A Nigerian pastor has sparked reactions online after reportedly ordering church members who came to service without physical Bibles or were dressed in what he considered indecent outfits to leave the church.
In a video circulating on social media, the pastor was heard insisting that worshippers should come to church with their Bibles, while also calling for standards in the way members dress.
“If you’re not with a Bible, go outside. You are a disgrace to the body of Christ if you come to church without a Bible. I don’t need a population of ‘goats’; I need a population of ‘sheep.’ If a shrine has standards, the church should also have standards,” he said.
The pastor’s directive has generated mixed reactions among Nigerians online, with some supporting the call for discipline and others questioning whether carrying a physical Bible should be made a requirement for attending church.
One internet user wrote:
“Mr. Pastor, we are not in the era of carrying Bible to church anymore. There are big TV screens or projectors in the church hall where they display every Bible verse, so why still carry a Bible to church, if I may ask?”
Another commenter supported the pastor’s position, writing:
“If every pastor or religious leader can do this, the world will get better. So many people come to church only to know their pastor; they know nothing about God.”
Another user disagreed with the approach, saying:
“He should preach for them to have a change of mind, not send them out. There are pastors who read the Bible through their phones on the altar.”
Another commenter argued that physical Bibles were not a requirement in the early church, writing:
“Technically, the early church had no printed Bibles and used scrolls. The physical book is just a modern invention, not a spiritual standard.”
The video has continued to generate debate online over church standards, appropriate dressing and whether worshippers should be required to carry physical Bibles to services.
