History has it that in the 15th century Christianity got into sub-Saharan Africa with the arrival of the Portuguese. In 1842, Samuel Ajayi Crowther suffered so much to bring the Gospel to the western part of Nigeria. In 1857, Reverend Christopher Taylor, an Igbo slave, left Sierra Leone to plant the first church in the eastern part of Nigeria. Christianity experienced significant growth in Nigeria starting in the 19th century, especially in the southern part of Nigeria. More European missionaries who were sent to Nigeria were responsible for the expansion of Christianity. These missionaries established various denominations, including Catholic, Protestant, and Pentecostal.
In the early days of Christianity in Nigeria, the Gospel was proclaimed freely. Missionaries sacrificially moved through villages and towns to make people know of Christ and His liberating Gospel message. Hospitals and schools were built, and natives accessed services free of charge. The message of the missionaries and indigenous pastors at that time was nothing but Christ and His love. It was never a product to be purchased or sold — it was a gift of grace offered to everyone.
However, in the 20th century, prosperity gospel theology was imported into Nigeria from the United States, and the message of the church changed, especially in Pentecostal churches. Another brand of Christianity replaced the Christianity that was brought into Nigeria by the missionaries. The message shifted. It was no longer about the biblical Gospel but about get-rich-quick schemes. It was no longer about Gospel ministry but about building a business. What was once a message of deliverance from death and sin morphed into a message about personal aggrandizement and financial success.
As a result, there has been a mass exodus of Nigerian youths out of the Church and back into the African traditional religion. This migration is becoming very pronounced these days, especially in the southeastern part of Nigeria. Many of these youths are complaining about failed promises of financial breakthrough, hypocrisy, greed, financial exploitation, and the wide gap between the rich and the poor in the Nigerian church. Since the prophecies of financial breakthrough given to them by their pastors did not come to pass, many of them have simply left Christianity, believing they can make money by appealing to their ancient gods. If this whole thing is merely about money, and the prosperity gospel message doesn’t deliver, why choose to remain in the Church?
When the gospel becomes transactional and is packaged as a commercial product, Christ is obscured, and His cross becomes empty. Those who are peddling a commercial gospel should not forget that the same Jesus who cleansed the temple is still in charge of His church today.
Many churches all over the world are guilty of the same exact thing. The global Church must rise above the temptation of monetary gain and focus on the only message that matters: Christ and Him crucified. Without it, we are merely wasting our lives.
Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. His calling is to take the gospel to where no one has neither preached nor heard about Jesus. He is the author of the book Mystery Of The Cross Revealed.
