Pastor Keion Henderson criticized for downplaying the benefits of giving to the poor
- IGMC Staff
- Oct 11, 2024
- 2 min read
Pastor Keion Henderson of the megachurch, The Lighthouse, in Houston, TX, has gone viral- yet again.
This time, in an attempt to highlight the benefits of tithing, the pastor sparked controversy by seemingly downplaying the benefits of giving to the poor versus tithing. .
In a resurfaced sermon from 2023 entitled "It's All About The Benjamins", Pastor Keion stated, "Let me tell you something: the poor will be with you always, and there is no blessing connected to blessing the poor other than getting back what you gave to them,” which some interpreted as discouraging and downplaying the benefits of giving to the poor directly.
He added that “multiplication is segregated for tithes and offerings."
Ironically, his remarks have surfaced while many are experiencing the devastation of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton that destroyed homes and took the lives of many.
Lighthouse Church has since released a statement addressing the backlash, writing: “The point was that tithing and charitable giving should not be mutually exclusive. The Bible speaks of multiplication through tithing.”
The church spokesman went on to highlight the church’s history of charitable giving.
Despite the attempt at clarification, many have expressed disappointment and disapproval of Pastor Keion using his microphone as a celebrity pastor to inadvertently discourage giving to the poor. He completely overlooked the benefits of altruism beyond individual wealth creation.
Since this sermon in 2023, his own church and community have experienced calamity. In July 2024, Hurricane Beryl swept through the Houston area, causing significant damage to his church.
Since Beryl, Pastor Keion has gone public seeking $4.4M in donations to restore his church building after Beryl caused over $20M in damages to three of the church's four campuses. He stated that God had given him a vision that 2,100 people would give $2,100 in 21 days for re-building purposes.
After Beryl, Pastor Keion has had to utilize Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church to host worship service.
Hurricane Beryl caused nearly $7billion in damages and caused 70 fatalities.
So, while the Lighthouse Church building needed repairs after Beryl, so did the individual lives of those impacted by the storm who were blessed by those generous enough to give to "the poor."
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