A HISTORICAL STUDY OF PROSPERITY GOSPEL PREACHING IN NIGERIA, 1970-2014

ABSTRACT

Prosperity gospel preaching is a double-barrelled socio-religious phenomenon which is fast becoming one of the most significant expressions of Christianity and is remarkably wielding a pervasive influence within the Nigerian religious space. As a dominant strain of popular spirituality, prosperity gospel has remained a major socio-cultural force in Nigeria. The study generally attempts a comprehensive study of prosperity gospel in Nigeria and specifically, it examines the impacts and conflicting views on the reasons for the shift in emphasis of prosperity preachers from asceticism to materialism. The study is crafted using phenomenological approach for its richness and objectivity. The results show that prosperity preaching is currently the major preoccupation of the Pentecostals and has challenged endemic poverty in Nigeria through its emphasis on spiritual and economic empowerment programmes of the prosperity purveyors which is engendering remarkable social, economic and spiritual transformation in the Nigerian society. But the Pentecostals’ undue emphasis on giving as an investment for future prosperity occasioned by wrong interpretation of Scriptures by prosperity preachers resulting to misinformation and misapprehension of people about prosperity has negatively impacted on a broad spectrum of the Nigerian Christians and churches financially, socially and spiritually. At the moment, there seems to be a gradual paradigm shift in the orientation of people from hard labour to idleness and from holiness to worldliness in Nigeria. In view of the foregoing, the work, in recognition of some positivism of prosperity gospel draws its conclusion that the impacts of prosperity gospel are more damaging than beneficial in Nigeria

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE i
APPROVAL PAGE ii
CERTIFICATION iii
DEDICATION iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v
ABSTRACT x
TABLE OF CONTENTS xi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS xvi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background of the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 5
1.3 Aim of the Study 7
1.4 Significance of the Study 8
1.5 Scope of the Study 9
1.6 Research Methodology 10
1.7 Definition of Terms 12

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 15
2.1Biblical or Theological Perspective of Prosperity 16
2.2 Pre Pentecostal Understanding of Prosperity 23
2.3 Pentecostal Interpretation of Prosperity 28
2.4 Summary of Literature Review 37

CHAPTER THREE: HISTORICAL EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT
OF PROSPERITY GOSPEL PREACHING IN NIGERIA 41 3.1 Origin of Prosperity Preaching Worldwide 41
3.2 Nigerian Historical Roots of Prosperity Preaching 44
3.3 Development of Prosperity Preaching in Nigeria 52
3.4 Dimension of Prosperity Preaching in the World 58
3.5 Factors Responsible for Prosperity Preaching in Nigeria 66
3.5.1 African Worldview on Prosperity and Materialism 67
3.5.2 Competition for Possession of Worldly Resources 71
3.5.3 The 1980s Socio-economic Condition of Nigeria 82

CHAPTER FOUR: IDEOLOGY OF PROSPERITY PREACHERS
IN NIGERIA 90
4.1 Distinctiveness of Prosperity Preaching in Nigeria 90
4.1.1Foundational Affirmations 92
4.1.2 Faith as Positive Confession 95
4.1.3 Giving and Receiving 96
4.1.4 Poverty and Sickness 99
4.2 Principles/Laws of Prosperity 102
4.2.1 Be a Faithful Tither 104
4.2.2 Giving Willingly and Generously 108
4.2.3 Be a Covenant Builder 111
4.2.4 Investing in the Gospel 112
4.2.5 Giving to the Poor 113
4.2.6 Having High Regard for Spiritual Leaders and Partnering With them 113
4.2.7 Making Absolute and Solid Commitment to the Local Assembly 114
4.2.8 Confession Brings Possession 115
4.3 Purpose of Prosperity Preaching 116
4.3.1 Prosperity is Proof for God’s Covenant and for Building His Church 121
4.3.2 Blessed to be a Blessing to Humanity 124
4.3.3 Enjoyment of God’s Children on Earth 125
4.4 Wrong Interpretation of Scriptures 128
4.4.1 Biblical Interpretation Principles 131

4.4.2 Illustrations of Hermeneutical Blunders in the Prosperity Gospel 132
4.4.2.1 The Interpretation of the Promise of “Everything”, “All Thing ”
and “Anything” in Some Bible passages 133
4.4.2.2 The Threefold Prosperity promise in 3 John2 134
4.4.2.3 The Seed Faith Principle in Luke 6:38 136
4.4.2.4 The Hundredfold Return Principle in Mark10:29-30 137
4.4.2.5 Prosperity-Bound Mentality in Luke 16:22 138
4.5 Wrong Understanding of People about Prosperity 139

CHAPTER FIVE: RESPONSE TO PROSPERITY GOSPEL
PREACHING IN NIGERIA 146
5.1 Responses to Prosperity Preaching 146
5.2 Women and Prosperity Preaching 147
5.3 The Youth and Prosperity Preaching 153
5.4 Antagonists of Prosperity preaching (Holiness Preachers) 162
5.5 Mainline Churches Response 170
5.6 Social Critic 180

CHAPTER SIX: IMPACT OF PROSPERITY PREACHING GOSPEL
IN NIGERIA 192
6.1 Social Positive Significance of Prosperity Preaching in Nigeria 192
6.1.1 Prosperity Preaching as Vehicle for All-round Empowerment 193
6.1.2 Rehabilitation of Social Outcasts and Poverty Alleviation 197
6.1.3 Improvement of Human Capacity for Self-Development 199
6.1.4 Entrepreneurial Development and Employment Opportunities 200
6.1.5 Numerical Explosion of Christian Population 203
6.1.6 Rapid National Development 204
6.1.7 Educational Development and Human Capital Development 205
6.1.8 Leadership Development, Good Governance and
National Transformation 206
6.2 Negative Impact of Prosperity Preaching 208
6.2.1 Prosperity Gospel Promotes Materialism 209
6.2.2 Prosperity Gospel Inspires Syncretism 212
6.2.3 Prosperity Gospel Leads to Declining Spiritual commitment and Character 216
6.2.4 Prosperity Gospel Fuels Greed and Impoverishes People 218
6.2.5 Prosperity Gospel Nurtures Fraud, Rivalry and Competition 220
6.2.6 Prosperity Gospel Keeps People in Poverty 224
6.2.7 Prosperity Gospel enslaves people 226
6.2.8 Prosperity Gospel Feeds Pride 229

CHAPTER SEVEN: DISSECTION OF PROSPERITY GOSPEL
PREACHING IN NIGERIA 233
7.1 An Authentic Gospel 233
7.2 A Different Gospel (From Asceticism to Materialism) 239
7.3 Omissions of Prosperity Preaching 251
7.4 The Future of Prosperity Gospel in Nigeria 259
7.4.1 Factors that sustain Prosperity Gospel in Nigeria 260
7.4.1.1 Astronomical Expansion of prosperity ideology 260
7.4.1.2 The overwhelming Popularity of Prosperity Gospel 261
7.4.1.3 Deeply Entrenched Poverty in Africa 261
7.4.1.4 The Desire and Search to get better 262
7.4.1.5 Prosperity promises/Allurement as Bait 263
7.4.1.6 A Simple-Easy-Going Theology of Sweatless Prosperity 264

7.4.1.7 Evangelistic Campaigns and Churches’ Proliferation as Factor 264
7.4.1.8 Numerical Growth of the Pentecostals/Charismatics Solidify Prosperity Gospel 266
7.4.1.9 The Nature of Pentecostalism 268
7.4.1.10 Unchanging Global Trends Sustain Prosperity Theology 269
7.4.1.11 Prosperity Gospel as Immunity against Witchcraft and Problems 270

7.4.1 12 Prosperity Gospel as Socially Relevant to All Societies of the World 271

7.5 The Probable End of Prosperity Gospel 272

CHAPTER EIGHT: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 275
8.1 Summary of Findings 275
8.2 Contribution to Knowledge 277
8.3 Recommendations 279
8.4 Suggestions for Further Study 282
8.5 Conclusion 283

References 286

Appendix: LIST OF INTERVIEWEES 319

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

AD – Anno Domini
ANCBI – All Nations for Christ Bible Institute
ATR – African Traditional Religion
B. A. – Bachelor of Arts
B. TH – Bachelor of Theology
CAC – Christ Army Church
CAN – Christian Association of Nigeria
CGMI – Church of God Mission International
Christ Embassy – Believers Love World
CPA – Christian Praying Assembly
CPC – Congress for Progressive Change
DAWN – Disciple A whole Nation
ECWA – Evangelical Church Winning All (formerly the Evangelical Church of West Africa).
FCT – Federal Capital Territory
GRA – Government Residential Areas
GSM – Global System for Mobile communication
IMF – International Monetary Fund
INEC – Independent National Electoral Commission
INT – Institute for National Transformation
J P – Jerusalem Pilgrim
KJV – King James Version
M. A. – Master of Arts
M.TH – Master of Theology
NBC – The Nigerian Baptist Convention
NGOs – Non-Governmental Organizations
NIV – New International Version
PFN – Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria
Ph.D – Doctor of Philosophy
PMCC – Printme Communications Company
PRC – Pew Research Center
PTL – Praise the Lord
RCCG – Redeemed Christian Church of God
RCM – Roman Catholic Mission
SAP – Structural Adjustment Programmes
SCOAN – The Synagogue Church of All Nations
SNG – Save Nigeria Group
SURE-P – Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme
TFCI – The Foundation for Community Inspiration
The Deeper Life – Deeper Life Bible Church
The Lord Chosen – The Lord Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries
The Winners’ Chapel – Living Faith Church Worldwide
TSU – Taraba State University
USA – United States of America
WCC – World Council of Churches
WOFBI – The Word of Faith Bible Institute

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The emergence of prosperity gospel preaching dates back to the 19th and 20th centuries. It is currently a universal phenomenon that is frequently preached in urban areas especially in churches and on the electronic media. It has commanded scholarly attention, debates and literature on the subject. Historical records abound that prosperity preaching began in the United States of America (USA). This was precipitated through the formative role played by Essek William Kenyon who lived from 1867-1948, and who is said to have initially put in place the cardinal principles for prosperity gospel preaching (Young, 2005; Mumford, 2012). The principles Kenyon develop was probably cultic in origin (McConnell, 2007). However, Kenneth Erwin Hagin (1917-2003) seems to have borrowed heavily from Kenyon’s ideology and developed his own prosperity theology. It is established that Kenyon’s ideologies were also adopted, propagated and popularized by television and faith preachers in the 1950s like William Branham, Oral Roberts and Gordon Lindsay among several others (Okwori, 1995). Prosperity preaching was handed down to posterity under different nomenclatures such as “word faith” or “word of faith movement”, “positive confession”, “faith formula”, or “faith message”, “hyper-faith”, “health and wealth theology”, “name it and claim it gospel”, “blab it and grab it gospel”, “gospel of success”, and “prosperity gospel” as it advanced down through the ages (Jones, 2006; Achunike, 2007; MacArthur, 1992). For the purpose of this study, prosperity preaching, prosperity gospel or prosperity gospel preaching will be used interchangeably. McConnell (1990) informs that right from its source in the USA, prosperity gospel emphasizes the “Three “Ps”: Power, Prestige and Prosperity” (p. 170).