Branches for Sale: Reforming Church Planting Strategies in Nigeria (2), By Ayo Akerele
Historically, it has been repeatedly proven that the influence of the church is not largely determined by quantity but by quality - the quality of Christians in our churches. Nations are not influenced by the numbers of churches but by the quality of the local assembly in each society. Yes, the Lord has commissioned us in the great commission to bring the gospel to the nations of the world, but not by setting up branches as franchises - only for purposes of status and financial benefits…
People taller than you paid for this branch. Name your price and we'll refund you. I sat before this man of God in complete disbelief of what he was telling me. Why? He had just been expelled from a "juicy" branch of a church. He screamed and screamed and threatened to go to court, but I begged him to leave his fight to God. But in the quiet of my heart, I thought, "Are we talking about a church or a car dealership?"
Philip Jenkens, the famous scholar of history and religion has published a book that every church leader in Nigeria must read. It's called The Lost History of Christianity. If this book doesn't break anyone, I wonder what else will. It documents all the activities and strategies of the Islamic world to seize Christian buildings and convert them into mosques. Don't say, "God forbid, that can't happen." It has already happened, as over 1,700 faiths in the UK and their properties have already been taken care of, with many more yet to be taken care of. Here in Canada, many churches have been taken over and converted into mosques. Rather than focusing on quality, our energy has, for the most part, been focused on “quantity”. We are pleased with the number, but we do not realize that the Church of Christ has always advanced through the furnace of persecution.
In other parts of Europe, it has also been reported that Islam is now the fastest growing religion in post-Christian Europe. In the United States, legislation was pushed and promoted to weaken the church, many of which passed legislative readings. And sadly, plans are underway to replicate them on other continents around the world. Our Muslim friends are very strategic. They don't create branches of their mosques like pizza franchises. But, believe me, they now have more societal impact than us in a way that will stun many of us, if I start uncovering some of the stats at my disposal. These are documented search results that I got my hands on, and sadly, there's no such thing as "God forbid." They are already successful in this business. The fault is not God's but ours. Joseph Myer, one of the scholars working on this trend, once said: "The Muslim community and its many descendant organizations are committed to increasing their influence through immigration, education, legitimacy politics and the creation of gigantic mosques in the big cities".
…I have been sent to the younger generation to warn them never to go down the commercialization route of church branch propagation. Focus your attention on building strong and healthy churches led by good followers of Christ. Here's the truth: there is enormous corruption in many of our current church planting strategies. The magnitude and scope of bribery and corruption…is the highest in the history of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But the question is, should a church expand its network to other places? Why not, if need be as led by God? But again, the question here is, "How can we start new branches of our churches?" Who should pastor these churches? Here is the truth: the current process in many Nigerian churches – especially in the Pentecostal fold – is extremely flawed and corrupt, and God is calling us to repent and reform the process. It was Dr. Erwin Lutzer, senior pastor of Moody's Church, who once said, "The rot inside a church cannot withstand the storms outside a church." Unfortunately, many leaders who plant churches use them as weapons of victimization, punishment, and money laundering—a situation that is often disguised to the public as God's will to expand the kingdom. There have been many instances of branch pastors rebelling against their founder...
Historically, it has been repeatedly proven that the influence of the church is not largely determined by quantity but by quality - the quality of Christians in our churches. Nations are not influenced by the numbers of churches but by the quality of the local assembly in each society. Yes, the Lord has commissioned us in the great commission to bring the gospel to the nations of the world, but not by setting up branches as franchises - only for purposes of status and financial benefits…
People taller than you paid for this branch. Name your price and we'll refund you. I sat before this man of God in complete disbelief of what he was telling me. Why? He had just been expelled from a "juicy" branch of a church. He screamed and screamed and threatened to go to court, but I begged him to leave his fight to God. But in the quiet of my heart, I thought, "Are we talking about a church or a car dealership?"
Philip Jenkens, the famous scholar of history and religion has published a book that every church leader in Nigeria must read. It's called The Lost History of Christianity. If this book doesn't break anyone, I wonder what else will. It documents all the activities and strategies of the Islamic world to seize Christian buildings and convert them into mosques. Don't say, "God forbid, that can't happen." It has already happened, as over 1,700 faiths in the UK and their properties have already been taken care of, with many more yet to be taken care of. Here in Canada, many churches have been taken over and converted into mosques. Rather than focusing on quality, our energy has, for the most part, been focused on “quantity”. We are pleased with the number, but we do not realize that the Church of Christ has always advanced through the furnace of persecution.
In other parts of Europe, it has also been reported that Islam is now the fastest growing religion in post-Christian Europe. In the United States, legislation was pushed and promoted to weaken the church, many of which passed legislative readings. And sadly, plans are underway to replicate them on other continents around the world. Our Muslim friends are very strategic. They don't create branches of their mosques like pizza franchises. But, believe me, they now have more societal impact than us in a way that will stun many of us, if I start uncovering some of the stats at my disposal. These are documented search results that I got my hands on, and sadly, there's no such thing as "God forbid." They are already successful in this business. The fault is not God's but ours. Joseph Myer, one of the scholars working on this trend, once said: "The Muslim community and its many descendant organizations are committed to increasing their influence through immigration, education, legitimacy politics and the creation of gigantic mosques in the big cities".
…I have been sent to the younger generation to warn them never to go down the commercialization route of church branch propagation. Focus your attention on building strong and healthy churches led by good followers of Christ. Here's the truth: there is enormous corruption in many of our current church planting strategies. The magnitude and scope of bribery and corruption…is the highest in the history of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But the question is, should a church expand its network to other places? Why not, if need be as led by God? But again, the question here is, "How can we start new branches of our churches?" Who should pastor these churches? Here is the truth: the current process in many Nigerian churches – especially in the Pentecostal fold – is extremely flawed and corrupt, and God is calling us to repent and reform the process. It was Dr. Erwin Lutzer, senior pastor of Moody's Church, who once said, "The rot inside a church cannot withstand the storms outside a church." Unfortunately, many leaders who plant churches use them as weapons of victimization, punishment, and money laundering—a situation that is often disguised to the public as God's will to expand the kingdom. There have been many instances of branch pastors rebelling against their founder...
What's Your Reaction?
