Scholarly Works

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A christian dimension to poverty discourse in Nigeria
(The Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, 2011-12) Familusi, O. O.; Oke, O. P.
Poverty, which manifests in various forms, has been a major problem for mankind and a source of concern for successive administrations at various levels in Nigeria. Given this, several attempts have been made towards its reduction, eradication and alleviation, but no major success has been recorded, thus majority of the populace continues to wallow in abject poverty while ironically some have more than enough. Several scholars have worked on different perspectives of poverty. In this piece, an attempt is made to discuss the subject matter from a Christian religious view point so as to understand religion as a major factor in the issue of poverty in Nigeria. In other words, the Church is to be understood as an agent of poverty alleviation and possible harbinger of poverty. A pragmatic religious approach to poverty alleviation is provided as recommendations.
Activities of religious actors as a factor in national security discourse
(Department of Classics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2022) Oke, O.
Insecurity has become a hydra headed monster which security agents in Nigeria and other nations in Africa appear incapable of handling. Insecurity is a state of being subject to danger or threat. It has also been defined as a threat to the state which often accounted for the race for arms and nuclear weapons to defend the state. Insecurity has taken a centre stage in Nigeria and many other countries in Africa in the recent time. No day passes, without the news of one form of violence or the other, and this has turned the countries in Africa to almost a pariah state. After the country gained its independence from the colonial masters’ overs six decades ago, many Nigerians believed that the country would be ushered into the promised land. Rather, the country has been experiencing a plethora of conflicts ranging from the threat of secession, civil wars, regional conflicts, and internal crises (ethnic, religious etc.) which continue to affect the country's nascent democratic structure and development. The various conflicts have destabilized the country and their costs in terms of loss of human life and property are so enormous. Religion is being used by religious actors as tool to fan the embers of insecurity in Nigeria. The spate of insecurity that has engulfed Nigeria has forced many to flee their homes to more peaceful neighbouring countries. Existing scholarly studies on insecurity in Nigeria and other African countries like Achumba, 2013, Ede, 2014 and Awoniyi, 2019 have focused mainly on the traditional approach to security which is state-centric with little attention paid to how religious fundamentalism, fanaticism, blasphemy, extremism and hate speech have over the years been deployed by religious actors to grease the wheel of insecurity in Nigeria and Africa in general. The aim of this paper therefore, is to examine the activities of religious actors in relation to insecurity in Nigeria. This is the gap in study the researcher intends to fill.
African christianity and the modern challenges of ecumenism: the Nigerian context
(The Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, 2019) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
The engagement of the founding fathers of ecumenism in bringing church leaders to the realisation of the need for collaboration towards the achievement of unity especially among Christians in Nigeria is laudable. Even evidences abound that in recent times those who had shown apathy to ecumenical activities in Nigeria in the past are beginning to embrace the ideals it stands for with apparent commitment. However, in contemporary times, some attitudes and practices which nearly frustrated the efforts of ecumenism at inception are rearing their heads again; and this is inimical to the unity of churches in Africa. This paper, therefore, attempts an investigation into such attitudes and practices with a view to ascertaining their effects on the unity of the church and making useful recommendations for the promotion of ecumenism in Nigeria
An ethical diagnosis of proverbs 6:6-8 about leadership failure in Nigeria
(Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2025) Oke, O. P.
The bane of growth in the nation's political trajectory has been caused by leadership failure and its impact on the populace. Once acknowledged and revered as Africa's developmental power house in all respects, Nigeria has lost its pride due to selfish leaders and avaricious followers who always prioritise their interests over the good of the whole. The process of motivating, directing, and persuading people to realise a common Vision, aim, or objective is known as leadership. A proactive approach, activity, or attitude that motivates and sways others to accomplish a particular objective is more important than a title. It is the capacity to guide and lead a team towards a goal successfully. Sadly, the Situation is the exact opposite in Africa, and Nigeria in particular, where the ruling elite has transformed the nation into a conduit through which our Commonwealth is being greedily siphoned for the benefit of themselves and their progeny. Scholarly works that have already been written about leadership in Nigeria have mostly focused on how Nigerian leaders have shaped the nation 's development since its independence, with little attention paid to the importance of Proverbs Chapter 6:6—8, which offers an ethical diagnosis of the social, political, and economic Problems arising from the nation's political leaders' incompetence, ignorance, carelessness, and irresponsibility. From a methodological standpoint, the research employed qualitative methods to gather data. According to the paper's results, leadership failure has caused the African continent to fall behind other developed nations, and the advice given by Solomon in Proverbs 6:6-8 can help address the region's plethora of issues and take her back to its Position as a giant of Africa indeed.
An Appraisal of Selected Teachings and Practices of the Church of Christ in South Western Nigeria
(2014) Owolabi, S. A.
The Church of Christ (COC), established in South-western Nigeria in 1959 as an offshoot of the 19th century sectarian American Restoration Movement, claims to be the only true church to restore primitive Christianity in both teachings and practices. Contrariwise, evidence from Early Church history contradicts this claim, which necessitates an investigation into the true position; existing studies having focused on the history of the church and the biographies of its leaders to the neglect of the appraisal of the claims of the church in terms of conformity with the teachings and practices of the Early Church. This study, therefore, makes a comparative appraisal of selected tenets of COC in South-western Nigeria against the backdrop of the Early Church with a view to examining the validity of its claims. The study adopted the descriptive research design. In-depth interviews were conducted with purposively selected clergy (36; six from each state of South-western Nigeria) and laity (36; six from each state). Church records were consulted in six (one from each state) congregations of the church to complement the interviews. Published Early Church records were also consulted. Data were subjected to historical and comparative analyses. There were three teachings of COC: exclusive claim to being the true church; the belief in theology, but non-celebration of Christmas and Easter which were believed to be absent in the Early Church era; and non-belief in miracles after the apostolic age. Three practices were also distinguished: non-use of musical instruments in worship, absolute congregational autonomy and alienation from other Christian denominations. Attestations from Early Church writings revealed that COC has no antecedent in post-apostolic Christianity; but archival sources showed that the church emerged from the 19th century religious aftermath of American independence premised on democratic theology. The COC’s teachings on non-celebration of Christmas and Easter were nullified by evidence from Early Church writings confirming Easter as the oldest Christian festival and that Christmas celebration had its origin in the Early Church. The teaching that miracles ceased with the apostolic age was negated by evidence from the Didache (A.D. 110) and testimony of St. Augustine (A. D. 354-430). Conversely, COC’s A cappella practice was confirmed from the writings of Justin Martyr (A.D. 100-165) and Tertullian (A.D. 160-220) that musical instruments were seen as corruptive influence of the Roman culture. On absolute congregational autonomy, Ignatius (A.D. 50-110) and Eusebius confirmed that Episcopacy was in practice from the second century. Contrary to its anti-ecumenical disposition, Early Church records confirmed that ecumenical councils were convened starting from Nicea (A.D. 325) to define the substance of the Christian faith and defend it against heresy. All the teachings of the Church of Christ are at variance with those of the Early Church; one out of the three practices aligned with that of the Early Church. Thus, there is a wide disparity between the tenets of the two churches, which invalidates the church’s exclusive historical connection with the Early Church. Therefore, the church needs to own up to history and reappraise her hermeneutical presuppositions
An appraisal of the perspectives of the pentecostal and charismatic on theological education in Nigeria
(West African Association of Theological Institutions, 2014) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
This paper aims primarily at investigating the bases for the unfriendly attitude towards theological education. In addition, using historical antecedents as a benchmark, the paper will articulate the relevance of theological education in the expansion of God’s kingdom, with a view to reducing mediocrity in religious parlance and inculcate proper orientation in the development of church leaders in Nigeria. Though theological education remains a veritable platform to bring enlightenment to the souls and minds of individuals about God and his activities for the singular purpose of transforming and liberating men from the bondage of ignorance to knowledge; yet, a cursory look at the happenings among the Pentecostal and Charismatic circles in Nigeria suggests that majority of them have developed apathy towards such training. Even the few who have Bible Colleges de-emphasize rigorous theological study in their curricula, hinging such stand on many factors and assumptions.
Appropriating christian ethical values in enhancing sustainable development in Nigeria
(Department of Nigerian and Foreign Languages and Literatures, Faculty ofArts, Olabisi Onabanjo University, 2016-09) Oke, O.
Nigeria society today is bedeviled with problems of bribery and corruption, embezzlement of public fund, insecurity, nepotism, favouritism, kidnapping and so on which has over the years made developmental efforts of government a mirage. On this issue, many researches have been carried out in order to find a lasting solution to these seemingly insurmountable Problems. Many programmes, strategies implemented by government, its agencies and commissions to bring the Problems under control such as Ethical Revolution (ER), National Rebirth (NR), Rebranding Nigeria Campaign (RNC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and so on have not been able to nail the problems in the bud. However, an area which seems to have been largely ignored and which is responsible for the inability is the absence of Christian ethical values in the entire discourse. That is, the neglect of Christian ethical values of transparency, social justice, honesty and love among those in the corridors of power in the country on one hand and the followers on the other hand. This paper therefore, examined the Christian ethical values that are closely related to sustainable development, its meaning and how the values can be used to engender sustainable development in Nigeria. We also offered recommendations for stakeholders; the political leaders and the followers alike on the need to make Christian ethical values of transparency, social justice, honesty and love their watchwords in both their private and public dealings.
Assessing the hypotheses against women leadership in African christianity
(Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture, 2013-08) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
Despite the undisputable roles of women as homemakers and nation-builders, many hypotheses had been advanced in support of male chauvinism mostly prevalent in African society. Such discrimination is attributable to two sources; culture and religion. The prejudices, inequalities and injustices suffered by women seem to be deep-rooted. What is even more unfortunate and scandalous is that religion has been and is still being misused to reinforce the oppression and subordination of women. Equally disconcerting is the fact that among the womenfolk themselves there are quite a number who have accepted these conditions as normal and therefore have had no inclination to demand and work for a change. Such women have resigned themselves to an inferior status and sincerely believed that such is their divinely ordered fate. This paper, therefore, is aimed at evaluating the theological, cultural and philosophical hypotheses that serve as roadblocks against women leadership in order to disprove their logical veracity; and to establish that leadership in the church should transcend the factor of gender but be based on God’s prerogative and infinite grace.
An Assessment of the Impact of Christian Festivals on Pastors’ Financial and Spiritual Lives in Assemblies of God, Ogun State, Nigeria, 2009-2011
(2014) Oyeniran, O. C.
The Assemblies of God (AG) observes Christian festivals, like most other churches, but the economic and religious implications of these festivals for AG‟s pastors differ from these other churches. Existing literature on AG‟s activities during these festivals have focused on their mode of conduct without adequate attention paid to their economic and religious effects on AG‟s clergy. This study, therefore, assessed Christian festivals observed by AG, with a view to determining their economic and religious effects on its pastors in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study was premised on Emile Durkheim‟s functionalist theory, which emphasises the unifying role of religion in making members of the society affirm their common beliefs and values. Sixty parishes were purposively selected from the three AG‟s Districts in Ogun State: Ijebu, Abeokuta and Sango Districts. Quantitative data were obtained through structured interviews of 30 pastors and 40 members, including parishes and Districts‟ Secretaries. Three hundred copies of a questionnaire were administered to ordained pastors, licentiates, exhorters and deacons. Data were subjected to qualitative analysis and percentages. Assemblies of God observed Christmas, Easter and Harvest Thanksgiving festivals. These had financial and spiritual effects on the clergy. Financially, Christmas celebrations often led to the reduction in the salaries of AG‟s pastors whose salaries were determined by the income of the church. Given that cultural ties necessitated mass traveling of members to their hometowns during Christmas, about 32% of its 16,272 members in Ogun State who were non-natives were not available for the celebrations in 2009-2011. This reduced the church‟s income obtained through tithes, which constituted the parishes‟ primary economic strength. Consequently, the average salary of pastors dropped from N20, 000.00 to about N12, 000.00. Similarly, the closure of all parishes on Easter Sunday during a four-day joint Easter retreat accounted for a significant decrease in pastors‟ salaries in 86.7% of the parishes investigated where salaries dropped to about N14,500.00. Conversely, the Harvest Thanksgiving proceeds resulted in economic boom, whereby an average of N23, 000 was received by each pastor. Spiritually, 61.7% of the pastors affirmed that the 2010 Christmas‟ evangelistic outreach invigorated their soul winning passion, and the spiritual calisthenics aura of the 2011 Easter retreat revived 55.0% of them to better prayer and pastoral commitment for their members. Likewise, 48.3% affirmed that the 2011 Harvest Thanksgiving‟s proceeds enabled them to actively demonstrate pure religion through cash assistance to 49 AG widows. Respondents constituting 91.6% advocated for a review of AG‟s pastors‟ remuneration policy, 81.6% suggested intensive evangelization of the natives, 88.3% agreed to symbiotic inclusion of the non-AG needy in Harvest Thanksgiving‟s beneficiaries, while 84.2% opined that subsequent Easter retreat should end before Easter Sunday. Christmas and Easter festivals had negative financial impacts on the pastors of the Assemblies of God who enjoyed some monetary benefits only during thanksgiving celebrations and spiritual renewal during the Easter. There is, therefore, the need for a review of the remuneration policy of the church in order to motivate the pastors for a more committed service to the church
An Assessment of the Replication of Jesus' Social Ministry in the Nigerian Baptist Convention
(2014) Kristilere, I. O.
Deep concern for the poor in the society was an integral part of Jesus' earthly ministry especially in the Gospel of Luke. This makes the social ministry an important part of a typical church, as manifested in the programmes of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC). Many scholars have examined the theological basis of Jesus' care and concern for the poor, but adequate attention has not been given to the connection between Jesus' approaches and those of the NBC Social Ministry, devoted to alleviating poverty, following the example of Jesus. This study, therefore, evaluated the activities of Jesus among the poor with those of the Social Ministry Department of NBC (SMDNBC) with a view to establishing the biblical basis and the effectiveness of the activities of the Department. The study employed a historical-critical design. It adopted Gerald West's "Academy of the poor" framework. A total of 510 copies of a questionnaire were administered to members across 50 Baptist churches in Lagos (30), Ibadan (10) and Ogbomoso (10) selected on purposive and snowball bases. In-depth interviews were conducted with purposively selected five officials of the NBC at its headquarters in Ibadan, 30 pastors, 24 church officers and 33 church members. Church records were also consulted. Data were subjected to exegetical analysis, with reference to selected Lukan passages, and percentages. Jesus adopted five approaches in caring for the poor: identification, solidarity, education, advocacy and empowerment. Through identification, he properly recognised the authentic poor and differentiated them from other social classes (Luke 4:18,7:20); and through solidarity, he united with them in genuine friendship (Luke 2:1-7, 2:8-20, 9:58). Through education, he instructed them on their rights, status and how they could find peace (Luke 12:33,18:18-25); and through advocacy, he spoke against the oppression of the poor. (Luke 16:19-31, 21:1-4,3:1-14) Through empowerment, he engaged in spiritual, mental and economic uplift of the poor (Luke 16:19-31,6:20, 19:1-10). Contrariwise, only two of the approaches were relatively adopted by the SMDNBC: education in which it provided both formal and informal education though at a relatively high fee, and empowerment in which it provided means of earning a living for widows and prisoners. Little or no attempt was made to identify, establish solidarity and achieve advocacy as Jesus did. The implication of this deficiency was evident in the responses of the respondents in which 50.4% of the respondents were not aware of the SMDNBC, while 70.8% opined that lack of proper care for the poor had resulted in 30.0% loss of membership. Only 5.4% of the respondents had received assistance from SMDNBC. The Social Ministry Department of the Nigerian Baptist Convention adopted only two out of the five approaches used by Jesus Christ in reaching the poor which revealed an inconsistency with the biblical standard. This made the ministry less effective and led to membership shrink. It is, therefore, recommended that the NBC needs to completely adopt the five approaches of Jesus in Luke in order to enhance the effectiveness of its social ministry
Berith as a Socio-Political and Economic Regulatory Mechanism in Ancient Israel and Traditional Ẹ̀gbá-Yorùbá Society
(2014) Olugbemiro, O. B.
Berith, a concept similar to ìmùlẹ̀ among the Ẹ̀gbá-Yorùbá of South-Western Nigeria, is a pact ratified by oath, binding two or more parties in a relationship of moral commitment to certain stipulations. It was used to regulate socio-political and economic life in ancient Israel. Previous studies on Berith have focused on its legal aspect, neglecting its moral basis as a means of effectively regulating and controlling socio-political and economic aspects of human society in ancient Israel and its relevance to the traditional Ẹ̀gbá-Yorùbá sociocultural context with shared experiences. This study, therefore, examined the effectiveness of berith as a means of regulating socio-political and economic life in ancient Israel as replicated by ìmùlẹ̀ among traditional Ẹ̀gbá-Yorùbá. The work was premised on Manus’ intercultural hermeneutics which relates the Bible to African socio-cultural situations. The historical-critical method was used to analyse relevant texts (2 Kgs.22:8-23:3; Exod.20:22-23:33; Deut.6:1-28:69), taking the Leningrad Codex as the vorlage. One thousand copies of a questionnaire were purposively administered in traditional Ẹ̀gbá -Yorùbá homesteads in five local government areas across Ogun and Oyo states, Nigeria. Forty key informants including The Aláké of Ẹ̀gbáland, The Olórí-Pàràkòyí of Ìjejà, a magistrate, 22 Ẹ̀gbá Chiefs, and 15 clergymen were interviewed. A focus group discussion (FGD) was held with the Aláké Regency Council in session. Observation was conducted at the traditional courts at Aké Palace and Olúwo’s residence. Data generated were subjected to exegetical analysis and percentages. Three stipulations of berith were applied in ancient Israel: the lex talionis (Exod.21:22-25), the law of restrictive royalty (Deut.17:14-15) and the law of standard metering (Deut.25:13-16). In Ẹ̀gbá land, The Ògbóni enforced retributive justice and restricted royalty to a family while the Pàràkὸyí enforced market standards through ìmùlẹ̀. Berith produced bonding experiences by creating artificial kinship ties, replicated in ìmùlẹ̀ as Alájọbí, and annual religious convocations (Deut.16:16), not exactly replicated in Ẹ̀gbáland where Ògbóni, Pàràkὸyí and Olórógun held religio-political meetings tri-weekly. Berith bound the hitherto autonomous Israelite tribes in religious commonwealth through common allegiance to YHWH (Deut.12:5-7). In ìmùlẹ̀, the earth stood as the common source-matter, binding 300 traditional Ẹ̀gbá-Yorùbá clans under one central Ògbóni. Berith like ìmùlẹ̀, imposed socio-religious obligations requiring members of the commonwealth to seek each other’s personal wellbeing (Deut.15:39-43), material security (Exo.23:4) and financial stability (Deut.15:7-11). About 90% of the respondents affirmed that ìmùlẹ̀ effectively regulated political and socio-economic behaviour of traditional Ẹ̀gbá by fear-appeal through potent oath-taking. All the key informants agreed that perceived grievous consequences associated with breaking ìmùlẹ̀ coupled with anticipated rewards for upholding it motivated the people towards honesty in their social, political and economic activities. The FGD revealed that ìmùlẹ̀ was effective because it employed potent oath implements. Berith in ancient Israel is approximately equivalent to ìmùlẹ̀ in Ẹ̀gbáland based on the shared conceptual experiences of the two societies. Thus, the effectiveness of the concept in regulating and controlling socio-political and economic activities in each case was anchored to these shared experiences
A brief survey of the emergence and impact of the Anglican church in Kogi and Kwara states (1854-1999)
(The Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2009-12) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
Charity Tithe in Deuteronomy as a Mechanism for Funding Poverty Alleviation Programmes in the Anglican Diocese of Ogbomoso, Nigeria
(2014) Okunoye, J. O.
Charity Tithe (CT) in Deuteronomy was used to provide palliatives for the poor in Ancient Israel. Contrariwise, while groups likened to these are found in Nigerian churches, especially the Anglican Church, CT is not adopted, resulting largely in loss of members to other denominations practising a similar system. Existing studies on tithing and church poverty alleviation have addressed the obligatory nature of tithing, but little attention has been paid to the welfare values of CT as practised in Ancient Israel and as related to the Anglican Church. This study, therefore, examined the practice of CT and its effectiveness in Deuteronomy with a view to justifying the need for its existence in the Anglican Church and relevance in addressing poverty and membership situations in the Anglican Diocese of Ogbomoso (ADO). The study adopted the theoretic concept of “The Community of Goods in the Early Church”. The ADO was purposively selected because poverty alleviation is one of its main programmes. Four hundred copies of a questionnaire were administered to 40 clergymen, and 60 lay members each from the five archdeaconries and the Cathedral. In-depth interviews were conducted with 60 respondents involved in the Diocesan poverty alleviation programmes: 25 Clergymen and 35 lay members. Six focus-group discussions (FGDs) were held with ten members in each Archdeaconry and the Cathedral. Church membership/tithe records were consulted. Biblical texts (Deuteronomy 14:28-29; 26:12-15) were exegetically analysed, and quantitative data were subjected to percentages. Charity tithe in Deuteronomy, which was paid by every adult Israelite once in three years on agricultural products and stored in the clan gate, was used to tackle hunger (Deut. 14:28-29; 26:12-15). In the ADO where many of the population lived below poverty line, CT was non- existent, which caused a level of membership loss, but close to it was an offertory offering misconstrued by 72.4% interview respondents (clergymen: 37.0% and laity: 35.4%) as CT collected weekly for the poor. This generated ₦3.7m between 2005 and 2013 and catered only for 4.0% of the poor; 7.0% (27 people annually) of these left for other churches. A projective analysis from the questionnaire indicated that a faithful execution of CT would yield greater effects, generating ₦14.6m every three years from: farmers (1470:₦2.5m), civil-servants (315:₦6.5m), traders (525:₦2.8m), employees of private sectors/retirees/clergy (210:₦1.2m), artisans (385:₦1.5m), and students (595:₦120,000). These resources would have the following distribution: clergy (45:17%:₦2.4m), widows (113:18%:₦2.6m), orphans (121:20%:₦2.9m), strangers (322:23%:₦3.3m) and the unemployed (313:22%:₦3.2m). While 92.0% interview respondents supported the adoption of CT in empowering priests’ wives, orphans, youths and women, many of FGD participants opined that rural dwellers should be given priority in the distribution. Moreover, majority of the participants agreed that it would reduce the exodus of poor members to other churches. Charity tithe was non- existent in the Anglican Diocese of Ogbomoso, which, among other factors, led to loss of members. Given the success of the practice in Deuteronomy and its potential effectiveness in the Diocese, its adoption and faithful implementation by the Anglican Church would alleviate poverty and enhance evangelism
CHRISTIAN CONCEPT OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP AND ITS RELEVANCE TO POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA
(2023-08) ODEYALE, A. E.
The Christian idea of Servant Leadership (SL), which connotes honouring God and serving humanity (John 13:1-5), is germane to political leadership globally, Nigeria inclusive. Existing studies on leadership concentrated largely on its types, styles and qualities, with scant attention paid to the Christian concept of SL in relation to politics in Oyo State. This study was, therefore, designed to examine the concept of SL from a Christian perspective in the context of political leadership in Oyo State. This was with a view to determining its nature and applicability to governance in the state. Robert Greenleaf’s Theory of Leadership was adopted as the framework, while the phenomenological design was used. The three senatorial districts in Oyo State were enumerated. Convenience sampling was employed to select from each senatorial districts of the local governments: Oyo South (Ibadan North and Ido), Oyo Central (Oyo West and Surulere) and Oyo North (Iseyin and Kajola). In-depth interviews were conducted with 120 purposively selected respondents (60 Christian politicians, 30 members of the clergy and 30 Christians representing the general public across the senatorial districts) based on their involvement in politics in the state. Six sessions of focus group discussions were held with the participants. The data were subjected to thematic analysis. The Christian concept of SL emphasises love for one’s neighbour as oneself, which is central to all laws (Mark 12: 31-32); justice, an important value to liberal political ideal in the fairness of judgment (Amos 5:24); and tolerance, accommodating contrary opinions and giving equal opportunity (2Tessallonians 3: 6-12). The concept stresses transparency, which should manifest in project execution and policy implementation (Nehemiah 5:14-16); and patriotism, which is genuine commitment to the well-being of one’s country and her people (Romans 13: 1-5). Since the creation of Oyo State in 1976, Christians have held many positions of authority, such as governor, deputy governor, speaker of the state assembly and commissioners. Commenting on the governance in the state, Christian politician respondents claimed that, despite the significant involvement of Christians in the state politics, the political atmosphere was laden with negative values, such as selfishness, greed and hatred, which contradict love. There was injustice in the distribution of amenities, as opposed to justice, as well as insensitivity to political differences and opinions, in contradistinction to tolerance; this led to political violence and insecurity. Members of the clergy submitted that there was also alleged corruption in the form of misappropriation and embezzlement of funds, which tainted transparency and engendered inept administration. Nonchalant attitude to development and people’s welfare, in disregard for patriotism, were also identified by the other respondent - Christians representing the general public. All this, culminated in infrastructure decay, like bad roads, schools and hospital facilities across the state, high level of poverty, unemployment, as well as a threat to human value well-being.Contrary to the Christian values inherent in servant leadership, many of the Christians holding political positions in Oyo State did not deploy efficiently those values to foster a favourable political atmosphere in the state
Christianity and fundamental human rights in Nigeria
(The Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, 2012-12) Oke, O.
The Issue of human rights’ abuse in Nigeria has been discussed in various fora from political, social, economic and judicial viewpoints. While efforts made in these fields of academic endeavour are highly commendable, one area which seems to have been largely ignored is the religious response to the subject matter. This paper is aimed at discussing the issue of human rights from a Christian perspective with emphasis on what Christian organizations should do in the quest for the promotion of human rights in Nigeria. The Nigerian constitutions since independence have been embodying the provisions of human rights. Unfortunately, these provisions are not strictly adhered to; and this has accounted for lack of good governance in Nigeria. In achieving the aim, therefore, we shall discuss issues relating to human rights abuse, various cases of abuse in Nigeria, and what should be the attitude and efforts of Christians.
Church leaders and their quest for social transformation in Nigeria
(Zenith BookHouse Ltd., Ibadan, 2022) Oke, O. P.
Church’s involvement in inculcating ethical values: a key to change agenda in Nigeria
(Hope Publications, 2019) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
Clergy-Laity Conflicts Over Nigerian Baptist Policies in Ogbomoso Conference, 1993 – 2008
(2014) Oludele, O. A.
Baptist policies regarding clergy-laity practices and benefits have been properly documented and approved by the Nigerian Baptist Convention. Despite the approval, some pastors and members had flouted these policies resulting in conflicts in some places, especially in Ogbomoso Baptist Conference between 1993 and 2008. Existing studies have concentrated on misuse of power and inter-personal relationship in multi-staff ministry with little attention paid to conflicts arising from Baptist policies. This study, therefore, examined the policies, causes of the conflicts resulting from their implementation and the effects on the church with a view to providing suggestions toward policy-oriented conflicts reduction. The study adopted Buse's Policy Implementation theory. A total of 345 copies of a questionnaire were administered to 58 pastors and 287 laity from purposively selected churches in Ogbomoso metropolis: Ijeru Baptist Church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Ori-Oke Baptist Church and Iranlowo-Oluwa Baptist Church. In-depth interviews were conducted with purposively selected 20 clergymen and 20 laity. Church records were consulted. Data were subjected to historical analysis and percentages. The Nigerian Baptist denomination has four policies relating to church administration: non-accordance of church-membership to known members of secret societies; non-allowance of pastors to engage in herbal medicine; monogamy as a requirement for holding church offices and pegging of pastors‘ retirement age to 65 years. Between 1993 and 2002, the Ebenezer Baptist Church pastor's insistence that members should publicly renounce secret societies as attested to by 88.2% of clergy and 91.8% of laity caused conflicts, resulting in the assault on the pastor. Also, Christian burial rites were denied members who did not renounce the societies. This resulted in withdrawal of membership by a number of individuals. The non-allowance of the pastor of Ijeru Baptist Church to engage in herbal medicine in 2001 attested by 94.1% of clergy and 50.6% of laity led to his sack. The ensuing conflict resulted in the disruption of church services, to which Oodua Peoples Congress, a Yoruba socio-cultural militant group, was invited. Also, splits occurred which reduced attendance, and led to the pastor's eventual vacation of the church. Refusal to appoint polygynists as church officers at Iranlowo-Oluwa Baptist Church precipitated conflicts between 2003 and 2008 as claimed by all pastors and 97.0% of laity. The consequence was the disruption of church services normalized by police intervention. Also, splitter groups emerged: one moved out of the church to form a new church headed by the incumbent pastor; the other stayed back, headed by the lay leader. The unwillingness of pastors to go on retirement at age 65 as confirmed by 58.8% of pastors and 94.2% of laity ignited conflicts in Ori-Oke Baptist Church and Ebenezer Baptist Church in 2006 and 2007 respectively. The conflicts resulted in secession, derobing of one pastor and unceremonious retirement of the two pastors. The violation of Baptist polices on church administration led to pastor-laity conflicts in Ogbomoso Baptist Conference, 1993-2008, resulting in assault, loss of corporate face, membership and jobs. There is a need for great enlightenment on Baptist policies to avoid intra-denominational conflicts
Contemporary ethical issues II - moral principles and conflicts
(General Studies Directorate, Chrisland University, 2024) Oke, O.
Contextualisation of Selected Israelite Sacred Cultic Elements and Practices in Cherubim and Seraphim Churches, in Ibadan, Nigeria
(2014) Adagbada, C.O.
The activities of n w m Cherubim and Seraphim Church (OIMCandSC) in Ibadan are connected with the practices and elements of the ancient Israelite religion from which the church took its root. Existing studies have examined the activities from a liturgical point of view, but have not adequately explored how they have been contextualised. This study, therefore, investigated the adoption of selected Israelite sacred cultic practices, namely, ritual cleansing, scapegoatism and sacred elements in OIMCandSC in Ibadan with a view to establishing their benefits and significance for members. The study adopted Adamo’s African cultural hermeneutics, which approaches the Bible from a premeditated Afrocentric perspective. The historical-critical method, which articulates the socio-cultural forces that shaped the biblical text, was used. Focus group discussions were held with 11 different groups, comprising ten members and two leaders from OIMCandSC branches in Ibadan. Participant observation method was also utilised. Three hundred and twenty-seven copies of a questionnaire were administered to seven founders, 30 clerics, 88 heads of groups and 202 members in 28 branches across all the local government areas in Ibadanland. Data were subjected to exegetical analysis and percentages. Some elements and practices inherent in Israelite religion have been contextually grounded in different forms in OIMCandSC. Ritual cleansing-(Lev.12; 15), a common practice in ancient Israelite religion, provided inner-spiritual purity for women who had completed their menstrual cycle and individuals cured of diseases. In OIMCandSC, spiritual and curative baths were performed by the prophets for individuals after ailments; and women after child delivery. A total of 95.4% of the respondents believed that ritual cleansing helped in addressing problems of chronic diseases, spiritual impurities which were obstacles to success, and misfortune. Scapegoatism-Lev.16:20-34 in Israelite religion was the practice whereby communal misdemeanour was symbolically transferred to a he-goat. In OIMCandSC, a he-goat was slaughtered in order to ward off death; this was tagged femiremi (life-for-life) because a sick person’s untimely death was transferred to the scapegoat. Sacred elements-Ex.40:9-15/Lev.14:15-18 in Israelite cultic activities included the use of consecrated water, candles and oil to encounter God’s power. Similarly, in OIMCandSC, the sick and private properties were anointed with oil for healing and protection, respectively. Consecrated water was sprinkled on residential, business and worship premises for protection and purification, while candle was used to enhance access into the supersensible realms. revalence of Israelite cultic practices in I andS was attributed by . of the respondents to the similarities between Israelite and or b worldviews. Moreover, 82.7% believed they were useful resources for transmitting religious ideas. Likewise, 94.5% agreed that they offered psychological relief because they provided a point of contact between the physical and mental belief spaces. Israelite cultic activities, manifesting as curative baths, symbolic death transfer and sacred elements confirming the patterning of n w m Cherubim and Seraphim Church after Old Testament, have been effectively utilised in the church to contextually ground their brand of Christian faith. These practices have helped in addressing the problems of chronic diseases; ward off untimely death, misfortune and made worship meaningful to members