Alleged Crimes Of Pastor Ashimolowo …As Reported By British Tabloid, The Guardian
7 min read
It was on a Friday afternoon in the heat of the sun that he walked into the office of Global News magazine, sporting a pair of blue tracksuit trousers and a polo T shirt with a matching cap to disguise his look. Blinking from his right ear like a Yahoo boy that just came into money was a hands-free Bluetooth gadget, he introduced himself as Matthew Ashimolowo, the presiding pastor of the Kingsway International Christian Church (KICC).
The visit to Global News, according to him, was to air his displeasure concerning reports about him in our past editions which he claimed caused him so much pain. The pastor, who came in his yellow chauffeur-driven Hummer Jeep in company of a mobile policeman and another passenger who stayed outside the office, made unpalatable statements not expected of a true man of God.
After more than 30 minutes of ranting, name calling and use of uncouth language, he decided he must have said enough and took his leave.
We want to say categorically that we have nothing against Pastor Ashimolowo. We only reported what actually happened in Britain where he first established his church before he ran to Nigeria when the heat was much on him. The British tabloids liberally reported the case and here we reproduce the version of The Guardian of UK.
Richer than St Paul’s:
Church That Attracts 8,000 Congregation To A Disused Cinema
Controversial Pastor Says God Wants You Wealthy
Growing Popularity Leads To Assets Of £22.9m
Robert Booth
The Guardian UK, Saturday 11 April 2009
A pentecostal church based in a disused cinema in north-east London has emerged as one of the country’s richest religious institutions.
The Kingsway International Christian Centre, in Walthamstow, has filed company accounts which reveal it made a £4.9m profit over the last 18 months. It also has assets of £22.9m – more than three times the amount held by the foundation which maintains St Paul’s Cathedral.
The church is led by a controversial Nigerian pastor, Matthew Ashimolowo, who earns a salary of £100,000 a year and preaches that God wants you rich.
His church’s wealth stems largely from the donations it encourages from its 8,000-strong largely African and Caribbean congregation. They gave £9.5m in tithes and offerings in the 18 months to April 2008, dwarfing the £33,000 that the average Church of England congregation gave over the same period.
Rather than a more traditional plate collection, forms are handed out to worshippers so they can make bank transfers at some services.
KICC’s wealth is the clearest sign yet of the gathering popularity of evangelical pentecostalism which is the only growing branch ofChristianity in the UK with an estimated 300,000 weekly worshippers. This Easter Sunday KICC is running five services over 12 hours which are expected to attract 5,000 worshippers, more than Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral together.
The church’s increasing wealth represents a transformation in its fortunes after the discovery in 2005 by Charity Commission investigators of financial irregularities. Ashimolowo was ordered to repay £200,000 after it emerged he used church assets to buy a £13,000 Florida timeshare and £120,000 on his birthday celebrations, including £80,000 on a car. New trustees were appointed and Ashimolowo was removed from his role as chief executive.
“The last 18 months have been a period of incredible journey in the life of KICC,” said Ashimolowo in a preface to the accounts. “It has been very exciting to see God move the ministry from one level to another as we witness the increased manifestation of His glory.”
Ashimolowo is understood to earn his salary from preaching as well as royalties from sermons published in books and on DVDs through his own company. Matthew Ashimolowo Media Ministries made a profit of close to £60,000 in 2003. It has not filed accounts of trading since then although it still operates.
Four KICC directors earn between £60,000 and £80,000 each. By contrast, a typical Church of England vicar earns around £21,500 and even the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has responsibility for an active congregation of close to a million people, only earns £68,740 a year.
“This is a very well-financed business,” said a tax accountant who examined the accounts for the Guardian. “It holds more than £16m in short term investments. I am the honorary auditor of my local church and they have just £20,000 on deposit.”
The accountant, who asked not to be named because his firm audits other wealthy pentecostal churches, estimated the KICC had avoided a tax bill of at least £1.3m as a result of its charitable status.
Senior KICC officials denied the surplus meant they were taking too much from their worshippers, many of whom live in the poorest parts of London. “People give because of how they have been blessed by what they receive from the church the teaching, the prayer and the church community,” said Soji Otudeko, director of finance. “People give voluntarily and because of their love of the work of God.”
“The teaching of the church is very much about self-development,” said James McGlashan, a former oil executive who is now KICC’s chief operating officer. “If that is preaching wealth then we are preaching wealth. Becoming financially independent, owning a house, getting a degree and a better job is good.”
The church’s International Gathering of Champions conference at the Excel centre in east London last August attracted 94,000 visitors over eight days. The key message was that God wants you rich and believers are “empowered to prosper”.
According to the accounts filed with Companies House, KICC finances were boosted by the sale for £10.1m of its Waterden Road home in Hackney to the London Development Agency which needed the site for the 2012 Olympics. It is planning to spend between £50m and £80m on a five-year project to build a complex at a site in Rainham, Essex, with capacity for 8,000 worshippers, classrooms, a TV studio, bookstore and offices.
Its plans have been the subject of a public inquiry which finished last month and a planning inspector is due to report to Hazel Blears, the communities secretary. The plans were originally rejected by the Thames Gateway Development Corporation, and the church feels it is facing undue opposition to its rapid expansion.
“I think the way the KICC has been treated has been unfair,” said Otudeko. “Britain has become a less and less Christian place and planning law seems to no longer recognise places of worship in the system. I don’t think any non-religious organisation would have been treated this way.”
Religious divide
£100,000
The salary for Matthew Ashimolowo as the KICC’s main preacher. The Archbishop of Canterbury earns £68,740
£9.5m
Donations made by the KICC congregation over 18 months
5,000
Congregation expected at KICC’s Easter Sunday services
£33,000
Donations made by the average Church of England congregation over 18 months
£6.4m
Funds held by St Paul’s Cathedral Foundation
£4.9m
Profit made by KICC in the last 18 months
4,000
Combined congregation expected at St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey’s Easter Sunday services.
THE REPORT THAT NAILED HIM
The charity behind Kingsway International International Christian Centre is The King’s Ministries Trust. This was investigated by the Cahrity Commission of England and Wales between 2002 and 2005. A report of the inquiry was released in October 2005.The report concluded that there had been serious misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the charity. At an early stage in the investigation, it was considered that the charity’s assets were at risk, and control was removed from the existing trustees and placed in the hands of an independent external company (the accountancy and management consultancy practice KPMG), who regularized the charity’s affairs.
The report found that:
there was serious misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the Charity (section 21)
he was responsible for approving payments and benefits to himself and his wife, Yemisi, totalling more than £384,000 (section 11)
he and his family received benefits from the Charity including:
free accommodation for himself and family
an £80,000 car (section 12)
he had made personal purchases using the Charity’s Visa card, including the purchase of a timeshare apartment in Florida for £13,000
over half a million pounds was paid out to Ashimolowo’s private companies, which were operated from church property and had unclear business relationships with the charity (section 15)
Ashimolowo acted as both a trustee and a paid employee of the charity (section 4)
He was ordered (section 34) to repay £200,000.
In a subsequent debate in the House of Lords, Lord Swinfen questioned the Charity Commission’s running of this investigation. He acknowledged the technical breach, but highlighted its openness, “This unincorporated trust has for some years been remunerating its trustees for various services and doing so quite openly. It made the mistake of not realising that it should have altered its constitution explicitly to allow that to be done.” He then questioned the cost of the investigation “With some advice from the commission and the use of the charity lawyer, the trustees of this charity could have affected these changes for some £12,000one-hundredth of the sum the commission has already spent.” He added “The commission believes, understandably, that the future success of this charity is assured by the charity having new trustees”.
The Guardian UK
It is not surprising. These are part of the end time signs. We have more wolves in sheep’s clothing in the name of prosperity preachers. They are getting richer and richer while majority of their members are getting poorer. May God deliver us all from them. Amen
It’s very easy for people from the outside to criticize mega Nigerian churches in UK and in the US. No doubt about it, these churches emphasize excellence and superior achievements among its members alongside with the deep understanding of the Word, and it has reflected in the quality of the caliber of men and women they have produced. These churches have so many professionals and over achievers who have no problem paying their tighes and making huge financial contributions to their churches because they have been blessed tremendously. A co-worker attended a Sunday servcie with me last year and he was so intimidated by the huge numbers of successful Nigerians around him, His question was “are these 9jas”? “You better believe they are”, I replied. That was the last time he came. These are the type of people that will go around writing nonsence about the prosperity of a church and the kind of car that the pastor rdies and all sorts of negative comments, because in their subconscious minds, they believe that a pastor is supposed to be poor and haggard looking. My God is a God of prosperity. If any pastor steals from his flock, God will judge him.
This should be an eye opener for Nigeria.We need an all reaching and robust laws/insistitutions/processes that will help carry out the same oversight functions on our religious organisations,especially the christian based ones for more accountability and proper utilization of proceeds from members. In Nigeria, anything goes and this has encouraged the swelling of the number of places of worship with sole aim of milking the improverished masses.A lot of Nigerian based faith arganisations are not even engaged in charity works.Our legistilators should wake up and addressed these issues instead wasting time trivial matters like gay & lesbian laws.
Pls leave d man of God alone to continue with his God- given assignment. focus on your pls.
why are these pastors always commiting crimes in the name of the Lord and yet when these crimes are exposed they are tagged as victim. Unbelievable!!!
Am tired with Church, but not with God. Please let God judge, don’t always believe what the paper says…
Well are you a man of Satan yourself , did God told you he has choosen someone on this Earth as a representor
Interesting. What a world?
With the news about Pastor Ashimolowo published by The so called British tabloids,it is glaring that the Brish is not happy that an African preacher can earn more than the any Anglican Bishop in Britain.The British arrogant hs nothing to do withGod.They strongly belief is that they brought Christianity to Africa,so there should be no reason for any person outside English man from foreign land especially Africa to bring the any church that will be bigger than their Anglican church in Britain.They forget that Africa recieved Jesus first before anypart of
the world apart from the Jews.Our home journalsits should not be decieved by the British pseudo-Christianity they claim to be.Anyone should have asked them if truely they practice true christianity,why is their PM so concerned about making the whole world homosexual.To blazes with the so called British tabloids.They should tell us how the British has been helping our leaders to exploit,steal and cheating us forth epast centuries.
What the British Government did was to protect people ,s money from been squandered all in the name of religion , some of the people that attend his church in UK has no job, and yet HIs Wife earn close to £400000.00 within 2 years m doing what ,
This are the check and balances and control and audit , which we do not have in Nigeria ,
If not for British Goverment , James Ibori would nt have been prosecuted , how many people has been to a proper jail since tthe inception of the so called EFFC?
With the news about Pastor Ashimolowo published by The so called British tabloids,it is glaring that the British is not happy that an African preacher can earn more than tor have more congregation than any Anglican Bishop in Britain.The British arrogant has nothing to do with God.They strong belief is that they brought Christianity to Africa,so there should be no reason for any person outside English man from foreign land especially Africa to bring any church that will be bigger than their Anglican church in Britain.They forget that Africa recieved Jesus first before any part of the world apart from the Jews.Our home journalsits should not be decieved with the British pseudo-Christianity they claim to be.Anyone should have asked them if truely they practice true christianity,why is their PM so concerned about making the whole world homosexual.To blazes with the so called British tabloids.They should tell us how the British has been helping our leaders to exploiting,stealing and cheating us for the past centuries.
Good talk my Brother, tell them!!!
Hence yor ignorant in been underdeveloped and so much curroption in the land and every one worship money , no trust, and you receive Jesus christ first , put it in your plare and eat it, the whole World is moving froward NIgeria is going backward , every corner you turn to there is church , yet people ,s hearth is not developed?
Thank u my bro. People have been brainwashed by their so called religious leaders/Men of God, and that’s d reason why Nigeria will not progress.
Leave judgement to God. He who lives in a glass house don’t throw stones. So you can’t even take criticism in good faith without retaliation?
Well done to the charity commission for job well done. They should even go deeper. How can they the so called men of God be leaving in affulence to the detriment of most of their converts, if he can fiddle the tax system then what are we talking about.
Wetin, Ashimolowo is God’s instrument to raise great men with awesome self-assurance. If in the course of fulfilling this big life purpose he came into considerable wealth what is wrong with it? Is it your thesis that men of God should be pauper? Abeg, anyone with Alertpay account should click this link and make some cool dollars:
http://www.tinyurl.com/74ropxb
I am one with Pastor Mattew, Xtians should light of this world.
Just remember we will all face the Judge of this earth one day.
More of this eye opener so that converts will examine the doctrines of their denominations before they ignorantly drift away by 666.
Ashimolowo can afford to buy better jets than other Nigerian Pastors but he dare not do that because the Charity Commission will knock his door the next day.
Pastors in Nigeria are not well regulated that is why they are too rich and powerful. We a Charity Commission in Nigeria as soon as possible. Those greedy pastors will never allow it. Never!
Ashimolowo can afford to buy better jets than other Nigerian Pastors but he dare not do that because the Charity Commission will knock his door the next day.
Pastors in Nigeria are not well regulated that is why they are too rich and powerful. We NEED a Charity Commission in Nigeria as soon as possible. Those greedy pastors will never allow it. Never!
@Koola: You are really very naive. If it was a business that someone built completely from nothing, would you be saying that they cannot enjoy the benefits of their labour? You think because they are Pastors, so they should live in penury? You must be very daft then. Have you ever thought about how much work, sleepless hours and labour these people have put in, before they got where they are? Or you think you just turn up, shout a little bit and the church is full and everyone is putting their money down? If it is that easy, why don’t you try it?
Austin it is a shame that you have to decend to the level of abuse of a man because he happens to hold a contrary view. By the way go back to your bible and read about the life of Jesus Christ whom these charlatans claim to represent and ask yourself if Jesus was here today what he would say about them. If you want to be a man of the cloth them be prepared to live like the Master.
Please cure yourself of ignorance and eye service.
Jerry, gbam! You are on point joor. Truly, ignorance strolling with face cap and walking stick.
Well said my brother, but there is no need for name calling…..stay blessed
stupid and silly talk , who sent them message to have sleepness night , is there anywhere in the Bible which says , you should rob peter to pay paul, ?
maybe we should allow our politicians to rub us dry and belive that God will also judge them ?
the so called british are enviying this man of God, and i can see our people also supporting them. why wont they envy him, since thier church can not boast of 50 worshipers at a service and a black man is having more than 5000 worshipers. and the man is even earning more than their acclaimed bishops. they preach against rasicsm and they are the leadeder in the act. they are even mandating us to obey Gay right. Let them obey POLYGAMOUS first because that is our culture and they are against it, also GAY is a TABOO in our land, and they practice it, so they should not force it on us, since they cant respect our POLYGAMOUS nature.
I no fit shout jare. na them sabi, but for my fellow people a word is enough…………
Oluwasegun, you are so right!
I am going to get into pastor ashimolowos calling but i see less of CHRIST but more of flesh [world] in some of these pastors, where is humility,contentment,i wonder if john the baptist were alive today who will be dressing him. vanity upon vanity all is vanity the bible says and they preach also, yet their ways of life is not of CHRIST and highly misleading the flock and hinder their flow spiritually. Nigeria also needs national conference of pastors before things gets out of hand
This is the most stupidly done piece of journalism! I’m a Sahara Reporters fan, but publishing this piece is very dumb and advise Sowore to rise above mediocrities like this if he hopes to go far in the world of journalism! By the way, the British started having problems with Mathew Asimolowo because they lost the court case to obtain the church property in Hackney for free as part of their 2012 London Olympics plans. KICC bought that large expanse of land when it was all forests and no one lived there in the early 80s. Now the place has become a populated area (mostly African and Afro-Caribbean immigrants), is well linked to London by rail and road connections and still has a lot of large parcel of land that was regarded as ideal for parts of the infrastructural plans for the London Olympics. The only problem was that the land belonged to KICC and the courts said the Mayor’s office cannot seize the land (via archaic Brittish law that everything is vested in the crown) and must buy it from KICC at the market rate! Of course they paid over 13million GBP for the property and that didn’t go well with the Britons who were surprised that a church headed by a Nigerian immigrant could wield such enormous powers. But this is God at work and HE has said, He will suffer no man to harm uHIS children and HE will rebuke kings for their sake wherever His people go. The article is plain stupid comparing the Archbishop of canterburry with Pastor Mathew Asimolowo – they’re not in the same class! the Church of England is a dead church and their priests have mostly departed from the Word of God into preaching whatever the few British elites that attend their services want to hear. They ordain gay bishops and openly celebrate abortion and condone all other social evils that the Bible decry. KICC on the other hand is the Church of the living God, it will certainly prosper beyond the understanding of the devils in the British media. By the way, I am not a KICC member, don’t live in the UK (I’ve lived their before), never paid any tithe to KICC, but I have lived in the UK in the past and I know that the Church of England parishes struggle to receive an attendance of 100 members regularly with the exception of the ones attended by the Queen and other public figures when they have the time. And by the way, the British people don’t pay tithes to the Church of England …they will rather give the money to the Cancer Research and other UK charities!
Tunde, u r rigth. People dose not knw ds fact. God is in control.
@Tunde
I’ve never seen a meaningless contribution like yours in my life, I mean why will try to turn logic on its head and think everybody is uninformed like you. I’m suprise to read that you’ve lived in the UK before, yet you claim KICCl property was to seize without pay the commercial value… HABA where did you read this?????.
All property around the Olympic park was bought after two valuations has been done and owner is not happy, this can be appealed. It was bought using Compusory Purchase Order and was paid for. It is beyond me that you are coming here to misinform people that they attempted to take the property for free.
Please stop advertising your ignorance because nobody here want to buy.
@Adedayo: Man, can you read at all? He never said that. Read what he said again.
Tunde’s response is the most logical writeup so far. If Adedayo has an iota of intelliegnce to understand Tunde’s well structured arguments you will have to give his points credence instead of trying to shoot him down
Mr. Tunde, rant and rave all you like about the church of England or the Anglican church, but the fact remains that without the white man there would be no bible or church as we know it today and no place for millionaire African pastors with their mesmerising riches, which definitely goes against the teachings in the bible.
Oh, and also, the UK populace are much more educated and informed and less likely to be deceived and duped by ‘pastors’ than in Nigeria.
Tunde is 100 percent correct Oni. Even if the white people introduced christianity to us, where are they with it today? they can not pray in public places, morality is being thrown out of the window, homosexuality is the order of the day! I refuse to follow blindly even if na you show me road as we popularly say in Nigeria. The Bible says the first shall be last and the last shall be first. It is Africa’s turn to shine! Pastor Mathew is a true man of God and no, i am not a KICC member either! The British are so so racial and will never want a black man to rise above them. Mschew
Thanks for your response.The British and their antiquated churches are behind in the tide of positive events in the church of Christ.Times have changed and their is a shift in the dynamics of power,control, and excellence.Once you are African and you excel beyond the Caucasians’ abilities, then its your word against theirs.So let them go to hell.
Please get your Fact right Ashimolowo was rewarded hansomely dor the Land £25000.00 to be prescise and the land was purchased with the church money for £2.3 million?
@Tunde
I’ve never seen a meaningless contribution like yours in my life, I mean why will try to turn logic on its head and think everybody is uninformed like you. I’m suprise to read that you’ve lived in the UK before, yet you claim KICCl property was to seize without pay the commercial value… HABA where did you read this?????.
All property around the Olympic park was bought after two valuations has been done and owner is not happy, this can be appealed. It was bought using Compusory Purchase Order and was paid for. It is beyond me that you are coming here to misinform people that they attempted to take the property for free.
Please stop advertising your ignorance because nobody here want to buy.
Why are people against a pastor being prosperous. do you want Chrstians to be poor? Anyone that follow the prosperity principles of the word of God will end up being rich. All you want to hear is the Dangotes, and Otedolas buying jets, but once a Christian or pastor gets one, it becomes a crime. u guys should change your mentality. i guess you are actually jealous. if yo expect the message to work for the members why wont it work for the pracher as well. Abraham was richer than the people of his time. you have not even seen anything yet. this is just the beginning of God’s people financial dominance.
My brother and God’s servant, Ashimolowo is doing a good job. I wonder why some troubled belly should bother themselves over the ministry success of a man of God. If I should ask, Is he competing with St. Peters or St. Paul. All are ministers of the God.
Global has supposedly assumed that it has done a nice job but let me quickly add here that Pastor Ashimowo (and any other pastor for that) is not answereable to any man however strange that may seems! Whatever he (or any other pastor for that) does is between him and the God of Heaven who calls him (or them). People therefor has to be cautious on where they tread. Genuine christians understand what i mean. So be careful – a word of caution.
what good job are you talking about? Did they break the news? no. Rereporting somebody elses news is hardly news….
All I see is bitter envy and hatred particularly for a successful Nigerian Pastor, That is what is responsible for the comparisons with Acrh Bishop of Canterbury and the likes…No man of God is above the law of the land so if he is contravening a law let him be ordered right and not this attempt to destroy the good work of God through His servant., Did he force any one to donate? Are the congregation getting poorer or richer? See the destructive work of envy at work.
Global News: Don’t join satan to destroy any man of God or his ministry, if you want your own organization to remain standing, You did not tell us the words that Matthew used against you so how do we believe you.
Let weed and wheat grow together , when the harvester come around he will separate them.
The more churches we have the greater th crime rates in the country. Why? simply because righteeousness is not preached undiluted. prosperity should not be measured in terms of money. leave them to God to judge.
An unfortunate revelation! I was thinking he would make a difference. His father retired from the Nigerian Army,and I thought he would be better than him. Its quite unfortunate,if the allegations are true. My advise to Christians is just for us to serve the Almighty YHWH in mind and spirit as the God we profess has told us through His Son and the earlier Apostles,that the end time is the era of serving and worshipping Jehovah in mind and spirit. All that have ears,let them hear.
once again get your fact right , Ashimolowo Farther died in the Nigerian Civil war , he did not retire,
Nigeria as a country na wa 4 our pastors.
I am not suprised, hear what the Lord said.” Can any hide himself in secrt places that I shall not see him? Saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth?Saith the Lord. I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying I have dreamed, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea they are prolphets of the DECEIT of their own heart. ( Jeremiah 23 23 – 26)
Globalnews is antichrist, they always attack Pastors, if them born U well, write something about an Islamic cleric wether they will not burn your office. Ashimolowo is still in London, he has never left. The British cant just fathom a black man that started a church and is commanding such relevance in few years. and that news is very old. if u think ministry is a fast way to make money, please start ur church today. keep beefing him as u keep running down.
well for once I agree with you , every one who has Lived in Britain will know that it is the most racist society on earth , but the people are very good in covring it up and every one pretend.
Ashimolowo brought it upon himself when he invited Jefrey Archer the novelist into his church , which signify he ashimolowo as a conservative member , hence labour came into power and started the investigation?
“The pastor, who came in his yellow chauffeur-driven Hummer Jeep in company of a mobile policeman and another passenger”
How many security officers followed Jesus about?
How many chariots did he drive around?
Our foolishness in Africa is becoming a cancerous and we are purely mortgaging our future to foolish doctrines.
well writen and well said?
This is old news. I am talking at least 5-7 years ago. I clearly remember my Dad saying this when he saw Pastor Matthew on TV several years ago.
“Isn’t this the man that they were looking for in London? So, he has run away and come back to Nigeria”
Odd but true
Hi guys,
Attimes e dey good to take out sentiments before treating an issue.
Without sentiments, are the millionaire pastors only in the UK. Dont we have the same complaints abt millionaire pastors in Nigeria? Is it because Ashimolowo is a Nigerian/African that the British tabloid should not then talk about his affluence and his actions with church funds? We just act weird attimes tryign to justify whats not right with sentimental reasons.
I’d ask when recently the Bank Boss that got just some millions of pounds as his work bonus (something which he was totally entitled to as he had delivered on what was agreed on his contract papers), did the whole of UK not go in flames questioning why he should be paid bonus? So was the Bank Boss non-English (nigerian/African for that matter) and the media were villifying him?
Its a simple case, first Ashimolowo’s firm/church is playing around with their accounts so that they dont pay tax which is bad.
Secondly, as has been stressed over time, living far above the means of the worshippers who provide the monies you spend as a pastor is totally wrong.
Thirdl, if the reporter is right that he was using words and languages that are not worth coming from a man of God, then its totally wrong. It goes a long way to show the sort of person he is.
This man of God has never hidden anything about his life during his teachings which i watched on screen; about his barrack boy life, his son into sports, his challenges & his huminity in term of speach, dressing.
Most pple dont know what risk it takes in going into any ministry(church,music,film drama etc ) & come out successful.
He had paid his prize, leave him alone.
A MAN I RESPECT, NOT HIS CHURCH MEMBER, BUT HIS TEACHINGS DONE LOTS FOR ME.
LET BE FOCUS ON THE WORD OF GOD, & LEAVE THE PERSONALITY.
The Guardian is not a tabloid, it a broadsheet (read by the elite). The story that nailed him was on ’11 April 2009′, haba be more original we are in March 2012.
‘£6.4m, Funds held by St Paul’s Cathedral Foundation’ while KICC’s assets is £22.9m, please ask the Guardian how much St. Paul’s Cathedral is worth? Then we will compare the 2 organisations.
Its a delibrate policy by the Anglican church to under pay its clergy, like the Catholic priests who take a vow of ‘poverty’, so comparing Pastor Matthew and the Archbishop has no basis.
Like I said, all these are old story, and would not cause him pain. His visit I guess has to do with your distorting his picture and claiming he has an illness. That is down right below ‘the belt’.
Guys, wake up and smell the COFFEE and make sure it is not MILO.
No one above mistake we all have our short coming,it is by grace we are save not by work but let us not abuse the grace.let all live a life worthy of our calling,judgment belong to God He his only perfect judge.
Opinions, reactions and counter reactions! with due respect, we are all free to believe & say whatever – hence to be a sucess in the ministry thru God’s grace & mercies isnt bad, or is it? Christians,(pastors) dont necessarily have to be poor, not able to pay his/her bills & provide for themselves/F&F shouldnt be seen amidst us!we serve a living God and a “rich one” for that matter(He’s said in his word-silver is mine & gold; psm 24: 1-says “…d earth is the Lords’ & its fullness thereof…
So my take this is, let God be the judge, remeber if u point a (1) finger @ someone the remaining four (4) are towards u! be watchful & God bless
All muslim are goin 2 hail fire dnt b dsiv by some Babaric Leaders. Islam is nt a religious of peace bt 4 distruction. I sympathise wit muslim brothers dat do nt bliv in SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. Does killing of innocent brothers bring peace?
Please Jinan try to read the History of Islam and that of Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) here you will know the virtues of Islam.
The killing of innocent life is not Islam neither do they who commit such crimes pure Muslims.
thank you.
I’m glad that for the first time we have Africans who are repatriating our stolen wealth back from Europe. The British witch hunting is empty after all they cant boast of better Christianity than Oshimolowe provides. They are simply jealous of his wealth. Whether he does right or wrong should be our domestic talk else we leave (as usual) to God. He is better than politicians who steal from us by force. he only talk willing converts to submit their moneys if they feel convince by his performances.
British! What is wrong in being black. leave him alone.
I refuse the urge to justify or else….
I am shocked that you allow your medium to be used by Godless europeans; particularly those from the UK. It is quite sad that you an african and a Nigerian choose to embarras Pastor Ashimolowo the way you have all in the name of reporting news that a different newspaper carried.
I have a few questions for you.
1. Did you contact Pastor Mathew for his side of the story before you went to press? or you just went ahead because the UK guardian said so.
2. Is this another case of Colonial mentality? If Oyinbo says it it must be true.
3. Do you understand the workings of charities or churches outside the UK at all? Do you know why they have to register as charities?
In your preamble you did notsay anywhere that you attempted to contact the Pastor or do an investigation of you own to try and understand the story. I feel safe that i can presume that you rushed to press all in the name of sensationalism or should I say hungry journalism so you can sell your rag of a paper and attract commercial interests.
You go comparing St Pauls Cathedral to KICC, do you know the state of christianity abroad? I guess not. Majority of the churches are empty because the societies are “Godless” they spend their money on new gods, alchohol, holidays, gadgets property and other things and when they want to be good they spend money on charities that promise to do good in Africa and in the 3rd world.to absolve the sins of their fathers for the crimes they have committed all over the world.
I will show you the differences in St. Pauls and modern penticostal churches,
Firstly, the oyinbo brand of christianity is fast declining as the young do not go to church anymore. Parents do not even go not to talk of bring their children and teaching them the way of God. Today you find that majority of people in oyinbo churches like St Pauls are old people and also the churches are empty somuch so that some churches had to be sold to property developers who have found other uses for them like turning them into gynasiums, cutting them up into apartments and letting them to tenants, some have even been converted into pubs and drinking houses. On the other hand churches like KICC have come to fill the void that churches like St paul’s have created. KICC is taking care of people’s spiritual development; as such membership is on the rise and you have a mixture of young,middle aged and old members who give their money freely for the work of God. You sit their comparing pastor Mathew to the Archbishop of Cantebury. Do remember that the Archbishop of canterbury is more or less a paper pushing civil servant. How often does the Archbishop travel? do you know? How much spiritual work does he do? Does he fast at all and if he does for how long and what are the rules.
If you must know, the UK authorities got interested because of taxation. No more no less. not because they care about the givers or because they think these people are being swindled.
Also whoever wrote the Guardian article demonstrated how very little he/she knows about the bible or churches. The church is not a building…… the church isa body of believers “where two or more are gathered in my name there I am in their mist” It does not matter that KICC meets in an “abandoned cinema”
Let me not talk too much. I guess you do not know anything about christianity be it African or European which i must tell you are two different roads given the cultural imput.
Please study to show yourself approved. You have been misled.
I am so disappointed that you removed my comments. Could you please tell me and the world why? I suppose diverse opinions make a good reading. Are you so cowardly that you do not want people to read my arguments against you?
Haba…. na you hold yam na you hold knife. Not fair, you are righteous enough to call a man of God thief but not righeous enough to publish a different opinion. What makes you different?
“You just rigged the election” anyway fairplay to you.
I challenge you to allow my comments and let your readers decide if i have said too much. This time no rigging. you dey hear me so?
I hope all Nigerians can open thier eyes and wake up that there is no man of God in any church in Nigeria of today, if a man like so called mattew Ashimolowo( Bashiru) by birth can fool them then what can i say? my peaple please please please wake up, and beware of mike tyson stile pastor
I hope all Nigerians can open thier eyes and wake up that there is no man of God in any church in Nigeria of today, if a man like so called mattew Ashimolowo( Bashiru) by birth can fool them then what can i say? my peaple please please please wake up, and beware of mike tyson style pastor
What baffles me is this; ‘If Metropolitan Police found Matthew Ashimolowo culpable in any criminality or wrong doing, why was he not prosecuted?’ I’ve never known Scotland Yard to be so merciful in dealing with Africans.
There are laws and there are laws. If you operate in any jurisdiction anywhere in the world you obey the laws of the land. In the UK the fact you run a church does not warrant you taking unilateral decisions. You are answerable to the Charities Commission just as much as if you were a CEO of a PLC company you cannot just misappropriate funds you are answerable to shareholders, companies house and HR Customs and Excise.
The bible calls all those who are in Christ to be above blame and if a man of God cannot be proven to be above blame, he will be judged by God and by man. It is he, the man of God who has called ridicule upon himself. The modernised Yoruba adage says you don’t use petrol as a pomade if you intend to work around fire. Many African pastors in the UK who run large ministries make sure they have nothing to do with the finance of their ministries, and appoint or have trustees elected from within the congregation. Moreover they keep their publishing interests independent of their ministry’s interests.
We should remember that the tithe is for the upkeep of the church, the ministry and work that requires getting done, not for enriching the presiding pastor. I don’t take kindly to living in total opulence with no regard for their congregants.
A fair standard of measure for the penticostal KICC should be: How many come very poor and becomevery rich through the teaching? An efficient system that merely attracts a great collection of the rich may be tanamount to pious fraud which is fraud anyway.
I removed myself and family from a Nigerian church as it was all about the money and who had/haven’t got money.
God will judge all the false prophets!
Funny Nigerians love the saying ‘Man of God’.
Well people who claimed to be Men of God should not be seen to be wayward in their dealings with ordinary people ,
Even the Bibke said the truth that you know will set you free , but the truth the truth that you did not know cannot set you free , In a country where Church is purely a business ,God did not specifically tagged any one with extra ordinary power , to call himsell , a man of God , by their fruit you shall know them.
RE Mathew Ashimolo Isue , I was in his Church for 11 years , and believe me , we were all been preached , the Gospel of Motivational speach , and most of what what was was going on was not in the bible i.e coppying of DR D. K . Olukoya of MFM ( pray your way to breakthrough, Mathew Ashimolowo changed the Book titled to power of prayer ) untill hewas been threatning with law suit ,then he desist from publishing the book , and he was telling us in the church that he has been carrying the book for 23 years which was a lie
Then when he was been investigated by charity commision in London , he decide to send £450000.00 cash to his Lagos brach for the pastor in Lagos ro keep the mpney , but Pastor Wale Adefuye and his Wife refused to keep the money for him and they had to leave the church.
prior to all the charity commision investication , Jefrey acher was invited into the church , which signify ashimolowo as a Coservative party member , and Labour Government came into power , hence the investication was carried out
KIcc was just a show off ,where individual could not dress casually and feel comfortable ,
If your magazine really wanted to do a proper investigative jounalism , well try to investigate how Mathew Ashimolo cane to Britain he was sent a pastor by foresqure Gospel church , but when he was about to recalled to Nigeria , he decide to abscond and formed his own church,
so your magazine need to do a thorough investigative journalism on this sa called men of God
People MUST remember that a pastor is a human being and orates thr word of God but he/she is NOT God .Wether the accusations are true or false money is still at the root. Some people put their lasr pennies in the collrection tray in faith, but you have pastors sporting 10,000 rolex watches.God wants people to live in prosperity, but prosperiry and greed are two different things. Did anyone hear that Christ had wealth in abundance? No!!! If you are in Chrlst you have all the wealth yoi need…Amen
I’m amazed, I have to admit. Seldom do I come across a blog that’s
both equally educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you’ve hit the nail on the head.
The problem is an issue that too few folks are
speaking intelligently about. Now i’m very happy I found this in my hunt
for something concerning this.