New Life Church televangelist Pastor Ezekiel Odero has dismissed claims that he sent jobless worshippers away from his church, explaining that his intention was to encourage them to seek opportunities and unlock blessings through hard work.
Speaking during a late Tuesday, July 22, 2025, online ministration, the pastor said that his advice to some members was misinterpreted as rejection, yet his words were meant to empower them to change their circumstances.
“Some of your fellow congregants, whom I told to go find jobs, left and said that the pastor had chased them away. Some even went and gave interviews saying, ‘Oh, the pastor chased us away.’ But now there are those I ‘chased away’ with that grace, and they have returned with testimonies of blessings, saying they found jobs.”
He explained that he once advised a man, who was depending on his wife’s income from a church shop, to step out and look for work. According to him, this was not an act of chasing people away but a way of nudging them to meet divine opportunities outside the church.
“Now, there is someone I advised, and I told him not to just sit there being fed by his wife, who works at a church shop here. I told him, ‘Go and look for work.’ With the grace I have here, I told him, ‘Go out and seek work.’ It then looked like I was chasing people away,” Odero said.
Pastor Ezekiel said some congregants misunderstood his approach and claimed he had chased them away, even going as far as being interviewed to complain about his actions.
However, he noted that several of those he advised have since returned with testimonies of success, attributing their new blessings to his counsel.
“Some of your fellow congregants, whom I told to go find jobs, left and said that the pastor had chased them away. Some even went and gave interviews saying, ‘Oh, the pastor chased us away.”
He shared the story of one man, identified as Samuel, who publicly thanked him for the advice.
Samuel secured work, purchased land, and even bought building materials, with plans to start constructing his home next month.
Pastor Ezekiel said such testimonies are proof that his preaching works when applied with faith and determination.
“One of them even sent me a message saying, ‘I am Samuel, the husband of Neema, and I thank God for helping me. Since I decided to work, it has now been six months. I have bought a piece of land, paid for it, bought roofing sheets and timber, and we are going to start building next month. What you are preaching, pastor, is real. I have tested it. Thank you because now I have my own money’,” he revealed.
The televangelist further urged his congregation to stop expecting handouts and instead practise the teachings he preaches, emphasising that blessings come when faith is combined with effort.
“So, it is not every time that you should say, ‘The pastor did not give me money.’ Practice what I preach, and it works.”
By K24 Digital