The features and prices are listed on the official MTM website.

The ₦700,000 VIP package is the part that has attracted the most attention.

For some people, the price is evidence that the service is positioned as a premium professional matchmaking and coaching product.

For others, the price raises questions about whether access to a pastor and his wife, particularly the promise of priority access to them, is being turned into a premium commodity.

And that is where the debate becomes bigger than the price itself.

Why Has ₦700,000 Caused Such a Reaction?

Pastor Okonkwo did not introduce MTM in a vacuum.

In promoting the platform, he spoke about the financial pressures surrounding modern relationships and complained that relationships have become increasingly commercialised.

In one widely reported post, he contrasted the simplicity of getting a woman’s phone number in an earlier generation with today’s expectations around money, including contributions towards rent, school fees and transportation.

That message immediately created an obvious contrast.

Critics essentially asked:

If relationships are becoming too commercialised, why does a Christian matchmaking platform connected to a prominent relationship pastor cost up to ₦700,000 a year?

The question is rhetorically powerful.

But it does not automatically establish that the platform is contradictory or exploitative.

To understand that, it is necessary to consider both sides.

The Critics: Is This the Commercialisation of Ministry?

Some critics argue that the problem goes beyond matchmaking.

Their concern is the combination of Christian branding, pastoral authority and premium access.

The most expensive package specifically includes priority access to Kingsley and Mildred Okonkwo, as well as a dedicated matchmaker, coach and off-platform introductions.

Critics therefore ask whether the service creates the impression that those with more money receive greater access to spiritual or pastoral authority.

That concern is not entirely without precedent in Christian debates over money and ministry.

Some critics have invoked the broader biblical warning against turning spiritual things into commercial transactions, including the traditional Christian concept of simony, associated with the attempt to purchase spiritual power.

But there is an important distinction.

MTM is not selling prayer, prophecy, salvation or a sacrament.

It is selling a structured service involving mentoring, assessments, matchmaking and coaching.

That distinction is central to the defence of the platform.

The Defence: Dating Services Can Be Professional Services

Supporters argue that there is nothing inherently wrong with charging for a structured service.

After all, Christian marriage counsellors charge fees. Professional therapists charge fees. Marriage seminars and retreats can charge registration fees. Matchmaking agencies around the world also operate commercially.

The question, therefore, is not necessarily:

“Can Christians charge for matchmaking?”

It is:

“What exactly is being sold, and is the price reasonable for the service being provided?”

MTM’s official model makes a case that members are paying for more than introductions.

They are paying for an eight-week preparation programme, assessments, accountability, profile review, matching, coaching and, depending on the package, more intensive personal support.

Under that interpretation, MTM is closer to premium relationship coaching combined with matchmaking than to paying for access to a religious blessing.

That does not settle the debate, but it changes the question.

Where the Real Disagreement Lies

The strongest disagreement appears to be about scale and positioning.

Few people seem to be arguing that marriage counselling itself should never cost money.

The controversy is more specifically about ₦700,000 a year and what the highest tier provides in return.

For a Nigerian earning the minimum wage, ₦700,000 is a substantial amount of money.

For a professional earning several million naira a year, it may be a manageable expense.

That creates another legitimate question:

Who is this platform actually designed for?

Its pricing suggests that MTM is not attempting to be an accessible matchmaking service for every Christian single.

It is building a tiered market, where members who pay more receive progressively more personalised service.

That is a normal commercial model.

The unusual element is that it sits within a strongly Christian and pastoral context.

And that is why people are debating it.

Is Paying ₦700,000 Paying for a Marriage?

No.

And this is a distinction that should not be lost amid the controversy.

MTM explicitly states that membership does not guarantee a match, mutual interest or marriage.

A person is therefore not paying ₦700,000 for a spouse.

They are paying for access to a particular level of preparation, matching and support.

Whether that service is worth ₦700,000 is a consumer decision.

Whether the model is appropriate within a Christian ministry context is a separate ethical and theological question.

Those two questions should not be collapsed into one.

The RCCG Comparison

Mentor To Marry is not the first Christian matchmaking initiative to emerge from Nigeria.

In 2021, the City of David Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) launched Redeemers Connect, a platform designed to connect Christian singles seeking courtship and marriage.

The two models share a broad objective, but their structures are different.

There is an important correction to the common description of Redeemers Connect as simply “free.”

Its official FAQ states that becoming a member is free, but contacting another member and accessing full features can require a paid subscription.

Its terms also state that some services may be accessed free of charge while specified services require payment.

So the real distinction is not free versus paid.

It is a relatively open membership model with optional paid features versus a deliberately tiered, high-touch matchmaking model.

Mentor To Marry Is Selling More Than Access to Profiles

This is probably the most important part of the platform that gets lost in the social-media debate.

A conventional dating platform largely sells access to a pool of potential partners.

MTM’s proposition is different.

It says:

Prepare yourself first.

Then:

Find a suitable match.

Then:

Move towards marriage.

Its official website says mentoring is not an add-on but the first stage of the process.

That philosophy may appeal strongly to Christians who believe that finding a spouse requires more than attraction or compatibility.

It also gives the platform a clearer value proposition than simply saying:

“Pay us and we will help you find someone.”

But Does More Money Mean Better Chances?

This is where prospective members should think carefully.

The three tiers offer increasingly broad access.

The VIP plan, for example, includes a dedicated matchmaker and coach, priority access to the founders, more weekly chats and off-platform introductions.

But better access is not the same as a better guarantee of marriage.

The platform itself makes that clear.

Paying seven times the Regular subscription does not mean a member is seven times more likely to get married.

It simply means the member receives a higher level of service and access.

That distinction is important for anyone considering the programme.

A Bigger Question About Modern Christianity

Perhaps the most interesting part of the MTM controversy is not actually Mentor To Marry.

It is the question the platform raises about the changing relationship between faith, professional services and money.

Christianity has always involved institutions.

Those institutions employ people, rent buildings, organise programmes, publish materials, provide counselling and increasingly operate digital platforms.

Many of those activities cost money.

At the same time, Christianity has a long history of warning against turning spiritual authority into a commodity.

The challenge is determining where the line lies.

A Christian counsellor charging a fee does not necessarily mean Christianity has been commercialised.

A pastor publishing a paid book does not automatically mean he is selling the gospel.

But when religious authority, personal access and money become closely intertwined, reasonable questions about boundaries are inevitable.

That is precisely why MTM has attracted so much attention.

What About the People Who Cannot Afford It?

This is another important part of the conversation.

A ₦70,000 entry-level annual subscription is already beyond the reach of some Nigerians.

At ₦350,000 and ₦700,000, the service moves firmly into premium territory.

MTM does provide a free Singles Community, which means its entire ecosystem is not paywalled.

But the most sophisticated matchmaking and coaching features remain behind paid plans.

That inevitably creates a two-tier experience:

free access to teachings and community, paid access to deeper matchmaking services.

Whether that is a problem depends largely on what one believes the platform is: a ministry, a professional coaching business, a matchmaking company, or some combination of all three.

The Other Side of the Debate: Personal Responsibility

There is another issue that deserves attention.

Matchmaking platforms can introduce people to one another.

They cannot guarantee character.

They cannot eliminate deception.

They cannot guarantee compatibility.

And they certainly cannot guarantee the future behaviour of two adults after they meet.

Interestingly, Redeemers Connect explicitly warns members to carry out their own independent background checks before connecting with another registrant.

MTM, meanwhile, places emphasis on review, accountability and readiness before introductions.

Both approaches recognise an important reality:

A platform can reduce risk, but it cannot remove personal responsibility.

Anyone using a matchmaking service, Christian or otherwise, should still exercise discernment.

What Does Mentor To Marry Say About Today’s Dating Culture?

The platform reflects a growing dissatisfaction with modern dating among some Christians.

Dating apps have made it easier to meet people.

But more choices do not necessarily produce better relationships.

Some singles are looking for something more structured, more intentional and more closely tied to shared values.

MTM is clearly targeting that audience.

Its pitch is not:

“Come and find someone.”

It is:

“Prepare yourself for the marriage you want, then meet people who are similarly serious.”

That is a legitimate market.

The controversy comes from the price and the pastoral context in which the service is being offered.

The Bigger Business Question

There is also a business lesson here.

If MTM succeeds, it could encourage more churches, pastors, relationship coaches and Christian organisations to create specialised matchmaking services.

Nigeria already has a large population of unmarried Christian adults seeking partners who share their faith and values.

That creates an obvious market.

The question is whether the future will bring more platforms that are:

Free and church-based

Commercial and professionally managed

or

Hybrid models combining ministry, coaching and paid matchmaking.

MTM is an early example of the third category.

So, Is Mentor To Marry Wrong?

There is no simple factual answer to that question.

The platform is real.

The prices are real.

The mentoring structure is real.

The public criticism is real.

The defence of the model is also real.

But whether the platform is ethically appropriate, fairly priced or sufficiently consistent with Christian ministry is ultimately a matter of judgment.

It would be unfair to conclude that charging money automatically makes MTM exploitative.

It would also be too easy to dismiss concerns simply because the service offers legitimate coaching and matchmaking.

The more useful questions are:

What exactly are members paying for?

Is the service delivering meaningful value?

Is the premium pricing justified?

Are members clearly informed about what they are and are not buying?

And does the involvement of prominent pastors create expectations or perceptions that require additional ethical safeguards?

Those are stronger questions than simply asking whether ₦700,000 is expensive.

Final Verdict

Mentor To Marry is not simply another dating app.

It is a faith-based marriage-preparation and matchmaking platform built around mentoring, assessment, accountability and introductions. Its annual plans range from ₦70,000 to ₦700,000, with the VIP tier providing a dedicated matchmaker, coach, priority access to the founders and other premium features.

The controversy is understandable because the platform sits at the intersection of three sensitive areas:

faith, money and marriage.

Critics see an uncomfortable commercialisation of access within a Christian context.

Supporters see a structured professional service that happens to operate within a Christian framework.

Both perspectives deserve to be heard.

Perhaps the most important lesson is that Christians, like everyone else, should learn to distinguish between faith, personality and business model.

A pastor can offer professional services.

A matchmaking platform can charge money.

A Christian can choose to pay for coaching.

But none of those facts should prevent serious questions about transparency, value, accountability and the proper boundaries between ministry and commerce.

In the end, ₦700,000 cannot buy love.

It cannot buy compatibility.

It cannot buy character.

And it certainly cannot guarantee marriage.

At most, it can buy access to a particular service designed to improve the process of finding and preparing for a partner.

Whether that service is worth ₦700,000 is a question each prospective member must answer for themselves.

Editorial Credit

This article was independently prepared by the KakakiNews Editorial Team using Mentor To Marry’s official website, Redeemers Connect’s official documentation, and verified Nigerian media reports on the launch and public reaction.

The pricing, membership features and platform details are current as of early September 2026 and may change. Membership does not guarantee a match, mutual interest or marriage.

Sources

• Mentor To Marry official website 
• The Guardian Nigeria, “Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo under fire over ₦700,000 matchmaking platform”
• Premium Times, “₦700,000 to find love? Pastor Okonkwo’s matchmaking platform sparks outrage”
• TheCable, “RCCG parish launches online dating site”