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DIVERSITY OF DENOMINATIONAL PRACTICES AND ITS IMPLICATION ON CHURCH GROWTH IN NIGERIA

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Your Identity in Christ: How God Sees You | Cru

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

With the arrival of Christianity and Islam, the foreign influence undermined and dissolved the African Traditional Religion, which had been the harnessing equipment that had bound Africans together. Their moral rules and ethical standards were renamed as a result; while they were equal to their original traditional laws, they were confused since they had been impacted by alien factors. Thus, all those rebranded laws are still dangling from papers but have not much consequence as the traditional means of social control had on the people. Hence, people commit all sorts of atrocities with impunity. A religious denomination is a subset of a religion that shares a name, tradition, and identity.1 It can also refer to a group of Christians in a particular area who have banded together to labor and worship. They have a pattern of organizational work that they must do, as well as funding to complete this task. Christians in the Bible were not only members of the general body of all rescued individuals, but they also belonged to local churches or denominations. It is a group of congregations united under a governing body that effectively distinguishes and divides them from other churches.

Christianity as a noun refers to Christian faith, religion, being a Christian character, or the religion based on Jesus Christ’s life and teachings. Christianity also refers to Christian history, which is a history of salvation.2 It is a method by which a person or ethnic group expresses or practices their Christian faith. Christianity in Nigeria has matured, having gone through several stages since the first missionaries set foot on Nigerian territory in the 15th century. The Christian venture in Nigeria began in 1842 with an early Portuguese missionary voyage to the kingdom of Benin in present-day Nigeria’s Midwest. It was the Oba (king) who had requested for the missionaries from Portugal as a follow up to earlier trade contacts with Portuguese traders. The missionaries arrived but were unable to make an impact on the people of the Benin kingdom because the kingdom was engulfed in perpetual wars at the time of their arrival, there was an inadequacy in the number of Missionaries available at any time and their lack of understanding of their job because they were not trained for it, and there was a lack of material support for the few missionaries available.3 Apart from language barrier, the Oba was in form groups of his domain and could not allow foreign bodies to interfere with his administration. In addition, the whole continent at that time was engulfed with human trafficking and every country in west Africa was ravaged by the inflame trade. Therefore, Christianity could not thrive well in that populated and inhuman environment.

Therefore, this study discusses the history of Church in Nigeria. To achieve this objective, the history of the church in Nigeria is divided into five periods namely; one, the period of introducing Latin Christianity in the 15th and 16th centuries; two, the period of Denominationalism and missionary activities in the 19th century from 1842 onward; three, the period of evolution of Independent churches, four, the period of Indigenous African Churches; and five, the period of the birth of charismatic and Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. It is to be noted that the birth of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) which divided the Christian church into five major groups aided the growth of the church in Nigeria. The period between 1980 to 2010 is remarkable as it witnessed the spread, growth and spread of churches in Nigeria.4 Pentecostalism is seen as one of the fastest growing movements within Christianity in Nigeria today and the world at large.

The term ‘church growth’ has become a bit of a catch-all in a lot of recent religious advertising material. In many people’s perceptions, it is synonymous with evangelism or corporate rejuvenation. The author uses the term ‘church growth’ in accordance with the following formal definition: Church expansion is the study of the nature, function, and health of the Christian church in relation to the efficient implementation of God’s commission to make disciples of all countries. It is simultaneously a theological conviction, and an applied science which strives to combine the eternal principles of God’s word with the best insights of contemporary social and behavioural sciences, employing, as its initial frame of reference, the foundational work done by Dr. Donald McGavran.5 Church-growth principles are discovered by observing where churches are growing where the numbers of members are increasing and new congregations are being born, and where men and women are introduced to Jesus Christ, commit their lives to him, and become responsible members of his Church.6 In this work, an inquest into the church history will be studied and the focus will also be on the denominational practices and Church growth in Ikare-Akoko in Ondo state and Nigeria as a whole. Focus will also be on Pentecostal movement in Nigeria and the factors for the proliferation of the church in Ikare-Akoko.

1.2  Statement of the Problem

There is no doubting that the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria has grown tremendously in terms of the number of churches and membership strength over the years. Indeed, the movement’s proliferation in Nigeria and in Ikare-Akoko is a visible fact. Pentecostalism has clearly infiltrated mainline churches. Clearly, Pentecostalism is spreading and gaining followers on a regular basis. The growth of Pentecostal churches, which seems uncontrollable, is substantiated in the heavy presence of its churches in every nook and cranny of the Nigerian society of which Ikare-Akoko is not left out in this. It is the speedy growth and expansion of church in Ikare-Akoko and elsewhere that constitute a major problem. The problem will be thoroughly investigated in order to highlight the key factors that are responsible for this rapid growth and expansion in the church. This therefore forms the basis upon which the work stands in order to explain the growth and expansion of the Pentecostal churches in Ikare-Akoko.

1.3  Aim and Objectives of Study

This research aims at studying in detailed form, Church Growth and tends to know the diversity of denominational practices on the growth of the church. Specifically, the study will:

  1. Ascertain whether denominational practices have significant effect on church
  2. Look at the historical origin of Church growth and this work also aim at studying the relationship between Church growth and Church health.
  3. Study Pentecostal Churches in contemporary Ikare society and its impacts in the society.
  4. Examine the factors responsible for Pentecostal Church growth Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria.

1.4  Significance of study

This research will bring out the historical origin of Christianity and Church growth in Nigeria. The objective of this work is to examine the historical origin of Church growth, relationship between Church growth and Church health, and to discuss the Pentecostal Churches in the contemporary Ikare society and its impact. Over the years, the terminology used to describe Church growth has been varied owing to the various views which people have about this movement from its inception. This study is of great importance in the sense that it will help people have a better understanding about the meaning of Church growth movement, origin of Christianity in Nigeria and its impacts on the people of Ikare- Akoko. It will further enable researchers to continue from the aspect which this study has not covered.

1.5  Research Methodology

In respect to this work entails, it will depend on both the primary and secondary source of data collection. The primary source shall include personal observation and oral interview; the secondary sources shall include journals, encyclopedia, documented information, textbooks, and relevant periodicals, among others. This research source of information shall majorly be secondary.

The research methods shall be the historical, analytical, phenomenological and interpretative approaches. These approaches will help in the proper analysis of the data gathered for a meaningful submission.

1.6  Scope and Limitations of Study

This study will focus on the diversity of denominational practices and its implication on the church growth in Ikare-Akoko. Furthermore, the work will also consider some stringent impact of churches for the development of Ikare-Akoko and Nigeria at large.

One of the limitations to this work is insufficient fund which tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for relevant materials or literature.

Time Constraint is another limitation to this work. The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research. However, despite all these limitations mentioned here, the researcher would make efforts to carefully touch the necessary issues that are relevant and are of great importance to this research for the purpose of arriving at a reliable submission.

1.7 Organization of Study

This study will be divided into five chapters, chapter one contains the background to the study. In it we have the introduction, statement of the problem, aims and objectives of the study, justification of the study, research methodology, scope and limitation of the study, chapter synopsis, definition of terms. Chapter two focuses on historical background of the church, the growth and spread of the church, origin of Christianity in Nigeria and the concept of denominationalism in Nigeria. Chapter three centers on the overview of Ikare-Akoko, origin of Christianity and its impact on the people of Ikare-Akoko. Chapter four proceeds to discuss church growth and development in Ikare-Akoko, proliferation of churches and national development and positive impact of denominationalism in Nigeria. On the final note, chapter five ends the research with summary, recommendation and conclusion.

1.8  Definition of Terms

Denomination: Denomination can also be seen as exclusive religious group or sect politically motivated because of social economic and emotional reasons.7 A denomination is also a subgroup within a particular religion that operates under a common name.

Church: it is from Greek word “kuriakon” which means the lord’s house. It means a building designed for public forms of worship. It is one group of people within the Christian religion, for example Catholics or Methodists, that have their own beliefs, clergy, and forms of worship.8

Church Growth: church growth is that science which investigates the nature, function and health of the Christian church as it relates specifically to the effective implementation of God’s commission to make disciples of all nations.9

Notes and References

  1. “List Christian                Denominations”                 Retrieved                from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations (Accessed on 24/05/2018)
  2. E. Nmah, “Christianity and Antagonistic Challenges in Igbo Land of Nigeria: A Reflection”,

An International Journal of Arts and Humanities, Vol.1, (3), August, 2012,76

  1. Adamolekun, “Main Trends in the Church Growth in Nigeria”, European Scientific Journal,

October, Edition Vol.8, (23), 2012, 3

  1. Adamolekun, …2
  2. Gibbs, “The Relevance of Church Growth Principle to Evangelism in England”, Retrieved from http://archive.churchsociety.org/churchman/documents/Cman_095_3_Gibbs.Pdf (Accessed on 27/3/2018)
  3. Gibbs,
  4. E. Nmah, “Christianity and Antagonistic Challenges in Igbo Land of Nigeria: A Reflection”

…77

  1. “Church” https://www.Collinsdictionary.com/amp/english/church Accessed on 25/05/2018.
  2. Gibbs, “The Relevance of Church Growth Principle to Evangelism in England”, Retrieved from http://archive.churchsociety.org/churchman/documents/Cman_095_3_Gibbs.Pdf Accessed on 27/3/2018

 

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