- 40 axed in Ekiti for ‘poor church growth’
- We were sacked due to poor remittance in tithe, offering, says Pastor Godwin
- Those affected were sacked for failure to grow the church – says source
Pastor Peter Godwin, working with the Living Faith Church World Wide (LFCWW), known as Winners Chapel, says the church sacked him and about 40 others in Ekiti State for failing to grow their respective parishes.
In a letter that has been trending on social media, which is dated June 25, 2021 and signed by the Executive Secretary of the church, Adebisi Aboluwade, the pastors were asked to vacate their official accommodation and hand over their identity cards to their respective area pastors.
A similar step this newspaper learnt also took place in the Benue State area of the church where another pastor also hit the social media with his sack letter from the church indicating that the action might be a nationwide exercise.
One of the letters reads in part, “Consequent upon the recent performance reviews which revealed that your church growth index falls below expectations.
“Please be informed that your services as a pastor in charge are no longer required from this commission with immediate effect.
“You are to vacate the official accommodation (where applicable) and hand over all properties of the ministry in your custody, including your staff identity card to the area pastor before departure.
In a trending video, Pastor Godwin, who claimed to be one of the affected pastors in Ekiti State, said he was employed on August 28, 2020.
He claimed that he was invited with about 40 of his colleagues by the state pastor on July 1, 2021, but was sacked for failing to grow the revenue of the church.
The pastor said on July 1, he received a call that the state pastor wanted to see him, and that he was surprised to see about 40 other pastors when he arrived.
Godwin said, “When I got there, I saw other pastors too, over 40 of them. So, I joined them.
“A few minutes later, we were [each] issued a letter. I opened the content of the letter to see what was there and I saw that it was a sack letter.
“So, I called the management the next day to find out what happened since I wasn’t involved in any dubious activity or evil act. I was told by the management that the church doesn’t operate at a loss.
“They also told me that the total income that is being generated from my station should be able to cater for my welfare and accommodation, so as a result of low income, I’m hereby dismissed.”
When headquarters of the church was contacted for their response, It was learnt that the church was working on an official statement.
A source within the church, however, said the sack, which is routine in the church is nationwide. He further added that it has nothing to do with money, but about church growth. “The commission’s total attention is soul winning and more and more souls must be won for the kingdom,” the source said.
“As indicated in the letter, pastors were sacked for failing to grow membership, which is a key prerequisite,” the source added.
Here is a copy of the letter issued to Pastor Saave Normor of one of the parishes in Benue State
