EFFECT OF WORLDLINESS AND TRIBALISM ON CHURCH GROWTH

Abstract

The study was to investigate the effect of worldliness and tribalism on church growth using Assemblies of God Nigeria, Ikwerre West District as a case study. The study also took the form of historical research on the evolution of tribalism and the early believer’s pattern of Christianity with respect to their spiritual lives and worldliness. The research methodology was empirical in nature, and the study drew it findings from various journals, library works, publications, the bible and existing literatures on worldliness and tribalism in the church research. The study was guided by four objectives and four research questions. The findings of the study revealed that there are factors responsible for tribalism and inter-tribal clashes among Christians in Assemblies of God Nigeria. Considering the recent cases of leadership tussle for the position of the Church General Superintendent which was in court and the media for years. The researcher opines that the spirit of worldliness has taken over the church as corrupt practices, ethnicity and the quest for person gains are commonly found in churches now. It was concluded that Worldliness and tribalism is a prevailing challenge within the Church today and it is badly hampering evangelization and church growth. It is mainly caused by tribal misjudgments where one ethnic group looks at another ethnical group and passes wrong judgments on them, ethnocentrism which is a situation where one culture believes it is superior in terms of their own norms and values. Some recommendations were suggested.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – —       i

Approval- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  – – – — –  – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –       – – – –          ii

Certification         – – – – – – – – – – – – –  – – –  – – – – – – – – – – – — –  – – – – – – – – –         – – – –         iii

Dedication- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – –  – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  – – – –         iv Acknowledgements- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –         – – – –         v

Table of Contents- – – –  – — –  – — –  —  – – – – – —  – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –        – – – –        vi

Abstract- – – – – – – – – – – – – – —  – – – – – – – – – —  – — – – – – – – – – – – – – –          – – –  –      viii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1. Background to the Study – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –   1
   1. Statement of  the Problem- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  – – – – – – – – –   3
   1. Purpose of the Study- – –   – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  4
   1. Significance of the Study- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  – – – – – – – – – – – – –   4
   1. Delimitations of the Study- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  – – – 4
   1. Research Questions- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  – – – – – – – – – – –  – –  – –  5
   1. Research Procedure – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –   6
   1. Operational Definitions of Terms- – – – – – – – – – – –  – – – – – – – – – – – – – 7

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE

2.1   Conceptual Framework – – – – – – – – – –  – — – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – –   9

2.1.1 Concept of Tribalism  – – – — – – –  – – – – – – – – –  – – — – – – – – – – – — – -11

2.1.2 Concept of Worldliness– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –   — –  – – – – 13

2.2   Evolution of Tribalism – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –  –  – — – – – – 15

2.3   Tribal Exclusivism in the Church – – — – – – – – —  —  — – — – – –  – – – -17

2.4   Ethnicity and Nationalism – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – -19

2.5   Summary of the Reviewed Relevant Literature— – – – – – – — –  – – – – -20

CHAPTER THREE: EFFECT OF WORLDLINESS AND TRIBALISM ON THE UNITY AND GROWTH OF THE CHURCH

3.1   Tribalism and Worldliness in the Church – – – – – – – – – – –  – – – – – – –   22

3.2.  The Diversity of Church Traditions- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – -25

3.3   Effect of Worldliness on Church Growth – – – –   – – – – – – – — – – – – – 27

3.4   Effect of Tribalism on the Unity of the Church – – – – – – – – – – – – —   -32

CHAPTER FOUR: EXAMINATION AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRIBALISM AND WORDLINESS IN THE CHURCH

4.1   History of Assemblies of God Ikwerre West District – – – – — – – – – – 34

4.2   Factors Responsible for Tribalism and Worldliness in the Church- – – 36

4.3   Possible Solutions to Tribalism and Worldliness in the Church – – – – – 38

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 

5.1. Discussion of the Findings- – – – –  – — – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – —  41

5.2. Summary- – – – – – – –  – — – – – – – – –  – – — – – – – – – — – – – – – – – –  – – – -43

5.3. Conclusion- – – – – – – –  – — – – – –  – – – – – — – – – – – – — – – – – – – – – – – – 45

5.4. Recommendation- – – – – – – –  – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – — – – – – – – -46

5.5. Limitations of the Study- – – — –  – — – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – — – – 48

5.6. Suggestions for Further Studies- – – – – –  – — – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – –  50

REFERENCES- – – – – – – – – – –  – — – – – – – – – – – – – – — – – – – – – — – – – – – – – –     51

                                               CHAPTER ONE

                                               INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The Church today has systematically been overpowered by worldliness and tribalism which is inspired by a wide range of carnal injunctions. Whereas the early believers devoted tremendous energy to distinguish and separate the spiritual from the carnal, the sacred from the secular and the world from the church, in a bid to check issues of profanity and worldliness in the church. Accordingly, any form of worldliness be it ideological impurity or cultural perversion was considered “the enemy” and was rigorously combated, with an arsenal which went beyond mere criticism and non-conformism (to the world). However, today’s contemporary Church seems to have totally weakened its defense mechanism against various forms of spiritual impurities to the extent that a multifaceted paganism is now the order of the day in many Christian denominations (Sherman, 2013; Robin, 2015; & Phil, 2005). The phenomenon is even exacerbated by the fact that some evangelicals do not even – or do no longer – consider worldliness as a (grave) sin.

Through the instrumentality of westernization and syncretism, worldliness has successfully made its way into the Church (Weerstra, 1999). Syncretism which is the mixture of essential Christian biblical beliefs with assumptions and practices that are incompatible with the logic and principles of the faith has resulted in the “fabrication” or “concoction” of what he refers to as “something else which is no longer Christianity” (Weestra 1999, p.130). Christian denominations’ tolerance of rationalism, secularism and gross materialism among other vectors of worldliness has proven that the church is losing her glory. As (Aramide and Ejikeme, 2014, p.26) insightfully put it, secularism has crept into today’s Nigerian church. The phenomenon has been exasperated by the various ingenious steps employed over the years by church leaders “to imbibe and entrench secular ways into the main-stream activities in God’s house”. In effect, the morally decadent Nigerian society has literally possessed the Nigerian church and the latter is just an exact image of the former.

Christians shares one body in Christ according to (Romans 12:5) so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Yet, every Christian belongs to a separate worldly entity, tribe or different ethnic group, easily identified by his or her mother’s tongue. This clearly shows that every Christian is a citizen of a nation. The problem has always been how to express such identities and associations, in ways that do not become contradictory to God’s initial gift of unity. In the African context, everyone belongs to a tribe which forms the social, cultural and religious life of the society. Quoting Apostle Anselm Madubuko, (2019), “Tribalism is an effect of a mind that has not been renewed. When your mind is not renewed, then you look at the tribe. But when Christ has come into your life and has access into your heart, tribalism dies”.

The recent proliferation of churches in Nigeria has left the church insecure due to the reoccurring cases of inter-tribal clashes among members. The practice of tribalism in church leadership have caused chasm among churches as they seems to have forgotten that the church is supposed to derive its practices from the Holy Scripture not from worldliness. The world system of leadership is characterized by leadership tussle. That is why day after day, the world is always in a state of confusion, disorder, division and crises here and there. Thus, the Christian Church which is supposed to be the solution to the problems of the world especially that of tribalism is now part and parcel of the problem. The world that is supposed to learn from the church, but the reverse seems to be case. The secular way of political campaign, bribery and corruption is the order of the day in the church, thereby giving room to the fact that there is no difference between the secular practice and the church practice. Worldliness and tribalism has eventually found its route in the church due to the quest for materialism, politics and power.

The factors of race, ethnicity and nation are related in different ways in different contexts. Sometimes race coincides with ethnicity or nation, so that all members of the given ethnic or national group share the same racial features. Sometimes, Churches are so closely identified with particular groups, institutions, nations and their interests that they cannot play this reconciling role, and indeed may make conflicts worse by legitimizing and promoting the interests of one party over others. When divisions among the churches reflect and reinforce divisions in society the results are often destructive, even deadly.

Conversely, every issue of tribalism needs to be properly checked in the church when relating with members from different ethnics groups. Because, church divisions dismay and distress mature Christians, disappoints new converts, causes havoc in the lives of pastors as well as their families and generally kill the life and growth of the church. Apparently, despite the prevalence of worldliness and tribalism in churches rather than spirituality and unity, there are but a few academic and theological works on this topic. In Nigeria, effect of worldliness and tribalism is not a popular topic to engage people thus less attention is given to it except for some few journals and books. In view of this prevailing hitch, the study therefore aims at providing a lasting and workable solution to the menace of worldliness and tribalism on Church growth, using Assemblies of God Nigeria, Ikwerre West District as a case study.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The act of incorporating worldliness and tribalism into Christianity in the Nigerian context has some deleterious effects on the credibility of church growth. Worldliness is among the most contentious phenomena igniting deep concern about the state of Christianity in contemporary Nigeria.

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