CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Christianity has spread to nearly every part of the world, and it has done so largely through evangelization. Evangelization is the effort Christians make to proclaim the word of God to others, either to win them to the Christian faith or to encourage fellow believers to hold on to it. A strategy is the method adopted to make that effort succeed. The strategies used have changed from one era to another, but they have always aimed at the same end, which is the evangelization of people.

The origin of evangelization is traced to Jesus Christ himself, who sent out his disciples with instructions on what to do and how to do it. After his resurrection he gave them the Great Commission, which directs them to go and make disciples of all nations and to preach the gospel to the whole creation (Matthew 28:18–20; Mark 16:15). From the beginning, therefore, Christianity was meant to spread and to survive through evangelization. Over the centuries, many groups have used a wide variety of approaches to spread the faith, and the number of approaches has grown with time. Evangelization has never been random. It follows a pattern and has a target, and this is why the preaching of the gospel is always carried out through strategies suited to the audience and the age.

The early Christians were born into a world in which writing was well established, and they used it to strengthen and spread the gospel. The letters of Paul, Peter and John and the later writings of the apologists are examples. Historians of the early church stress, however, that most early converts probably did not come to faith through apologists or public rallies. They came through what may be called "everyday evangelism", that is, through the life of the local church, the witness of individual believers, and the example of high moral standards and of charity offered to all regardless of social status. Believers planted and nurtured churches that became centres for attracting converts, and some converts were drawn by friendship with church members, by healings and exorcisms, or by witnessing the arrest or martyrdom of Christians (Hinson, 1998). Endurance under persecution was therefore itself a powerful strategy. The Christians put to death at Scillium in North Africa in 180 AD died without fear, and writers such as Tertullian, Cyprian and Augustine belonged to the same church and left a lasting mark on later generations. Those who died for the faith were honoured as martyrs, a title that inspired deep loyalty to the Christian cause, and Tertullian's saying that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church sums up this view.

A later phase of evangelization came with the Christian revivals of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The Evangelical Revival in Britain and the Great Awakening in America stressed personal conversion, the new birth and justification by faith, and its preachers worked outside church buildings and beyond the established order (Bebbington, 1989). The preaching of John Wesley in the Church of England is a leading example, and those who held these emphases came to be called evangelicals. The revival brought Christianity to groups that had been neglected, including slaves, and challenged the established authority of the church. It also produced tension and division between traditionalists, who insisted on ritual and doctrine, and revivalists. In the American context the two camps came to be known as "Old Lights" and "New Lights". This evangelistic style breathed new life into Christianity and led many people to become passionately involved in their religion. As time passed, the desire to take the gospel to places where it had not yet been heard grew stronger.

Christianity reached West Africa and Igboland through a number of mission strategies. The Church Missionary Society, for example, used education and the building of schools, the development of Igbo literature and language, medical care and commerce to engage the people (Nnatuanya, 2021). Other approaches included catechism, mission communities, churches and welfare services. Mission schools and vocational training also carried a wider policy that linked the Bible with economic improvement, which is often summarised as the "Bible and the plough" (Egwuonwu, 2024). These strategies suited the needs of the time and were most effective in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Yet conversion did not always run deep. Many people were drawn by what they hoped to gain from the missionaries, such as freedom from oppression, welfare services and medical attention. The response also varied from one individual and community to another, with some communities enthusiastic and others reluctant (Hale, 2006). Despite these differences, the missionaries planted Christianity firmly in Igboland through the methods they adopted.

As time passed, events and social change shaped Christianity in new ways. The growing complexity of society made new demands on the activities that concern human life. Around the time of independence, nationalist leaders who wanted release from white domination called for reform, and the missionaries and the colonial administration were seen as allies. Egwuonwu (2024) notes that the missionary agenda combined evangelism with education, commerce and civilisation, which supports this perception. Racial attitudes among the white missionaries, and the segregation and exploitation that people observed in them, increased the desire for a native church. Independent churches such as the Aladura began to operate in full force, and their emphasis on miracles and visions attracted many followers.

The Nigeria-Biafra war was a turning point for Igbo Christianity. Religion was prominent in the self-understanding of the Biafran side during the war (Omenka, 2011). The war devastated the area and left the people facing severe social, religious, psychological, political and economic problems that demanded urgent solutions. The Igbo seemed to have lost confidence in their traditional religious practices and in the sincerity of the mission churches, and this created a new religious demand (Nwadialor, 2019). Anything that seemed to relieve the hopeless situation was warmly welcomed, and the consequences were not the first concern of people in desperation. Before the end of the war there were only a handful of Pentecostal churches in the south-east, since the early Pentecostals lacked the funds to open mission schools and the religious space had already been occupied by the established missions. After the war, however, Pentecostal churches attracted hundreds of thousands of poor and middle-class Igbo people who were looking for spiritual solutions and a better life, and their growth rested on practical help for the war-affected population more than on doctrine (Nwadialor, 2019). Burgess (2008) shows that a revival among the Igbo, rooted in the Scripture Union in secondary schools and sharpened by the suffering of the war, gave rise to many of the new Pentecostal churches, which later responded to global flows and local demands. The orthodox churches, by contrast, were seen as unable to provide the immediate answers the people sought. The Aladura churches, prayer houses and Pentecostals offered what appealed to the African sense of the divine, namely the power to draw down divine action, and they flourished. The mainline churches were the earliest to arrive in Nigeria, the Aladura came later, and the Pentecostal and charismatic movements are the most recent. Together these churches make up the forms of Christianity found in Igboland.

The war also opened the way for "fraudulent and counterfeit" answers to people's problems, such as fake prayer houses and false visionaries, both in society and in the church. The people struggled with the problem of rehabilitation and wanted quick answers, and they paid little attention to the values and standards of those who offered them. Some persons who also needed rehabilitation opened prayer houses, not out of sincere religious service, but as a means of easing their own situation, since worshippers made contributions. The underlying reality, and the later consequences, were hidden behind the pretext of dealing with the immediate confusion caused by the war. The people were not aware of the dangers that were beginning to emerge. The Pentecostal movement after the war directed its teaching mainly to personal transformation, with a marked emphasis on healing.

A fundamentalist style of evangelism also emerged among Pentecostals, partly in reaction to what they saw as the liberal teaching of the orthodox churches. Fundamentalism connotes conservatism and rigid observance of doctrine, and it arose historically as a reaction to nineteenth-century liberal theology and modernism. The Pentecostals regarded the orthodox churches as weak in the face of present realities, and they saw themselves as defenders of the Christian faith and biblical teaching against compromise. They therefore engaged in radical evangelism that insisted on a literal reading of the Bible. Their approach describes good and evil in sharp terms, and evil, which is traced to the devil, must be attacked, so that their evangelism appears warlike. Their insistence on purity of faith and conduct led them to be described as fundamentalist, and they can be called conservative or even fanatical Christians.

Evangelization in recent times has grown out of this post-war development. Its modes and strategies reflect and promote the prevalent issues of the society. By taking advantage of the economic, political and social conditions of the people, Christians have been able to appeal to people's conscience through promises of miracles to address their problems. This explains the various crusades and revivals that carry labels such as the miracle basket and prosperity and wealth crusades. Scholars have observed that the prosperity gospel offers community and support in settings of poverty and weak government services, but that it can also conflict with the demands of social justice (Akpan, Adebayo & Mkhize, 2024). Evangelization is understood as a means of bringing people closer to God through Jesus Christ. With advances in technology and changes in the social taste of the people, evangelists and other Christian groups now use various strategies, not only to convert people to Christianity but also to draw them to their own church and to make sure that converts do not lose their faith. These modern strategies include music, television, radio, the internet, the telephone, open-air crusades and revivals, and even preaching in vehicles. Televangelism has helped churches to take the gospel beyond the confines of their local environment, but it has shortcomings that call for appraisal (Oguntade, 2022). The researcher therefore considers it necessary to evaluate the evangelization strategies used by Christians in this modern era.

Statement of the Problem

Evangelization, as an essential part of Christianity, has carried the faith to the ends of the earth, although the process has been slow in some cases and rapid in others. Historians of the early church point out that its growth in the Roman Empire owed much to its charitable work, since it cared not only for its own members but also for outsiders, which impressed many observers and drew people to the new faith (Hinson, 1998). The missionaries who brought Christianity to Igboland also won converts through evangelization.

Evangelization took a new turn after the civil war. In response to the hopeless situation of the war-torn people, many prophets, healers and visionaries emerged, and evangelization became rapid and widespread. As an apparent solution to the problems of the time, people crowded to crusade grounds, prayer houses and healing homes. These strategies for spreading the word of God, led by the Pentecostals, have both strengths and weaknesses. No single strategy is perfect, and each should be examined on its merits.

With the passage of time, the growing complexity of society and technological advance, evangelization strategies have developed to many levels, all in an attempt to win souls for Christ. In practice, there is hardly anyone among the Igbo who does not claim to be a Christian. Yet evangelization remains strong in the Igbo area and takes many forms, including television, radio, the internet, crusades, music, prayer meetings and preaching in vehicles. Some strategies, such as crusades, revivals, television and radio programmes, have peak periods, which tend to coincide with festive seasons such as Easter and Christmas. Miracles are claimed in many instances. People are encouraged to join the various churches, repentance and reconciliation with God are preached, and good living and good things are promised to those who accept Christ.

Although some people appear to have been affected by the message of salvation, there does not seem to be a corresponding effect on the moral and religious life of the people. Corruption and immoral behaviour such as bribery, cheating, dishonesty, kidnapping, robbery and materialism are widespread in society. Meanwhile, evangelists, priests and lay people use radio, television, print media, the internet, music, street preaching and many other strategies every day to address the people in the hope of bringing them to repentance and salvation. It is not enough merely to watch and admire these efforts. It is necessary to study the strategies, evaluate how they are being used, determine their relevance and weaknesses, and offer suggestions for improvement. The problem of this study is therefore the evaluation of modern evangelization strategies in Christianity in order to ascertain their present status.

Aims of the Study

The Igbo are a religious people whose lives and activities have a religious orientation. For many of them, religion permeates eating, drinking, dress and every other aspect of life, so that religion and existence are almost inseparable. This background has strongly shaped their approach to the Christian faith, which is pursued with great vigour and has spread into almost every sphere of Igbo life. New strategies keep emerging in the name of evangelization. Because human behaviour is complex, the true position of evangelization through these strategies cannot be determined by observation alone. The study therefore aims to:

1. locate how evangelization came to be an established phenomenon among the Igbo;
2. enumerate the modern evangelization strategies;
3. examine the use and relevance of these evangelization strategies in Igbo society;
4. present the outcome of the findings; and
5. make the necessary recommendations from the findings.

Scope of the Study

The study covers the evaluation of evangelization strategies in Christianity, and its geographical location is Igboland. Igboland can be divided into several cultural areas, and the researcher concentrates on Igbo-central I, which is made up of Owerri, Mbaitoli, Ikeduru, Mbano and parts of Mbaise. Owerri, and especially Emekuku, was one of the earliest places to receive Christianity from the mainline churches before it reached Mbano and Ikeduru. Although the effects of the war reached every part of Igboland, the people of Mbano did not leave their homes as refugees; rather, their land became a refugee camp. The study asks whether this experience affected the use of modern strategies of evangelization in the area. The development of the use of evangelization strategies is traced in this area in relation to the situation that prevailed.

Significance of the Study

When completed, the study will expose the various methods used in evangelizing ordinary people. It will help the public to recognise and appreciate the need for proper evangelization for the growth of the Christian faith, and it will make known the complexities involved in modern evangelization strategies. It will show the direction in which Christianity is moving in Igbo society and will help the sincere believer to redirect his steps. It can help to check the widespread movement of people from one denomination to another for gain, and it will serve as a guide to those in authority in checking the activities of fraudulent pastors and prophets.

Limitations of the Study

The study is limited to one cultural area of Igboland in order to keep the research thorough and manageable. Any further limitations encountered by the time the research is concluded will be stated.

Methodology

The researcher consulted libraries and used both primary and secondary sources. Priests, some evangelists and radio and television stations were consulted. Crusades, revivals and prayer centres were visited, and observations and interviews were carried out. Internet materials were also used. The data collected were analysed and compared in order to establish the facts, and the researcher applied as much objectivity and critical thinking as possible.

References

Akpan, U. J., Adebayo, R. O., & Mkhize, S. M. (2024). Reviewing literature, theories and approaches of the influence of Christian evangelical activities in Nigeria and South Africa. African Journal of Religion, Philosophy and Culture, 5(2), 5–24.

Bebbington, D. W. (1989). Evangelicalism in modern Britain: A history from the 1730s to the 1980s. Unwin Hyman.

Burgess, R. (2008). Nigeria's Christian revolution: The civil war revival and its Pentecostal progeny (1967–2006). Regnum Books International.

Egwuonwu, O. J. (2024). Christian missionary's entrepreneurship education and human development in Igboland: A historical discourse. Kenneth Dike Journal of African Studies, 3(1).

Hale, F. (2006). Debating Igbo conversion to Christianity: A critical indigenous view. Acta Theologica, 26(2).

Hinson, E. G. (1998). Ordinary saints at First Church. Christian History, 57. https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/ordinary-saints-at-first-church

Nnatuanya, C. E. (2021). Church Missionary Society (C.M.S) mission in Igboland: Strategies, and method of evangelization – an appraisal. Nigerian Journal of African Studies, 3(1).

Nwadialor, K. (2019). Balm in Gilead: Religious soothing from the furnace of the Nigeria-Biafra War and Igbo Pentecostal expressions. UJAH: Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.4314/ujah.v20i1.1

Oguntade, A. O. (2022). Appraisal of televangelism in Nigeria as a means of global evangelization. African Theological Journal for Church and Society, 3(2).

Omenka, N. I. (2011). Blaming the gods: Christian religious propaganda in the Nigeria–Biafra war. Journal of African History, 51(3), 367–389.