The Implications Of Commercialization In Ecclesia Communities In Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the implications of commercialization in Ecclesia communities in Nigeria. The qualitative phenomenological research method was adopted by this work. The study observes that Christianity to a very large extent is no more a spiritual thing but a means to an end among some ecclesial leaders in Nigeria. These church personnel have shown more interest in commercial activities and profiteering than in spiritual endeavors as sacred objects like offering money, hawker, handkerchiefs, prayers, prophecies, and even the Gospel are now being sold for money by merchants of Christianity that exploit exorbitant market prices in Nigeria. This development is detrimental to the Church and her mission and the original intent of Christianity. How this phenomenon affects the credibility of the Church in Nigerian society is the theme of this work. It was discovered in this study that commercialization in Ecclesia communities has some implications which have negatively affected the credibility/reputation of the Church by promoting materialism and mundane pursuits even to the extent that the house of God, the church, is now being considered as mere business venues instead of the house of God. The study further concludes that the Christian Association of Nigeria should put certain measures like setting up machinery to monitor the operations of the Nigerian Ecclesia communities, spelling out the objective of the universal Church, and if there be any commercialization by any Ecclesia community, it should be discouraged. Also, the Nigerian government should try and make job opportunities available to the youths since unemployment is a possible precursor for commercialization in the Church.