Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the revered General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has publicly issued an apology during the church’s ongoing National Youth Convention. This apology marked a significant moment in the Christian community, as it involved a retraction of a statement Adeboye made in the past regarding the spiritual importance of tithing.
In his earlier sermons, Pastor Adeboye had claimed that believers who failed to pay their tithes would not make it to heaven. This statement generated a great deal of controversy and sparked debates within the Christian community and beyond. The concept of tithing, where members of a congregation give 10% of their income to the church, is a long-standing tradition in many Christian denominations, including the RCCG. However, connecting the act of tithing with eternal salvation became a contentious issue, drawing criticism from both religious scholars and laypeople.
During the youth convention, Pastor Adeboye acknowledged his error in linking tithing to salvation and clarified his position. “I’m apologizing for saying, ‘If you don’t pay tithe, you won’t make it to heaven.’ I’m sorry, that’s wrong, and it’s not in the Bible,” Adeboye stated. He explained that his previous teaching had misrepresented the biblical stance on salvation and holiness. He referenced Hebrews 12:14, which emphasizes peace and holiness as prerequisites for seeing God, noting that tithing, while important, is not a determinant of one’s salvation.
Adeboye further illustrated his point by likening it to evolving scientific understanding. “It is possible to be right and wrong at the same time,” he said, drawing an analogy to the earlier belief that light travels in straight lines, which was later refined to the understanding that light moves in waves. Through this example, Adeboye emphasized that spiritual teachings could also require reevaluation over time.
His apology and clarification sparked widespread discussions among Christians and theologians. Many expressed gratitude for the pastor’s humility in correcting his mistake, while others debated the broader implications of the role tithing plays in Christian life. Some saw Adeboye’s shift as a progressive move, reflecting a more nuanced understanding of scripture.
This incident also reignited broader debates within Nigerian Christianity over the nature of tithing and its place in modern worship. For decades, the doctrine of tithing has been a bedrock for many Nigerian churches, often used as a means of sustaining the financial health of congregations. However, the assertion that non-tithers would be excluded from heaven struck a nerve, with critics arguing that it promoted a transactional view of spirituality.
In retracting his statement, Adeboye emphasized that believers should focus on living peaceful and holy lives rather than fixating on tithing as a measure of righteousness. His apology has been widely viewed as an important step toward restoring trust and clarity in his teachings, particularly among the youth in his church who look to him for spiritual guidance.
