Ernest Michael Temitope, the former Winners Chapel pastor whose 2024 dismissal letter recently drew public attention, has disclosed that his signed salary acknowledgement showed a base pay of ₦35,000, while ₦34,206.67 was actually deposited into his account after tax deductions. The 28-year-old pastor provided Legit.ng with bank records showing salary deposits covering the period from August 31, 2022, to March 30, 2024, as evidence of the payments he received during his time in the ministry.
Salary Details and Deductions
Temitope told Legit.ng that although his signed letter of acknowledgement reflected a base salary of ₦35,000, the amount actually deposited into his account was ₦34,206.67 after tax deductions.
“Though my signed letter of acknowledgement reflected a base salary of ₦35,000, my actual take-home pay deposited into my account was ₦34,206.67 after tax deductions,” he said.
The former pastor also provided Legit.ng with bank records showing deposits covering the period between August 31, 2022, and March 30, 2024, which he said were evidence of the payments he received during his time in the ministry.
No Additional Allowances or Health Benefits
Temitope said he was paid a monthly salary while serving as a pastor, but there were no additional allowances or health benefits attached to the payment. According to him, the church station where he served also received a monthly operational allocation, known as ROF, of ₦7,000 for church activities. He stressed that the operational allocation was meant for running the station and was not an additional personal allowance paid to him.
“There were no additional allowances or health benefits,” Temitope said.
Financial Burden of Rural Postings
The former pastor said the financial burden became more significant when he was posted to rural stations where there was no designated pastoral accommodation. In such situations, he said he had to personally cover expenses including transportation, housing and the welfare of church members from his salary.
“When posted to rural stations without designated pastoral housing, I had to cover my own transport, member welfare, and housing expenses out of that salary,” he said.
His account therefore suggests that the ₦34,206.67 monthly take-home pay had to cover not only his personal needs but, in some circumstances, costs associated with his pastoral duties.
Background of Ernest Temitope
Temitope said he hails from Osun State and holds a National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, which he obtained in 2022. He described himself as a mass communicator, financial market analyst, software developer and creative artist. Beyond his professional interests, Temitope said he is a family man who is married and has two young daughters.
His public account of his experience at Winners Chapel came after he shared his 2024 dismissal letter online. The letter, dated March 11, 2024, stated that his services were no longer required as part of what the church described as “strategic re-organisation and re-structuring.” He was also directed to vacate his official accommodation and hand over ministry property. Temitope had previously said the dismissal was one of the most painful moments of his life and that he had kept the experience to himself for years. He also said after leaving the church that his priority was securing employment and stable housing for his family.
The salary records and additional details he has now provided offer a closer look at the financial circumstances surrounding his years as a Winners Chapel pastor. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a former Winners Chapel pastor who quit the church had narrated his experience. In an interview with content creator Lucky Udu, he bemoaned how pastors suffer and beg to make ends meet, while members assume that all was well with them. He recounted how one of his pastor friends died of an ulcer because he did not have money for treatment, adding that pastors beg for as little as N1k to survive.
