There is hardly anywhere you go to in Nigeria without seeing numerous churches with different names staring back at you.
Nigeria has become a home to many churches. Despite the numerous churches, Nigeria still becomes one of the most corrupt countries in the world with countless crimes lurking at every street corner.
This could be because many people have not repented, they are just churchgoers as not going to church in Nigeria raises suspicions.
In this article, we will tell you why there are so many churches in Nigeria.
What Is A Church
In the general context, a church is a religious organization that meets in a particular location. While in spiritual terms, a person who has given his/her life to Christ is a church where Christ dwells.
In Nigeria, new churches spring up every day, the competition is so fierce that some people go the extra mile to remain relevant in the church business.
Some people employ so many straightforward strategies to retain and attract new members while some people adopt diabolical means to attract members to make wealth.
Some churches do not have the interest of people at heart, they impoverish their members by craftily distorting from them.
In addition, some people establish churches for self-aggrandizement which is to the detriment of the people while some people hide under the umbrella of the church to commit hideous crimes and maim people.
However, in all these, there are still genuine churches that walk in the ways of Jesus and focus on the gospel of Christ.
The Roles Of Churches In Nigeria
Churches are not lone entities, they are part of society and they have lots of roles to play in society.
They are not to be segregated from the affairs of the society but to be fully involved in progress. Below are the roles of churches in Nigeria.
1. Meeting the Needs Of People
The basic function of the church is to be involved in every area of a believer’s life because Christ was involved in the affairs of people.
Churches play a large and often unappreciated role in promoting education, delivering health care services and addressing poverty, etc.
Most churches in Nigeria meet the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of the people.
Some churches have helped in the construction of public roads and taking care of the less privileged both financially and otherwise.
They’ve empowered people and also contribute towards education by giving scholarships to less privileged students. Most churches do these discreetly as they do not want public praise and awards.
Furthermore, some churches have helped build the spiritual life of many people, they’ve made people have a sense of connection to God and they’ve properly pointed men to God.
They’ve helped people find their purpose in life and finding purpose brings satisfaction, peace, and joy.
Moreover, through the church, many people have repented of their horrible and unhealthy lifestyles which would have stunted their life and tampered with their happiness.
Additionally, Many churches strive to create support and fellowship for those who are hurting in church, those who are going through problems, depression, divorce, and struggling with addiction.
Some churches even have departments that meet with these people, monitor, talk and encourage them.
2. They Foster Peace And Unity
Christianity is the religion of peace and forgiveness and unity and peace are needed for survival.
Most of the teachings in the churches are centered on peace and unity, and so Christians find it easy to forgive one another and not keep bitter grudges.
These teachings also prevent some people from carrying out their wicked enterprises.
However, through the different helps churches render to people and their charitable works to the society at large, peace and unity have been fostered.
3. They build and sustain hope
So many things have triggered hopelessness in Nigeria.
These days it’s effortless to be engulfed by hopelessness.
People lose hope when they experience irredeemable loss, reiterated failures, hardship, difficult situations, or when they’re hurt by people they trust.
Most churches in Nigeria build and sustain hope.
Hope is powerful, hope is what is keeping some people sane and alive till today. Moreover, Hope stabilizes our thinkings and emotions.
Christianity tells you that with God all things are possible, this hope of betterment can erase all doubts and worries from your mind and makes you focus more on God for his divine blessings.
In Christianity, the gospel of hope is always preached and it has strengthened a lot of people and make them focus more on God.
4. They act as intercessors
Most churches act as intercessors to society. They pray regularly for the nation and those in places of authority as ceaseless prayers are needed for those who exercise power in the Nation.
Churches are essential to a vibrant and democratic society. Their instructions and beliefs form and remain the overall society’s moral ethos. Not only does the church teach virtue, The church act as a stimulus to inculcate into a child moral values.
10 Reasons Why There Are So Many Churches In Nigeria
You will agree with me that there are so many churches in Nigeria but you might not know why it’s so. Read on to know the ten reasons why there are so many churches in Nigeria.
Also See: How To Start A Church In Nigeria
1. There Are No Regulations On Churches In Nigeria
In Nigeria, anybody can become a pastor, prophet, or evangelist without restriction.
The Christian Association Of Nigeria is not playing her role in the regulation of churches thereby allowing people even criminals, murderers, and fraudsters to abuse the unrestricted freedom of establishing churches.
These people establish churches without the knowledge of the gospel or even having an experiential and revelational knowledge of Jesus Christ.
They mislead their members, put fear in them through false prophecy, brainwash them and extort from them without meeting their physical and spiritual needs.
Most of them make their members do unimaginable things and even rape young girls all in the name of performing deliverance.
Moreover, if one person is bold enough to speak out, he/she will be shut down with the most abused verse of the bible “Touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm”.
This is no doubt one of the reasons why there are many churches in Nigeria.
2. To Fulfil The Prophesy Of The Last Days
One of the reasons why there are so many churches in Nigeria is to fulfill the prophecy of the last days.
The Bible states that on the last day false prophets shall arise and they shall deceive people in his name, and set up unhealthy teachings following their desires.
Many churches in Nigeria are established to fulfill the prophecy of the last days.
They teach their members what they want them to hear. They dilute the concentrated word of God to suit their selfish selves. They preach only what the itching ears want to hear to please their members and also accumulate wealth for themselves
3. For Self Aggrandizement
In this generation, people no longer care about the gospel of Jesus Christ, they keep it aside and run the church as their business enterprise.
They use it to create wealth for themselves to the detriment of the ignorant people they mislead. Most of them, their churches are filled with religious fanatics who see nothing wrong in remaining poor for the pastor to be extremely rich.
Most of them use the teachings of Jesus Christ on giving to enthrall their members and make them believe that giving the church everything they have will provoke great blessings.
Hence, personal business and selfish gains is another reason why there are so many churches in Nigeria.
4. Unemployment
Lack of employment is another reason why there are so many churches in Nigeria.
The rate of unemployment in Nigeria has heightened her citizens’ desperation for money. This desperation is so fierce that people now venture into establishing churches as a business.
They believe that churches are profitable ventures and since Nigerians are religiously inclined they will surely patronize blindly without asking questions especially if it is spiced up with miracles.
5. People Crave authority
These days, people are craving authority. Nobody wants to humbly submerge themselves under the tutelage of another pastor. They want to be seen, heard, and be popular.
Pride and greed have made lots of people break out from their places of worship to establish their churches because they want to be autonomous, assume authority, and become the boss of their own.
Most times, these people do not hear from God as they assumed, they just want to start their money-making venture and excel.
6. None Reverence Of God
People do not reverence God anymore, if they do, they wouldn’t have stooped God so low by vainly calling his name, using his name to lie, and performing dubious acts.
People now use God for advertisement, just like using a popular celebrity for advert knowing that people will patronize you.
There are so many churches in Nigeria because to Nigerians, God is a celebrity and anything that God’s name is involved in is profitable.
7. Disunity
Disunity is no doubt one of the core reasons why there are so many churches in Nigeria.
The church is not one, there is disunity and disagreement everywhere. Some churches pose to be better churches than others while some boast of financial strengths, numerous members, and the ability to perform groundbreaking miracles.
There are confusion, disagreement, and disunity in churches as though the body of Christ is not one.
These fights and disagreements make people break out to establish their churches to avoid being answerable to anybody.
Every day, these self-acclaim pastors strive to outperform one another thereby resulting in establishing many churches in Nigeria.
8. Diverse view of the word of God
Another reason why there are so many churches in Nigeria is because of the diverse view and perception of Gods word.
Often, people read the Bible and interpret it differently. Most times this diverse knowledge of the word of God bring about different doctrines, thereby making people protest and break out to establish their churches to implement their doctrines.
Often, these pastors and evangelists are not led by the holy spirit, they read and interpret the Bible as a work of literature, using their head knowledge.
9. Dependency On Religion
Nigerians are religiously inclined, and that’s why people establish churches everywhere knowing that people will attend especially if they spice them up with miracles.
Presently, people are longing for miracles than the word of God, anywhere miracles are performed, there they are.
Most Nigerians are super dependent on man rather than studying the scripture and praying to God for a breakthrough.
Some people no more make decisions for themselves, they have lost the ability to reason, that’s why they depend on their pastors for everything, making the pastors demigods.
10. Shrines Are Branded As Churches
These days people rarely patronize the native doctors, everybody is running to church for miracles. Sometimes these native doctors disguise themselves as pastors, establish churches and perform miracles as though they are from God
That is all on the 10 reasons why there are so many churches in Nigeria.
I hope this guide on the reasons why there are so many churches in Nigeria was helpful?