Pastor David Ibiyeomie, founder of Salvation Ministries, has sparked discussion after asserting that he has the means to purchase a private jet. He made this statement during a sermon in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, using it to emphasize his teachings on generosity and dedication to religious causes.
Ibiyeomie argued that generosity does not lead to poverty, insisting that it is actually stinginess that results in financial hardship. Don’t let stinginess hold back your destiny. Giving never makes people poor. If it did, I would be poor by now, but I can’t be poor, he declared.
He went on to explain that his own giving is motivated by devotion to God rather than excess wealth. According to the pastor, some church members may possess more cash than he does, but do not give as much. We don’t give because we have more than others; we give because we love God. There are people in this church who have more physical cash than I do, but they don’t give what I give, he said.
Addressing his financial capacity, Ibiyeomie remarked that he could easily afford luxury items like private jets, but chooses instead to prioritize the development of the church. If I wanted to buy a jet today, I could. All I would have to do is halt work on the Cathedral, and I could buy several jets. That Cathedral fund could buy multiple jets, but I said no—the kingdom of God comes first, he explained.
He added that his primary focus is on constructing an impressive place of worship, one that exemplifies excellence and sets a standard even higher than that of other institutions. Recently, I saw a traditional ruler whose palace was adorned with gold. I said nothing will stop the church from doing the same. In this Cathedral, everywhere you turn will be gold, he concluded.
