Founder of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, has sparked reactions online after warning members against chewing gum, drinking water and using mobile phones during church services.
Speaking during a church service in a video that surfaced online on Tuesday, the cleric stressed the need for reverence and discipline in the house of God.
“Don’t chew gum when you’re in church; you’re not a goat. Don’t drink water in church. If you want to drink water, go outside,” Ibiyeomie said.
He also instructed worshippers to avoid using phones during services, adding that such behaviour was inappropriate during worship.
“This is not a Pentecostal church; only Pentecostal churches allow water inside church,” he stated.
The pastor further argued that respected clerics such as Pastor Enoch Adeboye and Bishop David Oyedepo do not drink water while ministering on the altar.
“You won’t see Adeboye drink water on the altar, you won’t see Oyedepo drink water on the altar. Those things are not decent,” he added.
The remarks have since generated mixed reactions on social media, with some Nigerians supporting the call for orderliness in church while others questioned the practicality of the directives.
A social media user argued that some worshippers may need water for health reasons, while others rely on phones for taking notes or reading digital Bibles during services.
Another user, however, defended the pastor’s position, saying many people fail to show the same level of respect in church that they would display in the presence of political leaders or dignitaries.
Salvation Ministries, headquartered in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is one of Nigeria’s largest Pentecostal churches with branches across the country.
