I only banned GH¢5, GH¢10 as thanksgiving offering, not collection - Obinim clarifies

The founder of the International God's Way Church, Bishop Daniel Obinim, has clarified recent comments that suggested that he had banned five and 10 cedis as offertory.

According to him, the reportage was untrue because he was referring to monies being given as thanksgiving for a favour God has done for his members.

He stressed that in principle, his church does not accept collection and offertory but if members are minded to pay for any reason, they can do so with any denomination even coins.

"Claims that Obinim says anyone with less than 20 cedis should not step foot in my church is untrue. I never said so," he said in a video posted on YouTube.

"What I said was, if you want to thank God for some favour, be it that he has through me done you some favour, you cannot put five or 10 cedis into an envelope and drop it on the pulpit or into the offertory bowl.

"If you think five or 10 cedis is what God deserves, it's your own cup of tea," he stressed adding that such sums cannot even cater for the cost of running the church relative to electricity consumption.

He disclosed further that the church's TV station, OB TV, gulps a billion cedi each month.

Watch his comments from the two-minute mark onwards:



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What Obinim said initially:

In a viral video where he was addressing his church, Obinim is heard calling on people who had placed five and 10 cedis on the altar to come for their money before it turns into curses for them.

He said an offering of thanksgiving to God should be higher.

"All those who have come to put money here should come for their money. Anyone who has placed money here should come for it.

“No more 10 cedis and five cedis. Why? Don't you respect God? That means you don't respect God and myself. Come for your money yourself because if I pick the money, it would become a curse upon you,” he said.

He continued "Here, we don't pay for offerings; we bring seed and pray over it. So, bring at least 20 cedis. From today, no more 10 cedis and 5 cedis. For the prayer seed, the lowest is 20 cedis. If you don't have 20 cedis, don't bring 10 cedis or 5 cedis.

"How can you thank God with 5 cedis? How much do you give to your child? That is why God has left you for many troubles to befall you,” he added.

SARA