By Seyi Babalola
Pastor David Ibiyeomie, the founder of Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has stated that Jesus Christ despised poverty and avoided entering poor people’s houses while on earth.
Ibiyeomie, speaking to his congregation on Sunday in a video that later went viral on X (previously Twitter), cited biblical sources to argue that Jesus never visited any poor people, implying his divine scorn for poverty.
He claimed that Christ’s purpose on earth extended beyond redemption and included rescue from poverty.
According to Ibiyeomie, continuing to live in poverty after joining Christianity reveals ignorance about spiritual insight.
“Jesus never visited any poor person in his house. Check your Bible. That means he hates poverty. When he visited Lazarus, they were not poor; they were giving him food.
“He visited a sinner called Zacchaeus, who was rich. Tell me one poor man Jesus entered his house. He hates poverty, that is the meaning. He hates people who are poor. He died for you not to be poor. How can you now come to church with some kind of mentality?
“You can come poor but you’re not permitted to remain poor. Nothing wrong with you coming to Christ as a poor man, but it’s wrong for you to remain poor. It is wrong,” he said.