Relationship coach and cleric, Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo, has introduced a faith-based matchmaking platform aimed at helping Christian singles find suitable partners for marriage, with annual membership fees ranging from N70,000 to N700,000.
Okonkwo, the lead pastor of David’s Christian Centre, announced the launch of Mentor To Marry in posts on X on Wednesday, explaining that the platform was created for Christian singles who are serious about finding marriage partners within a faith-based environment.
The platform describes itself as a guided marriage-preparation and matching community designed for Christian singles pursuing intentional relationships and marriage.
While promoting the initiative, Okonkwo expressed concern over what he described as the growing commercialisation of relationships, particularly the challenges faced by young men searching for genuine partners.
He wrote, “I feel for the men of this generation….relationships have been so commercialized nowadays that its almost impossible for a young man to find true love.”
In another post, he said, “When we were young, all you had to get was a girls phone number but now all they want to send is their account number, now you are expected to pay rent, school fees and transport before you are taken seriously.”
Okonkwo subsequently encouraged men interested in meeting “godly well mentored ladies from all over the world” to register on the platform.
However, he clarified that the initiative was not based on the assumption that women were primarily interested in financial benefits from relationships.
“I can assure you that not all women are in relationship for business, there are a lot of good women looking to connect with serious godly men on our platform,” he wrote.
Unlike conventional dating platforms, Mentor To Marry says participants are required to undergo mentoring and preparation before accessing its matchmaking services.
The programme starts with eight weeks of mentoring classes, assessments and guided reflection. Members are subsequently presented with recommendations and introductions based on the package they subscribe to.
According to the platform, the process is intended to promote clarity, maturity and accountability among singles before they enter marriage.
The service has three membership categories — Regular, Premium and VIP.
The Regular package costs N70,000 annually and provides eight weeks of mentoring classes, assessments and surveys, limited profile access, an accountability system, five weekly chats and access to a country-based matching pool.
The Premium package, which costs N350,000 per year, offers all the benefits of the Regular plan, as well as unlimited profile browsing, monthly profile recommendations, priority access to coaches, global profile access, 10 weekly chats and private groups.
The VIP package is priced at N700,000 annually and includes the Premium benefits, alongside a dedicated matchmaker and coach, priority access to the platform’s founders, 15 weekly chats, introductions outside the platform, profile protection and access to global profiles.
The platform, however, makes it clear that paying for membership does not guarantee that a subscriber will find a match, receive mutual interest or eventually get married.
Mentor To Marry is operated by Love, Dating and Marriage Ministries, a Nigerian-registered non-profit organisation. The platform is open to Christians aged 25 and above.
Its statement of faith requires members to identify as Christians and accept its principles concerning relationships and marriage. Participants in its matchmaking services must also be unmarried, divorced or widowed and are required to provide accurate information about their identity and marital status.
The platform says its approach centres on Christian values, accountability, relationship education and marriage preparation rather than casual dating.
It also prohibits practices including sexual harassment, exploitation, abuse, fraud, catfishing, sexually explicit material and financial exploitation.
Kingsley Okonkwo and his wife, Mildred, are listed among the founders of the platform, with the couple bringing pastoral and marriage mentoring experience to the initiative.
The platform says its objective goes beyond simply connecting singles, stressing that it also seeks to prepare participants for the type of marriage they desire.
For those interested in marriage but not yet ready to pay for membership, Mentor To Marry also provides a free singles community.
(PUNCH)
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