’s understandable for politicians to have escorts, given their vulnerability to public backlash stemming from their lifestyle of lies and deceit, it’s puzzling when men of God—who preach truth and promise divine protection—don’t rely on celestial powers for themselves but instead turn to security agencies for defense. It’s a contradiction that leaves much to be desired.

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The way they bankroll their extravagant lifestyles is much the same. Politicians often use various tricks to siphon public funds, from diverting constituency money to serving private interests, while some men of God profit from their followers through deception, guilt, and fear. They keep tight control over tithes, offerings, seeds, and first fruits, along with so-called voluntary donations that are carefully crafted to tug at the congregation’s emotions while leaving little real choice.

There’s little to no accountability or transparency. The handling and use of these income sources are kept secret, known only to the immediate families of pastors and GOs or a few handpicked loyal church members. Members are usually told not to question how the finances are managed as doing so is seen as rebellious work of the devil and can lead to consequences like warnings, suspensions, or even outright expulsion.

In other countries, church offerings and tithes are treated as charity funds, ensuring transparency and accountability. Members can freely request receipts for these contributions, which serve as proof of charitable giving. These receipts can then be submitted to the government for tax rebates, allowing members to benefit from tax relief.

Pentecostal churches often aren’t accountable to members about how levies and contributions are managed, similar to the government’s lack of transparency. Political office holders sometimes treat public funds as personal income to support their lifestyles. When citizens demand accountability over revenue management in the face of obvious corruption, those in power are quick to label them as agents of destabilization working for opposition parties. If such criticism continues, these citizens may be hounded, warned, blackmailed, intimidated, or silenced using state security forces.

Because of seemingly shared values, politicians who win elections through rigging and other fraudulent means are often given the chance in Pentecostal churches to offer thanksgiving to God for their “successful” election. They’re even invited onto the pulpit to share testimonies, address the congregation, and receive prayers, sometimes accompanied by prophecies. Before leaving, these politicians make donations to the church, often using funds obtained through looting.

Looted funds are often accepted as donations, gifts, seeds, tithes, or offerings. Pastors and general overseers rarely question the source of the money or the integrity of the donors, as long as it boosts the church’s revenue. This has fueled the rapid growth of Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. It’s uncertain if the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics even knows the exact number of these churches. They tend to set up branches in areas with wealthy residents rather than rural communities with poorer populations. Lekki in Lagos is a prime example, with a high concentration of major Pentecostal churches.

Just as politicians have turned politics into a profitable venture, straying from the true purpose of governance for personal gain, some leaders in the Pentecostal movement have commercialized the gospel, succumbing to the temptation of earthly riches under the pretense of expanding the kingdom. While 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 does state that preachers can earn their living from the gospel and that church members should support their pastors, many have twisted this scripture, exploiting the vulnerability and lack of knowledge of their congregations to finance lavish and extravagant lifestyles.The desire to maintain their lavish lifestyles often leads to a lack of clear succession plans. Once they’ve experienced power, wealth, and influence, many politicians are reluctant to leave office. When the law forces them to step down, they often handpick a child, spouse, relative, or a loyal protégé to succeed them. Letting go of the wealth and tempting opportunities tied to their positions is never easy for them.

Founding Pentecostal pastors and general overseers often use similar tactics to keep themselves in power indefinitely. They rarely have clear succession plans, instead giving the impression they are waiting for the Lord to choose a successor, while actually grooming their children or spouses to take over. They are unwilling to entrust the church’s significant finances to an “outsider.” This is why many Pentecostal churches struggle to survive beyond the founder’s lifetime, gradually fading into obscurity after their death.

Just as politicians charm their audiences with promises of lifting them out of poverty to secure votes, some Pentecostal pastors also offer false hope of prosperity as a tactic for church growth. Instead of urging members to learn skills that could help them provide valuable services and products, they hold prayer programs where people are encouraged to sow seeds—enriching the pastors while draining the poor. They know wealth doesn’t come from prayers alone, yet members are still told to simply have faith.

Sadly, not all donations, levies, and contributions from church members go toward kingdom expansion. Instead, some are redirected into private, family-owned businesses registered under family names. The profits from these ventures aren’t fully returned to the church either, with portions being invested in other enterprises like real estate, stocks, manufacturing, and even aviation, where underused private jets are leased out for commercial use.

There’s now a noticeable blur between the spiritual and worldly realms, driven by material ambitions linking Pentecostal pastors and politicians. The once clear divide keeps shrinking as shared values, amplified by materialism, bring them closer. Beneath this convergence lies a pursuit of prosperity, subtly disguised as an effort to help the people. This trend is creating a serious reputational risk for the Pentecostal movement, reshaping its image into one of hypocrisy. It’s a troubling development.

Sadly, the wealth tied to the pastoral office is now influencing the mindset of Bible college students. Many of them aim to start their own churches immediately after graduation, eager to achieve the same level of success as their pastors, who flaunt their immense riches as a sign of divine favour. This often drives them to ignore divine ordinances and protocols, choosing to launch their ministries without waiting for a true calling from the Lord.

■ Mike Owhoko, Lagos-based public policy analyst, can be reached at www.mikeowhoko.com, and followed on X {formerly Twitter} @michaelowhoko