The Nigerian Church and the Future: An Optimistic Outlook

More than 250 years have passed since the Church of Nigeria was established on January 11, 1844 by missionaries from England. Since then, it has been led by many godly men, some of whom have served as Moderators at the Synod of Church leaders in the country during their time in office. However, there are signs that things may be changing. And not necessarily for the better.

What is going on in Nigeria?

Nigeria has been on everyone’s minds lately. Boko Haram, one of many terrorist groups that have plagued Nigeria for decades, kidnapped hundreds of innocent schoolgirls and declared them slaves. Their leader has now killed most of these girls, including some who tried to escape. Terror is not limited to Nigeria, however; it continues all over Africa as ISIS expands its influence in Libya, Tunisia, Somalia and Kenya – even South Africa is in their sights. But how can we stop terrorism? As Christians living in a country with over 200 million Muslims struggling to provide good government and basic needs for its people (the majority being Christian), it is worth examining how we can make our nation great again while maintaining peace with others. Here are my thoughts. What should Nigeria do?: The first thing we need to do is stop feeding ISIS. They live off of oil revenues from Iraq and Syria, which means they will thrive if oil prices stay low. Our recent nuclear deal with Iran could help Iran boost production by 500,000 barrels per day by next year; imagine what happens when other OPEC members start pumping more oil! If you think prices at $50 per barrel were bad before, just wait until they hit $60 or $70! We need to use every resource available—including diplomacy—to ensure Iran does not sell more oil until they comply with every last detail of their nuclear agreement. This means stopping any American companies from doing business with Iran, cutting off Iranian access to Western financial markets and ensuring all countries know exactly what steps Iran must take before sanctions are lifted. It also means working closely with Saudi Arabia and Russia to ensure they keep their oil output high enough so that supply keeps up with demand. This is important because Russia has already said it plans to increase production by 300,000 barrels per day in 2015 while Saudi Arabia has pledged an additional 1 million barrels a day. These two countries together account for half of current global production so we absolutely cannot let them cut back on supply! This step alone would likely lower global oil prices significantly because both countries produce high-quality crude compared to many other producers like Iraq or Venezuela.

How do we fix it?

Before we can begin to address these issues, we must first ask what role church members play in perpetuating them. When pastors are careless or corrupt with money, do church members talk about it? Do they confront their leaders or withhold donations until things change? I believe that if Nigerians were more attentive to how they were being spiritually fed by their churches (and other Christians), many of these problems would be non-issues. So, as a pastor myself, my advice is for people to start paying attention to where their tithes and offerings go—or don’t go. Don’t just give your money away blindly; make sure you know where it’s going and why. And if you don’t like what you see, speak up! Don’t wait for someone else to take action; take matters into your own hands! The future of our country depends on it. 

One of the best ways to ensure that you’re getting everything from your church that you could possibly need is simply to ask questions. Is there an adult Bible study for new believers? Does Sunday School exist for young children? What about youth group, couples' bible studies or single's groups? If none of those interest you, then consider starting one yourself!

Where will Nigeria be in 10 years time?

While I don’t pretend to be clairvoyant, it’s my hope that Nigeria will still be a country. The immediate problem we face is one of leadership, not development. However, long-term problems such as corruption, widespread poverty and high youth unemployment will require much longer time frames for solutions. You can't realistically solve those issues in five years or even 10 years—but you can make meaningful progress. If Nigeria is able to put its house in order by then (and there are positive signs already on several fronts), I think we have a very good chance of being a developed nation by 2028.

 I’m optimistic that we can move beyond our most pressing issues. If a truly democratic system is instituted in 2015, I think Nigerians will finally begin to speak out against corruption on a mass scale—in fact, it’s already starting to happen now (remember #BringBackOurGirls?) The spread of education and information technology has also given rise to a new generation of leaders who are smarter, better informed and more connected than previous generations. They are willing to stand up for what they believe in and fight for their rights. Most importantly, all people want better lives for themselves and their families—and if things aren’t getting better at a fast enough pace, they will do something about it themselves.

A final word

There is no perfect church. In truth, there’s probably no such thing as a perfect Christian, either. The best we can do is to continue striving toward perfection while walking hand-in-hand with our fellow followers of Christ. It’s because of my commitment to becoming a better Christian every day that I am filled with confidence about where my country’s churches are heading in years to come.

 Is there any hope? Will Nigeria’s churches continue to deteriorate or will they find a way to experience revival? I believe that if Christians continue in their efforts to follow Christ, then God will honor our faithfulness. So as we embark on a new year, let’s all pray for a spiritual awakening in our country—and in our own hearts. Let’s also resolve to do whatever it takes to live out our faith with integrity. And finally, let’s keep trusting God to lead us through these difficult times. He has never failed us yet!