Christianity has been one of the fastest growing industries in Nigeria of late, with pentecostal churches springing up on every street corner. Regarded as commercial ventures, most of these churches preach the doctrine of Christian prosperity and insist that their followers pay 10% of their wages as tithes.
Given the passion and commitment with which adherents pay up, most of these churches have become very wealthy with their founders and leaders becoming millionaires. Many of these Nigerian evangelical clergymen have made it on to the Forbes list of millionaires and are property magnates, own fleets of cars as well as private jets.
In a bid to address what has become a growing concern, the International Conference on African Pentecostalism (Icap) has decided to review the literature on African pentecostalism to reflect the right interpretations and applications for best practices among Christians. This decision was taken over the weekend after a meeting of pentecostal preachers and academics organised by the Redeemed Christian Bible College (RCBC) at the Redemption Camp along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State.
Dr Samson Fatokun of the University of Ibadan, who closed the three-day conference, said African pentecostalism has positively impacted Christianity and other religions practiced across the globe. He added that African pentecostalism has also contributed to the right positioning of religion to the point of globalisation.
Dr Fatokun expressed strong beliefs that if a review is carried out, it would go a long way in ensuring a truly bible- based, power- oriented and experiential African pentecostalism. He added that the effect will have far-reaching positive fallouts in the global pentecostal world.
RCBC provost Dr Babatunde Adedibu, charged delegates to put into use all that they had gained from the three-day event and ensure its continuity. Over 270 participants took part in the conference where 61 papers were presented by 69 representatives of notable scholars.
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