Why I Stopped Paying Tithe In Church – Media Personality, Toke Makinwa Opens Up (Video)

Popular Nigerian media personality, Toke Makinwa has shared the reasons she no longer pays tithes to churches.

The entrepreneur said her decision came after deep personal reflection about how money should be used to help people.

In an interview with Chude, she shared that her views on tithing have changed over time.

According to her, she began to question the way churches receive large sums of money while many members still struggle with basic needs such as rent, hospital bills, and daily feeding.

She spoke about what she described as post-traumatic church syndrome, a situation where people feel hurt or damaged emotionally and spiritually because of their experiences in religious spaces.

She said this made her look closely at how religious institutions operate and how funds are handled.

Makinwa said she started asking herself why she should give money to church buildings that are already well funded when there are individuals who urgently need help.

She explained that if someone comes to her for assistance to solve a pressing problem, she now prefers to support that person directly instead of paying the money into a church account.

The mother of one revealed that in the past, she once gave an entire brand endorsement deal to her church without keeping any part of it.

She said this happened about seven years ago when she believed that such an act would bring financial blessings. However, with time, she chose a different path.

According to her, she now directs her giving towards hospitals, maternity wards, widows, and strangers who share their real needs with her.

In her view, churches have already been built and many pastors are financially comfortable, but there are still people who cannot afford medical care or basic living expenses.

Makinwa stated that giving should be based on personal conviction rather than pressure or tradition.

She encouraged people to think carefully about how they support others and to focus on helping where the impact can be clearly seen in someone’s life.

She said: “I started thinking, if I have money and someone tells me they need it to pay rent, why should I pass it into a building that’s already rich?

"I would rather give my tithe to strangers who tell me their actual needs. The church is built. The pastors have money. Let’s help people the church cannot reach. Seven years ago, I didn’t touch one naira from an endorsement deal; I carried it all into the church.

"Now, I give where it directly helps someone in need. Giving should be based on personal conviction.”