Once upon a time, to hear your pastor preach, you had to dress up, grab your Bible, and find your way to church, rain or shine. Fast forward to now, and all you need is data and a decent phone.
Nigerian churches have now gone digital — from YouTube sermons and Instagram Lives to TikTok snippets and full-blown church apps, let’s just say, they didn’t come to play.
What started as a way to stay connected during the pandemic has now evolved into a multimillion-naira industry.
And the churches doing it best have figured out a way to turn content into currency. So, how exactly are pastors, prophets, and apostles making money online? Is it a bad thing? Or just smart ministry in the digital age?
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YouTube monetisation is a real thing, and it pays
If your church has a YouTube channel with regular uploads, chances are, it’s making money, especially if it has more than 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time. That’s all YouTube needs to start placing ads on videos.
Now, think of churches like Salvation Ministries, Dunamis, and The Fountain of Life Church. Their sermons regularly pull tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, of views. Some even post daily.
With YouTube ads paying anything from $1 to $10 per 1,000 views (depending on niche and country), it adds up very quickly. And if you add sponsorships and donation buttons, you’re looking at millions in revenue!
Sermon snippets are now viral content
Gone are the days when sermons were two-hour DVDs sold at church bookshops. These days, all you need is a 45-second clip with good lighting, clean editing, and a catchy caption, and boom! Your pastor is trending on TikTok or IG Reels.
And with virality comes influence, and influence brings money. Pastors now have teams handling their content strategy. Some even hire digital marketing consultants to help them “package” the Word.
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3. Offerings and tithes now go through payment links and church apps
Digital giving is a game-changer. You can now sow a seed, pay your tithe, or “partner with the ministry” without leaving your house. Some churches have mobile apps where you can stream live services, get devotionals, and yes, give at the tap of a button.
Churches like COZA, RCCG, and House on the Rock have embraced this big time. Some even include QR codes on screen during services. With thousands watching from around the world, even small donations add up fast.
One media executive from a popular Lagos church once hinted that “digital donations now contribute more than 60% of total offerings,” and that was before 2020.
4. Merch, memberships & monthly subscriptions
Hoodies, mugs, notebooks, oil, wrist bands, and digital products too, like eBooks, devotionals, and private Zoom classes.
Some churches even offer online discipleship programs that require registration fees.
For example, prophetic classes, mentorship programs, and prayer circles are now offered via paid subscription models. A church can have 5,000 people paying ₦5,000 monthly for a 4-week program. That’s ₦25 million a month.
Let that sink in.
Is this a bad thing? Let’s be honest
A lot of people roll their eyes when they hear churches are making money online. But should they be broke? Maybe not. Churches that invest in media are just moving with the times.
Of course, there are questions about transparency and how the money is spent, and that’s totally valid. But the real issue isn’t that churches are making money, it’s whether they’re being accountable with it.
So next time you see a sermon trending, just know, it’s not just the Spirit moving. It’s also the algorithm.
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