CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The Christian tradition has contributed to peace at many levels. These contributions include public statements by church leaders, programmes of action at local and international levels, organisations devoted to peacemaking, courses of study and commemorative days. Church leaders have often issued appeals for peace in particular crises, and have also published broader statements on why peace matters and how it can be achieved. Christianity is guided by the Bible, which Christians regard as the word of God, and its teachings have consistently urged members to promote peace and harmony in society.

Christian leaders have long spoken publicly in favour of social peace and against violence. Violent conflict is widely accepted as a major obstacle to development in Africa, and in Nigeria in particular. It causes death, destroys livelihoods, displaces people and breeds insecurity. It also disrupts production, opens the way for the looting of national resources, and diverts those resources from development to the costs of conflict. In this way it perpetuates poverty and underdevelopment in Nigeria and across the continent.

Peace is a universal aspiration. Cultures, religions and societies differ in how they prescribe its attainment, but wherever peace exists, development tends to follow. Christianity, one of the world's dominant religions, teaches peace and urges its adherents to pursue it and to live harmoniously with others. This ideal now seems open to question given the rise of intra-religious, inter-religious and ethno-religious conflicts around the world. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, with more than 250 ethnic groups, has Christianity and Islam as its dominant religions, alongside African Traditional Religion. It faces both intra-religious and inter-religious tensions. Akeem et al. (2025) observe that religion plays a dual role in such societies: it can be a source of conflict, yet it is also a powerful means of fostering peace. They note that tensions between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria are often compounded by political, ethnic and economic factors, and that religious leaders, faith-based organisations and interfaith dialogue have nonetheless contributed to reconciliation and social cohesion. Adehanloye and Sakupapa (2026) similarly describe ethno-religious conflict as a persistent challenge in Northern Nigeria and stress the ambivalent role of religion, which calls for a critical look at the church not merely as an advocate of peace but as a participant in conflict transformation.

There is also evidence that the church can make a real difference. Adebayo and Ijaola (2026) studied the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Ibadan and found that the church has a substantial connection to peacebuilding in conflict-affected areas, and that the methods it employs have a significant relationship with peace and harmony in the Nigerian community. Burgess (2015) examined Pentecostal initiatives in Nigeria, including the Young Ambassadors for Community Peace and Inter-Faith Foundation, that respond to poverty and violent conflict by training church and community leaders and by building social capital. This is relevant to the present study, since the Assemblies of God is a Pentecostal denomination.

The word Christian means a follower of Christ, and Christians are those who put his teaching into practice in every area of life. Peace is one of the central Christian virtues, and the Bible repeatedly urges believers to live peaceably with their neighbours. Psalm 34:14 and 1 Peter 3:11 call believers to turn from evil, do good, and seek and pursue peace. Matthew 5:9 describes peacemakers as blessed and as children of God. Hebrews 12:14 urges believers to pursue peace with everyone, and Romans 12:18 tells them, as far as it depends on them, to live peaceably with all.

The biblical word for peace is the Hebrew shalom, a key term in Scripture that sits at the centre of how God intends people to live. Jesus came to give humanity peace and expects his followers to live in it. He not only taught peace but lived it, which is why many scholars describe his position as pacifist. When he was arrested and one of his disciples struck the high priest's servant, Jesus rebuked him and warned that those who live by the sword will die by it (Matthew 26:52). He also taught his hearers not to repay evil with evil, replacing the old rule of an eye for an eye with the instruction to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38–39), and he told Peter to forgive an offender not merely seven times but seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22). With these teachings behind them, Christians are expected to live in peace and harmony in society.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Nigerian communities face many development challenges, including severe economic, political and social crises, a decline in educational standards, moral and infrastructural decay, and a cultural crisis in which traditional values have been eroded by materialism, science, technology and competing ideologies. These problems raise questions about what the church can still contribute to relieving them. Since relevance is a mark of any meaningful institution, the church's part in solving the problems of twenty-first-century Nigerian society may be decisive in justifying its existence among the people.

The church has always taught non-retaliation, following Jesus, who absorbed violence rather than escalating it. Every cycle in which violence provokes revenge and revenge provokes more violence is broken when violence is endured and not repaid. Yet cases of disrupted peace and harmony have increased in the world today, despite the church's teaching on peace. This study therefore examines the role of the church in ensuring peace and harmony in society, using the Assemblies of God Church, Fugar 1, in Afemai District of Edo State as a case study.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The general objective is to examine the role of the church in ensuring peace and harmony in society, with the Assemblies of God Church, Fugar 1, in Afemai District of Edo State as a case study. The specific objectives are to:

1. examine the role of the church in ensuring peace and harmony in society for community development;
2. examine the church's teachings on peace and harmony for community development; and
3. identify the factors that disrupt peace and harmony in society for community development.

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions, drawn from the objectives, guided the study:

1. What is the role of the church in ensuring peace and harmony in society for community development?
2. What are the church's teachings on peace and harmony for community development?
3. What factors disrupt peace and harmony in society for community development?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

H₀: The church has not played a significant role in ensuring peace and harmony for community development.

H₁: The church has played a significant role in ensuring peace and harmony for community development.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study is significant in the following ways:

1. Its findings will be useful to government, church leaders and the general public in understanding the role of the church in securing lasting peace and harmony in society.
2. It will serve as a resource for scholars and researchers who wish to pursue further work in this field, and, if applied, may offer new explanations of the topic.

1.7 Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study focuses on the position of the church and of Christianity on peace and harmony in society, and on how this fosters community development. Its area of study is the Assemblies of God Church, Fugar 1, in Afemai District of Edo State. Two constraints were encountered:

1. Financial constraint. Limited funds hindered the researcher's efficiency in sourcing relevant materials, literature and information, and in collecting data through the internet, questionnaires and interviews.
2. Time constraint. The researcher carried out this study alongside other academic work, which reduced the time available for it.

References

Adebayo, A., & Ijaola, S. O. (2026). Assessment of the roles of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in ensuring peaceful coexistence in Ibadan South West. International Journal of Contemporary Research in Humanities, 3(1), 167–178.

Adehanloye, O. P., & Sakupapa, T. C. (2026). Understanding the ecclesial model of conflict transformation from a study of the Nigerian Baptist Convention in Northern Nigeria. Verbum et Ecclesia, 47(1), Article a3598. https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v47i1.3598

Akeem, A. A., Tawakalitu, B. Y., & Sheu, L. O. (2025). The interplay of religion and conflict: Pathways to sustainable peace building in Nigeria. Wukari International Studies Journal, 9(3).

Burgess, R. H. (2015). Pentecostals and development in Nigeria and Zambia: Community organizing as a response to poverty and violence. PentecoStudies, 14(2), 176–204.