Pastor Joe Femi-Dagunro, a senior pastor with the Grace and Glory Chapel, Lagos, has said that Christian faithful who are taking trips to Jerusalem for annual pilgrimage are indulging in wasteful spending.
Pastor Dangunro who made the remark during an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the church’ inaugural Thanksgiving Service in Ikeja said that as much as people could travel to see other climes, they should not attach a trip to Jerusalem as a compulsory task in the practise of Christianity.
He said that such money could be put to more productive use by building industrial and Information Technology parks for the development of the Nigerian youths.
“There is no point for us not to say the truth, if we believe in it. There is nowhere that it is written in the Bible that Christians must visit Jerusalem.
“Jesus did not say: ‘You must visit my tomb. We are wasting money on such trips and that money could be used to support the youth to build industrial parks, or to develop IT parks.
“So, church leaders have a role to speak the truth and advise government on how it can do this,” the cleric said.
He advised that churches should begin to train their members on skill acquisition, to improve themselves so as to be able to serve the church better and also get opportunities to make better living.
“It is high time that Churches began, as they schedule week days for prayer meetings, to dedicate one day for skill acquisition.
“They can train the people they use in the church, or mentor them, in order to develop the people for their good as well.”
Pastor Dagunro advised churches to embark on more humanitarian projects such as building cottage hospitals, in addition to building universities.'[myad]
