Project – Assessment of Evangelism Strategies in the Anglican Communion in Nigeria and Their Effectiveness in Church Growth

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Evangelism is a core mandate of the Christian Church, rooted in the Great Commission of Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19–20, which commands believers to “go and make disciples of all nations.” Across Christian traditions, evangelism remains the primary strategy for church expansion, spiritual transformation, and societal influence. In the Anglican Communion, evangelism is not only a theological obligation but also a structured activity carried out through various ministries, programmes, and outreach initiatives.

The Anglican Church in Nigeria (Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion) is one of the largest provinces within the global Anglican family, with a strong presence across all regions of the country. Since the introduction of Christianity through missionary efforts in the 19th century, the Church has grown significantly, largely due to sustained evangelistic efforts such as open-air crusades, parish planting, catechism training, and missionary dioceses expansion.

Evangelism strategies in the Anglican Church include door-to-door outreach, revival programmes, youth evangelism, Sunday school evangelism, media evangelism (radio, television, and social media), and community-based missions. These strategies are designed to win souls, strengthen believers, and increase church membership. According to Ndukwe (2021), effective evangelism strategies are central to sustainable church growth in mainline denominations in Nigeria.

However, the effectiveness of these strategies has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. While some dioceses report steady growth in membership and parish expansion, others appear to experience stagnation or slow growth despite continuous evangelistic activities. This raises concerns about whether the existing evangelism strategies are adequately adapted to contemporary social realities.

In urban centers such as Lagos Island and other metropolitan dioceses, the challenges are even more complex. Rapid urbanization, technological advancement, economic pressure, and changing cultural values have significantly influenced how people respond to evangelism. Younger generations are increasingly exposed to digital culture, secular ideologies, and alternative belief systems, which may reduce the effectiveness of traditional evangelism methods.

According to Adebayo (2020), many churches in urban Nigeria still rely heavily on conventional evangelism methods that may not fully engage modern audiences, especially youths and professionals. This creates a gap between evangelistic efforts and actual church growth outcomes.

Church growth in this context refers not only to numerical increase in membership but also to spiritual maturity, parish development, leadership expansion, and community impact. Therefore, effective evangelism should ideally result in both quantitative and qualitative growth of the Church.

This study, therefore, assesses the evangelism strategies used in the Anglican Communion in Nigeria and evaluates their effectiveness in promoting church growth, with specific reference to selected dioceses in Lagos Island.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite the Anglican Communion’s long-standing commitment to evangelism as a central mission of the Church, there are growing concerns about the effectiveness of its evangelism strategies in achieving sustainable church growth. While the Church continues to organize evangelistic programmes, crusades, and outreach activities, the expected proportional increase in membership and active participation is not consistently observed across all dioceses.

One major problem is the over-reliance on traditional evangelism methods, such as open-air preaching and tract distribution, which may no longer resonate strongly with modern urban populations. In highly digital and fast-paced environments like Lagos Island, many potential converts are more influenced by social media, online communities, and contemporary lifestyles than by conventional street evangelism.

Another challenge is poor integration of digital evangelism strategies. Although some Anglican dioceses have begun using social media platforms and online streaming, many others still lack structured digital evangelism frameworks. This limits the Church’s ability to reach younger audiences who are highly active in digital spaces.

Furthermore, there appears to be inconsistency in evangelism training and mobilization across parishes. Some churches have well-organized evangelism departments, while others lack adequately trained evangelism teams. This inconsistency affects the overall impact of evangelistic outreach.

In addition, socio-economic and cultural barriers have made evangelism more difficult in urban areas. Issues such as religious pluralism, secularization, economic hardship, and distrust of religious institutions have reduced responsiveness to evangelistic messages.

The problem of this study, therefore, is the apparent gap between evangelism strategies employed by the Anglican Communion in Nigeria and their effectiveness in producing measurable church growth, particularly in selected dioceses in Lagos Island. This study seeks to examine whether current evangelism approaches are still effective or require strategic reformation.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to assess evangelism strategies in the Anglican Communion in Nigeria and their effectiveness in church growth.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. Identify the evangelism strategies used in the Anglican Communion in Nigeria.
2. Examine the effectiveness of these strategies in promoting church growth.
3. Investigate challenges affecting evangelism in Anglican dioceses.
4. Determine the relationship between evangelism strategies and church growth.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What evangelism strategies are used in the Anglican Communion in Nigeria?
2. How effective are these strategies in promoting church growth?
3. What challenges affect evangelism in Anglican dioceses?
4. What is the relationship between evangelism strategies and church growth?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

H₀ (Null Hypothesis):
There is no significant relationship between evangelism strategies and church growth in the Anglican Communion in selected dioceses in Lagos Island.

H₁ (Alternative Hypothesis):
There is a significant relationship between evangelism strategies and church growth in the Anglican Communion in selected dioceses in Lagos Island.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study will be beneficial to Anglican Church leaders by providing insights into the effectiveness of current evangelism strategies and suggesting areas for improvement. It will help clergy and evangelism departments develop more effective outreach methods.

It will also contribute to academic literature on missiology, church growth, and practical theology in Nigeria. Furthermore, it will assist church policymakers in designing more relevant evangelism frameworks that align with modern societal realities.

Additionally, the study will be useful to students of religious studies and theology as a reference material for future research on evangelism and church growth.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study focuses on the Anglican Communion in Nigeria, with specific attention to selected dioceses in Lagos Island. It examines evangelism strategies and their effectiveness in promoting church growth among congregations within the study area.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

• Evangelism: The act of spreading the Christian gospel to non-believers for conversion.
• Evangelism Strategies: Methods used by the church to preach and win souls (e.g., crusades, media outreach, visitation).
• Church Growth: Increase in church membership, spiritual development, and organizational expansion.
• Anglican Communion: A global family of Anglican churches, including the Church of Nigeria.
• Diocese: A territorial division of the church under a bishop’s leadership.

Project – Assessment of Evangelism Strategies in the Anglican Communion in Nigeria and Their Effectiveness in Church Growth