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OUR ELDERLY, OUR PRIDE: The Touching Story
Of A Widow And Her Tithe...
The case of Mrs. Caroline Orugude deserves a
place in the spotlight. On that unforgettable
Sunday, which will remain engraved on the
hearts of the thousands of people that heard her,
she gently made her way to the altar of The
SCOAN. Delicately clenching a hand that was
just recovering from a recent attack of stroke,
the elderly woman had the air of one with
important news.
She came with a simple gift and message that
would speak volumes to men and women of God
the world over. A retired teacher from Bayelsa in
Southern Nigeria, this woman still had a thing or
two to teach the “young ones”.
When she spoke, it was with carefully chosen
words: “What brought me here is the urge to
testify of the goodness of God in my life,” she
began. Every ear zeroed in, as she narrated how
she had retired from her job in June, 2012 and
was forced to wait many months for her gratuity
that was supposed to have been paid
immediately. She said: “There was nothing much
we could do except pray because the pension
system is unreliable. So, I kept praying for
almost two years about this.”
Mrs. Orugude requested prayers from many
pastors for breakthrough, promising she would
pay her tithe, but the pension remained withheld.
After she was introduced by a family member to
Emmanuel TV, her mindset began to change. “I
witnessed the goodness of the Lord and how the
God of T.B. Joshua helps people to achieve their
goals,” said Mrs. Orugude. A month before this
landmark testimony, the elderly lady began to
change her prayer points, aligning them with
what she saw on Emmanuel TV.
When praying, she would place the documents
for the gratuity on the screen of Emmanuel TV,
thanking God for His mercy. Then the mighty
hand of God touched her!
Within two weeks, she received a call from the
treasury, asking her to go to the capital city,
Abuja. “I said, ‘Wow! Is it for the gratuity?’ They
said, ‘Yes’. Brethren, I knelt down. The joy in me
that day, I cannot express it. I said, ‘thank You,
Lord. I am going to Lagos’. I decided when I got
the money, I would come here [to The SCOAN] to
appreciate the Lord,” she said.
Then, while everyone including the millions of
viewers across the world watched, the frail
woman made a statement that stunned all: “I
am here with the small sum of 500,000 naira, to
give to the man of God and The SCOAN, as my
tithe.” Mrs. Orugude’s declaration soon filled the
Church-gone-silent with gasps of astonishment.
A mark had been made! At her age, no one
would have expected her to part with such a
huge amount of money, at a time when she
needed it most. The action could not pass
unnoticed by the Man of God, T.B. Joshua. His
response to the touching gesture was equally
surprising.
He said: “Yes, it is written in the Bible that we
should pay tithe, but how can we collect tithe
from widows and the aged who are supposed to
be under our care? Remember, she has stopped
working. She needs our care for the rest of her
life. These are the women we should be feeding
and taking care of. She is our mother; she is my
mother too.”
The man of God then announced that instead of
receiving Mrs. Orugude’s tithe, he would support
her with an additional 500,000 naira, as a gift to
take care of her.
Explaining why he took such a unique stance,
T.B. Joshua spoke about the marks of a genuine
servant of God: “When God calls a man or
woman, what they will eat, what they will use
and everything they need for their journey will be
provided abundantly by God, because God wants
honour and respect for His anointed ones,” he
said.
“When a minister begins to depend on tithes, you
know he is not a minister of God. It is written
that offerings and tithes are very important to
the house of God, but a minister of God who is
called by God Almighty should not depend on
offerings and tithes. Tithe is between you and
your God.
“This is a message to ministers of God all over
the world. When we collect tithes, we should
know those whom we collect them from. Don’t
force anybody – it is between them and God.
Since the Bible says the door of blessings will
open, leave them to God. It is not you that
opens the door of blessing. If someone is not
giving the right tithe, he will not receive anything
from God, and if he is doing the right thing, he
will receive from God. Let us worship the Giver of
money, not money,” the Prophet said.
This example might cause you to smile but it is
just part of the move Prophet T.B. Joshua has
been making, along with Emmanuel TV Partners,
to fulfil the divine obligation, which requires all
Christians to help the elderly.
Every Sunday at The SCOAN, the elderly are
allocated a section in the church where they
enjoy the company and fellowship of their peers
during the service. Additionally, free
transportation in luxurious buses is provided to
and from their homes, courtesy of T.B. Joshua
and Emmanuel TV Partners. A welfare
programme is also in operation, granting a
monthly allowance, supplies and foodstuffs to
each of the elderly in the church.
The Bible makes it very clear that it is not a
crime to be old; it is the grace of God. Psalm
91:14-16 says: “Because he has set his love
upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set
him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I
will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and
honour him. With long life I will satisfy him, and
show him My salvation.”
The elderly nurtured and reared us in love, care
and warmth. This is the time to reciprocate their
love, care and tenderness, now that they are too
old to meet their needs unaided. Any community
or nation that neglects their old ones, neglects
God because it is the will of God to grow old
(Isaiah 46:3-4).
Where are your elderly? Care for them and you
shall reach old age.
This story was taken from the first issue of Read
Us, the official magazine of The SCOAN
