Nigerian singer and pastor, Olubankole Wellington, popularly known as Banky W, has called for balance and fairness in discussions surrounding church teachings on wealth, cautioning Nigerians against making sweeping generalisations about the Christian community.
Speaking during a recent public discussion, the music executive noted that conversations around the controversial “prosperity gospel” have become polarised, with many people assuming that the excesses of a few religious leaders represent the entire church.
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“I don’t think it’s fair to make general statements that because I have seen evidence of this here, it means everybody is guilty of this thing,” the actor said.
Banky W stressed that both extremes of Christian teaching, the prosperity gospel and what he termed the “poverty gospel”, are distortions of scripture.
“The prosperity gospel is false and corrupted; the poverty gospel is also false and corrupted,” he declared. “What the gospel said is that God will provide all of your needs and bless you enough for you to be a blessing.”
He said the growing perception that Christians must either attain billionaire status or accept lack as a spiritual virtue is misguided, insisting that the true message of the gospel lies in contentment and generosity.
“The promise is not that we are all meant to be Dangote and Otedola, and it’s also not that we are meant to sleep under the bridge,” he added.
While acknowledging that certain church leaders have misused teachings about wealth to exploit followers, Banky W urged Nigerians to avoid painting all churches with the same brush.
“There’s a segment of the church that has taken that and abused it, and those allegations are true and I don’t like them either,” he said.
Banky W, who serves as a pastor at Waterbrook Church in Lagos, has frequently spoken about faith, moderation, and the need for Christians to model integrity in both leadership and daily living.
