- UK-based cleric advocates economic empowerment, states ‘poor you’ll still sin’
Popular UK-based Nigerian Pastor Tobi Adegboyega has ignited public debate with recent comments suggesting that salvation alone is insufficient to prevent sin if a person remains impoverished, stressing the need for economic empowerment within the church.
Speaking during a recent interview with media personality Shank, Pastor Adegboyega argued that poverty often pushes individuals toward morally compromising situations, regardless of their spiritual devotion.
Salvation and Sin
The cleric explicitly linked financial hardship to spiritual vulnerability, criticizing the traditional church model that prioritizes spiritual teaching without material support.
”If you have salvation, and you’re poor you’ll still sin,” Adegboyega stated, later adding, “Yes, because you want to eat. Because you have no choice.”
He stressed that true Christian development requires both spiritual and material success.
Criticism of Church Structure
Adegboyega further criticized churches where pastors achieve wealth while the congregation remains poor, asserting that the duty of church leaders extends beyond preaching to include creating financial opportunities for members.
He argued that prosperity and salvation must be pursued together to ensure that believers can maintain righteous lives without being compromised by economic desperation.
The pastor emphasized that his own ministry focuses on this dual approach: “We have built communities to make people rich. Prosperity alongside salvation.”
