The Place of Culture in Church Growth in Nigeria
Date
2021
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Publisher
Jalingo Journal of Christian Religious Studies; Taraba State University, Jalingo
Abstract
Culture is a universal phenomenon and inseparable from humans. Every people/ group or religion is a product of a culture. In most cases every human activity is guided and expected to conform to the culture that is operative in that particular society. One of the things that culture does is that it regulates the behaviour of the people. This paper examined the place of African Culture in the Growth of the Church in Nigeria. Historical method was used for this study. It was discovered that for the gospel message to make the expected impact in the society it must imbibe the culture of the targeted audience. The Church in Nigeria grew rapidly with the rise of African Indigenous churches that contextualized the gospel message as converts from other religions embraced Christianity. Also, there was migration of Christians from the mainline (Mission established churches) to the African indigenous churches. It is essential that the gospel message be contextualized in order to share it effectively in every culture around the world.