Ezekiel Mutua has stepped into one of Kenya’s most heated church controversies, publicly backing Mombasa pastor Wilfred Lai after a sermon clip in which the clergyman told his congregants that KSh 200 was too little as a tithe went viral and divided opinion across the country.
Pastor Lai, who leads Jesus Celebration Centre (JCC), was filmed telling his members that God rejects small tithes, a statement that many Kenyans online quickly branded manipulative and out of touch.
The former Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) boss fired back at the critics, insisting that the short clip does not represent the full picture of who Pastor Lai is.
“I have tried to examine the context about the viral clip by Pastor Lai on giving and here is my take: Pastor Lai is not the kind of preacher who would deliver such a message out of desperation or for personal gain from congregational giving,” Mutua wrote in his statement.
“He is an established, seasoned preacher, with a ministry and business footprint that place him among Africa’s most accomplished preachers. He is not a man in need.”
Mutua painted a picture of a pastor speaking to his flock from a position of spiritual authority rather than financial pressure.
“He was teaching a principle to his own spiritual children, speaking from a place of conviction, experience, and fatherly concern. Over the years, I have seen him support fellow preachers, artists, and elderly people generously — often quietly and to the tune of millions,” Mutua added.
Mutua points to Lai’s ministry track record
To bolster his argument, Mutua highlighted Pastor Lai’s journey in ministry, noting that JCC grew from roughly 60 members to over 10,000 under his leadership.
He also pointed out that the church has established branches in Kenya, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and that Lai was among the pioneers of television ministry in Kenya.
“Giving is also a long-standing emphasis in his teaching ministry, which makes it more plausible that the clip reflects a doctrinal conviction rather than a desperate appeal for offerings,” Mutua concluded.
He also pushed back against the tendency to judge an entire life’s work on the basis of a few seconds of footage.
“It is unfair to reduce a lifelong ministry to a few seconds taken out of a viral clip. Those who truly know Pastor Lai know his heart, his generosity, and his consistency,” he said.
Mutua further argued that at Lai’s age and level of influence, the pastor had earned the right to speak plainly on matters of faith and stewardship without being second-guessed.
“At his age, with his influence and the depth of his journey, he has earned the poetic licence to speak on life, faith, and stewardship like a father,” he stated.
