Pastor Ibiyeomie says Nigerians are too broke to fear hell, urges pastors to preach love instead

• Pastor David Ibiyeomie says economic hardship has made threats of hell less effective in winning Nigerians to Christianity.

• The Salvation Ministries founder urged pastors to tell people that God loves them and can change their circumstances.

• He described compassion as recognising people's struggles, caring about them and taking action to help.

Founder of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, has taken aim at a common style of evangelism, arguing that threatening Nigerians with hell does more harm than good given the country's current economic reality.

Preaching a sermon titled "The Power of Compassion" on Sunday, Ibiyeomie argued that most Nigerians are already living through conditions harsh enough to feel like punishment, making warnings about eternal damnation largely ineffective as a tool for conversion. 

According to him, someone struggling to afford food or fuel isn't likely to be moved by threats of a future hell when their present already feels like one.

He painted the scenario bluntly, imagining how an ordinary Nigerian might respond to a preacher warning them about damnation. Rather than repentance, he suggested the more likely reaction would be indifference, since suffering they're already enduring makes the threat feel redundant rather than urgent.

“If you say, ‘You’ll go to hell,’ the man will say, ‘The suffering wey I dey suffer now, na wetin e be?’”

Ibiyeomie's alternative approach centres on leading with reassurance rather than fear, telling people that they are loved and that their circumstances can still change, instead of opening with judgment. He argued this softer entry point is far more likely to actually draw someone toward faith than a message built around consequence and punishment.

“Just tell them God loves you. He can change your story”, he said

Framing compassion as central to effective evangelism, the pastor broke it down into three components: recognising a person's struggle, genuinely caring about it, and following through with action. 

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He was careful to note that this doesn't always mean financial support, pointing to other forms of practical help, including exercising faith on someone's behalf, as equally valid expressions of compassion.

Drawing from scripture to support his point, he referenced Psalm 103:8 and Ephesians 4:32, framing both compassion and forgiveness as core reflections of God's character that Christians are expected to extend to others, regardless of someone's past mistakes.

Ibiyeomie has become known in recent months for blunt, unfiltered commentary on issues affecting Nigerians, including his vocal opposition to the proposed ban on preaching in commercial buses, and this sermon continues that pattern of direct, socially conscious messaging aimed at connecting faith with the everyday economic reality many Nigerians face.