Preaching Hell Won’t Make Nigerians Born Again Because They Are Already in Hell — Pastor Ibiyeomie

Pastor David Ibiyeomie has sparked reactions with his remarks on the kind of message Christians should preach to Nigerians when trying to win souls for Christ.

Speaking about the effectiveness of preaching about hell, the pastor argued that many Nigerians are already going through severe hardship, making the threat of hell less effective in convincing them to accept Christ.

He said Nigerians need to hear messages of hope, love and transformation rather than messages that remind them of further suffering.

According to him: “You can imagine preaching hell to Nigerians. They are already in hell. There’s no way you preach hell to Nigerians and anybody will be born again.”

Instead, he urged pastors to focus on preaching about God’s love and His ability to transform people’s lives. “Just tell them God loves you. He can change your story. Then the man says, ‘Eh ehn,’ then you say, ‘Come to Jesus.’”

He further explained that constantly warning Nigerians about hell may not have the desired effect because many already feel that their present circumstances are hellish.

“But if you say you go to hell, the man will say, ‘Ah! The suffering, the suffering we are suffering now, what is it? Already the suffering is what?’ So That kind of message can’t convert one soul.”