Effects of Social Responsibility on Church Growth

Effects of Social Responsibility on Church Growth

CHAPTER ONE

Objectives of the Study

The major objective of the study is to determine the impact of social responsibility among churches on church growth in Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study are:

To determine the level of social responsibility done by Redeemed Aids Programme Action Committee.
To determine the challenges Redeemed Aids Programme Action Committee face in carrying out their social responsibilities.
To determine the impact of Redeemed Aids Programme Action Committee’s social responsibility on the development of their host communities.
To determine the impact of Redeemed Aids Programme Action Committee on the church growth of Redeemed Christian Church of God.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

THE NEO-EVANGELICAL VIEW OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Dr. Harold Ockenga, the “father” of neo-evangelicalism, sounded the keynote of the movement pertaining to social problems. The New Evangelicalism differs from Fundamentalism in its willingness to handle the social problems which Fundamentalism has evaded. There need be no dichotomy between the personal gospel and the social gospel. The true Christian faith is a supernatural personal experience of salvation and a social philosophy .• Fundamentalism abdicated leadership and responsibility in the societal realm and thus became impotent to change society or to solve social problems. The New Evangelicalism adheres to all the orthodox teachings of Fundamentalism but has evolved a social philosophy. 3 This is an emphasis made by others as well. Nevertheless – -unlike fundamentalism – -evangelicalism realizes the church has a prophetic mission to society . • .• We must . • • make evangelicalism more relevant to the political and sociological realities of our time . . . unless conservative Christian theologians take more time to point out the relevance of Christ and the Bible to important (social) issues conservatism will be neglected by the rising generation. 4 These men, and others, feel that it is dangerous for the church to remain aloof, and that it must do something to right wrongs in the social structure. They believe that the gospel carries social implications with it, and that it is wrong to neglect them. Not only is it wrong, but it is also damaging to the potential witness of the church. If the church does not get involved, then society will become more and more secular, making it all the more difficult for the church to penetrate it. The practical question before the neo-evangelical is how he is going to do this without falling into the social gospel trap. The voice of neo-evangelicalism is neither loud nor distinct on this point. However, most believe that the local church and the denominations can both be involved in implementing social concern. With respect to social welfare, there is much which can and should be done by the local church as well as by the denomination of which it is a part, and even by interdenominational fellowships homes for the aged, children’s homes. . These might be termed church-sponsored welfare. There are other agencies of social welfare which are not directly sponsored and controlled by church organizations as such. While the church is less directly involved, there nonetheless is opportunity for participation and referral. What about church involvement in state programs? Neo-evangelicals differ on this point.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.

POPULATION OF THE STUDY

According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.

This study was carried to examine Effects of social responsibility on church growth. Redeemed Christian Church of God form the population of the study.

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.

TEST OF HYPOTHESIS

H₀: There is no significant level of social responsibility done by Redeemed Aids Programme Action Committee

H₁: There is a significant level of social responsibility done by Redeemed Aids Programme Action Committee

Hypothesis 2

H₀: There are no significant challenges of Redeemed Aids Programme Action Committee face in carrying out their social responsibilities

H₁: There are significant challenges of Redeemed Aids Programme Action Committee face in carrying out their social responsibilities

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Introduction

It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain effects of social responsibility on church growth. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of social responsibility on church growth.

Summary

This study was on Effects of social responsibility on church growth. four objectives were raised which included; To determine the level of social responsibility done by Redeemed Aids Programme Action Committee, to determine the challenges Redeemed Aids Programme Action Committee face in carrying out their social responsibilities, to determine the impact of Redeemed Aids Programme Action Committee’s social responsibility on the development of their host communities and to determine the impact of Redeemed Aids Programme Action Committee on the church growth of Redeemed Christian Church of God.. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from Redeemed Christian Church of God in Uyo. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).

Conclusion

As businesses engage CSR ultimately for profit, the Pentecostal/Charismatic Church can engage social responsibility to save souls, if that is the only way they reconcile the spiritual mandate to win lives to Jesus, with addressing pertinent social challenges.

Recommendation

1) The Church needs an urgent reappraisal. Ministers have expressed that they need to interrogate the definitions and movements that have proliferated – and arrive at common positions of what is the Pentecostal/Charismatic Church.

2) The Church must become contextually relevant to communities, not Church members. The Church needs to become strategic in assessing societal challenges and develop appropriately structured social programmes. 3) The Church needs to dissolve its fragments, even within individual Churches, and coalesce into a collective voice if it is to be impacting. The Churches in Phoenix are disconnected from each other, mainly due to competition and status. If Churches could unite, fewer buildings may be required taking up less land, and people may have access to better resources as there will be more money for dealing with ‘real’ issues.

References

Hudson T. Armerding, “The Evangelical in the Secular World,” Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol. 127 (April-June, 1970), 129. 2. Millard Erickson, The New Evangelical Theology (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1968), p. 181, 182. 3.
Harold Ockenga, news release, December 8, 1957 4. “Is Evangelical Theology Changing?” Christian Life, March, 1956, p. 4. 5. Erickson, The New Evangelical Theology, p. 183. 6. Ibid, p. 187 7.
Klaas Runia, “Evangelical Responsibility in a Secularized World, “Christianity Today, XIV Gune 19, 1970), 14. 8.
Erickson, The New Evangelical Theology, p. 203. 9. Ibid, p. 187. 10. B. F. Westcott, The Epistles of St. Tohn, 2nd ed. (London: Macmillan and Co., 1886), pp. Ill, 112. 11.
Kenneth Wuest, In These Days (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1954), p. 152. 12. Runia, “Evangelical Responsibility in a Secularized World, “p. 14. 13.
V. G. Tasker, The General Epistle of James (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1957), p. 64. 14.
Erickson, The New Evangelical Theology, pp. 184, 185. 15. William Kelly, Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew (London: A. S. Rouse, 1896), p. 254. 16.
Billy Graham, Peace with God (New York: Doubleday and Co., Inc., 1953), p. 190.
Abbey, A., Zawacki, M.A., Philip O.B., Clinton, A.M., & McAuslan, P. Alcohol and Sexual Assault. (online). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Alcohol Health and Research World Volume 25, Number 1, 2001. http://www.athealth.com/Practitioner/ceduc/alc_assault.html [8 October 2007]
Alperson, M. 1995. Foundations for a New Democracy. Corporate Social Investment in South Africa. South Africa: Ravan Press.

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