Nigerian churches should look into politics, emotions, others ― Leke Alder

Nigerian Churches have been urged to look into the issues of Politics, emotions and mental health, progression, and finance based on its 2nd edition of 2019 Church Report.

The Principal Partner, Alder Consulting, Mr. Leke Alder made the report available to newsmen at a briefing recently held in Lagos.

From the survey, 80% think that churches should advocate for good governance, while 30% of the respondents were of the opinion that the Church should not be involved in politics and 23% said that pastors can vie for public office.

Church members would like the Nigerian Church to demonstrate financial responsibility by giving back to society (81%). 46% would like professional financial auditing, 40% would like churches to publish financial reports, while 25% want churches to pay tax.

The number of millennials who believe in premarital sex has risen to 20% from 17% (2018). This may signal a mind shift regarding sex and sexuality among millennial churchgoers.

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Regarding the use of technology, respondents ranked the Church lowest on online response time (58%). Mobile responsiveness, aesthetic appeal, and loading speed were ranked 63%, 64%, and 64% respectively. Other rankings include user experience (65%), frequency of updates (66%) and functionality (68%).

Millennials would like the church to be more responsive to issues of drug abuse, domestic violence, unemployment, depression, rape, and sexuality.

Speaking on the importance of the report, Leke said that it measures the perception of the Church in Nigeria, and its impact on society and national development.

He added that It provides feedback from church members & the general public, as well as information about socio-cultural shifts that affect the Church.

The Principal Partner noted that The survey for the Alder Church Report was done both online and offline and spanned 6-geopolitical zones in Nigeria.

He explained that there were 4,634 respondents; 68% of whom were below 35 years old, adding that the gender ratio for the survey was 58 % male to 42 % female, while 50% were single and 50% married.

Alder especially appreciated the contributions of Pastor Godman Akinlabi, Oyinkansola Alabi, Chude Jideonwo and Praise Fowowe.