THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CHURCH GROWTH:

CASE STUDY REDEEMED CHRISTIAN OF CHURCH,

LIGHTHOUSE CHAPEL PROVINCIAL HEADQUARTERS,
SURULERE, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA.

BY

ADESINA AYODEJI
LIFE2020172

LIFE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY,

IKORODU, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA
May, 2024
THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CHURCH GROWTH:
CASE STUDY REDEEMED CHRISTIAN OF CHURCH,
LIGHTHOUSE CHAPEL PROVINCIAL HEADQUARTERS,
SURULERE, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA.

BY

ADESINA AYODEJI
LIFE2020172

A project

submitted to the Faculty of L.I.F.E Theological Seminary

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for

The award of the degree of Bachelor of Theology

In Pastoral Studies.

LIFE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY,

IKORODU, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA
May, 2024
 FACULTY APPROVAL PAGE

I hereby certify that this research work was undertaken by ADESINA AYODEJI

OYENIYI in the department of Pastoral Studies in LIFE Theological Seminary

Ikorodu, Lagos State under my supervision and direction.

Having satisfied all the institution's academic requirements, I therefore append

my signature that the project work be accepted for the award of B.TH of Theology.

REV. DR. JOB OYINLOYE

SUPERVISOR

________________________

DATE

iii
 DECLARATION

I, ADESINA AYODEJI OYENIYI, hereby declare that this project has been

written by me and that it is a record of my own research work. It has not been

presented by any means in any previous work of a higher degree.

All quotations are indicated by means of quotation marks (“ ”) and the sources

of information are specifically acknowledged by means of references.

__________________________________

ADESINA AYODEJI OYENIYI

iv
 DEDICATION

This research work is dedicated to the Glory of God, the source of all knowledge and

the sustainer of life who empowered me to undertake this work. To my dear wife, and

wonderful children, for their unwavering support during this endeavour.

v
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I acknowledge the Almighty God for the divine enablement and wisdom in making

me to undertake this course in the Bible College and the project. I acknowledge His

divine Grace that he made available to me to start and to finish this work. To Him be

all the glory, honour, dominion and majesty for counting me worthy to attain this feet.

I sincerely appreciate my project supervisor, Rev.Dr. Job Oyinloye for his

patience, encouragement, and impact during this project work. Thank you for your

unwavering support Sir. May the Lord continue to bless your good works with

honour.

I thank all the faculty members of LIFE Theological Seminary, the Provost,

Rev. Prof. Cletus Chukwuemeka Orgu, Rev Mrs Delight Oyedeji( The Registrar), I

also sincerely thank all our lecturers namely Rev. Dr.(Mrs) Olayinka Ugbaja, Rev. Dr.

Clifford Anumaka, Rev. Dr. Martins Jimoh, and others, who at various times imparted

knowledge unto me increasing my knowledge of God in the ministry that I have been

called to.

My sincere appreciation goes to the Pastors and Ministers of the R.C.C.G

Lighthouse Chapel Provincial Headquarters, Surulere, Lagos. To Pastor Ayo Ojo,

Pastor Tunde Ibikunle, Deacon Alex Onwuka, Deaconess Ogechi Nwakogo, Minister

Gbenga Alao.

I thank all my colleagues in LIFE Theological Seminary, The LIFE Peculiar

set for their love, support and encouragement throughout the program. It was quite

motivating to have the support of the entire team to sail through this course.

I really appreciate my biological parents MR. & MRS. J.B ADESINA, the

Aishida’s, Mrs. Olayemi Jaiyeola, Rev. & Pastor (Mrs) Bankole Abiodun, Anifowose

Damilare, Prof. G.U.K Orgu, Rev. Folasanya L. Gideon, Pastor E.O Elijah and the

vi
entire Redemption Aflame Ministry, Pastor (Mrs. Nike Babalola and the entire City of

God’s Covenenat International Ministry, Pastor Godwin Inyeama, Prophet

Olumuyiwa Hezekiah, and all the members of God’s Divine Dominion Christian

Chapel, Lagos (GDDCC).

I sincerely appreciate my beloved wife, Pastor (Mrs.) Olayinka Adesina and

our dear children: Anuoluwa, Feyintioluwa, Olaoluwa and Ayooluwa for their

innumerable support, cooperation and understanding throughout the entire course of

my study in LIFE Theological Seminary, Ikorodu, Lagos State.

vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page ……………………………………………………………………… ii

Faculty approval Page…………………………………………………………..iii

Declaration Page.……………………………………………………………….iv

Dedication ……………………………………..……………….……………….v

Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………...vi-vii

Table of Contents ………………………………………………………….viii-ix

Abstract ………………………………………………………………………...x

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION……………………………………...1-6

1.1 Background of the Study

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Purpose of the Study

1.4 Significance of the Study

1.5 Delimitation of the Study

1.6 Limitations of the Study

1.7 Research Procedure

1.8 Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ……………………………7-34

2.1 The Concept of Social Media

2.2 The Concept of Church

2.3 Evolvement of Social Media

2.4 Social Media And Church

2.5 Social Media And Growth

CHAPTER THREE: BIBLICAL CONCEPT ……………………………35-48

3.1 In Old Testament

viii
3.2 In New Testament

CHAPTER FOUR: THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CHURCH

GROWTH: CASE STUDY REDEEMED CHRISTIAN OF CHURCH,

LIGHTHOUSE CHAPEL, SURULERE, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA.

…………………………………………………………………………………...49-69

4.1 The Brief History of R.C.C.G, Nigeria.

4.2 The Brief History of R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel.

4.3 The Presence of Social Media R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel, Surulere, Nigeria

4.4 The Challenges of Social Media in R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel, Surulere, Nigeria

4.5 The Proffered Solution to Social Media Challenges in R.C.C.G Lighthouse

Chapel, Surulere, Nigeria

4.6 Data Analysis and presentation

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATION ……………………………………………………..70-72

5.1 Summary

5.2 Conclusion

5.3 Recommendations.

APPENDICES ………………………………………………………………….73-75

BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………………...76-79

ix
 ABSTRACT

This research examined “The Impact of Social Media on Church Growth”. This
research objectives are to: investigate the level of exposure of churches in Nigeria in
area of Social media; ascertain the benefits and challenges of computer literacy to
religious leaders and members of Nigerian churches; determine the factors militating
against better and wider use of Social media in churches; proffer solutions to the
identified problems because of the importance of ICT in effective management of
church. The research intends to solve the problem ignorance about the use of social
media tools for better church activities and communication, and to dissuade churches
from seeing it as a devil’s tool. This research employed the descriptive survey design
as the methodology. The nature of the problem was duly considered in this research.
Findings showed that the awareness of social media could increase the size of the
church, make people to be interested in improving their I.T skills and build a
successful virtual community. There is no doubt that social media has gained wider
acceptability and usability and it is also becoming, probably the most important
communication tools among people. Church is simply a particular Christian
denomination or group of Christian believers. There is perceived effect of social
media on the church. This research concludes that that the factors militating against
better and wider use of social media in churches include but not limited to poor
infrastructure; lack of IT knowledge; lack of trained human resources; the high cost of
IT facilities and the illiteracy level of most church members. This research
recommended that efforts should be made to improve the exposure of church leaders
to ICT facilities and there should be constant training and retraining of personnel in
churches on ICT.

Key Words: Impact, Social Media, Administration, Church, Growth, DM.

x
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to this research

Social media allows churches to connect with their members, as well as people

who may not attend church. It could be seen that during COVID-19 lockdown, many

churches couldn't meet for church services. This posed a lot of problems to churches

because they lacked modern day idea of how to continue their Services online.

Social media is a term used to describe a variety of web based platforms,

applications and technologies that enable people to socially interact with one another

online. Some examples of Social Media Websites (SMW) and applications include

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Telegram, Skype, Google+, Digg, Blogs,

2go, Whatsapp, Teams, Zoom and other sites that have content based on user

participation and User Generated Content (UGC).

In other to know the effect of social media on the church, it is necessary to

ascertain the level of church awareness of social media websites, computer literacy of

members, policy on social media, primary purpose of each member on the social

media website, time spent on social media websites and so on. These are performance

indices to evaluate the effect of social media on the church. It is not sufficient to

conclude whether the effect on the church is positive or negative. This research

provides scientific basis for whatsoever conclusion.

Websites like Facebook offer a free, easy way to promote church events and

strengthen your community outside of Sunday services. However, misusing social

media, even if unintended, can damage your ministry’s reputation and even put your

church at risk of litigation. In order to enjoy the benefits of social media while also

1
protecting against possible misuse, it’s wise to develop a social media policy for your

church or ministry.

There is progress in inventions everyday bringing about significant changes in

human endeavours. Man, the rational animal on the face of the earth, has from crude

methods of communication developed highly sophisticated ways of communicating.

The new Social media are rapidly changing our old ways of sending, receiving,

storing and analysing messages and data. Many barriers that militated against

effective communication are day-after-day being dismantled. Every sphere of life is

now caught in this inevitable web of information revolution. Reflecting on this era of

Social media, Toffler ascertained that a new civilization is emerging in our lives, and

blind men everywhere are trying to suppress it. This new civilization brings with it

new family styles; changed ways of working, loving and living, a new economy; new

political conflicts; and beyond all this an altered consciousness as well. Pieces of this

new civilization exist today.1

Undoubtedly, ICT is rapidly constructing the rhythms of tomorrow’s style and

no one can stop it. Communication strengthens life, makes it enjoyable and

meaningful. McBride et al, explained that communication maintains life. It is also the

motion and expression of social activities and civilization; it leads various processes

and systems of enquiry, command and control; it creates a common pool of ideas,

strengthens the feeling of togetherness through exchange of messages and translates

thought in action, reflecting every emotion and need from the humblest tasks of

human survival to supreme manifestations of creativity or destruction.2

1
Alvin Toffler, Future Shock (USA: Random House, 1970), 29.
2
McBride, S. et al. Many Voices One World: Communication and Society Today and
Tomorrow (Nigeria, Ibadan: University Press, 1980), 203.

2
 My aim for this project is to see how churches can leverage on the use of

Social Media in this contemporary time to grow their church. Having gone through

Church Growth books from authors like Peter C. Wagner, once would notice that

many other methods of growing churches were discussed, but nothing was mentioned

concerning the use of Social tools.

The invention of the internet has greatly advanced communication systems

globally. This global network of computers has injected more strength into Social

media dominated by the developed countries. In developed and less developed

countries many media institutions, schools and colleges, organizations, individuals

now make tremendous use of the Internet (Net) on daily basis to send and receive

information within and outside their countries. The “Global Village” is rapidly turning

into a “Global Parlour”. We now live in a world of “e-communication”3.

This global growth of telecommunications industry is making many countries,

especially the less developed countries, feel uneasy for they strongly believe that what

is happening now in the field of telecommunications will set terms of life in the near

future just as 19th country industrialization set terms of life for our present ear.

Indeed, many nations strongly believe that sovereignty, economic, social, political and

religious affairs and other national issues, now and tomorrow, will greatly depend on

telecommunications. It thus follows that to be left behind in the telecommunications

“hot race” means disaster4.

3
Century Broadcasting in Nigeria” in Okoro (Ed.) International Journal of Communication
(No. 7, December): 247-260.
4
Iyere Imhoghemhe John. -Information and Communication Technologies in Management of
LX Churches: A Study of Catholic Diocese of Idah, Kogi State.‖ (PG/M.A. Thesis, Department of
Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, December 2008)

3
1.2 Statement of the Problem

One of the major problems of social media is that face to face connections are

endangered. A huge advantage of these social communities has a reverse side effect

that is also a big disadvantage of social networking. They reduce or eliminate face to

face socialization. Because of the autonomy afforded by the virtual world, individuals

are free to create a fantasy persona and can pretend to be someone else. Such pretence

is against the rule of the church.

Important changes in different aspects of human life are recorded daily as a

result of social media. As a human organization, the Church cannot afford to be a

passive observer of the fascinating benefits and challenges the new information

revolution presents to mankind in this 21st century. Some Church authorities,

especially those in urban areas in Nigeria, have taken dynamic and progressive steps

to use some of the tools of information technology in their daily management,

administration and evangelization of people.

This study thus takes a firm stand by positing that Churches in the urban areas,

should make adequate use of the abundant resources information and communication

technology presents, if they are to be relevant and dynamic participants in the on-

going information revolution.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The general objective of this study is to investigate the impact of social media on

church growth. The specific objectives are:

1) To investigate the level of exposure of churches in the area of Social media in

R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel, Surulere in Nigeria.

2) To ascertain the benefits and challenges of computer literacy to religious

leaders and members of R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel, Surulere in Nigeria.

4
 3) To determine the factors militating against better and wider use of Social

media in R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel, Surulere in Nigeria.

4) To proffer solutions to the identified problems because of the importance of

ICT in effective management of R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel, Surulere in

Nigeria.

1.4 Significance of this research

The significance of this research is to make the church see the importance of

the new Social media in management of Churches. It will also help the parish in

efficient and effective planning and execution of her daily pastoral programmes and

activities within and outside the parish. This research would also be of help to the

media departments of any church for them to improve on the quality of service they

render during programs.

Equally, this research being the first of its kind in the parish, future researchers

will find it very useful as it forms a springboard for further research work in related

areas.

1.5 Delimitation

As this study focus on the impact of social media on church growth and

therefore will be carried out in R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel, Surulere in Nigeria.

1.6 Research Procedure

This research project was approached descriptively. In order to achieve the aim of

this research, the work was limited to one church in Lagos State. The use of

questionnaire was deployed to gather data from Pastors, Church leaders, workers and

Social media officers. At some points, one on one questions were deployed in order to

get reactions from affected parties. Other material such as textbooks from L.I.F.E

5
Library, commentaries, Christian journals, dictionaries and online sources were

consulted.

1.7 Limitation of this research

The researcher encounter some problems such as; stress, time, inadequate response

from the respondents.

1. Material Factor: Shortages of relevant materials for literature review to

obtain more fact about this research.

2. Difficulty in retrieving questionnaires: Getting back the questionnaires

distributed to people to help this research was a bit challenging as some people

were not available to submit as at the time of collation.

3. Secrecy: Some members of useful departments held back vital information as

a result of lack of trust. I was disallowed totally from some churches media.

However, the researcher was still able to achieve its purpose by consulting other

available or similar sources for information collection.

1.9 Definition of Terms

The following terms were used in this study:

Social Media(SM): social media involve websites and applications that enable users

to create and share content or to participate in social networking.

Administration: it is the organization and direction of persons in order to accomplish

a specific goal or end. Its main focus is on getting things done through other people

by planning, organizing, directing and controlling5.

Internet: It is a global network of interconnected computers that communicate freely

and share and exchange information. It contains vast array of information.

5
Augustus Adebayo, Principles and Practice of Public Administration in Nigeria (Chichester:
John Wiley & Sons, 1981), 193.

6
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Concept of Social Media

The term “social media” refers to the wide range of Internet based and mobile

services that allow users to participate in online exchanges, contribute user created

Contents or join online communities.6

Today, the Social media is a strong medium of communication in the world.

Platforms like Facebook have been able to reach and connect more than I billion

people all over the world together. With the presence of the internet, that has made

information and connections readily available at no cost. Churches must be ready to

come out of their deformed mindsets and take this advantage.

The kinds of Internet services commonly associated with social media (sometimes

referred to as “Web 2.0”) include the following:

a. Social network sites- These have been defined as web based services that

allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded

system to articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection,

view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the

system. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site

to site7. Among the most popular in Canada are Facebook and LinkedIn.

b. Wikis- A wiki is “a collective website where any participant is allowed to

modify any page or create a new page using her Web browser.” One well

known example is Wikipedia, a free online encyclopaedia that makes use of

wiki technology

6
Boyd, D., & Ellison, N. “Social Network Sites: Definition, History and Scholarship”.
Journal of Computer7Mediated Communication, (2014): 13.
7
Ibid,.

7
 c. Blogs- Short for “web log,” a blog is an online journal in which pages are

usually displayed in reverse chronological order. Blogs can be hosted for free

on websites such as WordPress, Tumblr and Blogger.

The sole purpose of SM is for proper communication. Communication as it

relates to information is known today as Information Communication Technology

(ICT). The term ICT might still be strange to some, confusing to many and also

misunderstood by great number of people. However ICT is taken to be the highest

breakthrough in educational technology since the invention of the blackboard. “ICT”

is no different theory with IT. Both can be interchangeably. Before giving a working

definition let first of all look at some component words in ICT.

According to G. B. Harrison technology is the process of using scientific

materials and human resources in order to meet human need or purpose. Information
8
on its own side is that which can be communicated and understood. Therefore

information Technology (IT) which is the same with Information Communication

Technology can be defined as the use of Information in order to meet human need or

purpose with reference to the use of contemporary devices such as the internet, etc.

ICTs are also defined as a “diverse set of technological tools and resources used to

communicate, and to create, disseminate, store and manage information9. These

technologies include computers, the internet, broadcasting technologies (radio and

television) and telephones.

2.1.1 Relevance of ICT

ICT, without being told is of paramount importance in the daily activities of

man. There is one general aphorism which says that “if one is not informed, the

8
G.B Harrison, Managing Technological change (USA: Jossy Bass, 2000), 87.
9
Larry Cuban, Oversold and Underused: Computer in the classroom (Cambridge: Harvard
University press, 2002) 253.

8
person will be deformed”. This is true because man cannot (necessarily) do without

information which is got through communication and enhanced with the scientific

technologies available. Through the use of ICTs, the flow of information have been

elevated and improved across the continents. Through the use ICTs, the whole

experiences of teaching and learning have been given a newer and appreciable

dimension. Teaching and 10learning tools are now easier and readily available to both

teachers and students all over the globe.11

Through the use of ICTs, communication and communication channels are

boosted so much that the communication stress is ameliorated if not eliminated

completely. People no longer travel distances to pass information. They can just sit in

their localities to communicate with the world.

Through the use of ICTs, researches and studies are made easily in short

frame. With the ICTs, the scientists are prone to contending results for a better and

smooth world to run. Through the use of ICTs, the world globally understands itself

and foster for economic growth. No country is ready to be left behind and such an

overwhelming growth in the world’s combined economy at large. Through the use of

ICTs, education now knows no bounds. Teachers are no more the only sources of

information and knowledge proper. People can now teach themselves through the use

of ICTs.

2.1.3 Communication and its Elements

Communication which is as old as the origin of humankind is an indispensable

feature of life. Communication has taken varied forms in the history of man’s

complex developmental feats. Communication is a process, not a thing, and as we lie

10
Fabunmi Micheal, Perspectives in ICT educational Planning (Ibadan: Odum Prints & Pack,
2004), 68.
11
Baron J., Teaching for learning at University: Theory and practice (London: Kegan press.
2001), 40.

9
in an ever-changing world we continuously communicate with both humans and non-

humans. So, one would be right to say nothing really is static in the universe. A

communication scholar Berk affirms this view when he said: If we accept the concept

of process, we view events and relationships as dynamic, on-going, exchanging,

continuous. When we label something as a process, we also mean that it does not have

a beginning an end, a fixed sequence of events. It is not static, at rest. It is moving... 12

A critical look at communication process would show that it starts from

oneself, and it is called intrapersonal communication. Patton et al, maintains that if

one observes oneself carefully one would notice that “signals are going continuously

from all parts of your body to your brain. A throbbing in your stomach may suggest

that you are hungry or that you have over-eaten or sick.”13 In this respect, it is

imperative that one develops consciousness of oneself which is primary to all level of

communication. May a psychologist points out that: the capacity for consciousness of

ourselves gives us the ability to see ourselves as others see us and to have empathy

with others. It underlies our remarkable capacity to transport ourselves into someone

else’s parlour where we will be in reality next week, and then in imagination to think

and plan how we will act. 14

Another aspect of communication is known as interpersonal communication.

This simply put is communication between two individuals. In this interactive process

one person communicates with another person on a face-to-face basis. They can touch

one another physically. But if it is machine mediated like the Internet physical touch

May Berk. Man’s Search for Himsel (New York: Norton. Mbam, B.C.E., “Information and
12

Communication Technology (ICT) In Communication Profession” in Okoro (Ed) International Journal

of Communication (No.6, September, 2006): 61.
13
Patton, B.R. et al., Interpersonal Communication in Action: Basic Text and Readings
(London: Harper & Raw Publishers, 1981), 346.
14
Ibid.,

10
is not possible. However, in interpersonal communication each person involved plays

the role of both sender and receiver of information or messages, which involves

constant adaptation and spontaneous adjustment to the other person. It is quite

interesting to know that without one speaking a word one can still communicate by

non-verbal symbols which take various forms.

Some of them are stated by Kelly et al as; (a) Kinesics (posture, body

movements, gestures and facial expressions), (b) Haptics (touch), (c) Oculesies (eye

behaviour), (d) Proxemics (space and distance), (e) Paralanguage (vocal

characteristics) 15.

2.1.4 Elements Involved in Communication Process

The following are elements involved in communication process. (a) Source,

(b) encoding process, (c) message, (d) channel, (e) decoding process, (f) receiver. We

shall briefly discuss them.

Source: This is the starter or originator of an idea or a thought which is eventually

transmitted to others in the communication process. A source may be a person

speaking, writings, drawing, gesture or a communication organization like a

newspaper, publishing house, television station, radio station, a motion picture studio

and so on16.

Encoding: It has to do with the activity in communication process by which thoughts

and ideas from a source are transmitted into a form that may be perceived by the

senses. If person A wishes to convey to person B a MESSAGE which person B is

likely to understand, then the message has to be encoded with person B’s ability to

15
Kelly L., Communication in the Workplace: A Guide to Business and Professional Speaking
(New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 2004), 98.
16
C.D Mortensen, Basic Readings in Communication Theory (New York: Harper & Row
Publishers, 1973), 315.

11
decode the message – carrying signals well in mind. Encoding in a communication

process or setting can take place one or more times.17

Message: It is the actual physical product in the communication process that the

source encodes. For example, when we talk to a person, our speech is the message.

When we write a letter or send text to our friends or parents, or deliver a written

speech to an audience, what we put down on paper or screen is the message18. In this

era of ICTs we are overloaded with myriads of information or messages and we have

to choose the ones that are relevant to us.

A Channel: This is the medium that is used to transmit messages from source to

destination. Equally, it is the way in which a message or information travels to the

receiver. For example, we are made to comprehend that sound; waves carry spoken

words, while light waves carry our visual messages. According to Watson and Hill:

Channels may be physical (our voices or bodies) technical (the TELEPHONE) or

social (our schools, media etc.). In business organizations or institutions they may be

vertical, hierarchical, formal and predominantly one-way-from the boss downwards;

or horizontal, democratic, informal and two-way as between workmates, and

GROUPS with common task; interests and sympathies.19

Interestingly, some message use more than one channel to travel to the

receiver. However, in all levels of society, we have channels of communication, and

access to a communication channel facilities interactions between men, machines,

group, organizations and mass audience. In the view of Marshal McLuham the

17
James Watson and Anne Hill, Dictionary of Media and communication Studies (Great
Britian: MPG Books, 1989), 92.
18
Ibid., 179.
19
Ibid., 37

12
“medium is the message.”20 ICTs have greatly increased many channels of

communication in this era in which Churches and other organizations use to

disseminate information to their various complex audiences. Church administrators

need adequate human and capital resources today than ever to enable them

communicate effectively to the world. These imperative demands or needs are more

on Churches in less developed countries, like Nigeria, than those in developed

countries that are at breast with the development of Social media.

Decoding: This is the activity in communication process by which physical messages

are transmitted into a form that has eventual meaning for the receiver. In the views of

Watson and Hill, decoding is “the process of interpreting, analyzing and

understanding the nature of messages-written, spoken, broadcast etc. This requires not

just an understanding of the words, signs or images used but also a sharing of

VALUES and assumptions which under pin their ENCODING into a MESSAGE by

the transmitter.” Moreover, decoding is the opposite of encoding.21

Managers of organizations and Churches in this era of ICTs have to construct

or package their information or messages in such a way that the large audience

(receiver) would be able to decode them with ease using the channel(s) the receiver

has access to without difficulty. To effectively and efficiently perform this task is one

of the many challenges facing our Church leaders today.

Receiver: The receiver is the principal or ultimate goal of a message or information

sent out. Yes, the target of the message or information is the receiver and it can be a

person, a group, an institution, a large crowd or a machine. In communication process,

the sender and receiver interchanges roles as they communicate to each other. ICTs

20
Marshal McLuham, The Medium is the Message (Califonia: Gingko Press Ltd., 1967), 7.
21
James Watson and Anne Hill, Dictionary of Media and communication Studies (Great
Britian: MPG Books, 1989), 71.

13
have greatly improved on this interchangeability of roles. With the aid of Internet one

can now communicate with someone in many kilometers away on face-to-face basis

without physical touch. Tele-conferencing system has reduced distance for individuals

and corporate organizations. They can now have formal meetings with ease. Tele-

evangelism is becoming very popular with the advent of ICTs. Many Church

Ministers now preach the word of God to many near and distant and complex

audiences via satellite-communication system.

With the aid of other complex, Social media receivers of information or

messages are having a good day. Quick information or messages is now at the

disposal of the receivers. Senders of information or messages are also better off today

than many years ago. With the advent of ICTs packaging and dissemination of

messages or information is cheaper and quicker today than ever before.

2.2 The concept of Church

The word church means assembly. The Greek word “Ekklesia” refers to any

assembly, local bodies of believers or the universal bodies of all believers. Jesus was

the first person to use the word in the New Testament, and He applied it to the

company that gathered about Him. An author recognizes association with other

members of the “called out” as a vital element in the definition of a church. The

church is a covenant community whose members are responsible to edify one another.

The church serves as a place of worship, spiritual nourishment, and community for

believers22. It is the general duty of the church to show the world how to live. The

church is meant to set the right pace for everything, including the use of technology

for God’s divine purpose. More so, information sharing is the vehicle to fulfilling the

church mandate of propagating the gospel, and to be effective in the dissemination of

22
John Doe, “The church: A Theological Perspective”. Journal of Theology Vol.55, no.
3(2018):78-92.

14
information requires the knowledge and resources available for the job to be done.

The church exists in the world to bring glory to God with the primary function of

spreading the Gospel It is not Christ that leads us to the church, but the church that

leads us to Christ and we must know that the church has a whole lot of duty in regard

to communicating Christ’s salvation and message. Church communication is vital to

redemption of the world and edification of Christ’s body.

2.2.1 ICTs in Church Worship

Although there is a growing body of research examining online techno-

spiritual practices, few researchers have empirically studied ICTs effects on worship

services. However, this topic has spurred much commentary in the popular press.

Some articles are critical of laity focusing their attention on large screens during

worship while others praise technology arguing churches need it to remain relevant in

their laities’ lives. Despite some concerns, it appears that ICT’s presence in worship

services is here to stay. This is evidenced by the numerous magazines that provide

church media directors with news on the latest technologies and useful advice on how

to appropriately use them during worship (e.g., Media Ministries Magazine, Christian

Computing Magazine and Technologies for Worship Magazine); countless “how to”

books on the topic; and yearly conventions for people interested in incorporating

technology into worship services.

Schultze expressed concerns that media worship distances laity from the

pastor’s sermons. Specifically, he argues that “uncritically embracing information

technology can lead to moral and spiritual poverty during church worship.”23 In other

words, he is concerned that focusing on media during worship may interfere with laity

focusing on God. Based on his numerous observations in churches he developed

23
Quentin J. Schultze, HIGH-TECH WORSHIP?:Using Presentational technologies wisely
(USA: Baker Publishing Group, 2004),

15
guidelines suggesting appropriate ways to use media during worship services. For

example, he encourages pastors to use media in moderation to illustrate key points

rather than relying on it throughout services.

Schultze carefully examines the “positive possibilities” and “perils of using

media during worship services.” Positive aspects of using media in worship include

enhancing communication and creating greater liturgical access for deaf worshipers.

Perils include laity taking on a passive role in church worship, as if they are viewing a

PowerPoint presentation at work, or watching a movie in a cinema. Schultze argues

this contradicts an important aspect of church worship, participation and asks if there

are ways technology can increase this in worship services. She proposes communal

co-creation of worship media to remedy some of the concerns posed by new media in

worship. However, she does not implement a technological system to support this.24

To my knowledge, few researches have examined how non-western mega

churches or immigrant churches use technology in worship services. An exception is

DeWitte’s observations in Ghanaian mega churches. Similar to their American

counterparts, the churches she visited projected hymn lyrics on screens, used

PowerPoint slides to make announcements, and had sanctuaries filled with cameras

broadcasting services all over the world25. She argues these ICTs are useful in

creating and sustaining mega church leaders “charisma.”

2.3 Evolvement of Social Media

In the olden times, the medium of communication was limited to physical

communications, the use of materials or Signs and Symbols. But in our contemporary

24
Ibid., 90.
25
Marleen de Witte, Television and the Gospel of Entertainment in Ghana (New York:
Palgrave, 2009), 161.

16
world communications are done by relating with gadgets and information is passed at

the speed of light without any forms of physical human contacts. Communication has

since evolved and it's faster these days when reaching out to people.

Humans have communicated with one another in some shape or form ever

since time immemorial. The history of communication, all we have to go by are

written records that date as far back as ancient Mesopotamia. And while every

sentence starts with a letter, back then people began with a picture.3500 B.C. The

stone features proto-cuneiform signs, basically rudimentary symbols that convey

meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Similar to this early

form of writing are the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, which date back to around 3200

B.C.26 Elsewhere, written language appears to have come about around 1200 B.C. in

China and around 600 B.C. in the Americas. Some similarities between the early

Mesopotamian language and the one that developed in ancient Egypt suggest that a

writing system originated in the Middle East. Modern alphabets that many people in

the world use today represent a phonetic form of communication.

And as humans neared the end of the B.C. period, systems of long-distance

communication started to become more commonplace. A historical entry in the book

“Globalization and Everyday Life” noted that around 200 to 100 B.C:

While the technology underwent other advancements, such as metal movable

type, it wasn’t until a German smithy named Johannes Gutenberg built Europe’s first

metal movable type system that mass printing would experience a revolution.

Gutenberg’s printing press, developed between 1436 and 1450, introduced several key

innovations that included oil-based ink, mechanical movable type, and adjustable

26
Nguyen, Tuan C. "The Early History of Communication." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023,
thoughtco.com/early-history-of-communication-4067897.

17
molds. Altogether, this allowed for a practical system for printing books in a way that

was efficient and economical.

Around 1605, a German publisher named Johann Carolus printed and

distributed the world’s first newspaper. The paper was called "Relation aller

Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien,” which translated to “Account of all

distinguished and commemorable news.”

By the 19th century, the world was ready to move beyond the printed word.

People wanted photographs, except they didn’t know it yet. That was until French

inventor Joseph Nicephore Niepce captured the world’s first photographic image in

1822. The early process he pioneered, called heliography, used a combination of

various substances and their reactions to sunlight to copy the image from an

engraving.27

A few years later, shortly after the invention of the Cooke and Wheatstone

telegraph, the first commercial electric telegraph system, an American inventor named

Samuel Morse developed a version that sent signals several miles from Washington,

D.C., to Baltimore. And soon after, with the help of his assistant Alfred Vail, he

devised the Morse code, a system of signal-induced indentations that correlated to

numbers, special characters, and letters of the alphabet.28

Naturally, the next hurdle was to figure out a way to transmit sound too far off

distances. The idea for a “speaking telegraph” was kicked around as early as 1843

when Italian inventor Innocenzo Manzetti began broaching the concept. And while he

and others explored the notion of transmitting sound across distances, it was

Alexander Graham Bell who ultimately was granted a patent in 1876 for

27
Peter Simonson, Communication History (USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2016), 51.
28
Ibid., 34.

18
"Improvements in Telegraphy," which laid out the underlying technology for

electromagnetic telephones.

In the late 1990s, as broadband Internet became more popular, websites that

allowed users to create and upload content began to appear. The first social network

site (SixDegrees.com) appeared in 1997. From 2002 onward, a large number of social

network sites were launched. Some, such as Friendster, enjoyed a surge of popularity,

only to fade. Others developed niche communities: MySpace, for example, appealed

to teenaged music aficionados. The widespread adoption of these modes of social

communication began only in the early 2000s; their social and economic implications

on the church are not yet fully understood.29

Some believe the Internet is making people more isolated, while others hope it

will increase interactive participation among church members. It is believed that the

social media is providing ways of fostering participation with church members and

enhancing relationships. Christian Social media website such as MyChurch.org is free

to join and allows members to get information about over 16,000 churches. Browse

through the site to learn about the church, including their denomination, service times,

what types of social groups they have, and what their vision statement is. If you

choose to join, you can post your own profile online and post messages for other

members. However, adoption levels vary across countries, church groups, church

budgets, and with the increasing threat to mass gathering by insurgencies, the rate of

adoption will further increase.

2.4 Social Media and Church

The importance of communication in human society has long been recognized

and emphasized by both scholars and practicing human resources managers.

29
Mattelart A., The invention of Communication (MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1996),
108.

19
Communication is the means by which people are linked together in an organization

to achieve a definitive purpose. No doubt this is the fundamental function of

communication. As a human organization the Church needs communication to carry

out her daily activities. That is to say that Church leaders have to fashion out effective

means of communication to enable them execute administrative activities within the

Church set-up and outside the Church. Social media today are helping Churches

tremendously in their local, state, national and international activities. Interestingly

ICT is an umbrella term that encompasses any communication device or application

such as radio, television, cellular phones, computer (hardware and software), satellite

systems, Internet and the web system. Commenting on ICTs Nwodu says: The

introduction of ICTs has ushered in greater speed, greater reach and clear vision in

communication. Again they have encouraged to a large extent, interaction and

participatory communication among people of the world30.

The love affairs between computers and telecommunication “is the material

force of the consistent technology of communication”. Solo tells us that “these sets of

technologies are moving into conjunction possible to be common component part of

an integral functional system, tying the massive, low cost, global transmission of

image, sound and recorded observation low cot capacity to store, organize,

automatically interpret or otherwise, programme the use of that which has been

transmitted.”31 The revolution of Information Technology came as a result of the

30
Nwodu, L.C, “Technological Determination Theory and Enugu-based Journalists’
Perception of Cultural Influence of ICTs on Developing Nations”. A Graduate Research Dissertation.
2002 Presented to the Department of Mass Communication, Enugu State University of Science and
Technology (ESUT) Enugu.
31
Solo, R.A., The Positive State (Cincinnati: South-West Publishing, 1982), 321.

20
discovery and invention of the computer and the development of satellite technology

and the result of their use has led to globalization of things especially information32.

The Internet Technology has greatly contributed to the effective and efficient

communication systems most formal and informal organizations are enjoying today.

The term “Internet” comes from the phrase, “International Computer Network.”33.

The Internet Technology is “an association of computer networks with common

standards which enable messages to be sent from any host on one network to any host

on any other” and it was “developed in 1970s in the USA as an experimental network,

designed to support military research and steadily grew to include federal, regional,

campus and other users.”34 This piece of technology called the Internet (Net) has a lot

to offer its users. Ibemesi summarizes what the Internet offers its users thus: The

Internet offers to its users, five basic services as follows: the Electronic Mail (E-mail)

the Usenet, the Internet relay chat, the Word Wide Web (www) and the browser. With

these five main services, accessing and exchanging of information on any imaginable

topic is facilitated to an unprecedented level by this multimedia system. The Internet

apart from being a medium of telecommunication itself also aids other

telecommunication modes like telephony facsimile (fax), broadcasting, etc.35

Bearing in mind the above brief discussion on ICTs one can now have a broad

spectrum on how Church leaders or managers of formal organizations can make

32
Mbam, B.C.E., “Information and Communication Technology (ICT) In Communication
Profession” in Okoro (Ed) International Journal of Communication (No.6, September2006): 61-68.
33
Ibemesi Dike, “The Relevance of the New Information Technologies TO the 21st Century
Broadcasting in Nigeria” in Okoro (Ed.) International Journal of Communication (No. 7,
December2007): 247-260.
34
Nwabude,E.O., An Encyclopedia Dictionary of Canon Law of The Western (CIC1983)
Church and Easter (CCEO 1990) Churches. Ibadan: African First Publishers Limited. 2008.
35
Ibemesi Dike, “The Relevance of the New Information Technologies TO the 21st Century
Broadcasting in Nigeria” in Okoro (Ed.) International Journal of Communication (No. 7, December,
2007): 247-260.

21
adequate use of the components of ICTs for proper office management,

dissemination, storage and retrieving of valuable information and ideas. In a formal

organization, like the Church, there exist clear channels of communication system that

flows in three directions. They are:

• Downward communication

• Horizontal communication

• Upward communication

• Informal communication-grapevine.

2.4.1 Downward Communication

Like interpersonal communication, this system of communication is much

initiated by those in the realm of affairs like managers, Church leaders sent down to

their workers (employees) or members of the Church. This in essence means a

superior giving instruction orally or written to a subordinate worker(s) or Church

member(s) to execute some activities, or just a feedback. It is worthy of note that this

system of communication is used by Church leaders and managers of organizations

for many reasons like communication with their subordinates to feed them with some

vital information, instructions, to share information, to criticize, to command and to

motivate36. And the major channels Church leaders use in downward communication

include:

a. The chain of command

b. Bulletins, posters and bulletin boards

c. Circulars and encyclicals

d. Hand bills and Church periodicals

e. Senate of Priests reports and minutes

36
Kelly, L., Communication in the Workplace: A Guide to Business and Professional
Speaking (New York: Harper & Row Publishers Koentjaraningkrat 2004, 1989.

22
f. Annual report from various associations and committees

g. Text messages and inter-com system.

h. Messengers, radio and Tv announcements.

i. E-mail and fax messages.

Churches in town and cities make use of the above named channels than those

in the rural areas. Churches in developed counties are more advanced in their

communication channels than those in the less developed countries. However,

important as the above channels are, it is the leader (s) of a particular Church that

selects the channels he would use. Sometimes the downward communication is

criticized by members of the church.”37. It is thus very important to know that it

behoves on various Church leaders and managers of organization to develop an

effective and efficient communication system with their members. To ignore this

brings about misunderstanding, mistrust, rumours, protests and conflict and crisis.

2.4.2 Horizontal Communication

This type of communication is that which information flows between members

of an organization. By this system of communication, members or employees on the

same level are able to effectively communicate among themselves in order to properly

coordinate activities, to solve problems, to share information among departments and

associations, to resolve inter-departmental conflicts, and to establish spiritual,

emotional and social support system.

According to Kelly horizontal communication is an important instrument for

cooperation and coordination in an organization.38 This communication flow does

exist in well-established Churches, like the Churches in Nigeria bearing in mind that

37
Woolcott, L.A. et al., Communication With Management Studies (London: Unwin Brothers
Limited, 1977).
38
Kelly, L., Communication in the Workplace: A Guide to Business and Professional
Speaking (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 2004), 89.

23
Churches are human organizations. ICTs have contributed immensely for a smooth

flow of this type of communication system.

2.4.3 Upward Communication

This is the opposite of downward communication. Upward communication

deals with information emanating from subordinates to the superior(s). In a well-

structured organizations subordinates use this system of communication to make

positive suggestions, to air dissatisfactions, to seek vital information, to impress their

managers or superiors, to provide feedback about work done, and to reduce the

psychological distance between themselves and their managers, or leaders or

superiors.

In this era of ICTs here are some of the channels for upward communication

that one finds in most formal organizations including the Churches in Nigeria. They

are:

a. Chain of command

b. Counselling

c. Open door policy

d. Text messages

e. Informers

f. Morale questionnaire

g. The grievance procedure

h. Interviews (print & electronic media)

i. Labour unions

Many scholars, Church leaders and managers strongly believe the

imperativeness of upward communication, for it helps to promote good human

relations which any human organizations worth its salt should work hard to maintain

24
positively. In fact, through this type of channel, Church leaders and managers are able

to carefully monitor the feelings of members or workers and take appropriate action to

correct what would otherwise lead to misunderstanding or costly crisis or conflict.

Churchstaq: ChurchStaq is an all-in-one engagement suite of solutions designed to

help church communities manage communication and facilitate collaboration across

staff, volunteers and leaders. Key features include attendance tracking, pledge

management, online giving, event management, accounting integration and payment

processing. Ministries using ChurchStaq can generate year-end reports to gain

insights that help measure church health and impact, stimulating community

involvement, church services and group management. The giving and donor

development tools enable churches to enhance engagement through donor nurturing

and reconciliation. Additionally, the built-in ChMS system offers a dashboard that

assists teams with tracking and following check-ins, groups, follow-ups, attendance,

process queues and profile history.

ChurchStaq allows organizations to accept donations via secure payment

gateways whilst maintaining PCI level 1 compliance. Churches can also share

important messages and content through a sermon player, live streams, podcasts,

sermon notes and push notifications.

2.5 Social media and Growth

The Importance of Social Media on Church Growth

“Church growth is first and foremost, about increase in numbers; which is critical”39.

“One would then make an assumption that growth in numbers signifies growth in

39
R. Burrill, Principles of Church Growth is created by the General Conference Sabbath
School & Personal Ministries Department. the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Accessed 3rd,December 2024 posted May, 2010,
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:cs4s5VtL3QMJ:www.sa
bbathschoolpersonalministries.org/assets/sspm/pmleaflets/Principles%2520of%25
20Church%2520Growth.pdf+&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=firefox-b

25
revenue, in faith as well as geographical scope “40. Without membership, there is no

church because a church is simply the collection of all individual Christians.

However, Hadaway states that most congregations’ growth goal is to reach

more people with their gospel message, or aim to remain viable41. Voas and Watt

assert that there is decline in the church because of failure to replace the older

members42. The authors then argue that for church growth to happen the children and

the youth must be retained in the church and the decline is happening because half of

the children of the church goers are not in church43.

Communication is very important this days and the church cannot afford to

relax about it else the devil will advantage of this and spread out his evil Contents to

minds and souls that are innocent. The social media is very relevant today because it's

an effective means of communicating the gospel. This makes members to still remain

fed by the word and still remain in the atmosphere of worship.

2.5.1 Social Media and Church Membership

Church membership growth as noted by Voas and Watt is about numbers in that; they

are what form the basis of existence of the church. First and foremost, as suggested by

Voas and Watt, numbers are ascertained through the retention of the children and the

youth in the church. Once retained, they must be engaged in church activities like

retreats, conferences or camps as well as having a church school. Social media can be

40
Badmos, K.. EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE CHURCH. In World Mission
Evangelical Ministry, Ilesa Nigeria. Lagos, Nigeria. Accessed 03/12/2024
.http://www.academia.edu/12388901/EFFECT_OF_SOCIAL_MEDIA_ON_THE_ CHURCH
41
Hadaway, K. C, “FACTs on Growth: 2010. Hartford Institute for Religion Research
Hartford, Seminary”. Accessed 01/12/2024,
http://faithcommunitiestoday.org/sites/default/files/FACTs%20on%20Growth%20 2010.pdf
42
Voas, D., & Watt, L., “Numerical change in church attendance: National, local and
individual factors”, Accessed 15th January, 2024 posted in August 2014
http://www.churchgrowthresearch.org.uk/progress_findings_reports.
43
Voas, D., & Watt, L. (2014).

26
used to promote these programs to the children by creating sites for each and involve

the children in making decisions on how to make the programs enjoyable.44

This activity will engage the children’s interest to stay in church which would

lead to church growth in membership. Social media is distinguished by content

created for the user which has been found to be very effective than traditional

marketing communications in terms of influencing attitudes and behaviour of other

users. In view of this, social media for adults can be used to engage them as well by

using it as a tool for training that posting tips or guidelines on soul winning, creating

prayer bands, post sermons to be read at the members’ convenience, create support

groups like single parents, ladies, widows, or senior youth to create a sense of

belonging. The platforms for social media can be used to pass information about

church programs. While there are still many churches thinking about whether they

should use social media or not, there are already very many people utilizing these

platforms online including individuals from our church and when we decide not to

embrace social media especially Facebook we stand to lose a big opportunity to

minister to both new and old souls45.

2.5.2 Social Media and Faith

On the issue of growth in faith, Chiluwa contends that the advent of the internet has

made religion to maintain a very strong online presence to which people connect.46

According to Pilt social media is for relationships and when people connect, these

relationships are strengthened and it exposes the people to the impact of their network

44
Voas, D., & Watt, L., “Numerical change in church attendance: National, local and
individual factors”, Accessed 15th January, 2024 posted in August 2014
http://www.churchgrowthresearch.org.uk/progress_findings_reports.
45
Clark, 67
46
Chiluwa, I., “Community and Social Interaction in Digital Religious Discourse in Nigeria,
Ghana and Cameroon”, Religion, Media & Ditial Culture (JRMDC), 2(1). Accessed 02/12/2022,
http://jrmdc.com

27
of friends47. On these sites, Pilt adds, members share their major life experiences or

stories about their spiritual journey and these become an instrumental influencer for

others on the site who do not know about Christ, get experience of the

transformational power of God. On the various existing platform of social media, Pilt

suggests that faith in Christ and in church increases for instance; Blogs avail

information to Christians and enable the members to interact with great thinkers and

get sermons from the pastors. YouTube on the other hand, is a source of spiritual

teaching by pastors and professors and it offers lots of resources on Christianity that

enhances one’s faith.

In addition to that, social media can be used to pastor a church or churches and

can be used for viral evangelism where a message can be passed to millions of people

in an instant; moreover, social media can be used to point out God in culture. This can

be done through twitter which forms a way of enabling new entrants to gain

information on the church besides that, social media can be used to bring ministry

groups, study groups, and those with same interests together for discussion, debate

and events48.

Social media is therefore a social exchange tool that churches could use to

increase faith in the membership and church. What needs to be done is to guide

against risk by instituting a policy for its use. The adoption of Social media by

individuals and organizations and its popularity makes it crucial for the church to

embrace it for online evangelism. Gould states that embracing social media is the new

way of spreading the gospel. He asserts that the social network sites assists in

47
Pilt, 569.
48
Pilt, P., “Social Media: - Is it a positive or negative for a person’s spiritual journey? An In-
depth Analysis” Accessed 04/12/2024 posted on March 23, 2017,
https://peterpilt.org/2013/03/25/social-media-is-it-a-positive-or-negative-for-apersons-spiritual-
journey-an-in-depth-analysis/.

28
enhancing one’s capability to take note of one’s crowd and society, enhancing the

people’s ability to affirm God’s word to the society. 49

2.5.3 Social Media and Revenues

Metcalfe and Sharp state that a church’s survival depends on numbers and faster

growing churches have more members who devote themselves beyond time and

worship. The authors posit that the higher the percentage of attendance to the services,

the faster the growth of the church; which signified that members contributed more in

revenue. During the research, the authors established the above fact to be weak

however, it was noted that the members instead contributed in kind in terms of the

membership talents50. This means that there are other sources of revenue for the

churches besides membership contributions and they include; annual or sustained

gifts, major gifts, planned gifts, foundation grants, cause-related marketing, corporate

giving programs, earned income activities, unrelated business income, in-kind

donations, supporting organizations, benefit events, state and local municipalities,

churches and denominations, federated funds and online donations51. Social media

plays a role in revenue generation by offering tools like the web 2.0 both inside and

outside the church to raise funds for operations by way of creating networks for

various supporters who are physically unreachable to solicit for funds. In addition to

that, they can enable mini fund raising to cater for certain programs or activities in the

church and supporters can also help through the same social media to solicit for funds

from their sources in what is called viral fund raising. The web 2.0 creates fund

49
Gould, M., The Social Media Gospel: Sharing the Good News in New Ways (second edition
edition,(London: Liturgical Press, 2013), 89.
50
Medcalfe, S., & Sharp, C., “A Financial Analysis of Church Growth”, Accessed 13/01/2024
http://www.thearda.com/asrec/archive/papers/Medcalfe%20&%20Sharp%20-
%20A%20Financial%20Analysis%20of%20Church%20Growth%20.pdf
51
“FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS (ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURE) RULES: 2009, 10.

29
raising tools like; Causes on Facebook, Network for Good, Alumni Fidelity, First

Giving, Global Giving, and Black baud (CCFNRC); White, Tella, and Ampofo52

therefore, social media enhances church revenues.

2.5.4 Social Media and Church Growth

Religious institutions, particularly churches are confronted with a dilemma when it

comes to marketing of their services because; marketing has been seen as a preserve

for the secular business world and monetary value Angheluta et al.53. The authors,

however, belief that marketing a tool that enables the churches to fulfil their

commission of spreading the gospel and winning souls is the answer to the dilemma

of getting lost attention of the people and it has proved so as revealed by various

studies. The authors posit that marketing as a tool is applicable to the church and can

be used to accomplish its objectives that include; improving the church image,

increasing attendance as well as membership loyalty, fundraising for church projects,

segment target groups, like volunteers and donors when it comes to fund raising

activities or selling certain church products that does not involve certain values and

dogma of the church54. This is affirmed by Adebayo who states that communication

and marketing are integrated with church in getting attention of the memberships and

are therefore inseparable as seen in the churches and mega churches55. A study by

Newman and Benchener on marketing and churches in America revealed that

membership increased tremendously with church marketing56. I believe that the

52
CCFNRC. “Building Multiple Revenue Sources”,
http://strengtheningnonprofits.org/resources/guidebooks/BuildingMultipleRevenu.
53
Angheluta, A. V., Strambu-Dima, A., & Zaharia, R. “Church Marketing-Concept and
Utility”, the Study of Religions and Ideologies, 8 vol.22, 2010, 183.
54
Ibid,.

Adebayo, R. O., “The use of marketing tactics by the church in fulfilling its social mandate
55

in KwaZulu-Natal (Ph.D diss., Durban Universty of Technology, South Africa, 2013), 13.

30
church has no choice but to advertise to remain relevant for modern day individuals

and must create value for their consumers.

2.5.5 The Impact of Social Media.

Social Media today, generally, has its own up's and down's in our world today. Part of

the negatives is how bad news travels fast on these platforms, negative adult contents

that pollute the minds of people and feed the flesh, loss of time, playing games and

engaging in gossips and many more. A report from the National School Boards

Association shows that 41 percent of teenagers spend their time posting messages on

social network sites. They are not spending this time in face-to-face interactions with

their peers or others nor are they developing the necessary social skills for future

success. The young members of the church are also affected by this danger. One of

the major problems of social media is that face to face connections are endangered. A

huge advantage of these social communities has a reverse side effect that is also a big

disadvantage of social networking.

But inspite of these bad sides, there are more positive gains than negative. .

High usage of social media increases the risk of their being victims of cybercrimes.

Church Visibilty

Bornmark, Göransson and Svensson in quoting the American Marketing Association

(AMA) defines the term church a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a

combination of them intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group

of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition” Bornmark et al.57 ;

church awareness, which is the fast step to create awareness that the church exists and

56
Newman, C. M., & Benchener, P. G., “Marketing in America’s large Protestant churches”,
Business & Economics Research (JBER), 6(2), Accessed 14/12/2024,
http://cluteinstitute.com/ojs/index.php/JBER/article/view/2384.
57
Ornmark, H., Göransson, \AAsa, & Svensson, C., “A study to indicate the importance of
church awareness in church choice-A cultural perspective”, Accessed 11/12/2022, http://www.diva-
portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:229947

31
is familiar about its availability and accessibility to influence the buying decision;

secondly is church loyalty, to keep the member coming back taking note that it is

cheaper to keep the old member than to bring on a new one. Malik et al revealed that

the two attributes of church awareness and church loyalty have compelling positive

connection with purchase intentions of the member58.

The ability of the church to attract and keep members overtime, change them

to become company spokespeople and it reveals the degree of consumer attachment to

the church59.

Evangelism

No one can talk about church growth effectively without touching the evangelism

aspect of the church. The social media tools discussed in this project should also be an

avenue to reach out to the world out there in effective evangelism. The use of social

media in evangelism offers a number of benefits, including the ability to reach people

where they are, build communities, and share messages with a wider audience.60

Social media evangelism uses social media channels like Facebook, Twitter,

LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Zoom etc., to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's

one of the best ways to share the good news of Jesus with other. Social media has

become one of the best ways to spread the gospel. It's a great tool for evangelism

58
Malik, M. E., Ghafoor, M. M., Hafiz, K. I., Riaz, U., Hassan, N. U., Mustafa, M., &
Shahbaz, S., “Importance of church awareness and church loyalty in assessing purchase intentions of
consumer”, Business and Social Science, 4(5), Accessed 11/12/2022,
http://search.proquest.com/openview/7c03426a85c5cc7eaf4379191d2795fc/1?pqorigsite=gscholar&cbl
=646295
59
Owino, J. O., Cherotich, M., Karuri, W. P., Gitonga, V., Kimuya, L., & Kaumbulu, K., “The
Influence of Social Media on Church Equity in Kenyan Banking Industry”, Business and Finance
Management Research, 2(1), 3.
60
L. Ellington and A. Wimberley, “Social Medial A Tool for Evangelism or a distance from
Evangelism?” Christian Journal, Vol. 13 no.1, (2008):60-62.

32
because it allows us to share messages and stories that would otherwise go unnoticed.

A much wider audience can be reached than you could ever hope to get through

traditional methods by sharing these messages online. 61

In addition, by using social media, potential converts can be reached directly.

Through conversations, people can be encouraged to take action and follow Christ.

Social media can also be used to promote events and services relevant to the ministry.

The most significant benefit of using social media in evangelistic efforts is connecting

with people who may never have heard about Jesus before.

By posting regularly, God's love can be shared with people who may

otherwise never hear about Him. It's also possible to connect with people who already

believe in Christ but don't yet understand why they should follow Him. Sharing

stories about how he has changed lives through His followers is a great way to

encourage others to join the movement.62

In addition, by sharing testimonies of how God has worked in people's lives,

you can inspire others to seek out the same kind of transformation. Youth outreach

has become increasingly important over the past few years. We all have witnessed

more and more young people leaving the church for one reason or another. In fact, it

is estimated that 57% of young people who grew up in the church have left. These

numbers can be scary because they tell a lot about the future of the church.63

61
H. Keun, and H. Cho, "Social Media and Faith: Exploring the Religious and Spiritual
Dimensions in Individuals' Social Media use". Journal of Media and Religion, Vol. 17 no. 2, (2018):
89.
62
S.S. Peter. and A. Bhaget. "Social Media as an Evangelism Tool in the Modern Church: A
literature Review". Journal of Global Business Management, Vol. 11, no. 1 (2015): 52-56.
63
Pew Research Center. Social Media Fact Sheet. Retrieved from
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media. Accessed on 17th May, 2023.

33
However, the church will only lose due to a lack of innovation. The truth is that we

know where the young people are and what type of content they consume. If we want

to spread the gospel online successfully, we need to take steps to ensure that your

message reaches more people.

Finally, the use of social media gives people the chance to revisit church

services and activities that are put on line, at their own pace and time. It helps the

church to rapidly disseminate information and allow members to network with

themselves outside of the four walls of a church building.

34
 CHAPTER THREE

BIBLICAL CONCEPT ON IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CHURCH

GROWTH

3.1 In the Old Testament

We now live in a global village. Ours is an era of communication and computer. In

this era of Information Technology, Communication plays a very important role in all

spheres of human activity. It is the fruit of all human life activity. Communication is

essential for the development of the individual and for the formation of faith and

ideologies .Communication is a reality in the world of human beings, animals and

plants.

It is an ever-going process in our day to day life. The need for communication

is a basic one for development. Communication is a necessity for human beings and

animals. As a social being, human beings cannot exist without communicating with

one another. Communication is the real stuff of life. It is a basic need for all human

beings and for all living organisms. The stupendous achievements of man in science

and technology would have been impossible without the most essential tool,

communication.

It is a social necessity. It is a natural and social demand and requirement for

existence. The particular word social Media or communication is absent in the Bible.

But on the other hand, whole bible is an account of God’s communication. Bible is a

clear document and communication of God’s love, judgment and mercy to His people.

Therefore communication is an integral part of the Bible. The sacred scripture is the

divine communication expressed in human language. Biblical concepts, such as logos

35
-the word, prophecy, incarnation, revelation, church, the gospel and koinonia are

communication. The word communication is derived from the Latin root word

communis which means common and from the word communicare which means to

share, to impart or to have something in common.

3.1.1 In the Pentateuch

The Old Testament understanding of God’s communication is verbal, dreams, omens,

divination and other sign and symbols like thunder, rain and fire. (Lev19,26, Deut.

18,10,1Sam 15,23) These signs and symbols are considered as Channels of God’s

revelation. Through these channels or media God revealed Himself to the people of

God.

Communication through these signs and symbols are considered as divine

revelation. In order to develop a theology of communication, we should go for an

analysis of the channels like divine scripture, thunder, rain, fire and storms. The fact

and process of revelation seems to have two different levels of communication. One is

God’s communication with man and other is man’s communication with God and

other human beings. God’s interpersonal communication with man is known as

revelation. God’s revelation happens only through communication. Some mediums

used are:

Oral Method: Before written documents, information was transmitted orally, from

generation to generation, so that accuracy depended upon the memory of the orator.

The Pentateuch states that God commanded the Israelites in Deut.6:6-7, 6 "And these

words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 "You shall teach them

diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when

36
you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. This happened

through Narratives.

Symbols: They were used to communicate a story or idea. Rainbow Image after the

Flood is an example. God placed a rainbow in the sky (see Genesis 9:12–17).

However, symbols have severe limitations concepts such as love, hate, fear, or sorrow

are difficult to portray. Once the meaning of a symbol is forgotten, it becomes a mere

art.

Syllabic writings: As communication progressed, signs no longer represented a

concept but alphabets. The word alphabet came from the first two letters of the Greek

alphabet, alpha and beta, which represents the Phoenician and the Hebrews words

alep and bet, the first two letters of their alphabet. The alphabet, with its ability to

reduce a language to between twenty to thirty signs, revolutionized communication.

Writing materials: there were a great number of writing materials in the Old

Testament. Generally the most durable and easiest-to-use materials were chose for

writing:

Stone: Stone was used for something as noble as a monumental inscription or as

common as graffiti. It was in fact the earliest writing material mentioned in the Bible.

Moses received the stone tables with the Ten Commandments inscribed upon them by

the finger of God (Exodus 24:12).

Scrolls: Another form of communication in the Old Testament is the use of scrolls.

Scrolls refer to Papyrus, leather or parchment on which ancient documents are written

(Ezra 6:2). Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be

37
remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the

name of Amalek from under heaven.”(Exodus 17:14, NIV).

However, scrolls have their own drawbacks. It was susceptible to damage from water

and light and age caused it to become brittle and crumble into powder.

3.1.2 In the Prophets

Reading through the Prophets, we know they seem a little weird. Sure, there’s

cherished passages like God’s promise to give his people a future and a hope in

Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans

for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Or a new heart and

new spirit in Ezekiel 36:26. But on the way to these beloved texts you come across

strange scenes like Jeremiah smashing jars before an audience and Ezekiel baking

bread over human waste.

There’s also that episode of Isaiah walking around naked for three years. the

prophetic actions are weird in the sense that it’s rare to see a man walking around

naked. The prophets were communicators, and like all great communicators, they

utilized a wide range of verbal and nonverbal elements in their prophetic speeches.

They didn’t merely speak out prophecies; they acted them out as well. Unfortunately,

the nonverbal components don’t get much press today.

Sign acts: Sign acts are nonverbal actions and objects intentionally employed by the

prophets so that message content was communicated through them to the audience”.64

Like YouTube, Tiktok and other SM platforms that we have today, visuals

make instruction concrete in our minds, and they reinforce it in ways we remember. In

64
Friebel, Dictionary of the Old Testament Prophets, 1523.

38
the same way, sign acts were nonverbal actions that visually demonstrated and drove

home the message being delivered by prophets.

What makes these visuals so interesting is that the prophet himself was

intimately involved in the visual. He might use coordinated body movements, grand

gestures, facial expressions, or complex actions with objects to make the divine point.

Ezekiel, a prophet whose sanity is often questioned, is the most notable example of

this. Just a few of his “enacted prophecies included lying bound in ropes (4:1-8),

shaving his head and striking some of the hair with a sword (5:1-2), covering his face

and digging through a wall (12:3-7), trembling (12:18), and avoiding the full

mourning rituals for his dead wife (24:16-24)”65 (L. John McGregor, New Bible

Commentary).

Studies show that audio-only information has a retention rate of 10% after 72

hours. Visuals alone have a retention rate of 35%.66

Dreams and Visions: Dreams can sometimes fascinate believers. From the visions

Daniel experienced in the Old Testament (Daniel 7) to Peter’s dream about clean and

unclean animals (Acts 10:9-16) it seems as though dreams lace almost all the books of

Scripture. Dreams and visions are very similar.

Then of course, dreams and visions feature prominently in the lives of all the

prophets because they are seers, beginning with the pre-exilic voices; such as Amos’

basket of summer fruit (Amos 8), Isaiah’s scene of the throne on high (Isaiah 6) and

Jeremiah’s vision of a boiling pot (Jeremiah 1:13-16). Moving into the exile, there’s

65
Gordon J. Wenham, J.A Motyer, D.A Carson and R.T France, New Bible Commentary
(USA: Intervarsity Press, 2004), 1320.
66
Miller, John B. F. Convinced That God Had Called Us: Dreams, Visions and the Perception
of God’s Will in Luke-Acts (Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2007), 10.

39
Daniel’s dreams of four beasts (Daniel 7) and Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones (Ezek

37:1-14). Finally beyond the post-exilic period, there’s Zechariah’s famous vision of

the olive trees and golden lampstand (Zechariah 4).

In Scripture, dreams and visions are the most common form of God-speech. It

may come as a surprise that dreams and visions comprise one third of the Old

Testament.67

3.1.3 In the Writings: They are a wide-ranging collection of literary works in

various genres, including sacred poetry, practical philosophy or wisdom, paradoxical

or speculative wisdom, history, erotic poetry, short stories, personal narratives,

apocalyptic literature, and more. The authors of these books communicated in the

following ways:

Couriers: A courier is a person who is paid to take letters and parcels direct from one

place to another.

In Esther 3:13 “Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces

with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and

children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,

and to plunder their goods.”

It can be seen from this passage how letters were carried by running footmen,

men swift of foot; or rather they were running horses, on which men rode post with

letters, and which the Persians called Angari; a The Persian system of posts is thus

described by Xenophon and invented by Cyrus, for the quick dispatch of letters from

place to place, by fixing horses and men to ride them at a proper distance, to receive

letters one from another, and who rode night and day, as our mail men do now; and
67
Sandford J., John Loren, Elijah Among Us (USA: Chosen Books, 2002), 163.

40
nothing could be swifter, or done with greater speed; neither snow, nor rain, nor heat,

nor night, could stop their course, we are told. All the stables are provided with a

number of horses and grooms. There is a post-master to preside over each, who

receives the despatches along with the tired men and horses, and sends them on by

fresh horses and fresh riders.68

Lyric Poetry and Proverbs: In the Bible, the lyric and versification itself are

practically confined to the Old Testament. The most precise examples of biblical lyric

poetry are Song of Songs and Lamentations (a type of elegy common in antiquity),

but typically when speaking of biblical poetry one thinks of the Book of Psalms. In

theory the psalm, as a prayer, is not itself a literary form. The expression of strong

emotions is carried out by adopting the conventions of Biblical Hebrew poetry in

communicating.

Proverbs offers not so much mystical insight as it does practical wisdom about

how to go about living one’s daily life. The wisdom of Proverbs is often very

common-sense instruction that might apply equally to Israelites and followers of the

LORD and to nonbelievers or people from other cultures or nations.69

Letters: Letters and their delivery via a state communication system was a feature of

many ancient cultures. The means to send messages and communications over great

distances and do so relatively quickly. The letters were usually written in Aramaic. A

letter typically had the sender and receiver's names at the top, with the most senior

appearing first. “2Ch 21:12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying,

68
H. D. M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell, Pulpit commentary (US, Hendrickson Pub, 1982),
69
White, Sidnie Ann. “Esther: A Feminine Model for the Jewish Diaspora.” Gender and
Difference in Ancient Israel, ed. Peggy L. Day. Fortress P.(1989):161-170.

41
Thus says the LORD God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the

ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah,”.

In communications today, Emails and SM tools have taken over the writing

and posting of letters, which could take weeks before it got to its recipient.

3.2 In the New Testament

Though the term social media was not used in the New Testament, but see

many reference made to how we as Christians are to communicate with our

neighbours, with God and our immediate. We can see that in the new covenant, we

lie if we claim we communicate well with God and fail to communicate well with our

neighbours and our environment.

In John 7:3-4(NIV) Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to

Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. 4. No one who wants to

become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself

to the world”. Social Media is our great opportunity to reach out to the world with

Gospel of Christ, so that more souls can be won in to the kingdom.

3.2.1 In the Gospel

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication includes all aspects of the communication process other

than words. In normal face-to-face communication, nonverbal communication plays a

vital role in interpretation; a simple request, for instance, is vastly different if it is said

with clenched fists or while gently holding the addressee’s hand.

42
An example of such a sign is Jesus’s gesture when he raises the daughter of Jairus:

“He took the little girl by the hand and said to her, Talitha, koum! Meaning, ‘little

girl, arise!’” (Mark 5:41).

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is an oral communication through which a message is

transmitted through the spoken words. Verbal proclamation was not only a distinctive

mark of Jesus’ ministry, but also of the early Church. Verbal proclamation must also

continue to be the hallmark of a healthy Christian community today as seen in the life

of Jesus Christ and modelled in the gospels. Jesus used both plain words and parables

to communicate verbally to his listeners. Parables compose a large share of Jesus’s

words captured in the Gospels. Parables are short allegorical stories designed to teach

a truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.

“Matthew 13:1-9, The Parable of the Sower. 1 [a]On that day, Jesus went out
of the house and sat down by the sea. 2 Such large crowds gathered around
him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the
shore. 3 [b]And he spoke to them at length in parables,[c] saying: “A sower
went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds
came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It
sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, 6 and when the sun rose it
was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. 7 Some seed fell among
thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. 8 But some seed fell on rich soil,
and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. 9 Whoever has ears ought
to hear.”
Incarnation

From the first page of the Bible, we can understand that God is God of

communication or God is a communicating God. His means and ways of

communication with nature and other human beings are many and different. He

speaks and acts in the history in a different manner. When we look into the New

Testament, Jesus Christ is the medium and message of God’s communication. The

43
gospel says that in the beginning was the word and the word were with God, and the

word was God. He was in the beginning with God. In Him was life; and the life was

the light of men (Jn1, 4).

The essence of incarnation is to convey God’s love towards humanity. It is a

sign language of God’s Love. Incarnation is the manifestation of God’s love in

action. Having manifested Himself in creation and in History, God has finally

communicated, His love and concern through his only son, the eternal word. In the

incarnation, Jesus Christ is the son of God, who reveals the father. Incarnation is a

symbolic representation of God’s love in action. God reveals himself in Christ

through incarnation. In the strict sense, Jesus Christ, the word became flesh is a

communication act and event of God’s ceaseless love. Incarnation is a divine

communication event which took place in definite human environment. Incarnation is

an expression of God’s self-communication.

3.2.2 In The Acts of the Apostles

Five passages in the book of Acts describe a gesture using one hand in the context of

addressing a group of people. The instances are as follows:

Acts 12:17 kataseiō tē cheiri “he motioned to them with his hand to be silent”
Acts 13:16 kataseiō tē cheiri “he motioned with his hand”
Acts 19:33 kataseiō tēn cheira “he waved his hand”
Acts 21:40 kataseiō tē cheiri “he motioned with his hand to the people”
Acts 26:1 ekteinō tēn cheira “he extended his hand”
the phrases with kataseiō all describe “the gesture a public speaker uses either to gain

the crowd’s attention or quiet it down before beginning his speech,” and the instance

44
with ekteinō in Acts 26:1 refers to “the same motion.”70. The gestures in Acts, the

ones who perform it are consistently Jews, and Paul does it while speaking Aramaic.

Peter does it when addressing Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. In Acts 19:33–34, the

crowd recognizes that Alexander is a Jew before he starts speaking, which casts doubt

on the idea that his gesture is Greek; in fact, it may be Alexander’s gesture that gives

away his Jewish identity.71

Angels

Angels are God’s messengers, so it’s important for them to be able to communicate

well. Depending on what type of mission God gives them, angels may deliver

messages in a variety of different ways, including speaking, writing, praying, and

using telepathy, and music.

Very often this will happen when your angels need to share some vital

information. E.g. Acts 10:3 about the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision

an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!"

Water Baptism

Water baptism is a public declaration of a believer’s faith and commitment in Jesus

Christ. It is the next step after one has received salvation from Christ through faith

and repentance and is an important foundation for the Christian life.

Baptism by immersion symbolically identifies us with Jesus’ death on the

cross, His burial, and His resurrection from the dead. This is a means of publically

communicating one’s position in Christianity. In baptism we are being joined with

David G. Burke, “Gesture,” in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. Geoffrey
70

W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982), 449–57.

71
Mayer I. Gruber, “Gestures,” in The Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, ed. Paul J.
Achtemeier (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1996), 453.

45
other believers, not just participating in an individual act … “But we have all been

baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.” (1

CORINTHIANS 12:13b).

3.2.3 In the Epistles

Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 21 are epistles, or letters, many of which were

written by Paul. The names of the epistles attributed to him are Romans; I and II

Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; I and II Thessalonians; I

and II Timothy; Titus; and Philemon.

The ability to communicate is a gift from God to enable us to develop

relationships with others and to create culture. The clarion call is to redeem

communication so that it can be appropriately used directionally for what is true,

noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable (Phill. 4:8). As far as communication is

concerned, integration of faith and learning should encompass what we teach

(content), how we teach that content (pedagogy), and how what we teach impacts the

way we think, what we believe, and how we live (our character).

God created humans with the ability to communicate with him and with other

people, and to create and foster a sense of community. Quentin argues that 'God

intends for all people to use the gift of communication to love God and neighbour; not

just to exchange messages'.72 Communication therefore enables us to co-create

cultures or ways of life.

72
Quentin Schultze, Coomunicating with GRACE and VIRTUE (Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Baker Academi, 2020), 16.

46
LETTERS

The Letter to the Hebrews, at one time ascribed to Paul, is now generally attributed to

some unknown Christian of the 1st century. More like a sermon than a letter, it is one

of the best and most carefully constructed compositions in the New Testament.

Addressed originally to Christians of Jewish backgrounds, the book makes extensive

use of Old Testament material to demonstrate that the ministry of Jesus was the

fulfillment of the old covenant.

The authentic letters of the apostle Paul also contain important teachings. The

Letter to the Romans contains his teachings on justification (being made “right with

God”) by faith alone, which greatly influenced the Protestant reformer Martin Luther.

Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians includes his theology of the cross and the

Resurrection of Jesus.

The Book of Revelation, also called the Apocalypse of St. John the Divine, is

the most colorful and imaginative work in the New Testament, as well as the most

difficult to interpret. An apocalypse is a type of religious literature that has to do with

the end of the world and the events that will take place before the end comes. The

author of the book was probably a man named John, who is often identified as the

author of the Fourth Gospel and “the beloved disciple” of Jesus. Leader at the church

of Ephesus in Asia Minor, he was banished to the island of Patmos, just off the coast.

While on Patmos, John wrote Revelation, which he addressed to the seven churches in

Asia Minor but probably intended for all Christians. Revelation got its name from the

first verse in the book.

47
 THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CHURCH GROWTH:
CASE STUDY REDEEMED CHRISTIAN OF CHURCH, LIGHTHOUSE
CHAPEL PROVINCIAL HEADQUARTERS, SURULERE, LAGOS
STATE, NIGERIA.

4.1 Brief History of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Nigeria.

In July 1909, a son was born into the Akindayomi family of Ondo State of Nigeria.

Even though this child grew up surrounded by idol worshippers, he knew there

existed a greater power and yearned to know, “The God who created the earth and

everyone on it”. This pursuit for God led him to the Church Missionary Society where

he was baptized in 1927. Still spiritually unfulfilled, he joined the Cherubim and

Seraphim church in 1931.

Whilst there, he began to hear a voice within him saying, “You will be my

servant.” Since this was not his intention, he decided to ignore the voice. This went on

for seven years during which all the business ventures that he tried resulted into

failure. In debt and without peace of mind, he found himself totally dependent on the

grace of God. Here marked the beginning of a definite relationship with God. Totally

broken, he yielded saying, “Lord, I will go wherever you want me to go.” He asked

for signs to confirm that this was indeed God’s call. The confirmation came through

the Bible passages of Jeremiah 1:4-10, Isaiah 41:10-13 and Romans 8:29-31.

The Lord assured him that He would provide for all his needs, as he would not

receive any salary from that point on. This proved to be a comforting reminder during

the trials in the months ahead. He became married in 1941. He continued to worship

with the Cherubim and Seraphim. In 1947, he started to become concerned that the

church was departing from the true Word of God in some of its practices. By 1952, he

felt totally persuaded to leave the church. He started at Willoughby Street, Ebute-

Metta, Lagos a housefellowship called, the Glory of God Fellowship. Initially there

48
were nine members but before long the fellowship rapidly grew as the news of the

miracles that occurred in their midst spread.

Akindayomi also had a vision of words that appeared to be written on a

blackboard. The words were “The Redeemed Christian Church of God.” Amazingly,

Pa Akindayomi who could not read or write was supernaturally able to write these

words down. In this visitation, God also said to him that this church would go to the

ends of the earth and that when the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in glory, He would

meet the church.

The Lord then established a covenant with Pa Akindayomi, synonymous to the

Abrahamic covenant in the Bible. He said that He the Lord would meet all the needs

of the church in an awesome way if only members would serve Him faithfully and be

obedient to His Word. It is upon this covenant that the Redeemed Christian Church of

God was built.

Thus, the Redeemed Christian Church of God was born in 1952, destined by

the Lord Himself to take the world for Him. The church continued to meet at 9

Willoughby Street until they were able to acquire some land thereby witnessing a

relocation to the present site of the Headquarters of the church at 1-5 Redemption

Way, Ebute-Metta, Lagos (formerly 1a, Cemetery Street).

Sometime in the early 70s, God had spoken to Pa Akindayomi about his successor.

The Lord told him that this man who was not a member of the church then,

would be a young educated man. Thus when a young university lecturer joined the

church in 1973, Papa was able to recognize him in the Spirit as the one that the Lord

had spoken about in the past. This man, Enoch Adejare Adeboye who was then a

lecturer of Mathematics at the University of Lagos soon became involved in the

49
church. He became one of the interpreters translating Pa Akindayomi’s sermons from

Yoruba to English. He was ordained a pastor of the church in 1975.

Papa was preparing to meet his Creator. He sent for Pastor Adeboye and spent

several hours sharing with him details of the covenant and the plans of the Lord for

the church. Even though a year before this, the Lord had revealed to Pastor Adeboye

that he would be Papa’s successor, it was still too difficult for him to fully

contemplate such an awesome responsibility.

Pa Josiah Akindayomi was 71 years old when he died. Amidst controversy,

Pastor Adeboye’s appointment was formalized by the reading of Pa Akindayomi’s

sealed pronouncement after his burial.

Since 1981, an open explosion began with the number of parishes growing in

leaps and bounds. At the last count, there are at least about 2000 parishes of the

Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria. On the International scene, the church

is present in other African nations including Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Zambia, Malawi,

Zaire, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Gambia, Cameroon, and South Africa. In Europe the

church is spread in England, Germany, and France. In the United States there are

parishes in Dallas, Tallahassee, Houston, New York, Washington, and Chicago and

also in the Caribbean states of Haiti and Jamaica.

Today, God is still doing marvelous deeds through the Redeemed Christian

Church of God, worldwide. One of the well-known programs of the church is the

Holy Ghost Service, an all-night miracle service that holds on the first Friday of every

month at the Redemption Camp at Km. 46, Lagos-Ibadan expressway. The average

headcount of those who attend the Service is about 500,000. The Holy Ghost

Servicenow holds in different parts of the world which includes the United Kingdom,

50
India, USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Dubai, Ghana, Philippines and many

more.73

4.2 Brief History of R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel Provincial HeadQuarters

The parish was started in 2006 by Pst. Adesiyan in flat 5, block 62, Ile iwe Bus stop

Jakande Estate, Isolo Lagos. It had 5 members at inception and it gradually grew from

there. The church after 2 years grew to about 100 members and the need to acquire a

property at Ile-Iwe bus stop, beside the LGA Primary School. Today the parish has 7

Zones, 25 Areas and 50 parishes. The number of attendance in Lighthouse chapel

Province is around 2,000 people. TOR Became Provincial Head-quarters in August,

2008.

PARISH PASTORS From Inception

1. Pst. Adesiyan.

2. Pst. Iyanda Benjamin

3. Pst. Abraham (Not the current Provincial Evangelist).

ZONAL PASTORS

1. Pst. Maduka Magnus. (First Zonal)

2. Late Pst. Joseph Aborain (Blessed Memory).

3. Pst. Tunji Ajayi.

4. Pst. Kenny Abiola.

5. Pst . Ademola Agunlejika (Current).

PROVINCIAL PASTORS

1. Pst. Seun Aderibigbe (7yrs, 2008-2015).

2. Pst. Henry Yolo (2yrs, 2015-2017).

3. Pst. Timothy Olaniyan (1yr, 2017-2018).

73
Accessed 15/01/2023 https://www.rccg.org/our-history/

51
4. Pst. Johnson Tunji Ashaolu (1yrs +, 2018 till Date).

4.3 The presence of Social Media R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel, Surulere in

Nigeria.

There were 31.60 million social media users in Nigeria in January 2023. The

number of social media users in Nigeria at the start of 2023 was equivalent to 14.3%

of the total population. 28.20 million users aged 18 and above use social media in

Nigeria at the start of 2023, which was equivalent to 25.3% of the total population

aged 18 and above. 25.8% of Nigeria’s total internet user base (regardless of age)

used at least one social media platform in January 2023. 44.7% of Nigeria’s social

media users were female, while 55.3% were male74.

This statistics goes to show that a good population of the country have

presence on social media platforms and the church cannot fold its arms in the name of

spirituality and allow these vibrant populace wastes away without being reached for

God.

R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel, Surulere, have so far been able to utilize the

potential of social media as a tool for church growth, communication and community

integration. They have a strong presence on social media platforms like Facebook,

YouTube, Twitter, Whatsapp and Instagram where live programs are streamed,

sermons, announcements and adverts are seen there for the sake of the viewers. Most

importantly, the sermons that are preached in the church are available on all their

social media platforms which can be watched and re-watched by their followers at

any other times.

74
Simon Kemp, DIGITAL 2024: NIGERIA, Accessed 22/12/2023
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-
nigeria#:~:text=Nigeria%20was%20home%20to%2036.75,percent%20of%20the%20total%20populati
on.

52
 Leveraging on this social media platforms allow people, both members and

non-members alike, to participate in the worship experience from wherever they are

in any part of the world without any barriers. New media platforms have enabled The

Church to foster a sense of global community among its members.

The beauty if most of these social media platforms, which was discovered

during this research, is that viewers who join the program live usually are not more

than 35% of the total live viewers on all the church social media platforms. The

remaining 65% views on all the platforms were recorded after the live programs were

over. This means that the social media platforms avail people to watch the church

programs much later at their own conveniences.

Announcements that the church intends to pass across to the church members

and the viewers at large were properly disseminated through the platforms. This

leaves the members abreast of church activities even when they are not present in

church.

It was also gathered during this research that between 25-30% of the church

offerings were received through the social media platforms every week, hours or days

after the church programs have ended.

The use of barcodes on social media platform of the church allows new

converts scan the barcodes on display, which takes them to a web page where they

can fill in their details and submit instantly. Converts information are collated and this

allows a church team follow-up on them till they eventually become a member of the

church. Data shows that the online barcode records more than 20 new converts

weekly representing about 15% of the church’s new converts weekly.

53
4.4 The Challenges of Social Media in R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel, Surulere in

Nigeria

In the era of new media and digital communication, religious institutions have had to

adapt to the changing landscape of technology.

However, the use of social media in our contemporary world comes with its

own good and evil. The researcher however observed some challenges been faced by

the respondents from RCCG Lighthouse parish during the use of social media. These

challenges are as follows:

Wrong perceptions: the researcher found out in this research that there are Christians

who still that the social media is another satanic invention that must be avoided like a

plague if they want to keep their chastity to God. Such people still lack proper

orientation of the good that these platforms offer.

Heavy data usage: Some of the respondents confessed that the amount of money that

they spend on buying data to watch their church programs on monthly bases is still

quite high. Averagely in a week, 4GB of data was found to be used by the respondents

which cost around 3,000 Naira a week and 12,000 Naira a month. This is not

affordable to some respondents. Cheaper data packages in the country would

encourage more online activities by people who prefer that option social media

platforms to missing out completely on church programs.

It’s a Supplement, Not a Substitute: Unfortunately, some see the use of social

media engagement as a substitute to attending church programs physically, rather than

taking it as a supplement. This has affected the physical warmth that members used to

feel when they see themselves physically and interact intimately. Social media tool

like Zoom video meetings cannot be exactly like a physical meeting where everyone’s

gestures, feelings and expressions are properly captured in a conversation.

54
4.5 Proferred Solution to Social Media challenges at R.C.C.G Lighthouse Parish

As a church, there must be a social media vision statement which tells the aim,

purpose and standard of the church’s social media, in the first place. This should

clearly spell to people a mission to communicate the gospel as excellently as possible

and to make servant-hearted disciples of Jesus Christ.

Secondly, the brains behind the deployment of the contents should put into

consideration the use of small sized materials, yet maintaining quality, which would

help in turn reduce the consumption of data by their church members. When the social

media contents uses low data, people are encouraged to get hooked on for as long as

they want.

Thirdly, the use of high quality contents cannot be undermined. The church

must understand that there a million and one other churches who stream their services

also online and there must be something that makes their members and others get

value for their time. The church should get a high quality camera, use a high quality

stock photo website, and produce high quality audio and video.

Fourthly, Video is the wave of the future. If the church is writing more than

100 words on social media, nobody is reading it. Creating high-quality video content

that is easily shareable best communicated to people. People will like, follow, and

engage with your online presence if the church can create and package content that

works well on social media which, again, is currently very short-form video content.

This should also be a very frequent practice because people look forward to latest

videos.

4.6 DATA ANALYSIS PRESENTATION

This section presents the results of the field study; it shows the descriptive

information of the respondents, the results of each of the research questions and the

55
test of hypotheses. This research is a combination of library and field work.

Questionnaires were distributed to the contributors to analyse data. The study

population are members R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel Surulere, members of media

department in R.C.C.G Lighthouse Chapel Surulere, and the youth Department. The

analysis takes into consideration percentage interpretation of frequency to gather

information. The numbers of questionnaires distributed were 64 out of which 53 were

filled, returned and fit for analysis.

4.6.1 Questionnaire Analysis

Section A

Bio Data of Respondents.

Table 1: Gender of Respondents

Gender Frequency Percentage (%)

Male 33 62

Female 20 38

Total 53 100%

From the analysis, 62% of respondents are male while 38% are female. This implies

that male respondents dominated the study.

Table 2: Age of respondents

Age Grade Frequency Percentage (100%)

20 years and below 8 15

21-35 years 17 32

36-55 years 23 43

56
 56 and years above 5 10

Total 53 100

The age of the respondents from twenty years and below (20 years and below) were

15%, from twenty one to thirty five (21-35) years were 32%, from thirty six to fifty

five (36-55) years were 43%, from fifty Six years and above (56 years and above)

were 10%. A large portion of the respondents are adults between the ages of thirty six

to fifty five (36-55) years. This implies that the respondents are matured and

knowledgeable about ICT.

Table 3: Marital Status of Respondents

Marital Status Frequency Percentage (100%)

Single 17 32

Married 30 57

Divorced 2 3

Others 4 8

Total 53 100

The age of the respondents who are single is 32%, those who are married are 57%,

and those who are divorced are 3% while others are 8%. The respondents are

predominantly married.

Table 4: Academic status of Respondents

Educational Qualification Frequency Percentage (100%)

O’Level 3 6

57
 OND 7 13

HND/B.SC/B/ED 25 47

M.SC/M.ED 14 26

Others 4 8

Total 53 100

The percentage of the respondents that have ‘Level are 6%, OND is 13%,

HND/B.SC/B.ED is 47%, M.SC/M.ED is 26% while others are 8%. This shows that

the respondents are educated beyond O’Level.

Table 5: Work Status of Respondents

Work Status Frequency Percentage (100%)

Self Employed 24 45

Employed 21 40

Unemployed 8 15

Total 53 100

The percentage of the respondents who are self-employed is 45%, employed is 40%

and unemployed is 15%. This shows that the self-employed dominated the study.

Table 6: Analysis of how long they have been a worshipper in RCCG Lighthouse

Province

Years of Membership Frequency Percentage (100%)

1-5 4 8

58
 6-10 14 26

11 and above 35 66

Total 53 100

8% of the respondents have been worshippers of RCCG Lighthouse Province for one

to five (1-5) years, 26% for six to ten (6-10) years, and 66% for eleven years and

above. This shows that all respondents are worshippers of the RCCG Lighthouse

Province.

Table 7: Analysis of the membership status in RCCG Lighthouse Province

Membership Status Frequency Percentage (100%)

Yes 49 92

No 4 8

Total 53 100

The percentage of the respondents who are card carrying members of RCCG

Lighthouse Province is 92%, while 8% are not accepted members. This shows that the

research was carried out mostly by card carrying members of RCCG Lighthouse

Province, Surulere Lagos.

4.5.2 Presentation of Questionnaire analysis

Section B

Question 1: It helps in easy delivery of church programs

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 12 23

59
 Agree 35 66

Strongly Disagree 5 9

Disagree 1 2

Total 53 100

From the table, data revealed that 12 persons representing 23% of the respondents

strongly agreed that the social media allows easy delivery of the church programs

while 35 persons representing 66% of the respondents agreed that the social media

allows easy delivery of the church programs. This show’s that many of the

respondents believe that social media helps easy delivery of the church programs.

Question 2 It makes the church work easier

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 10 19

Agree 36 68

Strongly Disagree 2 4

Disagree 5 9

Total 53 100

19% of the respondents strongly agreed that the social media makes the church work

easier while 68% of the respondents agreed that the social media makes the church

work easier, 4% strongly disagree and 9% disagree. This goes to show that many of

the respondents believe that social media makes the church work easier.

60
Question 3 It is applied in offering and tithe collections

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 21 40

Agree 26 49

Strongly Disagree 1 2

Disagree 5 9

Total 53 100

40% of the respondents strongly believed that the social media can be applied in

offering and tithe collections while 49% of the respondents believed that the social

media can be applied in offering and tithe collections, 2% strongly disagree and 9%

disagree. This goes to show that many of the respondents believed that the social

media can be effectively applied in offering and tithe collections of the church.

Question 4 It can be affected by cyber attacks

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 19 36

Agree 34 64

Strongly Disagree 0 0

Disagree 0 0

Total 53 100

36% of the respondents strongly believed that the social media can be affected by

cyber-attacks while 64% of the respondents believed that the social media can be

61
affected by cyber-attacks, 0% strongly disagrees and 0% disagree. This goes to show

that many of the respondents believed that the social media can be affected by cyber-

attacks.

Question 5 It requires much IT knowledge to operate

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 2 4

Agree 4 7

Strongly Disagree 21 40

Disagree 26 49

Total 53 100

4% of the respondents strongly believed that the social media requires much IT

knowledge to operate while 7% of the respondents believed that the social media,

40% can be affected by cyber-attacks both strongly disagree and 49% disagree. This

goes to show that many of the respondents believed that the social media does not

require much IT knowledge to operate.

Question 6 Social Media has exposed many people to Christ

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 17 32

Agree 32 60

Strongly Disagree 1 2

Disagree 3 6

62
 Total 53 100

32% of the respondents strongly believed that the social media has exposed many

people to Christ while 60% of the respondents believed that the social media has

exposed many people to Christ, 2% of the respondent strongly disagree and 6%

disagree that social media has exposed many people to Christ. This goes to show that

many of the respondents believed that the social media has exposed many people to

Christ which in turn can cause an increase in church attendance.

Question 7 I find it easy to use Social Media

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 40 75

Agree 5 10

Strongly Disagree 3 6

Disagree 5 9

Total 53 100

75% of the respondents strongly believed that the social media find it easy to use

Social Media while 10% of the respondents believed that the social media find it easy

to use Social Media, 6% of the respondent strongly disagree and 9% disagree. This

goes to show that many of the respondents find it easy to use Social Media most often

than not.

63
Question 8 People spend a good number of time on Social media especially the

younger ones

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 47 88

Agree 5 10

Strongly Disagree 0 0

Disagree 1 2

Total 53 100

From the table, data revealed that 47 persons representing 88% of the respondents

strongly agreed that People spend a good number of time on Social media especially

the younger ones while 5 persons representing 10% of the respondents agreed that

People spend a good number of time on Social media especially the younger ones.

This goes to show that many of the respondents believe that People spend a good

number of time on Social media especially the younger ones.

Question 9 Many interactions on Social Media are clear and understandable

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 15 28

Agree 25 47

Strongly Disagree 5 10

Disagree 8 15

64
 Total 53 100

28% of the respondents strongly believed that many interactions on Social Media are

clear and understandable while 47% of the respondents believed that many

interactions on Social Media are clear and understandable, 10% of the respondents

strongly disagree and 15% disagree. This implies that many interactions on Social

Media are clear and understandable.

Question 10 The church does not have enough resources to use Social Media

effectively

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 7 13

Agree 11 21

Strongly Disagree 10 19

Disagree 25 47

Total 53 100

13% of the respondents strongly believed that many interactions on Social Media are

clear and understandable while 21% of the respondents believed that many

interactions on Social Media are clear and understandable, 19% of the respondents

strongly disagree and 47% disagree. This goes to show that many interactions on

Social Media are clear and understandable.

Question 11 Social Media is perceived to be an end time evil by some Christians

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

65
 Strongly Agree 5 10

Agree 15 28

Strongly Disagree 16 30

Disagree 17 32

Total 53 100

10% of the respondents strongly believed that Social Media is perceived to be an end

time evil by some Christians while 28% of the respondents believed that Social Media

is perceived to be an end time evil by some Christians, 30% of the respondents

strongly disagree and 32% disagree. This goes to show that Social Media is perceived

to be an end time evil by some Christians.

Question 12 Social Media is a time waster

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 5 10

Agree 9 17

Strongly Disagree 29 55

Disagree 10 18

Total 53 100

10% of the respondents strongly believed that Social Media is a time waster while

17% of the respondents believed that Social Media is a time waster, 55% of the

respondents strongly disagree and 18% disagree. This goes to show that Social Media

is a not actually a time waster if maturely handled.

66
Question 13 Social Media is an effective tool for church growth

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 21 39

Agree 28 53

Strongly Disagree 2 4

Disagree 2 4

Total 53 100

39% of the respondents strongly believed that Social Media is an effective tool for

church growth while 53% of the respondents believed that Social Media is an

effective tool for church growth, 4% of the respondents strongly disagree and 4%

disagree. This goes to show that Social Media is an effective tool for church growth.

Question 14 Church members’ follow-up visitors that come to church for the

first time through Social Media

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 19 36

Agree 24 45

Strongly Disagree 4 8

Disagree 6 11

Total 53 100

36% of the respondents strongly believed that Church members follow-up visitors that

come to church for the first time through Social Media, while 45% of the respondents

67
believed that Church members follow-up visitors that come to church for the first time

through Social Media, 8% of the respondents strongly disagree and 11% disagree.

This goes to show that Church members follow-up visitors that come to church for the

first time through Social Media by creating a group for them.

Question 15 I believe that Social Media helps the church to disseminate

information and activities very easily.

Response Frequency Percentage (100%)

Strongly Agree 21 40

Agree 25 47

Strongly Disagree 3 6

Disagree 4 7

Total 53 100

40% of the respondents strongly believed that Social Media helps the church to

disseminate information and activities very easily, while 47% of the respondents

believed that Social Media helps the church to disseminate information and activities

very easily, 6% of the respondents strongly disagree and 7% disagree. This goes to

show that Social Media helps the church to disseminate information and activities

very easily.

68
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary

This study focused on the impact of social media on church growth, R.C.C.G

Lighthouse Parish, Surulere Lagos State as a case study. This research was set to

address three research objectives. There is an introduction to the study. The work

investigated the level of exposure of the church to Social media as an effective tool

for church growth. The data analysis and interpretations are presented to enable any

church make an informed decision on whether to deploy the use of social media in

their church or not.

This research work also discussed the various theoretical works regarding the

concept of social media, the concept of the church was also looked at giving the study

a platform for which it was applied, the evolvement of social media and it’s

importance in our contemporary church. The work also ascertained the benefits and

challenges of computer literacy to religious leaders and members of the church.

The research also looked at the factors militating against better and wider use

of Social media in the church. The biblical foundation of this study in chapter three

gives an insight to the significance of social media in biblical revelation through

different means to the people who were being communicated to in bible days.

Based on the above stated objective and this research carried out, the following

findings were made:

1. That the level of exposure of RCCG Lighthouse province in the area of social

media is high.

69
 2. that the benefits and challenges of computer literacy of religious leaders and

members of the church, helps in easy delivery of church program; it makes

the church work easier; it is applied in offering and tithe collections; it can

be affected by cyber-attacks and it requires not much IT knowledge to

operate.

3. that the factors militating against better and wider use of social media in the

church include but not limited to wrong perception, cyber bullying, the

high cost of IT facilities and high cost of data usage.

Some way forward to some of these challenges like the use of small sized materials

should be considered, high quality contents be deployed and clear statement should be

made concerning the use and importance of social media to the church.

5.2 Conclusion

This research work shows that the principles and practice of social media

when appropriately utilized in the church can bring about a substantial growth in keys

areas. The importance of the social media at this time cannot be overemphasized.

A church is a place in which people can share their thoughts and beliefs with

each other. Therefore it is very important that many people participate in sharing

these thoughts and beliefs with others. But due to the increasing digitalization in our

networked world, most communication is no more face to face. People are

increasingly communicating online through social media websites in order to keep

stimulating the religious discussion.

70
 Deliberate attempts must be made to ensuring that the church is making a positive

use of social media in accomplishing the moral and Spiritual growth of her people.

This will make a healthy church and any healthy will surely grow numerically.

5.3 Recommendations

Based on the findings of this study, the researcher hereby recommends the

following:

1. The church should create a vibrant social media department that will

effectively manage the church services and administration both online and

offline.

2. Efforts should be made improve the exposure of church leaders to ICT

facilities.

3. There should be constant training and upgrading of personnel in the church’s

social media department.

4. There should be proper orientation of the church members on the need to

adopt relevant social media platforms for the smooth running of the church

services and administration.

5. The use of social media should be encouraged among the church members in

order to foster effective connections and communication.

6. The church should encourage and train members that are interested in joining

the Media department and be properly equipped in order to function

maximally.

7. The church should have, maintain, and promote social media accounts like

Facebook, Youtube, Snapchat, Twitter and what have, in order to engage

the youths well and ensure appropriate dissemination of good content

information and communication.

71
 APPENDIX A

LIFE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, IKORODU, LAGOS, QUESTIONNAIRE.

Good day Sir/Ma,

I am Adesina Ayodeji Oyeniyi, from LIFE Theological Seminary, Ikorodu- Lagos

State, Nigeria. I am studying the impact of social media on church growth. The

findings of this study will help in church reforms in Nigeria. I hope to have a few

minutes of your time to fill out this questionnaire as all information you provided on

this questionnaire is highly confidential and can only be used for this research

purpose. Your identity is not needed in any way.

There are different section questions in this questionnaire with each question

to be answered with Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and Strongly Disagree response.

Please place a tick (“√”) mark on the box for your response.

Please tell me if you have any other questions about the research or in how to fill in

the questionnaire. On completion, please just hand back the form to me.

Thanks for your anticipated corporation.

APPENDIX B

QUESTIONNAIRES

Section A: Bio Data of Respondent

Please tick appropriately for your data

1. Gender: Male [ ] Female [ ]

2. Age below 21yrs [ ] 21-30 years [ ] 31-40 years [ ] 41 -50 [ ] 51 and

above

72
3. Marital status: Married [ ] Single [ ] Widow [ ] Divorced [ ] Others [ ]

4. Academic Status: “O” Level [ ] OND [ ] HND/B.SC/B.ED [ ] M.SC/M.ED

[ ] Others specify [ ]

5. Work Status: Self Employed [ ] Unemployed [ ]

6. Period of Worship in RCCG Lighthouse Chapel? 1-5 years [ ] 6-10 years [ ]

11 years and above [ ]

7. Are you a full member of RCCG Lighthouse Chapel? Yes [ ] No [ ]

Section B: The Research Questions

Please place a tick (“√”) mark on the box for your response. SA (Strongly

Agree), A (Agree), D (Disagree), SD (Strongly Disagree).

What is the level of exposure churches in Nigeria area of social media?

S/N Statement D SD A SA

1 It helps in easy delivery of church programs

2 It makes the church work easier

3 It is applied in offering and tithe collections

4 It can be affected by cyber attacks

5 It requires much IT knowledge to operate

6 Social Media has exposed many people to Christ

7 I find it easy to use Social Media

8 People spend a good number of time on Social

73
 media especially the younger ones

9. Many interactions on Social Media are clear and

understandable

10 The church does not have enough resources to

use Social Media effectively

11 Social Media is perceived to be an end time evil

by some Christians

12 Social Media is a time waster

13 Social Media is an effective tool for church

growth

14 Church members follow-up visitors that come to

church for the first time through Social Media

15 I believe that Social Media helps the church to

disseminate information and activities very easily

Thanks

74
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