Religious Conflicts in Nigeria: A Case Study of Pentecostal Churches in Abuja; Issues and Solutions
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
The main objective of this study is to examine the issues and solutions of religious conflicts in Nigeria, using Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study sought to:-
- Identify and discuss the theological teachings of CCI on church unity.
- Establish factors that led to conflicts in CCI, Abuja.
- Assess the impact of conflicts in the CCI, Abuja.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This section reviews literature that forms the basis of this research. The first section traces the establishment, growth and development of Pentecostal churches. The second section discusses the theological teachings of Pentecostal churches. In the third section, the focus is on factors underlying conflicts in Pentecostal churches. The final section explains the effects of conflict in Pentecostals churches. Also presented in this literature review is the conceptual framework that guided this study.
Establishment, Growth and Development of Pentecostal Churches
Hollenweger (2017), Vahakangas and Kyomo (2003), Mwaura (2005), Kalu (2005), point out that, Pentecostal churches arose after the apostles received the Holy Spirit which manifested itself in glossolalia. This filling of the Holy Spirit emboldened them to preach the gospel. Their teachings enabled them to bring about 3000 new believers into the early Church in one day. From then on, the apostles gained the zeal which enabled them to spread the Christian faith to different cities of their time. Once Christians receive baptism of the Holy Spirit, they became zealous and more vigorous in preaching the gospel as demonstrated in the early church in Acts 1:8 (Vahakangas and Kyomo 2003). This has remained a key factor that contributes to the establishment and spread of modern Pentecostal churches.
Another factor that leads to the establishment of Pentecostal churches is the desire to fulfill the great commission given by Jesus Christ, (Matt 28:19). The commission is to go out to all parts of the world, preaching the „Good News‟ and baptizing all those who believe in Christ. In the New Testament the early apostles had a great desire to fulfill the great commission despite the persecutions they faced. Barnes quotes one of the early Christian authors
Tertullian, from carthage in the Roman Province of Africa, who asserted that “the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the Gospel”. This is a replica to the manner in which Pentecostal churches are established today. Kalu (2005) asserts that, in the process of fulfilling the Great Commission, many Pentecostal churches are established to serve those who join the Christian faith. Bonk (1991) observes that, it was out of the Great Commission that the Christian missionaries from Europe and USA came to Africa in the early 20th century.
In other studies, Gifford (2018) and Samita (2004) attribute the establishment, growth and development of Pentecostal churches to the Christian crusades, conventions, conferences, revival meetings, Bible workshops and the availability of Christian literature. Such occasions and meetings draw many people into the Pentecostal churches. These scholars, further, assert that churches which rose due to these factors are presently active in urban areas such as Abuja, Kinshasa and Lagos. Samita (2004) further observes that urban Pentecostal Churches heavily rely on crusades for numerical growth.
This has led to the establishment and growth of mega Pentecostal churches in Abuja and its environs. However, according to this study, these factors are not limited to urban areas. They have also been identified as contributors of the establishment and growth of the Pentecostal Churches in the rural areas. The factors therefore provided guidance to this study as the researcher assessed the growth and the development of CCI Abuja.
The establishment, growth and development of Pentecostal churches according to Gifford (2018), Sanders (1994), Samita (2003) and Steadman (2006) is due to the cheerful and lively atmosphere characterizing Pentecostal churches. The spiritually charged environment, energetic singing, dancing and passionate prayers attract followers to these churches. Mahoney (1993) agrees with this assertion when he posits that, sermons in these churches are delivered charismatically and intelligently. They are also highly influenced by works of televangelists who demonstrate charisma and richness in oratory skills. Some of these televangelists include; T. D. Jakes, Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer from the USA. Examples from Nigeria include Wilfred Lai, Mark Kariuki and Teresia Wairimu among others.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This section is on the research design, research area, population, sampling techniques, research instruments, data collection procedures and data analysis.
Research Design
This study adopted an empirical design which shows how all the major parts of the research work are joined together. This design describes a unit in detail as a representative of a large data that cannot be studied as a whole. One example gives knowledge to many similar scenarios. A great deal can be learnt from one or more examples of the phenomenon under study. This design helped to describe conflict in CCI Abuja in details as a representative of Pentecostal churches as a whole. Above all, this research design enabled the researcher to establish the factors that led to the conflict and assess their consequences on CCI Abuja. The study of conflicts in CCI Abuja could bring deeper insights and better understanding of the problems faced by other Pentecostal churches.
Secondary sources provided a general background on the origins and development of Pentecostalism in the world, Africa and Nigeria in particular. In order to supplement the library research, the researcher sought more information from the internet. The Nigeria National Archives and the CCI national office library at Thika town were also consulted to compliment the above sources.
Study Area
The locale of the study was Abuja. Abuja is the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria. Located in the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s It replaced Lagos, the country’s most populous city, as the capital on 12 December 1991. Abuja’s geography is defined by Aso Rock, a 400-metre (1,300 ft) monolith left by water erosion. The Presidential Complex, National Assembly, Supreme Court and much of the city extend to the south of the rock. Zuma Rock, a 792-metre (2,598 ft) monolith, lies just north of the city on the expressway to Kaduna. At the 2006 census, the city of Abuja had a population of 776,298 making it one of the ten most populous cities in Nigeria (placing eighth as of 2006). According to the United Nations, Abuja grew by 139.7% between 2000 and 2010, making it the fastest growing city in the world. As of 2015, the city is experiencing an annual growth of at least 35%, retaining its position as the fastest-growing city on the African continent and one of the fastest-growing in the world. As of 2016, the metropolitan area of Abuja is estimated at six million persons, placing it behind only Lagos as the most populous metro area in Nigeria. Major religious sites include the Nigerian National Mosque and the Nigerian National Christian Centre. The city is served by the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. Abuja is known for being one of the few purpose-built capital cities in Africa, as well as being one of the wealthiest.
Target population
Borg and Gall (1976) define target population as all the members of a real or hypothetical set of people, events or objects to which the researcher wish to generalize the results. Rev. Christopher (O.I. 09.08.2021) observed that by the time the conflicts erupted in the year 2021, CCI Abuja had a membership of about two hundred and fifty (250) followers. The respondents to this study included; teachers, business persons, civil servants and farmers who formed the membership of the CCI Abuja. Other target persons were leaders from the CCI leadership hierarchy based in the zone, diocese and national office in Thika. Simple random sampling was used to select a group of both former and current members of CCI Abuja who also formed the target population which contributed information relevant to the four objectives of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
CAUSES OF THE CONFLICTS IN THE CCI ABUJA
Introduction
This chapter focuses on the third objective of this study which is; to establish the factors that led to conflicts in CCI Abuja. It is based on the third premise that leadership wrangles and mismanagement of finances contributed to conflicts and the eventual split of the CCI, Abuja. Durkheim’s Functionalism Theory emphasis that society is a system of interrelated parts where no one part can function without the other. If one part changes, it has an impact on society as a whole. He further argues that though conflicts are inevitable in human institutions, weak leadership structures compound the effects of the conflict. Therefore, when some institutions in society fail to function smoothly, they affect the others due to the interdependency between the social structures. This observation has a bearing to the conflicts that engulfed the CCI Abuja. The conflict affected both the church and society as it is explained in this chapter.
CHAPTER FIVE
EFFECTS AND SOLUTIONS TO THE CONFLICT ON CCI ABUJA
Introduction
The previous chapter enumerated various factors responsible for the rise of the conflict in CCI Abuja. This chapter focuses on the effects of the conflict.
Thomas and Kilmann (1977), Betty (1998), and Sande (2004) observe that, many churches are not prepared to proactively deal with conflicts. Sometimes, the conflicts are so fierce that the warring parties cannot be reconciled. They instead end up separating. This chapter is based on the fourth objective of the study which is an assessment of the consequences of conflicts in CCI Abuja.
Durkheim‟s Structural Functionalism Theory, states that conflicts in an organization or society can have positive or negative consequences or both.
Conflicts in the church will, similarly, result in destabilizing the society. Some of the highlighted positive results include: spread of the Christian faith, maturity of the church leaders and the development of Christian discipline. The negative effects of the conflict in CCI include: rise of two factions, the strained relationship among the CCI members and the scattering of the CCI members. The chapter concludes that negative consequences of the conflict in CCI Abuja led to its split.
CHAPTER SIX
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
The study sought to investigate the conflicts in Pentecostal churches using the case of CCI in Abuja, Nigeria. A number of Pentecostal churches had been established in this town before CCI but were closed due to persistent conflicts.
This research sought to accomplish four objectives: first to establish the factors that led to the establishment and development of CCI, second to identify and discuss the theological teachings of CCI on church unity, third was to establish the factors that led to the conflicts and finally to assess their effects. This chapter provides a summary of the findings and the recommendations of the study.
Summary of the study
The study established that CCI was founded on the basis of nationalism which is a strong belief that, the interests of a particular nation/race are of primary importance. It is also the belief that, a people who share a common language, history and culture should constitute an independent nation, free of foreign domination. The founder of the church, Pastor Ayub Kiriethe was opposed to the dominance of the then colonial masters. He advocated for respect of African Christians, their culture, values and norms devoid of white dominance. The spread of this church to other parts of Africa and in the Diaspora led to the change of its original name ACCEA to CCI as was indicated in Chapter Two. The CCI became an international ministry from the year 2000.
The main doctrines taught by the CCI that focus on church unity are: salvation, baptism, Holy Communion, pneumatology and eschatology. In the CCI the doctrine of salvation is the entry point to full membership. Salvation is obtained when a person accepts that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour and Lord of the Church and the universe. They believe and teach that through repentance of sin and believing in Jesus Christ, human beings are reconciled with God. Salvation leads to baptism. Unity is depicted when after baptism and repentance of sin, all believers in CCI are to live in oneness as children of God or brethren. This church teaches that its mission is to individually or collectively deepen the relationship of the believers with Jesus Christ and take His love to everyone in their community and the world with the view of winning the lost to Christ. Their desire for unity is further supported by their statement of faith in the by-laws article B p 2;- “Till we all come to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of fullness of Christ”. (Ephesians 1:22, 5:18-20) .
The practice of sharing the Holy Communion in CCI is meant to unite the believers as they commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus. Death rites help believers in CCI to focus on the final destiny of the soul while pneumatology enhances unity and oneness of all those who receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The doctrine of eschatology unite the CCI believers by giving them hope of eternal life as emphasized in the expected second coming of Jesus (parousia).
Finally, the teaching on the Great Commission is the lifeline of unity in the CCI. This Great Commission is actualized through crusades, conventions and seminars among others.
Conflict at CCI Abuja was caused by four factors. These include: the weak administrative structures; when conflict arose at CCI Abuja, the structures of administration in the church were weak, disorganized and unable to withstand the pressure of the conflicting parties. Due to these weak administrative structures, the players in the conflict eventually divided the church. The leadership struggle that ensued was a major contributor to the split. Divisions between the Senior Pastor and his deputy intensified the differences in the congregation.
The leaders lacked leadership skills and theological training. They also lacked good interpersonal and communication skills. Indeed, essential leadership skills like planning, organizing, decision-making, delegation of responsibility, problem-solving skills and facilitation were lacking in these leaders. With such deficiency in leadership skills, conflict was imminent.
The conflict was also caused by mismanagement of finances by the leaders. First of all, management of finances was monopolized by the senior pastor. This senior pastor dictated how the funds were to be utilized regardless of the requirements of the church. This practice is against the CCI policy which outlines that all the money offered in the local church should be managed by the council under the leadership of the pastor. As a result this issue became one of the grievances which led to the conflict.
The manner in which leaders were appointed in this church was also contentious. A case was cited of how the senior pastor singlehandedly appointed the Church leaders without consulting his deputy or the church council. According to Mbogo (O.I 26.06.2021), this method was against the CCI constitution which stipulates that “all prospective church leaders should be subjected to vetting by the church council” (section 5 article 4). However, this was not the case in CCI Abuja. The senior pastor appointed almost every office bearer. These appointments seemed to be at odds with the deputy pastor and the council who desired a participatory approach. The inability of the Senior Pastor to involve all stakeholders in the appointments destabilized the church.
Finally, the conflict had both positive and negative results. On the positive aspect, the conflict provided space for the spread of Christianity. Most of the former members of the CCI move to various geographical regions such as Kenol, Nanyuki, Abuja and Malindi among others. Some of these Christians joined other churches where they became leaders. Others were able to establish their own churches. For example, David Kahoreria became the founder and pastor of the GCC Chaka branch in Nyeri County, while Jeremiah Wachira is the deputy pastor of GCC Kenol branch. These are just a few examples of the CCI leaders who are serving in churches in different capacities. Apart from leadership, some of the former leaders acknowledged the acquisition of Christian virtues such as patience, discipline and forbearance. These virtues have made them become more cautious while handling conflicts in their respective churches.
The major negative effect of this conflict was the splitting of the church leading to the formation of the GCC. The split affected the vibrancy of the CCI Abuja and brought about rivalry between CCI Abuja and GCC. This rivalry trickled down to the members who struggled to outwit each other by luring members from the rival group. This situation resulted in strained relations between members of CCI Abuja and those of GCC. It also affected the relationship between the members of the mainstream churches and those of CCI Abuja. This brought strained relations to both pastors and their family members. Finally it created conflict between parents and their children especially if they joined the two separate factions.
Conclusion
This study draws its conclusion based on the Social Conflict Theory of Karl Marx. Karl Marx argues that, individuals and groups (social classes) within society have differing amounts of material and non-material resources such as wealth and poverty. The more powerful groups use their power in order to exploit the less privileged groups. The exploitation is done through the use of force by the leader over the followers. This finally creates tension which leads to conflict in society. This theory helped to explain some of the factors that caused the conflict in CCI Abuja. The scarcity of resources such as finances and authority in the different levels of leadership formed the basis of the conflict.
Second, the Structural Functionalism Theory developed by Emile Durkheim interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability of the whole. All these parts depend on each other for the society to remain stable. When one part of the system is not working or is dysfunctional, it affects all other parts and creates social problems which lead to social change. In the same way, the conflict that engulfed CCI Abuja destabilized the 250 members. Some remained loyal to CCI while others decamped to GCC. The division created deep rooted rivalry and hatred between the two factions, thus affecting the society in general.
In summary, the study noted that the conflict in CCI Abuja was due to differences between the leaders. These differences were based on mismanagement of finances, unilateral appointment of leaders‟ and lack of leadership skills among others. Using Karl Marx‟s Theory of Social Conflict, the study established that the differences between the Senior Pastor and his deputy created tension and confusion among the members. From January 2021, this church was engulfed in internal strife resulting into both positive and negative consequences as outlined above. Therefore, when the conflict became public, the membership was divided into two, some following the senior pastor and others the deputy.
Recommendations
The study examined the causes and solutions to conflict in CCI Abuja. It was the researcher`s view that the study would provide useful data on the causes of conflict in Pentecostal churches. In view of the findings and conclusions, this study makes the following recommendations.
- The CCI headquarters should ensure that their pastors and church leaders are thoroughly prepared for priesthood. This can be done through theological training or education followed by frequent inservice courses through seminars and conventions. Those in leadership should be able to demonstrate expertise and skills in their duties as church leaders. They should display good interpersonal skills such as wisdom, humility and commitment. They are expected to emulate Prophet Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:3-4) who was prayerful, focused and a mobilizer, who led the Jews and their leaders to construct the gates and repair the wall of Jerusalem, (Nehemiah 2-7). This was achieved because Nehemiah displayed leadership qualities such as; selfless sacrifice, extraordinary love and concern for God‟s people. Even when opposition arose, Nehemiah remained strong until he finished rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. In the same way, CCI church leaders should target to have their churches live beyond their lifetime through preparing and raising successors.
- Administrative structures at CCI Abuja should be strengthened such that authority vested in the various committees is allowed to operate. The church should follow the stipulated methods of appointing leaders to various positions as outlined in the CCI constitution. Those appointed should show strong leadership traits and where possible, church members and other stakeholders should participate in appointing their leaders.
- Conflicts should be handled proactively and not reactively. An issue that can result into a conflict situation should be managed well before it becomes a full blown crisis. This is only possible if those in leadership listen to the congregation and other voices in the church and encourage dialogue before emotions sets in. Common issues that can divide the church should be subjected to scrutiny and negotiated to reach a compromise. Solutions negotiated should be implemented as agreed. This could ensure stability, unity and progress in the church.
- Weaknesses in the CCI constitution that provide room for flouting rules should be reviewed. Though the leadership is God given, a good constitution will protect the church and the congregation from leaders who develop ulterior motives. In addition, churches should give professionals the opportunities to participate in church leadership. By so doing, these professionals can possibly share their experiences and knowledge on different issues with church leaders.
Suggestions for further research
Taking into consideration the limitation of the study, the following suggestions were made for further research.
The study was carried out to establish the causes of conflict in CCI Abuja. It is, therefore, suggested that similar studies can be carried out in another Pentecostal church that has had conflicts. Comparison of such findings would add knowledge to the causes of conflict in Pentecostal churches. This is because the findings of this study might not be expressly applicable to other Pentecostal churches other than CCI Abuja. Further, the extent to which a given factor contributes to conflict in different churches varies. Such a study would establish the key factors that cause conflict in Pentecostal churches in general.
Another study can also be conducted to establish factors that lead to the multiplication of different Pentecostal denominations in Nigeria. Such a study would help to shed light on the legal framework for proper regulation of church registration.
A study can also be conducted to find out the structures of handling conflicts in Pentecostal churches. Such a study could help Pentecostal churches to put in place mechanisms through which conflicts can be resolved amicably.
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