Former Winners Chapel pastor Ernest Michael Temitope has spoken publicly about his salary and working conditions during his time serving in the church.
Temitope, 28, whose 2024 dismissal letter recently attracted attention online, said his signed salary acknowledgement showed a base monthly salary of about KSh 3,336.
However, he said the amount actually deposited into his bank account was KSh 3,260, after deductions.
“Though my signed letter of acknowledgement reflected a base salary of ₦35,000, my actual take-home pay deposited into my account was ₦34,206.67 after tax deductions,” he told TUKO.co.ke.
Temitope also provided bank records showing salary deposits covering the period from August 31, 2022, to March 30, 2024, which he said document the payments he received while serving in the ministry.
Former pastor explains his Winners Chapel salary Temitope said he received a monthly salary while serving as a pastor but claimed there were no additional personal allowances or health benefits attached to the payment.
He said the church station where he served also received a monthly operational allocation known as ROF, amounting to KSh 667.
According to Temitope, the money was intended to cover the station’s operational needs and was not a personal allowance paid to him.
“There were no additional allowances or health benefits,” Temitope said.
Rural postings came with additional expenses
The former pastor said the financial demands became greater when he was assigned to rural stations that did not have designated accommodation for pastors.
He claimed that in such situations, he personally covered expenses including transport, housing and the welfare of church members from his salary.
“When posted to rural stations without designated pastoral housing, I had to cover my own transport, member welfare, and housing expenses out of that salary,” he said.
His account suggests that his monthly take-home pay of approximately KSh 3,260 sometimes had to cover both personal expenses and costs he associated with carrying out his pastoral duties.
Who is Ernest Michael Temitope?
Temitope said he is from Osun State, Nigeria, and holds a National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, which he obtained in 2022.
He describes himself as a mass communicator, financial market analyst, software developer and creative artist. Temitope also said he is married and has two young daughters.
Former pastor’s 2024 dismissal
Temitope’s comments about his salary come after he publicly shared a 2024 dismissal letter from Winners Chapel.
The letter, dated March 11, 2024, stated that his services were no longer required as part of what the church described as “strategic re-organisation and re-structuring.”
He was also instructed to vacate his official accommodation and hand over ministry property.
Temitope previously described the dismissal as one of the most painful experiences of his life and said he had kept the matter private for several years.
After leaving the church, he said his immediate priorities included finding employment and securing stable housing for his family.
The salary records and his account provide details of what he says were his financial circumstances while serving as a pastor, although the claims about allowances, expenses and working conditions are his account of his experience.
