Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the general overseer of the Redeem Christain Church of God (RCCG), has apologised for one of his past teachings on tithing.
The cleric had said in one of his messages that anybody who does not pay tithe will not make heaven.
However, while ministering at the ongoing youth convention on Thursday, Adeboye apologised for his position on the issue.
He said: “I am sorry for saying that if you don’t pay tithe you won’t go to heaven. That is not in the Bible. What the Bible says is, follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man will make heaven.”
“It is possible to be right and wrong at the same time. I will prove it to you. For years, we taught that light travels in a straight line. Later we say it travels in waves.”
He however told the youths that it was wrong to have limited people to “10 percent when some of you should be giving 20 percent, 30 percent, etc. 10 percent should be for beginners. Giving should be done violently. If you want to be on top to control finances you will give beyond 10 percent.”
The RCCG overseer recalled his experience at one of the conventions of the ministry of Kenneth E Hagin in Tulsa, US where a man made a promise to give more than all what the 17,000 participants at the convention gave.
He said all participants had given about 3.5 million dollars towards the building of the Rhema Bible College. But the man promised he was going to give more than what everybody gave towards the project.
When Adeboye asked the man the secret of his sacrificial giving lifestyle, he told him how he had started a business with 500 dollars and told God if he blessed him, he would not insult Him with 10 percent.
Five years after the man started the business, he was making a turnover of 50 million dollars, Adeboye said .
He added: “I am sorry for saying you should pay 10 percent. If we are going to dominate, we have to give violently.”