The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned recent remarks by Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin, General Overseer of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry, who claimed that giving a “first fruit” offering can erase all sins — including those committed through fraud.
In a video that resurfaced online, Fufeyin told his congregation that the spiritual weight of a first fruit offering was powerful enough to cancel even the gravest of sins. During the sermon, originally delivered in January 2022, he equated the practice with divine pardon, stating:
“When God sees that this man is a fraudster, called 419, but because of the first fruit… God said, ‘I’m surely behind you because of first fruit.’”
The preacher’s statement drew loud applause from his followers but prompted sharp rebuke from Christian leaders and social commentators.
Reacting on behalf of CAN, the National Director of National Issues and Social Welfare, Abimbola Ayuba, categorically dismissed Fufeyin’s teaching as “heresy and false doctrine.”
“God is not fraudulent. He does not share booty with crooks,” Ayuba said. “CAN recognises credible, theologically sound teachers. We do not associate with individuals who manipulate innocent worshippers or exploit them financially.”
Ayuba added that CAN would not “join issues” with those it regards as having a “dubious theological background,” but urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against being misled.
Supporting the position, Lagos State CAN Chairman, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, also condemned Fufeyin’s teaching as scripturally unfounded.
“He is preaching out of context,” Adegbite stated. “Let him show us where in the Bible God says a first fruit offering cancels sins. Such dangerous teachings can embolden people to live recklessly while thinking they can buy forgiveness.”
Fufeyin, often called “Papa J” by his members, has frequently been at the center of controversy, especially for marketing spiritual products such as miracle oils and soaps. In 2024, Nigeria’s drug control agency NAFDAC launched a probe into some of his advertised products, which claimed to cure infertility and other conditions.
Efforts to get an official comment from Fufeyin or his church failed. Calls and texts to the pastor’s known number went unanswered. A church representative who responded to a call made to the number on the ministry’s website declined to clarify Fufeyin’s sermon.
“If what you see on social media is what you want to believe, that’s your decision. If you want clarification, come to the church and speak to our media department,” she said.
The “first fruit” practice, rooted in Old Testament teachings, traditionally involves giving God the first portion of a person’s income or harvest. However, mainstream Christian doctrine does not teach that offerings can absolve sin — a position that CAN firmly restated in its rebuttal.
