Church Planting in Nigeria: Issues and Prospects
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following are the objectives of this study:
- To examine the issues and prospects of church planting in Nigeria.
- To determine the merits and demerits of massive church planting in Nigeria.
- To examine the factors encouraging the proliferation of churches in Nigeria.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Understanding the Historical Background of the Church
The type of church history which one writes is a function on the definition of the church. For instance, edha in Hebrew and kuriakon in Greek refer frequently to the assemblage; that is, the institution of assembling. But qahal and ekklesia move beyond the institutional perception to those people who have assembled. The Greek, ekklesia speaks of those who have been called out of the world into the kingdom. The world, kosmos has three meanings including the world order, worldly goods, endowments, riches, pleasures and allurements (kosmetikos) which seduce from God.3 Thus, behind the classical idea of kosmos as orderly arrangement, is a mind behind the system, a world system established after the fall by a kosmokrator, a world ruler, the prince of this world, in rebellion. Friendship with him is enmity with Christ. The church, therefore, is a special people of God, a pilgrim people with a mission. Mark 3:13-15 spells out why they are called: (i) to be companions of Christ; (ii) to hear and preach the good news which will be (iii) confirmed with signs and wonders, confrontation with the forces of darkness. These could be poverty, corrupt ethics of power, false religiosity, social marginalization or environmental degradation. The church’s task is to bring the gospel to bear on all the things which concern the well-being of the human person and carry a spiritual warfare against forces which deface.4
This theological context for political engagement must be clearly stated because those who go to war without clear commitment lose. It also informs how to do church history in an African context. Within this perspective, mission is imaged as the mustard seed. It is sensitive, fragile and challenged by strong forces. But it is a divine mission with assured victory. Vertically, the fragile seed will shoot out branches; these quantitative indices of growth are measured by computing the number of parishes, priests, baptized, communicants and so on.
Horizontally, the roots will spread, nurtured by the soil of the community and yet will affirm and challenge the soil of communities, that is, their cultures, values and allegiances and all the things that constitute the identities of the communities. The primal worldview, core values and allegiances will be tested as the gospel spreads out her roots and as Christian values are domesticated.
Church history is a different genre of history with a distinctive goal, a theological meaning and deep concern for people. Institutions remain important organizational vessels; but must be seen as being made for people. It is an orientation that tells the story of how laughter is being banished in Africa by predatory politicians. It confronts these “possessed” agents of a kosmokrator with the festival of a new life in Christ.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried out to examine the Church Planting In Nigeria: Issues And Prospects. Selected churches in Delta State form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF DATA AND ANALYSIS
Section A: Bio data result
Respondents (70%) as shown in Table 1 falls between the age range of 20 and 39 years, while other age ranges shared the remaining 30%. Male respondents were 58% while 42% were female (Table 2).
Half of the respondents attended all weekly church services, 30% every Sunday, 6% once a month while 14% attended occasionally.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusion
Church planting is inherently problematic. Both the long term and short term consequences of problem reduce the efficiency of church planters. However, the use of coping strategies such as problem solving, prayer, social support, and exposure to nature can reduce these negative consequences. By understanding the mechanisms by which problem affects their performance, church planters can avoid many of the negative consequences and increase their ministry effectiveness.
Recommendations
In this study, the researchers wished to make the following recommendations:
Government should fashion out modalities in implementing their designed policies and follow it up to a logical conclusion instead of adopting and abandoning one programme for another. It is obvious that government has in the past made some support measures in developing church planting in Nigeria, but the problem remains that there has never been appropriate implementation of these laudable programmes..
Good infrastructures generally promotes church activities whether small, medium or large, there should be necessary attention in the development and improvement of road networking, communication, water supply, machineries and equipments etc, and most importantly alternative energy source. The infrastructural problem in Nigeria must be addresses as soon as possible hence it has continued to bring negative effects or poor results on all the facet of church and life of people.
Finally, there should be more strong regional support by the government to enable the growth of church in Nigeria.
The Christian association should wake up to their responsibilities of controlling, regulating and punishing ill churches that contravene the set goals to the association, they should forget about worldly pollution and face the work of God committed on their hands.
Government should enforce the law banning the use of outside public addresses system by churches located within residential areas. Government should monitor and close down churches that are not registered their names with the Corporate Affairs Commission in order to reduce those fake mushroom churches having negative impact in church Proliferation.
REFERENCES
- Adamolekun T (2012). Main Trends in Church Growth in Nigeria. Eur. Sci. J. October edition, 8(23):1857-7881.
- Daily Champion (2009). Lagos State Government Shuts Church’ June 18th, 2009. P 10.
- Falayi O (2012). Proliferation of Churches: Causes and Effects on Church Growth. A case study of Ikere Local Government Area of Ado Ekiti’’ An Unpublished project Submitted to the RCCG Bible College, Lagos P 42.
- Fayomi MO (1993). The Christians Response to our Moral and Social Crisis. Ado Ekiti Paper Mills.
- Ibiyinka OA (2011). Environmental Effects of Church Proliferation: The Redeemed Christian Church of God as a case study’’ International Journal of Humanities and Social Science 1:15/special issue = October 2011.
- Nigeria Newspoint (2015). Evil of Proliferation of commercial oriented churches May 1st, 2015.
- Olagoke SA (2016). The role of religious leaders in repositioning children and youths in the -Economic development of Nigeria’’ A lecture presentation on August 31st, 2016.
- The Leader News Online (2015). “Proliferation of Churches in Nigeria” August 9th, 2015.
