Prominent Nigerian clergy and founder of Genesis Global Ministry, Prophet Israel Ogundipe, has disclosed that a commercial bank offered him a loan of N1 billion to expand his ministry globally.
Ogundipe made this revelation while speaking in an interview hosted by the well-known Nigerian On-Air Personality (OAP), Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Daddy Freeze.
During their discussion, Ogundipe, who leads the Celestial Church of Christ, Genesis Global Parish, shared details of the surprising offer made by the unnamed bank two months ago.
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He explained that the bank approached him with the substantial loan proposal, expressing confidence in his ministry’s ability to repay the loan due to its significant size and following.
“A bank called me two months ago and said they wished to loan me N1 billion. They offered me the loan, and I asked them what for.
“They replied that they know churches are getting it (loans) and that I would be able to pay it back because they know my church is big,” Ogundipe stated.
The prophet further revealed that the bank even provided him with details of other churches that had taken similar loans, some as large as N3 billion to N4 billion.
The bank suggested that the loan could be repaid gradually through proceeds from church activities such as revivals and crusades, indicating a growing trend of financial institutions offering significant loans to religious organizations.
Ogundipe’s revelation has sparked discussions about the relationship between religious institutions and financial entities, particularly the ethics and implications of such large loans within the religious community.
While the prophet did not disclose whether he accepted or declined the offer, his account sheds light on the increasing commercial interactions between banks and large churches in Nigeria.