Apostle Lazarus responds to Timi Dakolo’s public call-out

Apostle Femi Lazarus, the lead pastor of Light Nation Church, has responded to Timi Dakolo following the singer’s criticism regarding his remarks on the high financial demands some gospel artists make to perform at church events.

Timi Dakolo took to social media to call out Apostle Lazarus after a video showed the pastor projecting a $10,000 honorarium invoice from a gospel artist during one of his sermons.

The pastor showed the invoice, which included a hefty list of requirements: a 50% non-refundable deposit, a first-class ticket, and lodging.

Apostle Lazarus later asserted that these financial demands were excessive for the ministry. In an Instagram post, Timi Dakolo called on the pastor to disclose the identity of the artist in question.

He wrote,

Nigerians, you should not believe everything you see. Nobody has a 40-man crew in Nigeria. Name the artiste to justify capping.

Timi Dakolo also shared several posts featuring screenshots of two emails he received after applying to Apostle Lazarus’s school, which charges $150 per student.

He wrote;

All this was said in love and with respect, sir. I am not a gospel artist but a Christian raised in church. Let’s not shift the goalpost. By your definition, if anyone charges to minister, they are not gospel artists; they are performers. And by that definition, if any preacher charges to teach and minister, they are merchants of hope and motivational speakers too.

Sir, you are charging as low as $150 per person for your school of ministry, teaching and preaching Jesus, probably having as many as 1,000 students. Let’s do the maths. Do you even have premium and standard for God’s house? Are you not selling the gift and revelation freely given to you? Again, let’s not keep shifting the goalpost.

Amidst the ongoing controversy sparked by Timi Dakolo’s comments, Apostle Lazarus took to Instagram to acknowledge the singer’s status as a music legend, stating that he deserves all the accolades.

ALSO READ: Pastor Femi Lazarus criticizes gospel artists charging $10,000 for church ministrations

He said;

My brother @timidakolo is a music legend. Give him his flowers

‘What a man! He genuinely carries the burdens of musicians. His concerns are real.

I love you. Better structures will be built. Pain is real. From the pulpit to the pew, the pain is real, but we will be fine.

This generation will not have a carryover of pain. Hosts will do better. Guests will do better. We will have a better nation together.