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Pastor Keion Henderson, known for his dynamic preaching style and leadership of The Lighthouse Church, has come under fire for recent remarks he made about charitable giving. In a sermon that has sparked a wave of backlash on social media, Henderson stated that there is “no blessing connected” to giving to the poor.
For those who may not know, Pastor Henderson is married to Shaunie Henderson, formerly Shaunie O’neal.
In a video clip that has circulated widely online, Henderson can be heard saying, “Here’s the other problem with the church. Anytime a person is in need ya’ll go to running and dropping money. But 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 — but no multiplication.”
Henderson went on to explain that in his view, the act of giving to the poor does not yield a spiritual or material return for the giver. “Multiplication is segregated for tithes and offering,” he stated. “When you give to the poor, the only thing you do is help them but you don’t help yourself. So when you give a dollar to somebody on the street talking about ‘but I did my job,’ God like ‘thank you, but it ain’t gonna help you.’ Charity does not bring wealth, only the tithe does that.”