I AM NOT THE RICHEST PASTOR,PROPHET T.B JOSHUA

Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua, founder of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations, SCOAN, has chuckled at media reports that he is among the five richest pastors in Nigeria, saying that while riches are better than squalor, he does not even keep a bank account.


Pastor T. B Joshua

TB Joshua was reacting to a report by a blogger with Forbes, the American magazine that keeps a tab on the world’s rich, that he is the third richest pastor in Nigeria.

The Forbes blogger, Mfonobong Nsehe, had said that after intense research, he established that TB Joshua is worth between N1.5 billion and N2.5 billion, making him the third richest pastor in the country, after Bishop Oyedepo who is worth N27 billion and Chris Oyakhilome who is worth between N4.7 billion and N7 billion.

But, in a statement released by his church, the man in the Synagogue, as TB Joshua is known, said that while he is not against wealth, he is not a rich man and does not own a private jet.

He said: “Since the inception of this ministry we have given out all we received from God’s generous hands. We have made it our daily habit to give to those in need – the widows, widowers, physically challenged, little people, the fatherless and those rejected in society.

“All of this can be seen on Emmanuel TV – a station established to change lives, change nations and change the world by examples of how to spend more on others and less on ourselves. “We therefore cannot be categorised among the wealthiest in Nigeria because what money we receive is not accumulated but rather given out to those who need it most.”

Continuing, Joshua said: “Apart from money, assets that classify one among the wealthiest are not in our possession. For example, houses around the world or private jets. It is true, we do not own a private jet – not that there is anything wrong with owning one. They are a blessing and can be used to further the Gospel. But we do not own one. We are definitely not among the wealthiest in Nigeria. Take note, we are not against the wealthy or the richest or having private jets, assets or houses all over the world. We are definitely not among because there is not enough to keep.

In an interview yesterday with our correspondent, TB Joshua said that it does not make sense to accumulate billions of naira while there are millions of needy lurking all around him.“I will rather feed the hungry than to keep the money in the bank,” he said.