Why I no longer pay tithes to church – Toke Makinwa

By Folashade Olorunfemi –

On-air personality Toke Makinwa has revealed that she has stopped paying her monthly tithe to the church. She made the disclosure in a video shared on her YouTube channel, explaining that her decision came after observing that many churches are financially stable.

Toke said she now prefers to direct her money to charitable causes, as she believes the church ministry cannot reach everyone. “I kind of stopped paying tithe to the church because all the churches I know are rich. And I decided that no, no, no, no, I ain’t doing this anymore. I would rather go to hospitals, widows’ homes,” she said.

She further claimed that churches receive significant funds regularly, including building contributions that are not taxed. “All the churches I know are rich. Every Sunday, there’s a building fund envelope. You guys have so much money, and it’s not taxed. It’s a business, if I’m going to be real, because if that pastor dies today, either his wife or his child becomes the next pastor,” she added.

Despite this, Toke clarified that she still pays offerings in church and supports church programmes when necessary. However, she no longer pays tithe directly to the religious body, arguing that assisting vulnerable people with the money is more meaningful.

“I would rather go to hospitals, take care of a maternity ward, and pay all the bills there. I would rather, when strangers come to meet me, tithe to them because they are telling me their actual needs,” she explained. “How can I say I love God if I have the money someone needs to pay rent, and I’m carrying it to a church?”

Reflecting on her past dedication, Toke recounted how she once gave her entire brand endorsement fee to the church as tithe to seek God’s favour.

“Ten years ago, I was the girl who got a brand endorsement deal, didn’t touch one naira, and carried everything to church. I said I will tithe this to God so that my life will never be tight,” she said.

She emphasised that her decision to stop paying tithes is not a rejection of church ministry but a personal choice to support God’s work in other ways.