As the country heads wearily towards the end of the year on a bleak economic note, RITA OKONOBOH reports efforts by churches to help members cope with the current economic situation.
To say that Nigeria’s current economic situation is telling on all people would be stating the obvious. The church, expected to provide spiritual succour and provide hope for the people by virtue of faith in God’s word, has also been somewhat affected by the current economic hardship, albeit to varying degrees. There have been lamentations by clerics of drop in tithes, offerings and donations to church projects. However, in spite of the recession, clerics and other stakeholders have reiterated the role of the church in easing the plight of the people during this period.
Pastor Tunde Bakare of Latter Rain Assembly was recently quoted as stating that “I am convinced that the recession currently being experienced in Nigeria is an opportunity for the church. Therefore, I declare to you that the scripture is about to be fulfilled in your hearing as God is stirring up the church to take responsibility for the destiny of Nigeria. If the church is also reeling from the impact of the recession, we must admit to ourselves that this is against the scriptural pattern. It is the best of times to take the tenets of the faith beyond the four walls of the church building to the marketplace and the policy roundtable.”
Many clerics have shared experiences of what members have faced as a result of the present economic situation. In the light of these complaints, TribuneChurch spoke with clerics on what the churches have done for their members to ease the effects of the economic hardship.
We are empowering members financially, refocusing on the benefits of agriculture –Methodist Prelate
Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria (MCN), Most Reverend S.C.K. Uche, speaking with TribuneChurch noted the efforts of the MCN to assist members during this period.
“What we are doing for now is to give people some form of empowerment, especially youths and market women. We have been assisting them financially so that they can establish businesses to sustain themselves. It is sad that people are gradually losing that notion of the sanctity of life because they have been reduced to things as a result of the general condition of the country. We have to bring back human values. As such, we are also focusing on agriculture and food security for next year. We are trying to position our ministers in rural communities where they will anchor this revolution. That is an area that is very much neglected. In rural communities, the lands are lying fallow. We want to be engaged in all aspects of agriculture. When people are fed, they won’t have time to go into crime or destroy lives.
We have been feeding people free of charge –Primate Ayodele
Head and Spiritual Leader of INRI Evangelical and Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, stated that “the recession has been costing the church so much. People have not been finding things easy. In fact, we have had to practically feed people free of charge. We have also been encouraging people to be prayerful. The church has been organising programmes in recent times to seek divine intervention especially for Nigeria’s economic situation. As children of God, we won’t say things are tough, but as humans we have to accept that things are tough. God will help us. We have been offering encouragement, through material donations and though the word of God.”
As clerics, we understand the people better and have been providing adequate support –Reverend Ayokunle
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria and President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, who highlighted various challenges of the members of Baptist churches across the country, also affirmed that things were indeed hard but as believers in the word of God, there was hope.
According to him, “It is said that tough things do not last but tough people do. Blessed are those who endure tribulation and trials. We must keep trusting God in all situations and we must allow the power of God to work in our lives. Government should also focus on the people’s welfare. Pensioners and people in active service are owed months of salaries and allowances and things are quite hard. We understand how the people feel because we are with them in church. We know what they are going through. The church has been doing the much it can to alleviate the people’s suffering and we have been supporting members financially.”
The African Church has been reaching out –Right Reverend Ogunmuyiwa
For the Bishop of the Diocese of the North and Abuja, The African Church, and the Coordinating Chaplain, National Ecumenical Centre, headquarters of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Abuja, Right Reverend (Dr) Peter Ogunmuyiwa, “we reach out to people from time to time. Not too long ago, we visited the IDP camps as part of efforts to ease the situation of things in the country. The African Church at different levels across the country reaches out to the people in order to provide ways to help them during this period of economic hardship.
At TREM, we believe this is a time of receiving –Pastor Hajoh
According to the Resident Pastor at The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Ilorin, Kwara State, Pastor Muyiwa Hajoh, “the truth of the matter is that as a church, we just have to be very sensitive and considerate. We understand what is happening in the nation and people have been feeding on the word of God. I told the members recently that this is not the time of recession but the time of receiving, because the word of God will always prevail. In the past few months, we have been reaching out to people. We visited the lepers in Omu-Aran, Kwara State and donated food, clothing and other items. For the members, those who are trusting God for one thing or the other, we do what we can for them. God has been faithful.
“To be frank with you, at TREM, in this time, people are willing to do for God more, compared to before. This is a time people are involved in good projects. God is not in recession. We should not make members feel pitiful, because this is the time to pray for the government more and we do that in church. We believe that our portion is in this land. In the Bible, it was during famine that Elisha prophesied plenty and for those who believed, there was a turnaround. This is the time to think outside the box.
“As pastors, we must be sensitive to the situation of things. The fact that people are showing willingness to give is not an excuse to overstretch them. God has been faithful to TREMites all over the world. Our head, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, had seen beforehand that the economic situation will be challenging and had declared that 2016 is our year of all-sufficiency. So, in spite of the recession, we have been enjoying God’s sufficiency. He has declared also that 2017 is our year of new things and we are running with that prophecy and we are blessed.”
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