The Gate Of Heaven Church, also known as United For Jesus Ministry, has distributed financial assistance in the form of cash gifts to its members to help them cope with the current economic challenges in the country.
The event was held on Wednesday at the church’s complex in Umuagara Community, Ezzangbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Ebonyi.
Ndubuisi Chibueze-Agbo, the President of The Gate of Heaven Church World-Wide who spoke to journalists after the event said that the decision to empower the members of the Church was taken by its Committee.
According to him, the empowerment funds amounting to hundreds of thousands of Naira were proceeds of tithes paid by the members from 2022 to date, adding that the charitable act was biblical.
Chibueze-Agbo said that 54 members of the Church benefited from the empowerment programme, saying that each beneficiary got a total of tithe paid from January 2022 the date.
He explained that the Church took steps to mitigate the current economic hardships and cash crunch in the country.
“The decision to empower the indigent members of our Church from tithes paid from 2022 to date was taken on Sunday after the committee’s meeting which deliberated on the modalities for the distribution.
“The committee approved this formula of empowerment in its meeting held on Wednesday, June 12, after taking into consideration the high cost of foods and other essential materials in the country.
“We also encouraged our members to go into farming and produce most of the things they eat instead of depending on buying everything from the market.”
He said that the wealth of the Church should be redistributed among the members and not be taken over by a few leaders.
“Church members should be encouraged and supported with the resources they put together because God will not come from heaven to collect the cash offerings or the tithes.
“God does not need it; it is people that use money; so we do this from time to time as it has been our practice, it should be about service to the Lord’s people as Apostle Paul emphasised in 2 Corinthians 9:1-15,” he said.
Chibueze-Agbo, who was also a former Commissioner for Education in Ebonyi, maintained that what the Church did was biblical and urged other Christian denominations to always prioritise the welfare and well-being of the faithful.
The clergy said that the Church used the occasion to pray for peace in Nigeria and other countries of the world bedevilled by insecurity and conflicts.
Chibueze-Agbo said that prayers were further offered to God to raise leaders both at the national and global scenes to put the interest of the people first and strive for peace and unity among nations.
“The Church appeals to world leaders to cooperate and avoid unnecessary cold and physical wars that have become the order of the day presently.
“The word of God will never be in vain and God will turn things around for our good; let us worship God, and use the knowledge he has given us to make humanity better.
“We have to pray and work for our Creator as supreme and sovereign. It is only His will that will prevail at the end of everything, but let no one be lazy for our God does not encourage laziness,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Senior Pastor of the Church, Pastor Ebe Chukwudi, prayed for the entire congregation that the cash distributed to them would solve their basic problems and attract more wealth to the Church.
The clergyman, speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to the church and its president for making a positive impact on the lives of the congregation.
“On behalf of the beneficiaries and the Church of God, I wish to express deepest appreciation to God for his benevolence and to the president for allowing himself for God to use as a vessel of honour,” Chukwudi stated.
