The Presiding Bishop of Victory Bible Churches International (VBCI), Rt. Rev. N.A. Tackie-Yarboi, has cautioned against an overemphasis on material wealth in churches, while stressing the importance of prosperity as a tool for societal upliftment.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Personality Profile with Lexis Bill, Bishop Tackie-Yarboi acknowledged the harsh realities of poverty, describing it as “very demeaning and very dehumanising”, but emphasised that the church’s focus on prosperity is intended to help people thrive.
“In talking about prosperity, we pray that people will prosper, and the Bible itself talks about prosperity. But if you prosper, don’t worship the things that come your way. See it as a tool that you work with,” he said.
The bishop addressed criticisms that churches promote materialism, noting that the problem lies not in prosperity itself but in how it is communicated.
“If the church is being criticised, I think it is the overstretching. One side of the truth we overstretch is when people are displaying their prosperity. I think it is the attitude by which some of us within the church have communicated the blessing and prosperity that people detest,” he explained.
Bishop Tackie-Yarboi highlighted the influential role of the church in society, noting that people trust both God and the church for guidance.
He argued that a significant imbalance exists in the church’s priorities, with too much focus on material success rather than morality and character.
“This world is not our home; we are just passing through, and so we don’t pay attention to people serving, people making it, and people letting people know that morality is important and character is important. So what we have done is we have shifted emphasis,” he said.
The bishop drew a distinction between charismatic and orthodox churches, noting that while the latter often prioritise education and social development, charismatic churches tend to emphasise spiritual experience and lifestyle affluence.
“If you look at the orthodox churches, they emphasise educating people, and then a lot of the missionary schools. But if you look at the charismatic churches, our emphasis is more on the spirit and lifestyle affluence, and I think that is where we tend to miss it,” he added.
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