MODERNIZATION OF PASTORAL MINISTRY IN AFRICA, EFFICACY OF THE URBAN PASTOR,DYNAMISM IN SELECTION OF PENTECOSTAL AND CHARISMATIC PASTORS IN THE NEXT DECADE

ABSTRACT

This research examinedthemodernization of pastoral ministry in Africa, efficacy of the urban pastor, dynamism in selection of Pentecostal and charismatic pastors in the next decade. Relevant conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature was reviewed. The descriptive survey research design was adopted in this study to sample the opinion of respondents. This method involved random selection of respondent who were administered with questionnaires. The target population of the study comprised of selected members of Pentecostal churchesin Rivers StateState, Nigeria. A total of three hundred (300) respondents constitutes the sample size using a simple random sampling technique. Data were analysis using Chi-square analysis and Pearson Multiple Correlation. Findings revealed that modern pastors have a significant impact on the life of Christians in ministry. The finding of the study also reveals that birthing ladies naked in the river is one of the negative practices of modern pastors and prophetic worship in the ministry. The findings of the study also reveal thaturban pastors render helps to the needy and provide people with cloth and shelter.  The findings of the study also reveal that defrauding the church members in the name of showing seed and benevolence giving is one of the negative practices of modern pastors and prophetic worship in the ministry. The finding of the study also reveals that modern pastor has also introduced politics into the church and partake consciously in the social politics. Finally, the findings of the study reveal that urban pastor use the word of God and modify youths and the entire member of the church motivating them to be the best at all time.  It was therefore concluded that the negative effect of prophecy and prophetic worship in Pentecostal churches. It was recommended that there are people with prophetic gifting and that means the prophetic ministry is still in existence in the Body of Christ today, there is therefore the need for Christian sects that believe the prophetic ministry has ceased to review their perception and have a relook into the prophetic phenomenon.

INTRODUCTION

        Even while there have been a variety of successes in the development of Christianity in Africa, there have also been a variety of difficulties that demand the attention of both church leaders and academics. The misuse of prophetic and deliverance ministries, particularly in Pentecostal congregations, is one of these issues. The importance of prophecy and deliverance in African ministry has been debated, whether favorably or unfavorably(Asamoah-Gyadu, 2015, 96; Onyinah, 2012a, 85). It should be observed that Africans do not only believe in the reality of the spirit realm in ancient times. It is a recent and ongoing phenomena that plays a big role in African Christianity. According to Claudia Währisch-Oblau, the notion of demons, spirits, witchcraft, and sorcery should "no longer be viewed as a topic deserving of investigation, meditation, and pastoral action, but rather as a matter to be ashamed buried in international interactions" (WährischOblau, 2018: 178).

Pentecostalism can be traced back to the holiness movement and the Welsh Revival in the United States (Gilley & Stanley, 2008). The Pentecostal movement became the new evangelical awakening in the early 1960s, reinforcing the quest for personal Christianity. This personal Christianity was labeled as "Holy Spirit baptism with evidence of speaking in tongues." (Shelley, 2008; 6). According to reports, Pentecostalism swept fast over the world from its inception in the twentieth century, beginning with a three-year revival gathering at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles.

        Without a doubt, the world is changing, and the church is evolving with it. There is a clarion call for the pastoral leadership to reflect and reassess how she interacts with her members and those around her, particularly the youths, who represent the church's future. The Christian faith is losing its power and influence in society, and most importantly, it is losing its future. What used to work in Religion no longer does. Pastoral leadership is becoming disjointed, and Christian organizations are losing authority (Miller & Yamamori, 2007). All of the problems that young people face in society have logically seeped into the church, and there appears to be no saving spot for them. The animosity they encounter in the church appears to be more severe than in society, leading many young people to embrace the politics of this world where their needs can be addressed. The thrust of this paper is to examine themodernization of pastoral ministry in Africa, efficacy of the urban pastor, dynamism in selection of Pentecostal and charismatic pastors in the next decade.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

There have been many shifts in religious culture in the twenty-first century, ranging from preaching salvation to preaching wealth. The prosperity instructors' belief that health and money are obligatory blessings of Christian faith has been dogmatically embraced by the majority of their followers without rational argumentation. As a result, most followers of this teaching are open to manipulation and illusion.Prior scholarly works on prosperity teaching have focused more on its flawed hermeneutics and inherent theological flaws, paying little attention to its evaluation from the philosophical point of view, which can help to detect fallacies and inconsistencies thereby enabling the prosperity teachers to provide good reasons as evidence of their claims and can pave the way for a balanced understanding of prosperity teaching (Shelley, 2008; Al, 2006). Despite the fact that scholars largely concur that prosperity teaching lacks theological balance, no attempt has been made to determine if believers have used unbiased inquiry when practicing their faith in such teachings or adopting the fundamental promises offered by prosperity instructors.

Also, the Pentecostal churches have seen both development and problems due to strong leadership qualities. Leadership is influence, thus if everything depends on leadership and everything depends on leadership, then influence must depend on leadership. When this is applied to church growth, it will imply that influence determines how the church grows and declines. Study on the modernization of Pentecostal churches, the influence of contemporary pastors in churches, and the dynamism of church leadership in subsequent years is scarce. Hence, the aim of this study is to examine themodernization of pastoral ministry in Africa, efficacy of the urban pastor, dynamism in selection of Pentecostal and charismatic pastors in the next decade.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

        The main aim of this study is to examine the modernization of pastoral ministry in Africa, efficacy of the urban pastor, dynamism in selection of Pentecostal and charismatic pastors in the next decade. Specific objectives of this study include;

1. To ascertain the impact of Modern pastors in ministry
2. To examine the concentration of the modern pastors.
3. To ascertain the efficacy of the urban pastors
4. To examine the dynamism in selection of pastors

1.4 Significance of the Study

This study has carefully identified the basic principles of prosperity teaching as well as its inherent logical weaknesses. This study has also revealed the inconsistencies of prosperity teaching with the Bible. It has been shown that prosperity teaching thrives in an atmosphere of mindless surrender to religious claims without applying reasoning or objective inquiry. This work has also been able to find out that the concern that inspired the birth and development of prosperity teaching in Nigeria is genuine – to solve the economic problems in Nigeria and enhance the socio – economic emancipation of the people. However, this study has discovered that the premises of the arguments in prosperity teaching and the methods employed by its exponents in implementing the ideas are faulty, which makes it a poor panacea for the crises that have engulfed Nigeria’s socio – economic and political scenes.

        This study has also shown that there are ethical problems associated with prosperity teaching and has proffered suggestions that could lead to a re – orientation of prosperity teaching to accommodate the use of reasoning and change the message from being just theoretical, to making it a practical solution to people’s socio – economic and ethical problems.

This study highlighted the need for the church to endeavour to teach a balanced theology for ideal Christian living. The logical issues raised in this study make the study worth undertaking.

This work adds to the existing literature on the concept of prosperity teaching, affording the teachers and followers of prosperity teaching the opportunity to apply rational faith in their belief system, which ensures a better comprehension of shared religious beliefs.