A Mombasa pastor has found himself at the centre of a heated debate after openly scolding his congregation for giving what he described as embarrassingly small offerings during Sunday service.
Wilfred Lai, the lead pastor at Jesus Celebration Center, made the remarks mid-sermon, directing his frustration at congregants he felt were shortchanging both the church and God.
Pastor Lai’s Blunt Message on Church Offerings
Without holding back, Pastor Lai questioned how believers could justify spending generously on their households while dropping as little as KSh 200 into the offering basket.
“Some of the offerings that are given, sometimes I feel like throwing it back to the people; it is sick things; you cannot give them even to a beggar on the street. Others even come empty-handed and say even the Lord knows. When we stop this mockery,” he said.
He went further, drawing a direct comparison between household spending and church giving.
“You give your kids KSh 1000 or KSh 500 buy junk food and when in church you give them KSh 200 to the church, woe unto us, who has bewitched us,” the pastor added.
Why the Pastor Linked Small Offerings to Corruption
Pastor Lai told his congregation that poverty within the church persists partly because God, in his view, rejects more than 80% of Sunday offerings.
He also suggested that the habit of giving little had deeper moral consequences, claiming it had pushed some people towards corruption as a means of acquiring money, which they then brought to church.
The sermon sparked lively conversation online, with opinions split sharply between those who backed the pastor’s position and those who felt his tone missed the mark.
Terry Nzombe wrote:
“Punguza hasira biashara ni mbaya kila mahali mzee.”
Kim Lucious observed:
“Tithing is the ONLY part of Old Testament they agree with, if you ask about marrying two wives they will tell you it’s Old Testament.”
Josephine sided with the pastor:
“True, unapata MTU mzima Anatolea mungu eti 50bob and you expect God to come through for you?”
Mash raised a pointed question:
“Why does God need money? Where does God go shopping?”
Tabitha Wanjiku, however, appealed for empathy:
“Papaa…. some people indeed lack money to give….Ngai!!! Do you know people even sleep hungry.”
