Many preachers selfish, lack integrity – Ighodalo

The Lead Pastor of the Trinity House Church, Lagos, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, has described many church leaders and preachers as self-serving and lacking in compassion for the poor.

He also noted that the Nigerian church had become weak and powerless because of the many divisions that now characterised it, noting that some church leaders also lacked integrity.

He disclosed this on Saturday when he spoke at the 80th anniversary breakfast of the Cathedral Torch Bearers, the foremost male society in the Cathedral Church of Christ, which was held in Marina, Lagos.

Speaking during the inter-denominational Christian discussion on the theme, ‘How to address the challenges facing Christianity in contemporary Nigeria’, Ighodalo lamented the internal decay in several churches and denominations, particularly relating to “financial accountability and commercialisation of church activities”.

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Ighodalo also stressed that although issues around the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-plus community had become too sensitive, adding that the church must not compromise its standards.

“We recognise that there are people like this among us but we also recognise that they are unwell and need help. The church, no matter the pressure, must not accept it.

“These people (LGBT+) are pushing the world into a serious problem. They want to force us to accept them, but we must refuse to support them.

“Even when Barrack Obama (America’s 44th President) came to the country to compel us to accept it, former President, Goodluck Jonathan, did one good thing by rejecting it.

“These people are totally confused. Today, when you talk to a child, they will say you are body-shaming them. Some will say that their mental health is being affected and that they are now frustrated and contemplating suicide. A lot of things have decayed.

“I was trying to fill my COVID-19 form on my exit from America recently and I was given seven options on sex. If the church does not rise up, we will lose this world that that we have found ourselves in,” he stated.

He also noted that Nigerian church leaders had abandoned the major call of God and were now pursuing financial gains.

“Some of them cannot make their financial books public. They will ask you why you want to see their books, claiming that it is a spiritual thing and not for public scrutiny. But they forget that God is a God of accountability.

“There is an internal decay in a lot of churches. There is a siege in the church and it is largely because we gathered here today and abandoned what our master and saviour instructed us to do.”