ABSTRACT
Over the years, various denominations have evolved from
various Church tradition. However, denomination as a concept is said to be
religious subgroup that follow some basic religious doctrines. On the basis of
this research, some nagging problems arose which makes the growth of the Church
seems hindered and these include but not limited to leadership problem,
economic, and social problems among others. This study therefore examines
denominational practices and its significant effects on Church growth. Also, it
examines the relationship between Church growth and Church health. The methods
implored here are historical, phenomenological and interpretative approaches.
In the course of this research, it was discovered that Christianity which was
introduced in Nigeria over 150 years ago has grown over the years to claim an
estimate of between 40% of the population. It is worth noting that Christianity
is a major religious tradition in Nigeria and has significant impact in lives
and culture of people. The work therefore recommends that the Church is the
theatre of the Holy Spirit irrespective of denominational differences. Hence,
people should seek the Holy Spirit and also growth of the Church should not be
based on orthodoxy, rather on orthopraxis to change Nigeria for better just as
this research helps us find out that at its best, the Church Growth Movement
(C.G.M) and the Church Health Movement (C.H.M) grew out of missional understanding
of the Church.
CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
1.1 Introduction
A religious denomination is a
subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and
identity. 1
It also refers to as a congregation of Christians in a region who have united
themselves to work and worship together. They have a pattern of organizational
work that they are to do, and funds they are to do this work. In the Bible, the
Christians were not just members of the universal body of all saved people, but
they associated themselves into local churches or denominations. It is a group
of congregation that are joined together under some governing body that
effectively serves to distinguish and divide them from other congregations.
Christianity as a noun connotes Christian faith, religion,
being a Christian character or the religion based on the life and teachings of
Jesus Christ Christianity refers also to the history of Christianity that is a
history of salvation.2
It is a way people or ethnic group exhibits or practices its Christian faith.
Christianity in Nigeria has come of age having metamorphosed through different
phases since the early missionaries stepped their feet on the Nigerian soil in
the 15th century. The Christian enterprise commenced in Nigeria as far back as
1842 with an early Portuguese missionary expedition to the kingdom of Benin in
the Midwest of present day Nigeria. 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 came but were unable to make any impact on
the people of the Benin kingdom because at the time of their arrival, the
kingdom was enmeshed in perennial wars, 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 lack of material support for
2
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.
Hence, this research 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 something of a catch-phrase in a great deal of recent religious
promotional material. In the minds of many people, it is synonymous with
evangelism or corporate renewal. The author, in using the term ''church growth'',
subscribes to the following formal definition: 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. 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
3
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
Over the years, there is no
denying fact that the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria has experienced
tremendous growth in terms of the proliferation of its churches and its
membership strength. Indeed, the explosion of the movement in Nigeria and in
Ikare-Akoko is a glaring reality. Recognizably, Pentecostal has penetrated the
mainline churches. Obviously, Pentecostal are proliferating on daily basis and
are winning many converts.
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.
4
1.3 Aim and Objectives of Study
This research aims at studying
in detailed form, Church Growth and tends to know the Effect of Denominational
Practices on the Growth of the Church. Specifically, to know whether
denominational practices have significant effect on church growth. It will also
look at the historical origin of Church growth and this work also aim at
studying the relationship between Church growth and Church health. In this
work, the Pentecostal Churches in the contemporary Ikare society and its
impacts will be studied. Another aim which this work will achieve is examine
the factors responsible for Pentecostal Church growth Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State,
Nigeria.
1.4 Justification of study
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.