THE MODERN DAY NIGERIAN CHURCH by Olarewaju Olaniyi Precious

Edited by Lanre Asiwaju

 

As you go through this piece, I don't want you to see it as an attempt to denigrate the church or our men of God, rather it is just a piece that enables us look inward. Our Churches nowadays teach us to be docile, subservient and humdrum. They teach us to leave all of our issues to God, they teach us to pray and put the whole of our trust in God without laying equal emphasis on the virtue of handwork thereby crucifying the "Work and Pray" ethics

The modern day churches are no longer seen as the custodians of morality just as our Pastors are not seen as perfect role models for our growing kids. Corruption cases in our churches are mindboggling. Our men of God are untouchable as they are guarded by the biblical immunity. One can barely talk about a man of God before being quickly reminded of Psalm 105 verse 15, “Touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm”. This is a fallacy; it bothers on the gene of fallacy called Argumentum ad baculum (Appeal to the stick or force).

Our modern day churches have abnegated one of their main responsibilities as social welfarists unlike the early churches which catered for the poor. In churches where they still do, they take the issue of social welfarism with levity and it is always performed perfunctorily, just to play to the gallery. Our churches have no regards for the elderly people and are not perturbed by their general well-being, else why will a church choose people over 70years of age as chairpersons. There argument is simple; these old people have gotten children who will foot the bills of such expensive and competitive Harvest ceremonies. These are some of the ugly transmogrifications that have taken place in our churches.

The lives of our Men of God show nothing but excessive display of opulence and wealth. Gone are those days when evangelism was a volunteer service that missionaries travel through thick and thin with a genuine intent of winning souls for God's kingdom. Evangelism is done much easier today with private jets, porsche cars and flowing business empires which worth billions of Naira. Our men of God capitalize on the poverty that pervades in the land to exploit the people.

Often times, I wonder if we have a working society; a functional one, where food is available for all, where there is an efficacious and reliable health system for all, where there is a well-planned housing scheme for all, a busy society where there is job for all and above all a society where there are equal opportunities to succeed and rise to the top. I wonder how these men of God would be able to continue their businesses and exploit the people on such grounds. I am sure most of them would have run out of business as a result of low patronage because people will always be busy with their works.

The state of decay which things have degenerated into in our country is pitiable; it requires the input of everyone including the churches. The earlier Churches made an appreciable input in the pre-colonial and early post-colonial era. There inputs in the educational and health sectors were remarkable. There legacy in the educational sector is still palpable as about half of the primary and secondary schools we have today were Mission schools established by the early churches. What have the modern day churches done? They have only succeeded in making our Grandparents and parents pay an annual due for the development of universities which aren not affordable to majority of their members and Nigerians at large.

With all sincerity, the enormous wealth at the disposal of these churches, as being flagrantly displayed by our Men of God can go a long way in solving some of our problems as a Nation. I believe three churches can come together and solve our electricity (Power) problem; they have the financial capacity to do that coupled with a spiritual approach since Mr President said our Power problem might have some spiritual dimension. Two churches in Nigeria will comfortably rehabilitate the Lagos/Ibadan expressway, if three of these churches venture into Agriculture, they will conveniently solve the problem of food production. Some can go over and over again that, these are the works of the government. Yes, they are government's functions, but individuals and groups too can help government in tackling such challenges.

As a citizen born and brought up in a Christian way, I believe there is a God above us and I also believe in having a working relationship with Him. However, our practice of religion, that puts the whole of our faith in one man expensively dressed on the pulpit, that places material prosperity ahead of salvation, which celebrates the looters of our collective patrimony, that accords criminals front row seat in our places of worship is one that I find worrisome. A religion that puts private jets and fleets of exorbitant automobiles in the hands of men of God, while the teeming majority of the congregation wallow in poverty is an extortionist, harsh and corrupt religion!

Our religion fails to guide our heart; it fails to reflect in our ways of lives, it fails to influence our daily interaction with fellow citizens. Each time I step into the church and I see the faces of the congregation, and I remember our ways of lives, I see nothing but the faces of sinners, when I look at the front seats always reserved for the big people; the politicians. I remember the havoc they have done and which they are still doing to our nation. I see nothing but HYPOCRISY.

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