A Post Shame Era: The Church and the State
photo credit: daily citizen
Since independence, Nigeria has witnessed tons of events, each steering the country to one dystopian state or the other. The first decade which was a stick and stone era was characterized by political naivety and social cynicism which led the state to its first civil war. The following decade was meant to be the age of the peace accord and social equity but became an era where civilian governments were frequently usurped by juntas and ruthless dictators. The 80s was the period of economic retrogression, and this led to the widespread of religious outlets- as the state was on a free fall the church became a citadel of refuge. This particular period morphed into other decades and metamorphosed into a more traumatic phase now known as the post-shame era, where the state and the church are in a symbiotic relationship with so many things in common, but shame.
For millennials who were born after the death of General Sani Abacha, the biblical ‘seven years of plenty’ Nigeria once enjoyed in its early years might be had to comprehend, and the degree to which the state has wallowed into ‘seven years of famine’ could be difficult to accept. However, with the fall of the state and the various deadbeat Head of States mounting the seat of power over the years, a vacuum was created, and the need for an alternative path became necessary, as citizens scrambled for a sense of belonging and wished for a better life. It was in this debacle that the church took the role of shepherd and savior.
The introduction of the church in Nigeria was championed by white missionaries who flocked into the country, with an agenda both to subdue and exploit the state's natural resources. With the bible and sword stratagem in place, a large percentage of the populace were sold to a God identity that promised a better life, and demanded faith solidarity. This saw to the birth of various religious establishments like the Methodist, the Catholic Church, the Anglican, the Presbyterian, and various branches of the Reformers movement in major cities within the country; erecting Victorian buildings and establishing elite-dominated schools. The K&S, C.A.C, Apostolic Faith, Assembly of God, all came in later years.
As the state deteriorated, the church advanced with its course, spreading its gospel through open-air crusades, jingles, tracts distribution, transport evangelism, door to door visitations, and school outreaches. The church didn’t just become a symbol of succor, but also played the role of the citizen’s Big Brother, by stepping into the shoes of the state. Where the state lacked competence, the church was there to fill in the gap. For a poor health sector, the church provided healing and health by the name of Christ and with the rising state of insecurity, the Church provided shelter through the covering and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. Within a short span, the population of the church astronomically increased.
The growth of the Church saw to the birth of indigenous faith preachers and Pentecostal revivalists like Apostle Ayo Babalola, Bishop Benson Idahosa, Pa Akindayomi, and few others, who changed the narrative of white dominance that characterized the leadership hierarchy of the Nigerian church. These men of God watered, built, and laid the foundation for what was becoming the fastest growing sector since independence. Their charisma and demeanor with an acclaimed supernatural authority ushered what will be a new phase of revival in a yet dying state. The likes of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola was said to have raised the dead, levitated, and teleported, while Pa Akindayomi single dialectics of the Yoruba language was said to have been understood by people of various cultural and tonal backgrounds- these wonders became the premise for which the church amassed a large following.
The preachings of these neo-Pentecostal preachers spread to various ivory towers where atheism had held sway; Lagos institutions being the most affected, giving rise to a new sect of learned believers. As this generation grew in age, they passed the torch of evangelism to a new crop of religious leaders who watered where their Pauls had planted. For Pa Akindayomi, there was a replacement in the first-class Mathematics graduate of the University of Lagos, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, who transformed the identity of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), from what it used to be (a small assembly in the South Western part of Nigeria) to an organization of global reputation. His counterpart, Pastor Williams Folorunsho Kumuyi, a first-class graduate of Mathematics from the same institution, left the Apostolic Faith to establish what will become one of the biggest churches in Africa, Deeper Life Bible Church. In later years, the likes of Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Mission, Pastor Daniel Olukoya of the Mountain of Fire Miracle Ministries, Bishop Mike Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, Pastor Tunde Bakare of The Latter Days Assembly, also sprung up churches in various geo-political zones within the state.
While the church witnessed financial prosperity and numerical growth, the state was in drought and famine. It is quite remarkable that during this period, the church was noble enough to distance itself from the dirty politics of the state, as the pulpit encouraged the pew to set its affection on things above and not on things beneath; with the imminent return of Christ being its central theme. Members lived in sobriety, rejected political appointments, avoided invites by politicians, while some even went to the extent of rejecting job offers in government-owned media outlets, where propaganda and lies would have been expected of them.
What changed?
As the millennium drew nearer, and with the increasing followership of the church spreading across the state, the role and influence of the church became a major divide in the politics of the state. In a pseudo-democratic era, various heads of States, Governors, and politicians, saw the need to dine with the hierarchy of the church so as to receive fictitious blessings and favors, since it was obvious that the church had the numbers. This was an ace move for politicians but a loss for the church, as the state and church wallowed into a dysfunctional phase characterized by the absence of shame. As time grew old, Nigeria's political space continued its downward slide. The church gave up its once pious tenets and had to find ways of surviving a retrogressing economy. Teachings on holiness gave way for sermons on sowing seeds and tithing, while Bible studies on the apocalyptic were exchanged for business summits.
The churches that became popular for sermons of a New Heaven and a New Earth lost their compass and pursued after doctrines of Kingship and Priesthood on the Earth. Maybe it was only logical for it to diversify, as the persistent teaching of the Saviour’s coming was becoming boring to a greater percentage of its members who were living below the poverty line. In spite of this, the numerical strength of the church was not badly affected, since it was established on a faith system. With the new doctrines, the church began to produce members who wanted a stake in the state polity: while some thought they could effect change, others basically wanted their share in the cookie jar. This resulted in a bit in the horse’s mouth situation for the church, as it could no longer stand in the position of righteousness and justice.
What is expected of the Church?
With recent uproars, increased insecurity, corruption, state oppression of citizens’ rights; one would have expected an institution like the Church to rise to the occasion in advocating for a positive change. One begins to wonder to what end is the union between the State and the Church, as it now seems that even the leadership of the Church is not spared of the consequences of the state’s actions and inactions. In times like this, one also questions the roles of Christian bodies like CAN and PFN in the demand for good governance. While a percentage of the church leadership still speak truth to power in their assemblies, and a few others engage in a prayer walk, a larger percentage have chosen to follow the path of dubious political predictions and false declarations. It’s high time the church reminds itself of its allegiance to humanity and God and takes lessons from Apostle Peter’s declaration to the political leaders in Jerusalem “we ought to obey God rather than men”. The church needs a visit back to Calvary and to remember the price paid for the truth. There is a need for a conscious reminder of the role of the church as a jury of morals, firmly standing by the principles of equality, progress, and peace. The Church should remember leaders like Brother King who led a protest in the streets of Birmingham against racial segregation, Brother Paul who voiced and stood up for his moral rights as a Jew, against the dictates of Felix the Governor, and John the Baptist who poked the consciousness of King Herod and his ludicrous wife, at an ultimate price of death.
Church leaders all over the world still actively participate in peaceful protest: dismissing governments, changing policies, advancing equality, and right to life. The Nigerian Church needs to seek redemption in the gospel it preaches, awake from its slumber, and desist from being used by politicians, while it ensures that it wins back the trust of outsiders. Then, like its faithful contemporaries, the Nigerian Church should amplify its voice and join in the march for progress and justice.
