At first, it sounded like a sermon punch, but the moment it landed, the ground shifted. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, seated behind his pulpit years of reverence deep, declared in no uncertain terms: “If you’re poor, you can’t do God’s work, no matter how gifted you are.”

Referencing the Bible, Pastor Chris explained why Jesus placed his mother in the care of John rather than Peter, despite Peter’s leadership role.

He said that Peter admitted to having no silver or gold in Acts chapter 3, while John came from an influential family connected to the high priest.

The Word

He said: “No matter how gifted you are, no matter how much preaching you do, if you are broke, you will not be able to speak for the body of Christ. He will not put you in charge of the body of Christ either in your city, in your state, or globally.

“Didn’t you notice what he did with his mother? He gave his mother into the hands of Simon Peter, even though Simon Peter was the leader. We discover why in Acts chapter 3 ‘Silver and gold have I none.

“When Jesus was on the cross, as he was dying, he saw his mother, the Bible tells us, and he saw John. John was from an influential family; don’t forget the Bible says he was related to the high priest. He was the one that let Peter come in when Jesus was charged. John was there, and nobody asked John, ‘Aren’t you one of them?’ They knew he was one of them. He was bold, he was there. Say, ‘I refuse to be broke.

“Jesus saw his mother and said to her, ‘Mother.’ Did he say that? No. He said, ‘Woman.’ Why? Because I told you a wife is for a man, a mother is about the future, a sister is for assistance, and a woman is for God’s vision.”

That statement didn’t just challenge prosperity theology, it ruptured it. Imagine being a young preacher with tremors of divine calling, rich with vision but poor in finances, only to be told that poverty nullifies your divine assignment.

It’s like handing heart to the faithful, then locking the gates behind their backs. LoveWorld’s leader didn’t just speak into the void; he struck the fragile chord between spiritual calling and social reality, and let the echo rip.

Now, not only pastors but unemployed graduates and ministry volunteers are scouring their bank accounts and spiritual resumes, wondering: Does divine calling come with a price tag? Or has the church sold grace for gold?

The Voice Inside The Storm

Some may say: “He’s not anti-poor—he’s realistic.” Yet when the poor hear him, their hearts cleave, not because of divine failure but because of institutional blindness.

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Imagine a young leader gifted but broke—he can’t teleport to his destiny. He needs funding, sponsorship, or structural support. His poverty isn’t spiritual failure; it’s systemic neglect—and Oyakhilome’s words are the cold water that wakes us up.

He Who Has Ears

Listen carefully: God doesn’t preach poverty as disqualification. But if His house, His agents, or His platforms signal that poverty is disqualifying—then a broken system, not broken souls, is to blame.

Perhaps the real sermon should have been: “If you’re poor, the church should rise—not retreat. Because the poor are not the unlettable—they are the unstoppable.”