By Ken Afor
Renowned pastor of the Trinity House Church in Lagos, Ituah Ighodalo, has weighed in on the controversies surrounding the payment of tithes and first fruits in the church.
In an interview published by The Punch, Ighodalo explained that tithes and first fruits were designed by God to cater for the needs of those He ordained to be full-time leaders in the church.
While some argue that the payment of tithes and first fruits are old testament obligations, others question why church leaders request such contributions amid economic challenges.
The cleric emphasized that there is a blessing attached to the payment of tithes and first fruits, stating that God is compelled to ensure that the giver does not lack.
According to him, “when a person pays his tithes and first fruits, God is duty-bound to ensure the source does not go dry.
“The tithes and the first fruits belong to the priests; that is God’s way of compensating them for their commitment and dedication to the work of God. So when you pay your tithe, your tithe goes to sort out the welfare of the priests; both the high priest, the priest, and the sons of Levi, the musicians, and all that.”
Ighodalo, whose wife died in June 2020, highlighted that some portions of the tithes and first fruits can be used for welfare for the poor or to fund building projects of the church.
He further explained that first fruits refer to the initial salary a Christian receives or the first income generated by a businessperson.
Providing further clarification, the Lagos-based pastor explained that if a salary earner initially received N100,000 and their income increased to N150,000, the additional N50,000 constitutes “the first fruit of one’s increase.”
According to him, the payment of first fruits guarantees that the increase is constant. However, he noted that paying tithes and first fruits is not a guarantee that everything will be well for a Christian.
The cleric emphasized that a Christian might be facing challenges due to sin and generational curses.
