*You’d think that a pastor’s life would entail living the quiet life which is devoid of all lavish possessions. All they’d do is spread the word of the Bible and hold sermons for those who would love to hear the Word of God.
In Nigeria, however, pastors may be doing all of the above – except they have quite the lavish life. Let’s not ask why, but dig into how. Pastors in Nigeria take 10 percent of the earnings from their entire congregations. How large is this percentage? Well, these pastors have fleets of yellow cars which have their own tailored license plates and are flanked with their entourage at all times. Some would even say that these pastors are coming to be known as nationwide celebrities.
All of this is only possible if you are a “prosperity preacher.” These pastors, if you didn’t already know, believe that their growth in spirituality can only be brought forward with the help of material prosperity. How though? By focusing their sermons on buying a Bentley instead of helping their neighbor, of course!
Prosperity preaching was a huge deal in America in the ‘50s through the 80s, and this is exactly where Nigeria got its inspiration. Somewhere in the early 1990s, prosperity preaching seemed like a great idea in Nigeria but there is one main difference among the two. The churches here are much more charismatic, colorful, and louder as opposed to America. Well, why wouldn’t they? The Word of God seems to be a huge deal in Nigeria.
Since the Nigerian society is fairly conservative and tight-knit, nobody has ever questioned the pastors. In Nigeria, the men of God work in a manner of hierarchies, where those on top of the hierarchy command the greatest respect. Alongside this respect, prosperity preaching involves wearing the most expensive clothes, having a garage-full of nice cars, roaming around with an entourage of well-dressed body guards, and enjoying all the perks of a 21st century millionaire.
That being said, no one can be entirely be sure whether the followers of these millionaire pastors achieve prosperity. One thing is for sure though, until they can make people believe in the link between money and being looked after by God, the prosperity of these pastors is definite. So if you visit Nigeria, don’t be surprised by pastors rolling in a fleet of yellow hummers on a Sunday!
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