TB Joshua Rejects N500,000 Tithe From A Woman In Church

T.B. Joshua, perhaps Nigeria’s most unconventional
cleric, posted a heart-warming story on his official FB
page about an elderly lady who came to his church with an
unusual gift.
A retired teacher named Caroline Orugude had come to The
Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos,
Nigeria to share a curious testimony.
After retiring from her job in June, 2012, Caroline was
forced to wait almost two years for the gratuity that
she was supposed to receive. “There was nothing
much we could do except pray because the pension
system is so unreliable,” she narrated to the
congregation.
After visiting various churches for prayer without any
visible change, she was introduced to Emmanuel TV, the
popular Christian television station broadcasting the
activities at The SCOAN, and began praying along with T.B.
Joshua.
Within two weeks, she received a call from the treasury,
asking her to go to Abuja to collect her pension money. “I
decided that when I got the money, I would come to The
SCOAN to appreciate the Lord,” she joyfully said. “I am
here with the small sum of 500,000 naira, to give to the
man of God and The SCOAN, as my tithe.”
It was an unexpected declaration but the response of
Joshua was equally surprising as he insisted he could not
collect the gift.
“Yes, it is written in the Bible that we should pay tithe but
how can we collect tithe from widows and the aged who
are supposed to be under our care,” he questioned the
congregation.
“Remember, she has stopped working. She needs our care
for the rest of her life. These are the women we should be
feeding and taking care of. She is our mother; she is my
mother too.”
The cleric, who is well known for his philanthropic
gestures, then announced that instead of taking Mrs.
Orugude’s tithe, he would support her with an additional
500,000 naira.
“When God calls a man or woman, what they will eat, what
they will use and everything they need for their journey will
be provided abundantly by God,” T.B. Joshua then
explained, noting the attributes of genuine ministers of God.
“When a minister begins to depend on tithes, you know he
is not a minister of God,” he added. “This is a message to
ministers of God all over the world. When we collect tithes,
we should know those whom we collect them from. Don’t
force anybody – it is between them and God. Let us
worship the Giver of money, not money,” he concluded.
The post on Joshua’s Facebook page, followed by 1.5
million people, ended with a poignant question. “Where are
your elderly? Care for them and you shall reach old age.”
A video recently surfaced of Joshua refusing a $1,000
offering from a Swiss lady who received healing during his
crusade in Colombia. Several weeks ago, he spoke
scathingly of 'money-hungry' pastors, insisting that
ministers of God should not force members to give
offerings or tithes as it was a thing of the heart.