The leader of Sounds of Salem, Prophet Joel Ogebe has disclosed that he recently burnt a cheque handed to him as an honorarium after ministering at The African Praise Experience (TAPE) Overflow 2025.
According to the singer, House on the Rock Church in Lagos, under the leadership of Pastor Paul Adefarasin, hosted various gospel artists including Dunsin Oyekan, Onos Ariyo, Nathaniel Bassey and the Sounds of Salem team.
At the end of the ministration, a cheque was presented to the group as a show of appreciation, which Prophet Ogebe received but later destroyed.
Speaking on the reason for the action, Ogebe explained that he saw the event as a divine moment and not a business engagement.
According to him, he had already decided with his team not to accept any form of payment for their service, choosing instead to focus on the spiritual impact.
He said: “After the ministration, the man of God there is a father figure, so he honoured us with a cheque, saying ‘no you guys have to take this’. So I collected it, placed it somewhere to burn it. I told myself that I will never cash the cheque.
“I told my men, we will not touch this money. This is not a payment, it’s an oblation unto God.
“There are certain Kairos moments in your life that God brings you to, not for gain but for growth. This was one of them. I saw what that House carried, the possibilities of grace on the house. I didn’t come here for money; I came for impartation. I need reward, not payment. What I’m looking for, only God can confirm.
“A man with a needy mindset will take the cheque and say ‘God has prospered me,’ but the truth is, that money will finish. What you really need is the mantle, not the money. And if you’re not sensitive, you’ll miss the impartation chasing after the payment.”
