He said as their spiritual father, it was his right to appropriate their January salary to himself because it is the symbolic first fruit the Bible talked about.
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Church members of New World Faith Ministries have been asked to surrender their entire January salary to the pastor as a condition for reaping big before the year end.
The pastor making the demand is Anosike John, the Senior Pastor of the church which is based in Cape Town, South Africa.
He said as their spiritual father, it was his right to appropriate their January salary to himself because it is the symbolic first fruit the Bible talked about.
First fruit is an ancient Jewish tradition which drew its origin from the Bible.
It was a type of sacrificial offering done every harvest season where the first-grown fruits were brought to the Temple and laid by the altar, and a special declaration recited.
The people making the sacrifice will still have the remainder of the fruits to sustain themselves. But in the case of January salary being given as first fruit, it is unclear how the supplicant can cope till the next salary.
